Fellowship of Catholic Scholars 27:3 Quarterly

Volume 27, Number 3, Fall 2004 ISSN 1084-3035

FCS Quarterly • Fall 2004 1 PRESIDENT’S PAGE

VALEDICTORY

ew individuals have had the privilege to serve as President of our Fellowship— eleven, to be exact. No one has had the honor twice, Fellowship of except me. For a combination of reasons un- important now, I stepped back into office last Catholic Scholars Fyear to fill an unexpired term. That term ends in a few Scholarship Inspired by the Holy Spirit, weeks, at the Convention in Pittsburgh. Here is my last in Service to the Church President’s Page -- and this time I really mean it! I came into office joking, and have done my fair CONTENTS share since. Glancing at my inaugural Presidents’s Page in September 1995 (an essay cleverly titled, “Inaugural”), I PRESIDENT’S PAGE...... 2 affectionately made light of my predecessor’s enormous ARTICLES talents and prodigious accomplishments. I wrote: “Ralph The Statement of the U.S. Catholic [McInerny] knows everybody, and has so mastered the Bishops on Faithful Citizenship...... 3 The Authority of the “Old” Pontifical language of the universal Church that his latest book (as Biblical Commission...... 12 of 4:30 p.m. this date) promises to deliver Latin fluency Policy Suggestions for the Church ...... 16 to any reader before sundown”. I said then and say now Edith Stein as Mystical Theologian...... 24 that Ralph “set the standard for a successful presidency”. And for editing this Quarterly, a task he took up a second FCS CONVENTION SCHEDULE...... 32 time when I returned to office, a service for which I now BOOK REVIEWS ...... 33 thank him. BOOKS RECEIVED...... 55 The substance of that first column (and quite a few thereafter) was reform of Catholic higher education. 1995 BOARD OF OFFICERS was mid-way through the struggle to faithfully implement AND DIRECTORS ...... 55 Ex corde ecclesiae, the 1990 papal constitution on colleges EX CATHEDRA ...... 48 which the American bishops (more or less) implemented in 2000. “Inaugural” had mostly to do with a bishops’ committee recommendation on the mandatum. They called for a “non-juridical application” of what is in fact a canonical requirement, a rule which makes sense only as a As we go to press: way to put into practice the underlying truth that Catho- I am saddened at the death of Mon- lic theology ought to be taught by persons who hold the signor Kelly. In an era of confusion Catholic faith. Disregarding this sense of the matter and where self-aggrandizement and nov- pursuing the path of less resistance, many bishops now elty took center stage, he subordi- give the mandatum to any theologian who asks for it. nated, but did not extinguish, his Just as well, then, that the whole matter has pretty much intellectual gifts to the greater good disappeared from public view. of service to orthodoxy and a right Glancing now at Volume 1, number 1 of the FCS understanding of Catholic doctrine. Newsletter, here is a plug for the first Fellowship Conven- May the Lord bless him and bring to tion: “Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger, the new Archbishop of fruition the labors of his organization. Munich, Germany and formerly member of the Inter- Dennis Larrivee, Ph.D., FCS member national Theological Commission, has been invited to be the Keynote Speaker”. (He didn’t make it.) Father Ron- ald Lawler, OFM Cap. and first President of our group, addressed not reform of institutions but what

2 FCS Quarterly • Fall 2004 FCS Quarterly • Fall 2004 3 distinguishes the Catholic scholar. He wrote, too: old parish. Monsignor Kelly’s failing health makes “The Fellowship was not established to canonize him an unlikely traveler to any more Board meetings any narrow or partisan interpretation of faith, but to or FCS conventions. But, sometimes, when I call, the encourage the hearty support of Catholic faith and old sparkle and zest and intelligence are once again life that the tradition of scholarship in the Church on display. And always his great love for the Church, has always recognized as indispensable”. and for the Fellowship of Catholic Scholars. That first number also lists the founding Execu- George Kelly will take those loves to his grave, tive Secretary: Monsignor George A. Kelly. Then and as did Ronald Lawler, as will (I dare say) Ralph Mc- for a score more years the guiding spirit of the FCS, Inerny, as will the many other stalwarts who brought Monsignor Kelly now lives in the Mary Manning our Fellowship into being, who nurtured it, and who Walsh Home on Manhattan’s Upper East Side, just (in a rash moment) entrusted it to my care. steps from his boyhood home, and blocks from his As will I. ✠

