THEOLOGICAL DEBATE AND DEFENCE OF THE FAITH

VATICAN CITY, 4 NOV 2009 (VIS) - Benedict XVI dedicated his catechesis during this morning's general audience to the twelfth-century debate between St. Bernard of Clairvaux and Abelard, proponents, respectively, of the monastic and scholastic approaches to theology.

  The Pope began by recalling that theology "is the search for a rational understanding (in as much as that is possible) of the mysteries of Christian revelation, which are believed by faith, ... the faith that seeks intelligibility". Yet, "while St. Bernard ... places the emphasis on ... faith, Abelard ... insists ... on understanding by reason.

  "For Bernard", the Holy Father added, "faith itself is endowed with an intimate certainty, founded on the testimony of Scripture and on the teaching of the Fathers of the Church. ... In cases of doubt or ambiguity, faith is protected and illuminated by the exercise of ecclesial Magisterium". Thus, for the abbot of Clairvaux, "theology has a single goal, that of promoting the living and intimate experience of God".

  "Abelard, who among other things introduced the term 'theology' as we understand it today, ... originally studied philosophy then applied the results achieved in this discipline to theology". He had a "religious spirit but a restless personality, and his life was rich in dramatic events: he challenged his teachers and had a child by a cultured and intelligent woman, Eloise. ... He also suffered ecclesiastical condemnations, although he died in full communion with the Church to whose authority he submitted with a spirit of faith".

  "An excessive use of philosophy rendered Abelard's Trinitarian doctrine dangerously fragile", said the Pope. "Likewise, in the field of morals his teaching was not without ambiguity as he insisted on considering the intention of the subject as the only source for describing the goodness or malice of moral acts, ignoring the objective moral significance and value of actions.

  "This aspect", Benedict XVI went on, "is highly relevant for our own age, in which culture often seems marked by a growing tendency to ethical relativism. Nonetheless, we must not forget the great merits of Abelard, ... who made a decisive contribution to the development of scholastic theology. ... Nor must we undervalue some of his insights such as, for example, his affirmation that non-Christian religious traditions already contain some form of preparation to welcome Christ, the Divine Word.

  "What can we learn from the confrontation ... between Bernard and Abelard and, more generally, between the monastic and scholastic approaches to theology?" the Holy Father asked. "Firstly", he went on, "I believe it shows the usefulness and need for healthy theological discussion within the Church, especially when the questions being debated have not been defined by the Magisterium, which, nonetheless, remains an ineluctable point of reference".

  "In the theological field there must be a balance between what we may call architectonic principles, which are given to us by the Revelation and which, hence, always maintain their priority and importance, and interpretative principles suggested by philosophy (that is, by reason), which have an important function, but only an instrumental one. When this balance fails, theological reflection risks becoming marred by error and it is then up to the Magisterium to exercise that necessary service to truth which is its task".

  "The theological dispute between Bernard and Abelard concluded with a full reconciliation. ... What prevailed in both men was that which we must have to heart whenever a theological controversy arises: that its, defending the faith of the Church and ensuring the triumph of truth in charity".
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MAY EXAMPLE OF JOHN PAUL II INSPIRE US TO SANCTITY

VATICAN CITY, 4 NOV 2009 (VIS) - At the end of today's general audience the Pope recalled the fact that today is the liturgical feast of St. Charles Borromeo, "outstanding bishop of the diocese of Milan who, animated by ardent love for Christ, was a tireless master and guide to his brothers and sisters".

  Turning then to address Polish pilgrims, Benedict XVI told them that today "we recall my predecessor, Servant of God John Paul II. May the example of his life and his teaching confirm us in the faith and inspire us along the road to sanctity".
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OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

VATICAN CITY, 4 NOV 2009 (VIS) - The Holy Father:

 - Accepted the resignation from the pastoral care of the diocese of Porto Nacional, Brazil, presented by Bishop Geraldo Vieira Gusmao, upon having reached the age limit. He is succeeded by Coadjutor Bishop Romualdo Matias Kujawski.

 - Erected the new diocese of San Jacinto de Yaguachi (area 6,265, population 715,856, Catholics 618,301, priests 49, permanent deacons 3) Ecuador, with territory taken from the archdiocese of Guayaquil, making it a suffragan of the same metropolitan church. He appointed Bishop Anibal Nieto Guerra O.C.D., auxiliary of Guayaquil, as first bishop of the new diocese.

 - Appointed Fr. Guido Ivan Minda Chala, pastor and episcopal vicar for the clergy of the diocese of Ibarra, Ecuador, as auxiliary of Guayaquil (area 18,711, population 3,454,000, Catholics 3,110,000, priests 358, permanent deacons 25, religious 686), Ecuador. The bishop-elect was born in Apula, Ecuador in 1960 and ordained a priest in 1998.
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AUTHENTIC DEVELOPMENT REQUIRES A SPIRITUAL DIMENSION

VATICAN CITY, 31 OCT 2009 (VIS) - This morning the Holy Father received the Letters of Credence of Nikola Ivanov Kaludov, the new ambassador of Bulgaria to the Holy See.

