Fellowship of Catholic Scholars Quarterly
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Fellowship of Catholic Scholars Quarterly PRESIDENT’S LETTER....................by.Dr..Bernard.Dobranski COMMENCEMENT ADDRESS 30 Assumption College, Worcester, MA, .................. Ralph.McInerny Number 3 REVIEW ARTICLE Fall 2007 The Enemy at Home: The Cultural Left and Its Responsibility for 9/11.............................Kenneth.Whitehead ARTICLES Today's Disciples: The Essential Role of the Laity in the Church.................................................. Russell.Shaw Pope Benedict XVI, Latin America, and the New York Times........................................ John.McDermott,.S.J. “Crucified Love”, The Connection Between the Cross and Love in the Spiritual Theology of St. John of the Cross.................................................John.Love Meaning, Mystery and Marian Art...........................Glenn.Statile Roman Catholic Political Philosophy: A Course Description.......................................James.V.Schall,.S.J. BOOK REVIEWS The Eucharist: 101 Questions and Answers on the Eucharist . by.Rev..Giles.Dimock, O.P.,.STD....... Leonard.A..Kennedy,.C.S.B. Good News, Bad News: Evangelization, Conversion, and the Crisis of Faith by.Father.C..John.McCloskey,.III,.and.Russell.Shaw.. ......................................................................Kenneth.D..Whitehead Discorsi al Popolo di Dio by.Karol.Wojtyla............................................ Aquinas.Guilbeau,.OP National Thought in Europe: A Cultural History by.Joep.Leerssen.................................................. .Jude.P..Dougherty The Essential Russell Kirk . George.A..Panichas,.ed......................................... .Jude.P..Dougherty ISSN 1084-3035 Pessimism: Philosophy, Ethic, Spirit . by.Joshua.Foa.Dienstag..................................................Tim.Weldon Fellowship.of.Catholic.Scholars P.O..Box.495 Notre.Dame,.IN.46556 BOOKS RECEIVED (574).631-5825 www.catholicscholars.org FCS OFFICERS J..Brian.Benestad,.Editor [email protected] NEXT MEETING NOTICE EX CATHEDRA.................................................... J..Brian.Benestad FCS Quarterly • Fall 2007 PRESIDENT’S LETTER by.Bernard.Dobranski Dean and Professor of Law, Ave Maria School of Law he.recent.document.from.the.Vat- Fellowship of ican’s.Congregation for the.Doctrine of the Faith (CDF).stating.that.the. Catholic Scholars one.Church.established.by.Christ. Scholarship.Inspired.by.the.Holy.Spirit, T“subsists”.in.the.Roman.Catholic.Church.is. in.Service.to.the.Church a.reiteration.of.traditional.belief..It.holds.that. the.Church.is.the.perfect.vehicle.for.salvation. CONTENTS since.it.alone.maintains.the.fullness.of.doc- trine,.the.seven.sacraments.and.a.valid.minis- PRESIDENT’S LETTER ............................................................... try.transmitted.by.the.apostles..This.teaching. is.inclusive,.honest.and,.above.all,.charitable:. COMMENCEMENT ADDRESS ...................................................3 honest—since.it.is.candid.regarding.what. REVIEW ARTICLE the.Church.believes;.inclusive—since.it.states. The Enemy at Home: The Cultural Left and that.other.“ecclesial.communions”.though. Its Responsibility for 9/11 ...............................................................6 deficient.in.these,.to.a.greater.or.lesser.extent,. offer.sanctification.insofar.as.they.share.in. ARTICLES some.of.what.Christ.has.revealed;.and,.chari- Today's Disciples .............................................................................. table—since.the.Church.offers.what.it.has. Pope Benedict XVI, Latin America, and the New York Times ........................................................................6 received.to.all.humanity. “Crucified Love”, The Connection Between the Cross and . In.the.first.instance.this.clarification.is. Love in the Spiritual Theology of St. John of the Cross ..........0 meant.primarily.for.Catholics..Over.the.past. Meaning, Mystery and Marian Art .............................................4 forty.years,.since.Vatican.II,.ecclesiology.has. Roman Catholic Political Philosophy ...........................................36 become.rather.nebulous,.often.falling.into. BOOK REVIEWS indifferentism.or.relativism..How.many.times. The Eucharist: 101 Questions and Answers ............................4 have.you.heard.“One.church.is.as.good.as.an- Good News, Bad News ..................................................................43 other,”.or.