Structures of Grace: Catholic Nongovernmental Organizations and the Mission of the Church

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

Structures of Grace: Catholic Nongovernmental Organizations and the Mission of the Church Structures of Grace: Catholic Nongovernmental Organizations and the Mission of the Church Author: Kevin Joachim Ahern Persistent link: http://hdl.handle.net/2345/bc-ir:104378 This work is posted on eScholarship@BC, Boston College University Libraries. Boston College Electronic Thesis or Dissertation, 2013 Copyright is held by the author, with all rights reserved, unless otherwise noted. Boston College The Graduate School of Arts and Sciences Department of Theology STRUCTURES OF GRACE: CATHOLIC NONGOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS AND THE MISSION OF THE CHURCH A Dissertation by KEVIN J. AHERN submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy August 2013 © copyright by KEVIN J. AHERN 2013 Structures of Grace: Catholic Nongovernmental Organizations and the Mission of the Church By Kevin J. Ahern Director: David Hollenbach, SJ Abstract Transnational Catholic nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) are among the most active agents in the promotion of the global common good as they seek to overcome the structures of sin that divide the human family. This dissertation investigates the theological and ethical significance of Catholic NGOs by developing a critical framework that uncovers the relationship between these organizations and the church’s mission. Part One considers the global context and theoretical foundations of Catholic NGO action by examining social scientific literature (Chapter One) and modern Catholic teaching on the relationship between mission and justice (Chapter Two). Part Two places the theoretical foundations into dialogue with two case studies—the International Movement of Catholic Students-Pax Romana (Chapter Three) and the Jesuit Refugee Service (Chapter Four). This critical investigation of both theory and praxis illuminates several missiological, pneumatological, and ethical conclusions that are addressed in the final part (Chapter Five). This dissertation asserts three conclusions regarding the theological signifigance of Catholic NGOs. First, in contrast to some interpretations of the role of the church in the world, the actions of Catholic NGOs for the global common good are an integral part of the church’s mission. Second, these organizations can be described as structures of grace as they embody charity and charism in their efforts to overcome the divisive effects of structural sin. Finally, a more robust awareness of the theological dimensions of their work can aid these and other organizations respond more effectively and ethically to the demands of the global common good today. Table of Contents Acknowledgements ……………..…………………………………….………….. p. iv Frequently Used Acronyms……………………………………………………… p. v Introduction………………………………………………………………………. p. 1 I. Catholic Organizations and the Global Common Good ……....………...… p. 1 II. Argument and Chapter Outline…………………………………………….. p. 4 A. Part One: Context, Resistance, and Theological Foundations…………. p. 4 B. Part Two: Case Studies………………………………………………… p. 6 C. Part Three: Constructive Conclusions ………………………………... p. 8 Part One Context, Resistance, and Theological Foundations Chapter One: Catholic Political Action in a Globalized World…......………… p. 11 I. NGOs and the Erosion of Absolute State Sovereignty…………………….. p. 12 A. Non-State Actors in the Context of Globalization……………………... p. 13 B. Transnational Nongovernmental Organizations……………………….. p. 16 C. The Historical Emergence of Transnational NGOs …………………… p. 18 D. Formal Status for NGOs in the Intergovernmental System …………… p. 21 E. Four Primary Functions of Transnational NGOs……………………… p. 26 F. Analytical Frameworks to Understand the Role of NGOs ……………. p. 32 II. Catholic NGOs in the Global Public Square ……………………………… p. 39 A. Transnational Religious Actors…………...