ARTICLES The Statement of the U.S. Catholic Bishops on Faithful Citizenship: A Missed Opportunity

by J. Brian Benestad bility rightly focuses on the common good, it has Professor of Theology, University of Scranton nothing to say to or about pro-abortion Catholic Scranton, PA 18510 politicians, fails to mention the president’s power to appoint pro-life or pro-choice Supreme Court n the fall of 2003 the Administrative Com- Justices, doesn’t urge Catholic Representatives and mittee of the United States Catholic Confer- Senators to oppose same-sex marriage, doesn’t sound ence of Bishops (USCCB) issued and widely a clarion call about the perils of biotechnology, fails distributed in Catholic parishes, schools and to distinguish clearly Catholic doctrine from partisan other organizations a kind of voters’ guide for politics, doesn’t show that the attainment of social ICatholics entitled Faithful Citizenship: A Catholic Call justice depends on Catholics’ knowing their faith and to Political Responsibility. Although not a statement of practicing virtue in every aspect of their lives, and the entire body of bishops, it is generally received as gives the impression that Catholics exercise faithful such. In mid-June of 2004 the USCCB distributed citizenship simply by voting correctly. Worst of all, Faithful Citizenship to the Democratic and Repub- the Committee’s consistent ethic of life theory can lican party platform committees. In its presentation easily be read by Catholics as giving them permission of its document the USCCB’s news release had this to vote for pro-abortion candidates if they support headline, “Bishops Platform Committee Testimony enough of the USCCB’s statements on social justice, Calls For Focus On Pursuit Of the Common Good, global solidarity and war. Not Demands Of Special Interests.” As would be In the month of June, 2004, the bishops ad- expected, the statement reminds U.S. citizens that dressed two omissions in Faithful Citizenship. On the common good embraces the protection of life, June 24 the president of the USCCB sent a letter to the pursuit of social justice, peace and human rights all bishops asking them to solicit support from their around the world, etc. All Catholics should applaud Senators for the Federal Marriage Amendment. Early the goals of the U.S. bishops. in July Bishop Gregory also sent a letter to the U.S. While this Catholic call to political responsi- Senate requesting support of the same Amendment.

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Because of public interest, the USCCB finally did fect of their pro-abortion stance by citing their sup- address the subject of pro-choice Catholic politicians port of the bishops’ positions on social justice. at their June meeting in a short statement published Within the last eighteen months two Church under the title “Catholics in Political Life.” With the documents on faithful citizenship have appeared, one collaboration of Cardinal Francis George, Archbishop issued by the Vatican Congregation For the Doctrine Charles Chaput and Bishop Donald Wuerl, the Task of the Faith in January of 2003, the other, the one Force on Catholic Bishops and Catholic Politicians mentioned above, written by the USCCB’s Admin- prepared this statement for the entire body of bish- istrative Committee. The latter is the latest in a series ops. Since these reflections were not formally sub- of documents issued under various names every four mitted to the platform committees of the Democrat- years since 1976. It was “developed under the leader- ic and Republican parties, things not said in Faithful ship of [the USCCB’s] Committees on Domestic and Citizenship are still significant. As a postscript to this International Policy,” in order to provide guidance essay, I will briefly summarize “Catholics in Political for Catholic voters on the issues that should be kept Life,” because it makes up one glaring omission in in mind in the presidential election. In other words, Faithful Citizenship. the USCCB statement tells Catholics what kind of The “consistent ethic of life” theory in Faithful policy positions they should be supporting on a wide Citizenship stands in contrast to a statement issued range of issues. While a few of these positions, such by all the bishops in 1998 bearing the title, Living as the opposition to abortion and euthanasia, are the Gospel of Life: A Challenge to American Catholics. In required by Catholic doctrine, most are not, such that statement the bishops challenge all Catholics to as the support of affirmative action to overcome defend the sanctity of life and argue incisively that discrimination. These are simply debatable political being right on “social justice” issues “can never excuse opinions, as the bishops sometimes candidly admit. a wrong choice regarding direct attacks on innocent human The Vatican document, entitled Doctrinal Note on life. Indeed, the failure to protect and defend life in Some Questions Regarding The Participation of Catholics its most vulnerable stages renders suspect any claims in Public Life, was issued to clear up misunderstand- to the ‘rightness’ of positions in other matters af- ings and errors in the Catholic community about the fecting the poorest and least powerful of the human way to participate in public life. Unlike the USCCB community.” document, it avoids endorsing positions with which Recent news reports indicate that Democrats in the Catholic faithful may legitimately disagree and the House of Representatives are preparing a “Cath- stays on the level of doctrine. olic voting scorecard.” The purpose of this scorecard At first glance many Catholics will regard the is to show that Catholic House Democrats support USCCB’s Faithful Citizenship as a thoughtful, non- more of the bishops’ legislative priorities than their partisan guide for voters. The bishops say they are Republican counterparts. Democrats who support exercising their responsibility to address the moral abortion and same-sex marriage may score higher dimensions of public life and do so as pastors, not than pro-life Republicans if they endorse a greater as partisan strategists. “A Catholic moral framework number of the bishops’ policy positions. Of course, does not easily fit the ideologies of “right” or “left,” the Democrats’ scoring card makes no distinction nor the platforms of any party. Our values are often between USCCB positions based on Catholic doc- not ‘politically correct’” (p.7). The bishops then call trine and those based on debatable political prefer- upon Catholics to be a community of conscience, to ences. Because the bishops themselves don’t always protect the dignity of the human person, and to pro- carefully make this distinction, their political state- mote the common good. In order to help Catholics ment on faithful citizenship may actually be read as do their civic duty the USCCB document poses ten giving support to this latest Democratic initiative to questions for Catholics to consider as they make up attract Catholic voters. I wouldn’t be surprised if the their mind about the major issues facing the nation. USCCB’s “consistent ethic of life theory” didn’t give Those questions are based on the bishops’ formula- Democrats the idea that they could minimize the ef- tion of seven themes in Catholic social teaching,