“As.long.as.you.are.a.good.person,. Discorsi al Popolo di Dio ...............................................................44 religion.doesn’t.matter”?.Too.many.times,.I’m. sure..These.attitudes.mock.the.truth.of.the. National Thought in Europe: A Cultural History ......................45 Gospel.which.proclaims.the.unicity.of.Christ. The Essential Russell Kirk .............................................................46 as.savior.and.the.oneness.of.the.Church.He. Pessimism: Philosophy, Ethic, Spirit ..............................................47 instituted. These.issues.are.of.primary.importance,. BOOK RECEIVED .....................................................................48 and.need.to.be.taught.clearly.in.order.to. WASHINGTON D.C. ANNUAL MEETING ........................49 fulfill.the.Gospel’s.mandate.to.“Go.out.to.all. BOARD OF DIRECTORS ........................................................50 the.world.and.tell.the.Good.News.”.Pope. EX CATHEDRA .........................................................................5 Benedict.has.long.recognized.the.importance. of.clarity.on.these.matters,.first.as.Prefect.of. the.CDF.in.“Dominus.Iesus”.(2000).and.later. in.his.pre.conclave.address.to.the.Cardinals.in. which.he.spoke.of.the.“dictatorship.of.rela- Reminder: Membership dues will be tivism”.now.gripping.western.society. mailed out the first of the year and are . Secondly,.far.from.the.offense.perceived. based on a calendar (not academic) year. FCS Quarterly • Fall 2007 by.many.Protestants.regarding.the.term.“defective”. of.the.Council,.inviting.others.to.share.more.fully. used.to.describe.their.communities,.or.the.Orthodox. in.the.Lord’s.gifts.to.His.Church..To.be.sure,.Pope. ire.at.Rome’s.describing.their.Church.as.“wounded,”. John.Paul.II’s.now.famous.aphorism.that.the.Church. the.teaching.of.the.oneness.of.the.Church.is,.in.fact,. “proposes.and.does.not.impose”.her.teachings.should. cognizant.of:.the.nuptial.union.with.all.who.claim. be.foremost.in.our.minds.and.must.guide.all.dia- Christ.as.their.savior;.that.other.faith.traditions.do. logue.with.non-Catholics..The.clarification.provides. indeed.possess.some.elements.of.Christian.truth;.and. vital.areas.for.ecumenical.discussion..It.further.opens. that.only.God.determines.who.can.be.saved..Empha- to.our.separated.brothers.and.sisters.the.treasury.of. sizing.these.facts.should.be.foremost.in.ecumenical. grace.that.Christ.makes.available.to.His.people.for. dialogue..Triumphalism.is.certainly.not.the.purpose. their.salvation..This.candid.approach.not.only.al- for.the.clarification.and.reading.it.outside.of.the. lows.truth.to.be.shared,.but.also.to.be.refined.for. context.of.the.spirit.of.ecumenism.advanced.by.Vati- the.hearing.and.benefit.of.all..The.fruitfulness.of.the. can.II.can.do.irreparable.damage.to.evangelization. “Lutheran-Roman.Catholic.Dialogue”.on.Justification and.even.more.so.to.good.human.relations. by Faith.(1992),.for.example,.has.aided.in.a.deeper. Lastly,.this.document.is.loving.and.charitable.. appreciation.by.both.groups.of.how.salvation.is.pro- Though.the.Congregation’s.explanation.of.the.word. cured. “subsists”.found.in.Vatican.II’s.ecclesiological.docu- . With.proper.context,.theological.precision,.and. ment.“Lumen.Gentium”.is,.as.I.stated.above,.primar- a.sensitivity.to.the.language.and.hearing.of.Catholics. ily.for.Catholics,.it.has.always.been.recognized.as.a. and.non-Catholics,.I.believe.that.this.clarification. broadening.view.of.ecclesiology.and,.in.fact,.repre- holds.great.promise.in.fulfilling.Christ’s.wish.“That. sents.a.loving.outreach.on.the.part.of.the.Father’s. all.maybe.one.”.✠ Commencement Address at Assumption College May 12, 2007 by Ralph McInerny only.remembered.things.that.actually.had.happened.. Professor of Philosophy, University of Notre Dame You.are.likely.to.recall.a.cool,.rational.decision.that. landed.you.here.at.Assumption..But.you.know.it.was. ellow.degree.recipients,.I.congratulate.you!. murkier..Not.just.throwing.a.dart,.maybe,.but.to. Your.parents.congratulate.you..The.faculty. some.large.degree.a.shot.in.the.dark..It.was.one.of. congratulates.you..Your.student.loan.officer. the.wisest.choices.you.ever.made,.so.take.credit.for.it.. congratulates.you..Now.you.know.what.it. It.was.no.doubt.providential... Fmeans.to.become.poorer.by.degrees..This.is.a.day. Over.the.last.decades.books.devoted.to.the.mud- when.you.look.forward,.beyond.the.campus,.to.your. dled.condition.of.higher.education.in.this.country. life.ahead..That.is.why.this.ceremony.is.called.Com- have.multiplied..Shelves.groan.under.their.burden.. mencement.rather.than,.say,.Achievement,.or.Accom- Their.general.argument.is.that.our.colleges.and.uni- plishment.or.maybe.At.Last.. versities.have.become.ideological.battlefields;.a.gen- . Just.for.a.moment,.however,.I.ask.you.to.think. eralized.skepticism.runs.through.the.faculty,.students. back.four.years.and.a.little.more.when.you.were. are.pulled.this.way.and.that..Speakers.are.denied. deciding.where.you.would.go.to.college..Memory.is. access.to.campuses.or.when.they.get.there,.are.pelted. a.generous.faculty..Mark.Twain.said.that.while.many. with.verbal.and.other.garbage..A.campus.not.far.from.