…………………………… p. 43 B. The Catholic Church as a Transnational Actor for the Global Common Good…………………………………………………………………… p. 44 C. The Catholic Church and Global Governance ………………………… p. 45 D. The Holy See…………………………………………………………... p. 47 E. Catholic Nongovernmental Organizations ……………………………. p. 50 F. Diversity with the Catholic NGO Community………………………… p. 53 III. Resistance to the Public Engagement of Catholic NGOs………………….. p. 57 Conclusion…………………………………………………………………………. p. 62 Chapter Two: Modern Roman Catholic Foundations for Socio-Political Action……………………………………………………………………… p. 66 I. The Second Vatican Council and the Renewal of Mission……………....... p. 71 A. The Church in History ………………………………………………… p. 71 B. The Church as a Sign and Instrument …………………………………. p. 77 C. The Church as the People of God ……………………………………... p. 80 D. Renewed Vision of Religious Life…………………………………….. p. 85 E. Autonomy of the Political…………………………………………….... p. 89 i F. A Holistic Vision of Mission ………………………………………….. p. 93 II. Postconciliar Social Teaching on Mission and Justice…………………….. p. 94 A. Pope Paul VI and the 1971 Synod of Bishops ………………………… p. 97 B. Pope John Paul II ……………………………………………………… p. 107 C. Pope Benedict XVI ……………………………………………………. p. 115 III. Reclaiming the Council’s Integral Vision of Mission…………………....... p. 127 Conclusion ……………………………………………………………………….... p. 130 Part Two: Case Studies Chapter Three: The International Movement of Catholic Students (IMCS-Pax Romana) ……………………………….. p. 135 I. The Mission of the International Movement of Catholic Students (IMCS-Pax Romana)…………………………………………..… p. 138 A. Catholic Action and the Christendom Model (1880s-1930s) …………. p. 140 B. A New Christendom Approach (1930s-1950s) ………………..……… p. 146 C. Distinction of Planes (1950s-1960s) ………………………………...… p. 153 D. Integral Liberation (1965-Present)…………………………………….. p. 156 E. The Mission of IMCS Today and its Underlying Theology …………... p. 162 II. IMCS as a Transnational NGO…………………………………………….. p. 166 A. IMCS and International Advocacy ……………………………………. p. 167 B. IMCS and Global Formation ………………………………………….. p. 179 III. IMCS and the Mission of the Church ……………………………………...IV. p. 184 Conclusion ………………………………………………………………………… p. 191 Chapter Four: Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS)….………………………………... p. 194 I. The Mission of Jesuit Refugee Service……………………………………. p. 196 A. The Society of Jesus After the Second Vatican Council ……………… p. 197 B. Pedro Arrupe and the Foundation of Jesuit Refugee Service………….. p. 207 C. The Development of JRS ……………………………………………… p. 212 D. A Threefold Mission …………………………………………………... p. 216 II. Jesuit Refugee Service as a Transnational NGO ………………………….. p. 228 A. Operational Program Implementation ………………………………… p. 228 B. Analysis and Research…………………………………………………. p. 235 C. Advocacy on Behalf of Refugees ……………………………………... p. 237 D. Justice and the Work of JRS…………………………………………… p. 244 III. Jesuit Refugee Service and the Mission of the Church ………………........ p. 249 A. Areas of Resistance to JRS Action for Justice ………………………... p. 250 B. JRS and the Church’s Mission With Migrants ………………………... p. 255 C. JRS’s Work for Justice as Rooted in the JRS Jesuit Mission and Ignatian Charism (GC 35) …………………………………………….. p. 261 Conclusion ………………………………………………………………………… p. 265 ii Part Three: Conclusions Chapter Five: The Theological Significance of Catholic NGOs ….…..……….. p. 269 I. Catholic NGOs and the Mission of the Church…………………………..... p. 271 II. Structures of Grace ………………………………………………………... p. 277 A. Structures of Grace in Actions Against Structural Sin………………… p. 278 B. Structures of Solidarity and Charity ………………….