4 FCS Quarterly • Fall 2004 FCS Quarterly • Fall 2004 5 namely, 1) the life and dignity of the human person; and Medicaid, government aid for those suffering 2) the call to family, community and participation; 3) from HIV/AIDS and various addictions, affordable rights and responsibilities; 4) the option for the poor housing for all through contributions from the public and vulnerable; 5) the dignity of work and the rights and private sector, “food security for all,” sufficient of workers; 6) solidarity and 7) caring for “God’s income for farmers, better treatment of farm work- creation. Protecting the life and dignity of the human ers, policies that “support sustainable agriculture” person is at the top of the list because it is the sine and respect the earth, better treatment of immigrants, qua non of a sound and moral democracy. quality education for all, more just salaries for teach- On the basis of the aforementioned seven themes ers and administrators, and the provision of the typi- of Catholic social teaching the USCCB comes up cal public school services in private and religious with four moral priorities for the public realm: pro- schools. The bishops then call on the nation to ad- tecting human life, promoting family life, pursuing dress the culture of violence, especially in the media; social justice, and practicing global solidarity. Under they recommend tighter gun control measures, the the first rubric the bishops mention their strong op- end to the death penalty and the continuation of position to abortion, euthanasia, cloning, the target- the battle against discrimination, with the help of ing of civilians by states or terrorists, the abuses of affirmative action programs. Finally, they urge “care biotechnology, the preventive use of force, the death for the earth and for the environment,” attention to penalty, the failure of the U.S. both to sign the treaty global climate change, energy conservation, the de- banning the use of anti-personnel landmines and the velopment of new, clean energy sources. Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty, and the U.S. par- Under the fourth priority, “practicing global soli- ticipation in “the scandalous global trade in arms.” darity,” the USCCB urges the United States to take To promote family life the bishops endorse the legal “a leading role in helping to alleviate global poverty,” protection of marriage “as a lifelong commitment to make more efforts to promote religious liberty and between a man and a woman” (p. 20). The bishops other human rights around the world, and “reverse also call for just wages to those who support families, the spread of nuclear, chemical, and biological weapons, the protection and education of children including and to reduce its own reliance on weapons of mass the formation of their character in educational set- destruction by pursing progressive nuclear disarma- tings, the safeguarding of the parental right to choose ment.” The bishops further recommend more po- private or public education for their children and litical and financial support for “appropriate United the enforcement of responsible regulations to protect Nations programs, other international bodies, and in- children from pornography and violent material on ternational law,” and they call upon the United States television, the radio and the Internet. to adopt a more generous immigration policy, espe- The third and fourth priorities are social justice cially for those fleeing persecution. Finally, they urge (p. 22-26) and global solidarity (p. 22-28). Under the government to be a leader, “in collaboration with the rubric of social justice the USCCB Committee the international community, in addressing regional recommends the following: “jobs for all who can conflicts in the Middle East, the Balkans, the Congo, work,” a living wage, the end of unjust discrimina- Sudan, Columbia, and West Africa.” The USCCB tion at work, the right of all workers to organize, places special emphasis on the U.S. role in helping to “economic freedom, initiative, and the right to pri- resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict with security vate property,” welfare reform that doesn’t cut pro- for Israel, a state for the Palestinians and peace for all. grams and resources, and includes “tax credits, health The bishops also urge the government, together with care, child care, and safe, affordable housing.” The members of the international community, to perse- Committee further supports the work of faith-based vere in working “to help bring stability, democracy, groups as a partner with government, income secu- freedom and prosperity to Iraq and Afghanistan” (p. 28). rity during retirement for the “low-and average-wage Although the USCCB doesn’t list all its legisla- workers and their families,” “affordable and accessible tive priorities or give much detail about the issues it health care for all,” the strengthening of Medicare discusses, readers can still form a pretty good idea of

