VATICAN CITY, APR 17, 2004 (VIS) - Made public today was the Holy Father's Letter to Msgr. Walter Brandmueller, president of the Pontifical Committee for Historical Sciences, on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of its founding by Pope Pius XII on April 7, 1954.
In the Message, dated April 16, the Pope highlighted the importance of cultivating
"serious historical knowledge in the different fields in which the life of the individual and of the community is carried out. ... Ignorance of our past always leads to crisis and to a loss of identity of individuals and communities."
"Historical research, free of prejudices and linked uniquely to scientific documentation has an irreplaceable role in breaking down barriers among peoples. Often, great barriers have been built up throughout the centuries due to partiality of historiography and of reciprocal resentment. The consequence has been that even today misunderstandings persist which are an obstacle to peace and fraternity among men and peoples."
John Paul II affirms that the Church "is extremely interested in an ever-deeper knowledge of history. With this purpose, today more than ever accurate teaching of Church history is necessary for candidates to the priesthood, as the Vatican Council II Decree 'Optatam totius' recommended. In order to study Church tradition properly, however, a solid knowledge of Latin and Greek is indispensable. Without these languages, it is impossible to access the sources of ecclesiastical tradition. Only with their help, is it possible to rediscover even today the richness of the experience of life and faith that the Church, especially under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, has accumulated in the past 2000 years."
MESS/HISTORICAL SCIENCES/BRANDMULLER VIS 20040419 (290)
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