………………. p. 285 C. Structural Embodiments of Charisms …………………………............. p. 288 D. Toward a Theology of Social Grace…………………………………… p. 292 III. Criteria for Ethical Discernment …………………………………………... p. 295 A. Mission and Institution………………………………………………… p. 296 B. Unity and Uniformity …………………………………………………. p. 299 C. Cooperation and Competition …………………………………………. p. 301 D. Horizontalism and Verticalism …………..…………………………… p. 304 IV. Bold Humility in Mission …………………………………………………. p. 306 Appendix: List of Transnational Catholic NGOs in Relationship with the United Nations and Other Intergovernmental Organizations………… p. 309 Bibliography………………………………………………………………………. p. 314 iii Acknowledgements As with most works in theological ethics, this project is a result of many hours of conversation and exploration in a community of learning. I am profoundly grateful to all those who have supported and guided me in this process. I owe a great debt to my director, David Hollenbach and to my readers Lisa Sowle Cahill and Thomas Massaro. Not only have they generously supported me in this project, but they also model for me what it means to be a theological ethicist. I want to also thank the other students and faculty members who have given valuable input on my work in the Boston College ethics seminar over the years including, Kennith Himes, James Keenan, Maryanne Loughry, Stephen Pope, Andrea Vicini, Grégoire Catta, Michael Jaycox, Megan McCabe, René Micallef, Jill O’Brien, and Gonzalo Villagrán. Thank you also to John Barker, Benjamin Durheim, Bradford Hinze, Elizabeth Johnson, Mark Massa, David Turnbloom, Daniel Villanueva, Katherine Greiner and all those whose wisdom has enriched my work. I am grateful to all the supportive staff at Boston College, especially Gail Rider. My scholarship and research would not have been possible without the support of many wonderful friends and communities. I particularly would like to express my deepest gratitude Beth Glauber Ahern for her constant encouragement and inspiration. Thank you also to my parents, John and Clare Ahern and my siblings, Shawn and Zoe, for the many years of support and care. I am also deeply grateful to all those in the Newman House
Recommended publications
  • The Spiritual Exercises in Everyday Life: a Practical Implementation
    udiesinthe Spirituality of Jesuits 1 4199? The Spiritual Exercises in Everyday Life: A Practical Implementation . LIBRARY 5^ 1 L. Patrick Carroll, S.J. 22/1 January 1990 3N COLLEGE THE SEMINAR ON JESUIT SPIRITUALITY A group of Jesuits appointed from their provinces in the United States. The Seminar studies topics pertaining to the spiritual doctrine and practice of Jesuits, especially American Jesuits, and communicates the results to the members of the provinces. This is done in the spirit of Vatican II's recommendation to religious institutes to recapture the original inspiration of their founders and to adapt it to the circumstances of modern times. The Seminar welcomes reactions or comments in regard to the material which it publishes. The Seminar focuses its direct attention on the life and work of the Jesuits of the United States. The issues treated may be common also to Jesuits of other regions, to other priests, religious, laity, men and/or women. Hence the Studies, while meant especially for American Jesuits, are not exclusively for them. Others who may find them helpful are cordially welcome to read them. CURRENT MEMBERS OF THE SEMINAR L. Patrick Carroll, S.J., is pastor of St. Leo's Parish in Tacoma, Washington, and superior of the Jesuit community there. John A. Coleman, S.J., teaches Christian social ethics at the Jesuit School of Theology at Berkeley. R. Emmett Curran, S.J., teaches history at Georgetown University in Washington. James J. DiGiacomo, S.J., teaches theology at Regis High School in New York. Robert N. Doran, S.J., is one of the editors of the complete works of Bernard Lonergan and teacher of systematic theology at Regis College, the Jesuit School of Theology in Toronto.