4 FCS Quarterly • Fall 2004 FCS Quarterly • Fall 2004 5 ARTICLES where the bishops stand on the political spectrum. his much discussed Fordham address of 1983 that a In terms of the sheer number of items the USCCB’s consistent ethic of life not only opposes abortion but agenda is more Democratic than Republican. But, in also endorses policies designed to increase a people’s terms of their first two priorities, protecting human well-being, that is, their quality of life. Cardinal Ber- life and promoting family life, the USCCB’s agenda nardin argued, “ A quality of life posture translates favors Republicans over Democrats, unless Catholics into specific political and economic positions on tax think that opposition to the Bush Administration’s policy, employment generation, welfare policy, nutri- Iraq policy and its war on terrorism must take pre- tion and feeding programs and health care.” Anyone cedence over opposition to abortion and euthanasia. who is consistently pro-life and on the side of justice (The death penalty is supported by a majority of should favor the kind of governmental policy that both Republicans and Democrats.) What conclu- will help everyone, especially the poor. Reasonable sions does the bishop’s Administrative Committee Catholics, nevertheless, might disagree as to which want Catholics to draw from reading their pre-elec- policies will do the most good. So, Cardinal Bernar- tion document? din interprets “the consistent ethic of life” to mean The bishops offer their readers an overarching both opposition to clear evils about which there is principle to guide them in the evaluation of all the no dispute and the endorsement of specific positions issues, namely, the “consistent ethic of life.” on such matters as tax policy, about which there will “We do not wish to instruct persons on how they inevitably and legitimately be disagreement. Faithful should vote by endorsing or opposing candidates. We Citizenship implicitly reflects the same interpretation hope that voters will examine the position of can- of “the consistent ethic of life.” didates on the full range of issues, as well as on their The bishops attempt to clarify what the “consis- personal integrity, philosophy and performance. We tent ethic” requirement means by quoting from the are convinced that a consistent ethic of life should be Vatican Doctrinal Note. “A well formed Christian the moral framework from which to address issues in conscience does not permit one to vote for a politi- the political arena.” (p. 8) cal program or an individual law which contradicts On the contrary, the USCCB does implicitly the fundamental contents of faith and morals. The instruct voters, not by endorsing or opposing candi- Christian faith is an integral unity, and thus it is in- dates, but by laying out its own policy positions and coherent to isolate some particular element to the by suggesting that Catholics evaluate candidates for detriment of the whole of Catholic doctrine. A po- office in the light of those positions within the moral litical commitment to a single isolated aspect of the framework provided by “the consistent ethic of life,” Church’s social doctrine does not exhaust one’s re- keeping in mind the character, the political vision sponsibility towards the common good.” (p. 12) and past performance of the candidates. Unfortunately, the bishops do not offer an expla- What does this “consistent ethic of life” entail? nation of this quotation. They simply urge Catholics Generally, it is a term used in social justice circles to adhere to moral principles, practice discernment to describe the position that those who object to and make “prudential judgments based on the values the taking of life at one stage or in one form must of our faith” (p.12) Then, they mention the seven object to the taking of life at all stages and in all moral principles or themes of Catholic social teach- forms. Practically speaking, this means that those ing and explain their four moral priorities for public who oppose abortion should in practice oppose life. capital punishment and most wars. It is also generally The bishops comment on such a dizzying ar- understood to mean that Catholics should promote ray of political issues that their readers will be hard a respect-life attitude by supporting government pressed to distinguish which ones should have prior- spending on what are called the “social justice” issues, ity for Catholics, especially when Faithful Citizen- and embrace a host of progressive priorities. This is ship argues that “some Catholics may feel politically a position articulated by the late Cardinal Bernardin, homeless, sensing that no political party and too few the former Archbishop of Chicago, who argued in candidates share a consistent concern for human life

