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Benedict XVI's Deus Caritas Est Gregoriana, 1973), 60 ------I ::c ~ r'T""'1 ~.~ s: 0 ~ lJ r-- -c::;, ~~ ~:J rn_ :::t:> g, en -=z t:::::::J rT""'I OPJ~ t:::::::J ~ c::: :::t:> ~ :::t:> ~ (D rT""'I ~o ::c ~ ~ ~ rn ~ t:I::I ~ c~o.. i- 0 C? -c::: =z ~ 0 :::t:> ~ 80m ~ A =z r'T""'1 ~ en :::::c::J ~~rt =zr'T""'1 ~~ C"""':) o..~. r'T""'1 n en To the church, university, and people of Padua, especially Renzo Pegomro and the Fondazione Lanza Founded in 1970, Orbis Books endeavors to publish works that enlighten the mind, nourish the spirit, and challenge the conscience. The publishing arm of the Maryknoll Fathers and Brothers, Orbis seeks to explore the global dimensions of the Christian faith and mission, to invite dialogue with diverse cultures and religious traditions, and to serve the cause of reconciliation and peace. The books published reflect the views of their authors and do not represent the official position of the Maryknoll Society. To learn more about Maryknoll and Orbis Books, please visit our website at www.maryknoll.org. Copyright © 2008 by Linda Hogan. Published by Orbis Books, Maryknoll, New York 10545-0308. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or any in­ formation storage or retrieval system, without prior permission in writing from the publisher. Queries regarding rights and permissions should be addressed to Orbis Books, P.O. Box 308, Maryknoll, NY 10545-0308. Manufactured in the United States of America. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Applied ethics in a world church: the Padua conference / Linda Hogan, editor. p. cm. Proceedings of a conference held July 8-11,2006 in Padua, Italy. ISBN-13: 978-1-57075-759-4 1. Ch ristian ethics - Catholic authors - Congresses. 2. Applied ethics­ Congresses. 1. Hogan, Linda, 1964­ BJ1249.A672008 241'.042-dc22 2008001443 270 Gustavo Irrazcibal 10. See Gilberto Gutierrez, "Veritatis Splendor y la etica consecuencialista con­ temporanea," in Comentarios a la Veritatis Splendor, ed. Gerardo del POlO Abeij6n (Madrid: BAC, 1994),254. 29 11. Against the unilateral invocation made by Gutierrez in "Veritatis Splendor y la etica consecuencialista contemporanea," 254-55. 12. The same affirmation is made by James Murtagh with regard to the pre­ conciliar manuals in "Intrinsic Evil," (doctoral dissertation, Rome: Universidad Benedict XVI's Deus Caritas Est Gregoriana, 1973), 60. 13. Louis Janssens, "Ontic Evil and Moral Evil," Louvain Studies 4 (1972): 120. An Ethical Analysis 14. Giordano Muraro, "Procreaci6n responsable," in Nuevo diccionario de teolo­ gia moral, ed. Francesco Compagnoni et al. (Madrid: Paulinas, 1992), 1516. STEPHEN J. POPE 15. See Marrin Rhonheimer, Ley natural y raz6n prcictica (Pamplona: EUNSA, 2000),455-64; and idem, La perspectiva de la moral (Madrid: RIALP, 2000), 333­ 70; and idem, Etica de la procreaci6n (Madrid: RIALP, 2004): 132-48. Referring to "ethical context" enables us to overcome many objections to the doctrine of Pope Benedict XVI's first encyclical, Deus caritas est (DCE), was generally intrinsece malum, such as an alleged reduction of the moral act to a "disembodied appreciated for its positive tone. The encyclical's good reception was facil­ object" (see Marciano Vidal, La propuesta moral de Juan Pablo II [Madrid: PPC, itated by its uncontroversial message that love, not hatred and violence, is 1994), 143). at the heart of Christianity. The same is true of its claim that the church is 16. Marrin Rhonheimer, "The Truth about Condoms," The Tablet (October 7, called to demonstrate the practical meaning of divine love through concrete 2000): 10-11; idem, "Contraception, Sexual Behavior, and Natural Law: Philo­ acts, both those done by individual Christians moved by charity and those sophical Foundation of the Norm of Humanae Vitae," Linacre Quarterly 56 (1989): routinely provided by ecclesial social service agencies around the world. 20-57. 17. Gustavo Irrazabal, "El teleologismo despues de la Veritatis Splendor," Moralia Moral theologians praised the scriptural basis of the encyclical's vision and 26 (2003): 31-57. its focus on virtue and intentions rather than on rules and prohibitions. 