    [Show full text]
  • Beware of False Shepherds, Warhs Hem. Cardinal
    Member of Audit Bureau of Circulations Principals in Pallium Ceremony i * BEWARE OF FALSE SHEPHERDS, % WARHS HEM. CARDINAL STRITCH Contonto Copjrrighted by the Catholic Preas Society, Inc. 1946— Pemiosion to reproduce, Except on Articles Otherwise Marke^ given After 12 M. Friday Following Issue Traces Catastrophes DENVER OONOLIC Of Modern Society To Godless Leaders I ^ G I S T E R Sermon al Pallium Ceremony in Denver Cathe­ The National Catholic Welfare Conference News Service Supplies The Denver Catholic Register. We dral Shows How Archbishop Shares in Have Also the International Nows Service (Wire and Mail), a Large Special Service, Seven Smaller Services, Photo Features, and Wide World Photos. (3 cents per copy) True Pastoral Office VOL. XU. No. 35. DENVER, COLO., THURSDAY, A PR IL 25, 1946. $1 PER YEAR Beware of false shepherds who scoff at God, call morality a mere human convention, and use tyranny and persecution as their staff. There is more than a mere state­ ment of truth in the words of Christ: “I am the Good Shep­ Official Translation of Bulls herd.” There is a challenge. Other shepherds offer to lead men through life but lead men astray. Christ is the only shepherd. Faithfully He leads men to God. This striking comparison of shepherds is the theme Erecting Archdiocese Is Given of the sermon by H. Em. Cardinal Samuel A. Stritch of Chicago in the Solemn Pon­ + ' + + tifical Mass in the Deliver Ca­ An official translation of the PERPETUAL MEMORY OF THE rate, first of all, the Diocese of thedral this Thursday morning, Papal Bulls setting up the Arch­ EVENT Denver, together with its clergy April 25, at which the sacred pal­ diocese of Denver in 1941 was The things that seem to be more and people, from the Province of lium is being conferred upon Arch­ Bishop Lauds released this week by the Most helpful in procuring the greater Santa Fe.
    [Show full text]
  • Dopady Různosti Obřadů V Manželských Kauzách Na Církevním Soudu
    UNIVERZITA KARLOVA V PRAZE KATOLICKÁ TEOLOGICKÁ FAKULTA Miloš Szabo Dopady různosti obřadů v manželských kauzách na církevním soudu Disertační práce Vedoucí práce: prof. JUDr. Antonín Hrdina, DrSc. 2014 Prohlášení 1. Prohlašuji, že jsem předkládanou práci zpracoval samostatně a použil jen uvedené prameny a literaturu. 2. Prohlašuji, že práce nebyla využita k získání jiného titulu. 3. Souhlasím s tím, aby práce byla zpřístupněna pro studijní a výzkumné účely. V Praze dne 25. 11. 2014 2 Bibliografická citace Dopady různosti obřadů v manželských kauzách na církevním soudu [rukopis]: disertační práce / Miloš Szabo; vedoucí práce: Antonín Hrdina. – Praha, 2014. – 187 s. (+ 74 s. příloha) Anotace Křesťanství se z Jeruzaléma šířilo několika směry. Jedno z jeho nejvlivnějších center vzniklo v Římě, jenž se stal také sídlem papežů a zůstal jím i po přesídlení císaře do tehdy řecké Konstantinopole. Kromě Říma, spjatého s apoštolem Petrem však existovaly i další velké křesťanské obce, založené ostatními apoštoly, ležící na východ od římské říše, které se stejně jako ta římská nazývaly církví. A tak i dnes kromě největší latinské (římské) církve existují desítky východních, právem se chlubících vlastní apoštolskou tradicí. V průběhu dějin došlo několikrát k narušení jejich komunikace s Římem, ale i mezi sebou navzájem. V dnešní době, kdy z různých důvodů dochází k velkým migračním vlnám, se některá církevní společenství, doposud považována striktně za východní, dostávají do diaspory s latinskou církví, čímž vzniká nejen velká pravděpodobnost růstu počtu smíšených intereklesiálních manželství, ale zároveň také zvýšené množství manželských kauz, které bude muset následně řešit církevní soud. Aby jeho rozhodnutí bylo spravedlivé, je potřebné znát jak historii těchto východních církví, mezi nimiž je i dvacet dva sjednocených s Římem (tedy východní katolické církve), tak i především jejich teologická specifika, spiritualitu a partikulární právo.