6 FCS Quarterly • Fall 2004 FCS Quarterly • Fall 2004 7 and dignity” (p. 3). The bishops’ Administrative Com- noticing any special urgency, Catholics might also mittee is apparently not heartened, as pro-choice- conclude that abortion is not that much of a priority supporters are dismayed, by George Bush’s position if the pro-life candidate is judged to be the cause of on abortion. In other words, both the Republicans x number of other evils, or insufficiently committed and Democrats fail to measure up to the high stan- to the USCCB’s positions on social justice and global dards of Catholic social teaching. The message seems solidarity. to be that each party is more or less equally deficient. My point will perhaps become clearer by taking When all is said and done, Faithful Citizenship a brief look at Michael Pakaluk’s critique of Cardinal may be interpreted by Catholics as a permission to Bernardin’s “seamless garment” or “consistent ethic vote for a pro-abortion candidate if his position on theory.” Pakaluk says it would make no sense to ar- other issues supports enough items on the USCCB’s gue that the South before 1865 was unjust because of political agenda. The Catholic faithful will receive the institution of slavery and because the roads were an additional incentive to think this way from pro- not properly maintained in poorer regions. While the abortion Democrats who can display high marks on latter would be a problem, it would simply pale in their “Catholic voting scorecard.” Did the bishops relation to the evil of slavery. To think about the rela- intend this state of affairs, one may ask? Surely not. tion of abortion to other evils Pakaluk suggests that Nevertheless, previous USCCB documents on faith- there are two ways of conceiving the evils of abortion. ful citizenship and political responsibility have been “The first is that abortion is a calamity, a moral so interpreted by people with an interest in voting catastrophe of the first order, like the Ukranian fam- for liberal candidates, despite their pro-choice stance. ine or the Holocaust. On this view, legalized abor- There is little to suggest that this latest version of tion constitutes a direct attack on the foundation of faithful citizenship won’t be used in the same manner our society: It involves the destruction of the most and much to suggest that it will. fundamental human bonds and requires, perilously, Many Catholics may interpret the “consistent the continued corruption of our legal and medical ethic of life” to mean that a candidate who is against professions. Our immediate task as citizens is to work abortion, euthanasia, the destruction of embryos in with an almost militant commitment ... to remove research, cloning, same-sex marriage, etc., does not this evil. (Cf, “A Cardinal Error: Does the Seamless deserve their vote if he or she supported the recent Garment Make Sense?” in Crisis 6, 1988). war in Iraq, believes in the death penalty and doesn’t According to this view, the primary duty of all support certain poverty programs. Put another way, citizens, especially Catholics, is do everything mor- Catholics might read the document to mean that ally possible to oppose the evil of abortion. The a candidate who is adamantly “pro-choice,” and a second way of looking at abortion, argues Pakaluk, supporter of same-sex marriage might be worthy is to look at it as one of many evils threatening the of their vote if he also favors generous anti-poverty polity. “These evils come and go over time; and ... we legislation, minority rights, job training for poor and simply have to do our best to bring about the best underprivileged, increased educational opportunities society that we can achieve.” According to this way for the poor, and opposes war and the death penalty. of looking at things, faithful citizens may vote for This is a likely scenario because the USCCB doesn’t pro-abortion candidates who seem to oppose more explicitly argue that some evils are more serious than evils than pro-life candidates. “The seamless garment others and, therefore, should be addressed above all. theory,” argues Pakaluk, “gives no support to the first While listing abortion and euthanasia as the first view, which follows logically from the very nature moral priorities for public life might incline some of abortion conceded by Bernardin, and encourages readers to take these evils more seriously than others, the second view, which is a formula for lukewarm- Faithful Citizenship avoids the dramatic language used ness and apathy.” Unfortunately, Faithful Citizenship both by John Paul II in his Gospel of Life about the doesn’t present abortion as a calamity of the first culture of death, and by the USCCB itself in state- order, as the bishops do in some of their fine state- ments specifically addressing the evil of abortion. Not ments on human life. The document’s focus on the

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“consistent ethic of life” reflects more Cardinal Ber- partisan. In Faithful Citizenship the bishops say, “As an nardin’s seamless garment theory than it does John institution, we are called to be political but not par- Paul II’s Gospel of Life. tisan. The Church cannot be a chaplain for any one Besides the problems posed by the USCCB’s party or cheerleader for any candidate” (p. 29). The “consistent ethic of life” theory, Faithful Citizenship, bishops seem to think that they can avoid the charge unfortunately, has the potential to mislead Catho- of partisanship as long as they don’t endorse a candi- lics in a number of other areas. In comparing the date or a party. In fact, any time they endorse policy Vatican’s Doctrinal Note with the bishops’ statement, positions with which reasonable Catholics may dis- one immediately notices that the former understands agree they are acting in a partisan manner. They are better than the latter the distinction between Church rightly political when they teach the whole faith, teaching and partisan politics, the importance of explain all of Catholic social teaching, call for the bishops being pastors and not partisan strategists, the end of clear evils, and inspire an educated and virtu- indispensability of the practice of virtue for the re- ous laity to change the world. form of the political order, the devastating effect of Cardinal Avery Dulles, before he became a cardi- relativism on society and the political order, the hier- nal, has directed attention to the bizarre claim made archy of evils in society, how imperative it is for the by the bishops that they are speaking as pastors when Church to oppose the legalization of same-sex mar- they “enter into technical realms such as counterforce riage, and the necessity of giving directives to Catho- targeting of military objectives, ...the minimum wage lic politicians. A comparison of papal social teaching law, progressive taxation and affirmative action. The and other USCCB statements with Faithful Citizen- bishops claim to be speaking as pastors, not as ex- ship reveals that the latter omits to mention the many perts on military affairs, economics or whatever. But ways citizens may help the poor and promote social when they make detailed applications of the kind I justice besides having the right opinion on the issues have mentioned, this distinction is hard to maintain” and voting for the best candidates. (Avery Dulles, “Religion and the Transformation of Let us first look at the understanding of partisan- Politics,” America 167, no 12 (1992):297). Let us re- ship in Faithful Citizenship. The bishops realize that call the teaching of the Vatican’s Doctrinal Note. Since their own policy proposals may not always be the there are various political opinions compatible with best way to realize their goals. That’s why they openly faith and the moral law, “it is not the Church’s task, state in various places that lay Catholics may reason- to set forth specific political solutions—and even ably disagree with their approach. They actually ad- less to propose a single solution as the acceptable mit their partisanship in both their pastoral letters on one—to temporal questions that God has left to the war and peace (1983) and on the economy (1986). In free and responsible judgment of each single person” the former they write, “At times we state universally (II,3). There is a good reason behind this position. If binding moral principles found in the teaching of the bishops endorse debatable policy solutions to spe- Church; at other times the pastoral letter makes spe- cific problems, “they stir up opposition to themselves cific applications, observations and recommendations within the church,” says Cardinal Avery Dulles, “and which allow for diversity of opinion on the part of undermine their own authority to teach and govern.” those who assess the factual data of a situation differ- Unfortunately, the episcopal conference of the U.S. ently” (The Challenge of Peace: God’s Promise and Our Catholic Bishops (USCCB) has not yet understood Response, p. i). In the latter they alert their readers to the wisdom of Dulles’s point. Since the end of Vati- their partisanship by writing, “We know that some can Council II, the USCCB has continuously en- of our specific recommendations are controversial. tered the world of partisan politics by making choices As bishops, we do not claim to make these pruden- among policy proposals “that are held by sincere and tial judgments with the same kind of authority that intelligent Catholics” (p.297). marks our declarations of principle” (Economic Justice Even though the bishops are obviously people For All, p. xii). Given this admission, I am constantly of good will trying their best to benefit society, the baffled when they affirm that their conference is not USCCB’s denial of partisanship is not a harmless