  At the beginning of his address the Pope told the ambassador, whose country joined the European Union in 2007, that "countries must not sacrifice their own cultural identity in the process of constructing Europe. Quite the opposite, they must find the means to produce good fruits that enrich the entire community. ... Bulgaria undoubtedly plays an important role in creating serene relations among neighbour States, and in the defence and promotion of human rights", he said.

  Speaking then of the concern expressed by the Bulgarian diplomat for the common good of peoples, Benedict XVI said "this cannot be limited to the frontiers of the European continent; rather, it is necessary to create the conditions for an appropriate form of globalisation".

  Recalling then his recent Encyclical "Caritas in veritate", the Holy Father pointed out that "it is vital for development not to be limited exclusively to economic domination, but that it take account of the integrity of the human person. Human beings must be measured not by what they possess, but by the extension of their being in accordance with the capacities of their nature. This principle finds its ultimate justification in the creative love of God, which fully reveals the Divine Word. In this context, in order for the development of mankind and society to be authentic, it must necessarily have a spiritual dimension".

  Benedict XVI drew attention to the fact that "the Christian culture which profoundly impregnates" the Bulgarian people "is not just a treasure of the past to be conserved, but testimony to a truly promising future which protects human beings from the temptations that always threaten to make them forget their own greatness, the unity of the human race and the requirement for solidarity that such unity implies".

  Dialogue with the many religious communities present in Bulgaria, in order "to be sincere and constructive", said the Pope, "requires mutual understanding and respect. For its part the Catholic community", he concluded, "wishes to open generously to everyone and to work with everyone. This finds concrete expression in its social work which it does not wish to reserve exclusively for the benefit of its own members".
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NOTE ON CELIBACY FOR ANGLICANS ENTERING CATHOLIC CHURCH

VATICAN CITY, 31 OCT 2009 (VIS) - Holy See Press Office Director Fr. Federico Lombardi S.J. today released the following English-language declaration concerning speculations about the celibacy issue in the forthcoming Apostolic Constitution regarding personal ordinariates for Anglicans entering into full communion with the Catholic Church.

  There has been widespread speculation, based on supposedly knowledgeable remarks by an Italian correspondent Andrea Tornielli, that the delay in publication of the Apostolic Constitution regarding Personal Ordinariates for Anglicans entering into full communion with the Catholic Church, announced on 20 October 2009 by Cardinal William Levada, prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, is due to more than 'technical' reasons. According to this speculation, there is a serious substantial issue at the basis of the delay, namely, disagreement about whether celibacy will be the norm for the future clergy of the provision.

  Cardinal Levada offered the following comments on this speculation: "Had I been asked I would happily have clarified any doubt about my remarks at the press conference. There is no substance to such speculation. No one at the Vatican has mentioned any such issue to me. The delay is purely technical in the sense of ensuring consistency in canonical language and references. The translation issues are secondary; the decision to delay publication in order to wait for the 'official' Latin text to be published in 'Acta Apostolicae Sedis' was made some time ago.

  "The drafts prepared by the working group, and submitted for study and approval through the usual process followed by the Congregation, have all included the following statement, currently Article VI of the Constitution:

  "1. Those who ministered as Anglican deacons, priests, or bishops, and who fulfil the requisites established by canon law and are not impeded by irregularities or other impediments may be accepted by the Ordinary as candidates for Holy Orders in the Catholic Church. In the case of married ministers, the norms established in the Encyclical Letter of Pope Paul VI 'Sacerdotalis coelibatus', n. 42 and in the Statement "In June" are to be observed. Unmarried ministers must submit to the norm of clerical celibacy of canon 277, para 1 of the Code of Canon Law.

  "2. The Ordinary, in full observance of the discipline of celibate clergy in the Latin Church, as a rule ('pro regula') will admit only celibate men to the order of presbyter. He may also petition the Roman Pontiff, as a derogation from canon 277, para 1, for the admission of married men to the order of presbyter on a case by case basis, according to objective criteria approved by the Holy See.

  "This article is to be understood as consistent with the current practice of the Church, in which married former Anglican ministers may be admitted to priestly ministry in the Catholic Church on a case by case basis. With regard to future seminarians, it was considered purely speculative whether there might be some cases in which a dispensation from the celibacy rule might be petitioned. For this reason, objective criteria about any such possibilities (e.g. married seminarians already in preparation) are to be developed jointly by the Personal Ordinariate and the Episcopal Conference, and submitted for approval of the Holy See".

  Cardinal Levada said he anticipates the technical work on the Constitution and Norms will be completed by the end of the first week of November.
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