    [Show full text]
  • Le Persone E Il Pianeta Al Primo Posto: L’Imperativo Di Cambiare Rotta” (Roma, 2-3 Luglio 2015)
    N. 0525 Mercoledì 01.07.2015 Conferenza Stampa per presentare la Conferenza di alto livello “Le persone e il pianeta al primo posto: l’imperativo di cambiare rotta” (Roma, 2-3 luglio 2015) Intervento del Card. Peter Kodwo Appiah Turkson Intervento della Sig.ra Naomi Klein Intervento del Prof. Ottmar Edenhofer Intervento del Sig. Bernd Nilles Campagna su un nuovo stile di vita sostenibile: “Change for the Planet - Care for the People” Scheda Informativa sulla CIDSE Alle ore 11.30 di questa mattina, nell’Aula Giovanni Paolo II della Sala Stampa della Santa Sede si tiene una Conferenza stampa per presentare la Conferenza di alto livello “Le persone e il pianeta al primo posto: l’imperativo di cambiare rotta”, che terrà i suoi lavori domani e dopodomani all’Augustinianum (Roma), organizzata dal Pontificio Consiglio della Giustizia e della Pace e dalla CIDSE (rete internazionale di Ong cattoliche per lo Sviluppo). Intervengono alla Conferenza stampa: la Sig.ra Naomi Klein, Scrittrice; il Prof. Ottmar Edenhofer, Co-Chair del Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC); il Sig. Bernd Nilles, Segretario Generale della International Alliance of Catholic Development Organisations (CIDSE). L’intervento del Card. Peter Kodwo Appiah Turkson, Presidente del Pontificio Consiglio della Giustizia e della Pace, non presente alla conferenza stampa, è letto dalla Dott.ssa Flaminia Giovanelli, Sotto-Segretario del medesimo Dicastero. Pubblichiamo di seguito gli interventi dei conferenzieri, un testo sulla Campagna della CIDSE su un nuovo stile 2 di vita sostenibile e una scheda informativa sulla CIDSE: Intervento del Card. Peter Kodwo Appiah Turkson The Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace is happy to join CIDSE, the international alliance of 17 Catholic Development Organisations, in hosting the international conference “People and Planet First: the Imperative to Change Course” here in Rome, 2-3 July 2015.
    [Show full text]
  • Catholicism and the Judiciary in Ireland, 1922-1960
    IRISH JUDICIAL STUDIES JOURNAL 1 CATHOLICISM AND THE JUDICIARY IN IRELAND, 1922-1960 Abstract: This article examines evidence of judicial deference to Catholic norms during the period 1922-1960 based on a textual examination of court decisions and archival evidence of contact between Catholic clerics and judges. This article also examines legal judgments in the broader historical context of Church-State studies and, argues, that the continuity of the old orthodox system of law would not be easily superseded by a legal structure which reflected the growing pervasiveness of Catholic social teaching on politics and society. Author: Dr. Macdara Ó Drisceoil, BA, LLB, Ph.D, Barrister-at-Law Introduction The second edition of John Kelly’s The Irish Constitution was published with Sir John Lavery’s painting, The Blessing of the Colours1 on the cover. The painting is set in a Church and depicts a member of the Irish Free State army kneeling on one knee with his back arched over as he kneels down facing the ground. He is deep in prayer, while he clutches a tricolour the tips of which fall to the floor. The dominant figure in the painting is a Bishop standing confidently above the solider with a crozier in his left hand and his right arm raised as he blesses the soldier and the flag. To the Bishop’s left, an altar boy holds a Bible aloft. The message is clear: the Irish nation kneels facing the Catholic Church in docile piety and devotion. The synthesis between loyalty to the State and loyalty to the Catholic Church are viewed as interchangeable in Lavery’s painting.
    [Show full text]
  • Cardinal Cajetan Renaissance Man
    CARDINAL CAJETAN RENAISSANCE MAN William Seaver, O.P. {)T WAS A PORTENT of things to come that St. Thomas J Aquinas' principal achievement-a brilliant synthesis of faith and reason-aroused feelings of irritation and confusion in most of his contemporaries. But whatever their personal sentiments, it was altogether too imposing, too massive, to be ignored. Those committed to established ways of thought were startled by the revolutionary character of his theological entente. William of la Mare, a representa­ tive of the Augustinian tradition, is typical of those who instinctively attacked St. Thomas because of the novel sound of his ideas without taking time out to understand him. And the Dominicans who rushed to the ramparts to vindicate a distinguished brother were, as often as not, too busy fighting to be able even to attempt a stone by stone ex­ amination of the citadel they were defending. Inevitably, it has taken many centuries and many great minds to measure off the height and depth of his theological and philosophical productions-but men were ill-disposed to wait. Older loyalities, even in Thomas' own Order, yielded but slowly, if at all, and in the midst of the confusion and hesitation new minds were fashioning the via moderna. Tempier and Kilwardby's official condemnation in 1277 of philosophy's real or supposed efforts to usurp theology's function made men diffident of proving too much by sheer reason. Scotism now tended to replace demonstrative proofs with dialectical ones, and with Ockham logic and a spirit of analysis de­ cisively supplant metaphysics and all attempts at an organic fusion between the two disciplines.