8 FCS Quarterly • Fall 2004 FCS Quarterly • Fall 2004 9 mistake. If Catholics are convinced that bishops are marriage by educating them in the faith and by per- never partisan, they may elevate the bishops’ debat- suading them to practice chastity before and after able policy proposals to the level of doctrine. Such marriage. Ignorance of the faith, pre-marital pro- a move will further skew the interpretation of the miscuity and cohabitation as well as the practice of “consistent ethic of life.” If a pro-choice candidate contraception in marriage are obstacles to living out supports twenty five of the USCCB’s policy propos- the Church teaching on the sacrament of matrimony. als on social justice and global solidarity, won’t many Here was a perfect opportunity to point out that Catholics be induced to downplay his support of the separation of sex from its essential connection to abortion in the light of his “non-partisan,” Catholic procreation through the practice of contraception has positions on social justice? prepared the way for acceptance of same-sex mar- A third problem with the USCCB’s Faithful riage. The section on social justice could have made Citizenship is the failure to tell Catholics that faith- the point that two of the most effective, long-term ful citizenship includes much more than voting for solutions to the problem of poverty are intact families good public policy. Faithful Citizenship claims to be “a and the work of Catholic education in poor neigh- statement on the responsibilities of Catholics to soci- borhoods. There are Catholic schools throughout ety.” In fact, it doesn’t really address this large topic at the country that have done a wonderful job educat- all. It is simply a guide to the issues facing the nation ing the poor, both Catholic and non-Catholic. They in the upcoming election of 2004. In Christifideles could even do better with more resources. laici, (no. 41) Pope John Paul II talks about the lay A fourth, and most serious, omission in Faithful renewal of the temporal order in these terms: “Char- Citizenship is the failure to address Catholic politi- ity toward one’s neighbor, through contemporary cians on the subject of abortion and same-sex mar- spiritual and corporal works of mercy, represents the riage. Surprisingly, the USCCB doesn’t take Catholic most immediate, ordinary and habitual ways that lead legislators to task for their persistent support of the to the Christian animation of the temporal order, right to abortion and for resorting to the subterfuge the specific duty of the lay faithful.” If the USCCB that they are personally opposed to abortion but were to spell out the implications of this statement, wouldn’t think of trying to persuade others to share it would, indeed, have a good beginning for “a state- their opinion. This is like a pre-civil war politician ment on the responsibilities of Catholics to society.” saying, “I am personally opposed to slavery, but won’t In no place does the USCCB call upon the laity to support a law banning slavery.” At least, they could make a contribution to civil society, except through have spoken like Archbishop Charles Chaput of some kind of political action. The episcopal confer- Denver, who recently said, “We’ve come a long way ence chooses not to point out their own belief, pro- from John F. Kennedy, who merely locked his faith fessed elsewhere, that civil society offers Catholics in the closet. Now we have Catholic senators who an opportunity to be good citizens at work, in their take pride in arguing for legislation that threatens families and neighborhoods, and in their volunteer and destroys life and who then also take communion. activities. Failure to make this point unwittingly gives The kindest explanation for this sort of behavior is Catholics the idea that they can be good citizens that a lot of Catholic candidates don’t know their simply by supporting good public policy through own faith.” Furthermore, the bishops neither call their votes. upon the Catholic politicians to oppose the legaliza- A document that really focused on the respon- tion of “marriage” between persons of the same-sex, sibilities of Catholics toward society would have nor do they alert Catholics in their document to the approached their four priority issues in a more movement in the country to legalize same-sex mar- comprehensive way. For example, in the section on riage. This omission reveals a lack of political pru- promoting family life, where the bishops call for the dence, given the real possibility that the legalization legal protection of traditional marriage, they could of same-sex marriage will change the public under- also have called upon Catholic clergy and laity to standing of marriage entirely. This is in stark contrast persevere in their efforts to prepare the young for to the Vatican effort to provide specific guidelines to