18. An analogous method for mediation between principles and consequences has The encyclical's treatment of its central theological affirmation that God been developed in the field of bioethics in Diego Gracia, Fondamenti di bioetica is love (1 John 4) is divided into two sections-a more theologically specula­ (Milan: San Paolo, 1993), 571-602. tive part dealing with the nature of love and a more practical section focusing on the "works of charity." Both sections have certain strengths, but I would like to highlight the more interesting issue of ambiguities in the document. This essay argues that the encyclical's clarity and persuasiveness is dimin­ ished by its treatment of the relations between two pairs of key theological and moral terms - first, agape and eros, and second, love and justice. The encyclical's assumption that agape is a special type of love that can be clearly distinguished from eros, as well as from other forms of love, gives a problem­ atic status to natural love. Moreover, the encyclical's placement of charity "above" justice tends to give an insufficient appreciation to the importance of justice in its own right and obscures its value as a necessary condition of the former. This generates an unfortunate diminution of the ethical significance of large-scale, institutional settings. The conclusion of this chapter maintains that recent events in the life of the church underscore the responsibility of giving more, rather than less, attention to the demands of justice. Agape and Eros The first pair of terms recalls the theological and moral debate that has been going on for the better part of a century, beginning with Nygren's magisterial 272 Stephen J. Pope Benedict XVI's DellS Caritas Est r J work, Agape and Eros. Nygren's main target was what he took to be the gradually moves to caring for the other for his or her own sake: "Even if eros infiltra tion of Greek into Christianity via Augustine's" Christianized" eros. is at first mainly covetous and ascending ... [over time it] increasingly seeks Lofty eros, Nygren claims, persists in sinful self-seeking as much as hedo­ the happiness of the other, is concerned more and more with the beloved, nistic eros does and neither has any place in the unmerited love commanded bestows and wants to 'be there for' the other" (DCE no. 7). Yet an ambiguity by Jesus. True agape gives itself away and is completely unmotivated by is introduced when it is said that as eros matures, an element of agape its object's goodness or beauty. This dualist interpretation of Luther's two "enters into this love, for otherwise eros is impoverished and even loses its kingdoms was thoroughly critiqued and rejected by generatjons of Christian own nature" (DCE no. 7). The ambiguity here centers on whether agape ethicists, but the typology was nevertheless retained, even by Nygren's crit­ corrects the defects of eros due to original or personal sin, or provides a ics. Thus, despite its inadequacies in enriching the Christian scriptures and new capacity for giving that is actually foreign to eros as such. significant streams of the Christian tradition, Nygren's position continues to Benedict obviously does not want to say with Nygren that nature is re­ influence Christian theology by providing the framework within which the placed by grace, or agape by eros, but his use of the agape-eros duality makes discussion typically takes place. This is understandably, but lamentably, also this less than clear. Nygren regarded aga pe as a distinct "type" of love and the case with Deus caritas est. certainly not as the grace-inspired perfection of all human love, whatever its Benedict certainly intends to oppose the kind of radical dualism of agape object and whatever its mode of operation (ascending or descending, etc.). If and eros advanced by Nygren, but unfortunately his encyclical actually agape is tbe perfection and elevation of natural love, then one would think shows the influence of the dualist paradigm it intends to critique. It is true that it is manifested in ascending as well as in descending love. that while Nygren sharply opposed agape and eros, Benedict, like his Catho­ Benedict holds that because we are body and soul, and in need of re­ lic forebears in this debate, insists that agape and eros ultimately form a ceiving as well as giving, we should not dismiss eros as trivial any more complementary and harmonious relation to the extent to which the former than we should exalt 'it to divine status. Since "giving" and "receiving" purifies the latter so that it serves the other and not just the self. Eros left to are both essential aspects of natural love, Benedict's description of agape itself is corrupted by original sin and stands in need of grace. Benedict takes as "descending" love and of eros as "ascending love," and his categoriza­ the Song of Songs to show that human love can move from being "insecure, tion of eros as "worldly love" in contrast to love "grounded in and shaped indeterminate, and searching" to an orientation focused on "real discovery by faith," obscures the natural moral capacity of human love, healed by of the other, [and] moving beyond the selfish character that prevailed ear­ grace. lier" (DCE no. 6). Purified eros culminates in exclusive and permanent love According to Nygren, natural love in search of happiness ascends to God expressed in marriage. for the sake of the self, whereas divine love descends to others without con­ Benedict acknowledges that eros has been subjected to multiple interpre­ cern for the self.
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