MESSAGE TO PONTIFICAL ACADEMY OF ST. THOMAS AQUINAS

VATICAN CITY, JUN 22, 2002 (VIS) - John Paul II wrote a message to participants in the third plenary session of the Pontifical Academy of St. Thomas of Aquinas. In the document, the Pope recalls the experts of international renown who collaborated with the Academy and underlines that the Church has always proposed St. Thomas as a "master of thought and a model of the right way to study theology."

Later, the Holy Father refers to both the achievements and deficiencies of contemporary philosophy, affirming: "Today along with marvelous scientific discoveries and surprising technological progress ... we make two great omissions: the omission of God and of man, the omission of the soul and of the dignity of man. This sometimes causes situations of anguish to which it is necessary to offer rich answers of truth and hope."

"In the encyclical 'Fides et Ratio' ... I indicated the necessity of a 'philosophy of authentic, metaphysical achievement, capable of transcending empirical data in order to reach, in its search for truth, something absolute, ultimate and fundamental'."

"The culture of our time," he concludes, "speaks so much about man and knows so many things about him, but so often gives the impression that it ignores who he really is. In effect, man can only understand himself in the light of God. ... The Vatican Council II teaches that the mystery of man finds a solution only in the light of the mystery of Christ. In the face of the tragedy of atheistic humanism, it is the duty of believers to announce and give testimony that true humanism manifests itself only in Christ."

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