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Catholic politicians in a statement issued on June 3, mately argue that their pro-life stance in the form of 2003, entitled Regarding Proposals To Give Legal Recog- opposition to abortion and euthanasia exhausts the nition To Unions Between Homosexual Persons. Catholic Catholic contribution to the common good. The politicians are instructed to oppose any laws which young must be adequately educated, jobs created, give legal recognition to same-sex unions. If laws terrorism thwarted, the poor cared for, etc. Under no are passed giving such legal recognition, Catholic circumstances, however, does a well-formed Christian politicians must make their opposition known and conscience “permit one to vote for a political pro- work to have the laws repealed. The CDF states its gram or an individual law which contradicts the fun- rationale for its position as follows: “Society owes its damental contents of morals” (Doctrinal Note (II, 4). continued survival to the family, founded on mar- Neither the Vatican nor the USCCB explicitly says riage. The inevitable consequence of legal recogni- so, but this statement from the Doctrinal Note seems tion of homosexual unions would be the redefinition to mean that Catholics may not vote for a candidate of marriage which would become, in its legal status, whose political program is to protect the right to an institution devoid of essential reference to factors choose abortion, or to support the legalization of linked to heterosexuality; for example procreation same-sex marriage and euthanasia, even if he or she and raising children” (III, 8). seems to have good positions on the issues falling Still another problem with the USCCB’s Faithful under the rubric of social justice. Citizenship is the treatment of the cultural crisis in It is regrettable that the following thought of the United States. In the very beginning of the text Archbishop Chaput didn’t find its way into Faithful the USCCB says, “Our culture sometimes does not Citizenship: “Our job as Catholics this election year, lift us up but brings us down in moral terms.” The if we’re serious about our faith, is not to get fooled. qualifier “sometimes” is explained in the next sen- Candidates who claim to be ‘Catholic’ but who pub- tence: “Our world is wounded by terror, torn apart licly ignore Catholic teaching about the sanctity of by conflict, and haunted by hunger.” Are these the human life are offering a dishonest public witness. primary ways in which our culture brings us down They may try to look Catholic and sound Catholic, in moral terms? In my mind, Catholic social teach- but unless they act Catholic in their public service ing shows that the negative characteristics of Ameri- and political choices, they’re really a very different can culture are, first and foremost, rampant relativism, kind of creature. And real Catholics should vote ac- materialism and nihilism in all areas of life, “the cul- cordingly.” In other words, Catholics should be “as ture of death” and the movement to undermine the prudent as serpents and as innocent as doves.” understanding of marriage as a union between a man As things stand, the USCCB has missed an op- and a woman. Given the bishops’ moral priorities, portunity to contribute more to the political educa- you would expect them to alert Catholics to those tion of Catholics, especially Catholic politicians. One aspects of American culture that most seriously op- can, however, be grateful that the individual bishops pose their Catholic principles. For example, there is a throughout the country are making a significant mention, but no description of the “culture of death” contribution to that education by addressing subjects so eloquently drawn in Pope John Paul II’s Gospel of not discussed by Faithful Citizenship. Life. In conclusion, let us return to the Vatican’s point POSTSCRIPT about what Catholics need to keep in mind in After their June meeting the USCCB issued evaluating political issues. Its Doctrinal Note says that “Catholics in Political Life, ” a two page statement faithful citizenship requires all Catholics both to op- prepared by its Task Force on Catholic Bishops and pose clear evils such as abortion and euthanasia and Catholic Politicians with the collaboration of two ad- to realize that the common good demands more than ditional bishops and a cardinal, and then strengthened opposition to clear evils, although such opposition by the entire body of bishops during their meeting. must never be omitted in the name of social justice This short statement, developed on the basis of their concerns. Otherwise stated, Catholics may not legiti- more extensive interim report, is obviously not the