    [Show full text]
  • Statuto E Attività 1962-2012
    ISTITUTO PER LA DOCUMENTAZIONE E GLI STUDI LEGISLATIVI Sotto l’Alto Patronato del Presidente della Repubblica STATUTO E ATTIVITÀ 1962-2012 JOVENE EDITORE NAPOLI 2012 ISLE Via del Plebiscito 102 - 00186 ROMA Tel. 06 679 5142 - Fax 06 679 3449 [email protected] DIRITTI D’AUTORE RISERVATI © Copyright 2012 ISBN 978-88-243-2109-9 JOVENE EDITORE Via Mezzocannone 109 - 80134 NAPOLI NA - ITALIA Tel. (+39) 081 552 10 19 - Fax (+39) 081 552 06 87 web site: www.jovene.it e-mail: [email protected] Printed in Italy Stampato in Italia ISTITUTO PER LA DOCUMENTAZIONE E GLI STUDI LEGISLATIVI Sotto l’Alto Patronato del Presidente della Repubblica UFFICIO DI PRESIDENZA Presidente Onorario Antonio Maccanico Presidente Giovanni Pieraccini Vicepresidenti In rappresentanza In rappresentanza dei Soci ordinari: dei Soci collettivi: Augusto Barbera Giuseppe Mazzei Francesco D’Onofrio Segretario Generale Silvio Traversa Consiglio Direttivo Augusto Barbera A.B.I. Francesco D’Onofrio Domenico Siniscalco ASSOGESTIONI Gaetano Gifuni Alessandro Rossi Casa Editrice Dott. Eugenio Jovene s.r.l. Giuseppe Guarino Giuseppe Mazzei Il Chiostro Vincenzo Lippolis ENEL Antonio Maccanico GRUPPO FERROVIE DELLO STATO Donato Marra Giovanni Ialongo Massimo Sarmi Giovanni Pieraccini POSTE ITALIANE S.P.A. Massimo Scioscioli Gaetano Blandini Paolo Agoglia Elisabetta Serafin SIAE Franco Bernabé Silvio Traversa TELECOM ITALIA Ugo Zampetti UNICREDIT Tesoriere Massimo Scioscioli Revisori dei Conti Gaetano De Vito - Sebastiano Piana - Francesco Sposato INDICE GIOVANNI PIERACCINI, Presentazione.................................................................. p. 7 SILVIO TRAVERSA, Introduzione........................................................................... » 11 ANTONIO MACCANICO, La nascita dell’ISLE ...................................................... » 15 ANTIGONO DONATI, I primi quindici anni dell’ISLE......................................... » 19 GIULIANO AMATO, La Scuola di Scienza e Tecnica della Legislazione..............
    [Show full text]
  • Exploring the Irish Catholic Mother in Kate O'brien's Pray for the Wanderer
    - Exploring the Irish Catholic Mother in Kate O’Brien’s Pray for the Wanderer In order to orientate the reader to the discussion that follows, a brief introduction to Kate O’Brien’s novel, Pray for the Wanderer , published in !"#$, will serve to sketch the key characters and relationships in the plot. In addition, the historical context to the composition of the novel is also pertinent, as it was written during the unveiling of the !"#% Irish Constitution. Signi&cantly, too, the novel was written a(er the banning of O’Brien’s previous novel, Mary Lavelle , and the fact that the main character in Pray for the Wanderer , Matt Costello, acts as a mouthpiece for O’Brien is attested to by her friends, the critics Vivian Mercier and Lorna Reynolds. Mercier wrote: ‘Miss O’Brien has clearly made her hero an author – and a banned one at that – so that through his mouth she may register her pro- test against modern Ireland’s love of censorship’. ) In a similar vein, Lorna Reynolds in Kate O ’Brien: A Literary Portrait , remarked: ‘*e author herself is present … as a man, a famous author back in Ireland on a visit to his brother and sister-in-law’. + Matt Costello, a successful writer, retreats to his ancestral home in Mellick, O’Brien’s &ctional Limerick, a(er the ending of a passionate af fair with a married actress in London. Weir House is now occupied by his brother, Will, who is married to Una, and their &ve children. Much to Matt’s surprise, he becomes involved in the lives of this family, is temporarily soothed by their tranquil lifestyle, and &nds himself attracted to Una’s sister, Nell, who teaches world history through the Irish language.
    [Show full text]
  • Benedict XVI and the Interpretation of Vatican II
    Cr St 28 (2007) 323-337 Benedict XVI and the Interpretation of Vatican II As the fortieth anniversary of the close of the Second Vatican Council approached, rumors began to spread that Pope Benedict XVI would use the occasion to address the question of the interpretation of the Council. The rumor was particularly promoted by Sandro Ma- gister, columnist of L’Espresso and author of a widely read weekly newsletter on the Internet. For some time Magister had used this newsletter to criticize the five-volume History of Vatican II that had been published under the general editorship of Giuseppe Alberigo. When the last volume of this History appeared, Magister’s newsletter called it a «non-neutral history» (9 Nov. 2001). The role of Giuseppe Dossetti at the Council and the reform-proposals of the Istituto per le Scienze Religiose that he founded were the objects of three separate newsletters (1 Dec. 2003; 3 Jan 2005; 30 Aug. 2005). In a web-article on 22 June 2005, under the title: «Vatican II: The True History Not Yet Told», Magister gave great prominence to the launching of a book presented as a «counterweight» to the Alberigo History. For several years, its author, Agostino Marchetto, had been publishing severely critical reviews of the successive volumes of that History and of several auxiliary volumes generated in the course of the project sponsored by the Bologna Institute. Marchetto had now assembled these review-essays into a large volume entitled Il Conci- lio Ecumenico Vaticano II: Contrappunto per la sua storia and pub- lished by the Vatican Press.1 Magister’s account of the launch of the book gave a good deal of attention to an address by the head of the Italian Bishops’ Confer- 1 A.
    [Show full text]
  • The Vietnam War, the Church, the Christian Democratic Party and the Italian Left Catholics
    social sciences $€ £ ¥ Article The Vietnam War, the Church, the Christian Democratic Party and the Italian Left Catholics Daniela Saresella Department of Historical Studies, University of Milan, 20122 Milan, Italy; [email protected] Received: 6 March 2018; Accepted: 28 March 2018; Published: 3 April 2018 Abstract: Over the years of the Cold War, the conflict in Vietnam assumed the significance of a clash between two civilizations, the West and communism. Italian Catholics thus found themselves not only invoking the end of the conflict, but also expressing their evaluations on the choices made in international politics by the two superpowers. The positions assumed by the ecclesiastic Institution, the Christian Democrats and the Catholic world in Italy towards the war in Indochina were not identical: in fact, if—with a few exceptions—the ecclesiastic hierarchy was distinguished by its extreme caution, in the Catholic party different positions became manifest. It was mainly in Catholic associations, and in general amongst believers closer to the experience of the Vatican Council, that a radical sense of aversion to U.S. foreign policy developed. Keywords: Vietnam War; Italian Catholics; Cold War; Italian Church; Christian Democratic Party 1. The Italian Church The sixties saw a period of profound change, not only in the West but in other continents, too: the civil rights movement in the United States, the battles against oppressive regimes in Latin America, the cultural revolution in China, the upheavals in Eastern European countries and the leading role played by young people all enlivened the decade. The Catholic Church was also marked by radical innovations with the pontificate of John XXIII and from 1962 with the start of the Second Vatican Council.
    [Show full text]
  • Confronting Anti-Semitism in Catholic Theology After the Holocaust Carolyn Wesnousky Connecticut College, [email protected]
    Connecticut College Digital Commons @ Connecticut College History Honors Papers History Department 2012 “Under the Very Windows of the Pope”: Confronting Anti-Semitism in Catholic Theology after the Holocaust Carolyn Wesnousky Connecticut College, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: http://digitalcommons.conncoll.edu/histhp Part of the European History Commons, History of Religion Commons, and the Jewish Studies Commons Recommended Citation Wesnousky, Carolyn, "“Under the Very Windows of the Pope”: Confronting Anti-Semitism in Catholic Theology after the Holocaust" (2012). History Honors Papers. 15. http://digitalcommons.conncoll.edu/histhp/15 This Honors Paper is brought to you for free and open access by the History Department at Digital Commons @ Connecticut College. It has been accepted for inclusion in History Honors Papers by an authorized administrator of Digital Commons @ Connecticut College. For more information, please contact [email protected]. The views expressed in this paper are solely those of the author. “Under the Very Windows of the Pope”: Confronting Anti-Semitism in Catholic Theology after the Holocaust An Honors Thesis Presented by Carolyn Wesnousky To The Department of History In partial fulfillment of the requirements for Honors in the Major Field Connecticut College New London, Connecticut April 26, 2012 1 Table of Contents Introduction……………………………………………………...…………..4 Chapter 1: Living in a Christian World......…………………….….……….15 Chapter 2: The Holocaust Comes to Rome…………………...…………….49 Chapter 3: Preparing the Ground for Change………………….…………...68 Chapter 4: Nostra Aetate before the Second Vatican Council……………..95 Conclusion…………………………………………………………………110 Appendix……………………………………………..……………………114 Bibliography………………………………………………………………..117 2 Acknowledgements As much as I would like to claim sole credit for the effort that went into creating this paper, I need to take a moment and thank the people without whom I never would have seen its creation.
    [Show full text]
  • Archivio Storico Della Presidenza Della Repubblica
    ARCHIVIO STORICO DELLA PRESIDENZA DELLA REPUBBLICA Ufficio per la stampa e l’informazione Archivio fotografico del Presidente della Repubblica Oscar Luigi Scalfaro (1992-1999) settembre 2006 2 Il lavoro è a cura di Manuela Cacioli. 3 busta evento data PROVINI 1 Roma. Deposizione di corona d’alloro all’Altare della Patria e 1992 mag. 27-ago. 7 incontro col sindaco Franco Carraro a Piazza Venezia, \27.5.92. Presentazione dei capi missione accreditati e delle loro consorti e Festa nazionale della Repubblica, \7.6.92. “La Famiglia Legnanese” per il 40° anniversario di fondazione, \2.7.92. Redazione della rivista “Nuova Ecologia”, \13.7.92 (n.4). Avv. Paolo Del Bufalo e gruppo di giovani romani, \20.7.92. Confederazione italiana fra Associazioni combattentistiche italiane, \28.7.92. Gen. Roberto Occorsio e amm. Luciano Monego in visita di congedo, \28.7.92. Yahya Mahmassani, nuovo ambasciatore del Libano, e Patrick Stanislaus Fairweather, nuovo ambasciatore di Gran Bretagna: presentazione lettere credenziali, \29.7.92. Alì Akbar Velayati, ministro degli esteri dell’Iran, \29.7.92. Madre Teresa di Calcutta, \31.7.92. On. Giuseppe Vedovato, Associazione ex parlamentari della Repubblica, \31.7.92. Avv. Carlo D’Amelio, Associazione nazionale avvocati pensionati, \31.7.92. Giuramento dell’on. Emilio Colombo, ministro degli esteri del governo Amato, \1.8.92. On. prof. Salvatore Andò, ministro della difesa, il capo di Stato maggiore dell’aeronautica e componenti della pattuglia acrobatica nazionale, \5.8.92. Il piccolo Farouk Kassam e i genitori, \7.8.92. 2 On. Carlo Casini con i vincitori del concorso nazionale “La famiglia: 1992 giu.
    [Show full text]