10 FCS Quarterly • Fall 2004 FCS Quarterly • Fall 2004 11 final word. After the Task Force submits its full re- Catholic politicians is necessary. 9)“All must exam- port by next November, the full body of bishops will ine their conscience as to their worthiness to receive presumably have more to say, but not before a pro- the Body and Blood of our Lord. This examination choice Catholic stands for election to be president of includes fidelity to the moral teaching of the Church the United States. in personal and public life.” “Catholics in Political Life” makes the follow- These points in “Catholics in Political Life” fill a ing points. 1) “If those who perform an abortion big gap in Faithful Citizenship, which had nothing to and those who cooperate willingly in the action are say about or to pro-choice Catholic politicians. The fully aware of objective evil of what they do, they strong point of this statement is the commitment to are guilty of grave sin and thereby separate them- persuade pro-choice Catholic politicians to recognize selves from God’s grace.” 2) “Those who formulate they are not in communion with the Church and to law ...have an obligation in conscience to work to- refrain from communion out of a sense of integrity. ward correcting morally defective laws, lest they be One should not underestimate how important this guilty of cooperating in evil and in sinning against point is. The weakness of “Catholics in Political Life” the common good.” The bishops mention the le- is its failure to appreciate the full import of Cardinal galization of abortion on demand as an example Ratzinger’s memorandum to the USCCB, which of a morally defective law. 3) The bishops “counsel has only recently been released to the public. (It ap- Catholic public officials that their acting consistently pears that the vast majority of the bishops didn’t have to support abortion on demand risks making them a copy of the Ratzinger memorandum, since it was cooperators in evil in a public manner.” Note that sent to Bishop Gregory and Cardinal McCarrick. they don’t say that pro-choice Catholic politicians are That the latter presented to his fellow bishops an definitely cooperating in evil or are in an objective inaccurate summary of Ratzinger’s thought can be state of sin. The bishops seem to imply that Catholic easily seen by comparing his “Interim Reflections” pro-choice politicians may not know that supporting with the Ratzinger memorandum.) the legalization of abortion is formal cooperation in The head of the Vatican Congregation for the evil. They then express the hope that the proper for- Doctrine of the Faith encourages Pastors of pro- mation of their consciences will deter Catholic poli- choice Catholic politicians to meet with them and ticians from supporting the right to abortion. 4) All explain that they should not receive communion Catholics have an obligation to defend human life until they put an end to “the objective state of sin” in and human dignity in public life. 5) Catholic institu- which they have placed themselves by campaigning tions should not honor Catholics who act against the and voting for permissive abortion and /or euthana- fundamental moral teachings of the Catholic Church. sia laws. If Catholic politicians refuse to be persuaded, 6) It is up to individual bishops to decide whether and still seek to receive the Eucharist, “‘the minister to deny communion to pro-choice Catholic politi- of holy Communion must refuse to distribute it.’” (cf. cians. (Of the 70 bishops who submitted an opinion Pontifical Council for Legislative Texts Declaration to the Task Force, those opposing the denial of Holy ‘Holy Communion and Divorced, Civilly Remarried Communion to pro-choice Catholic politicians pre- Catholics’ [2002, nos 3-4)” Ratzinger adds that this vailed by a margin of three to one. 7) The bishops is “not a sanction or penalty. Nor is the minister of commit themselves “to continue to teach clearly and Holy Communion passing judgment on the person’s help other Catholic leaders to teach clearly on our subjective guilt, but rather is reacting to the person’s unequivocal commitment to the legal protection of public unworthiness to receive Holy Communion human life from the moment of conception until due to an objective situation of sin.” Ratzinger’s text natural death.” 8) The bishops further recognize that clearly implies that the refusal to distribute commu- they “need to do more to persuade all people that nion to a pro-choice Catholic is not to be done for human life is precious and human dignity must be political reasons, e.g., to influence the outcome of an defended.” To accomplish this goal the USCCB says election, but only for religious reasons. that “more effective dialogue and engagement” with Ratzinger also addresses the pro-choice Catholic

10 FCS Quarterly • Fall 2004 FCS Quarterly • Fall 2004 11 ARTICLES voter in an incisive paragraph appended to the end communion, the USCCB, in my judgment, has not of his memorandum. “A Catholic would be guilty done enough to unsettle pro-choice Catholics and of formal cooperation in evil, and so unworthy to Catholic politicians in their vincible or invincible present himself for Holy Communion, if he were ignorance The overwhelming majority will continue to deliberately vote for a candidate because of the to be pro-choice and to maintain that they are in full candidate’s permissive stand on abortion and/or communion with the Catholic Church because they euthanasia. When a Catholic does not share a candi- are able to receive the Eucharist. date’s stand in favor of abortion/euthanasia, but votes At present, only a minority of bishops are likely for that candidate for other reasons, it is considered to be lovingly insistent that pro-choice Catholic remote material cooperation, which can be permit- politicians may not receive communion if they re- ted in the presence of proportionate reasons.” This fuse to be persuaded that their support for abortion is very helpful clarification and will help Catholics is morally wrong. These bishops will greatly benefit form their conscience if their pastors can find a way the Church, as they bear courageous witness to the to tell them about it. Catholic faith. One can hope that this minority will While the USCCB statement does urge every eventually persuade their fellow bishops to see the bishop to meet with pro-choice Catholic politicians wisdom of withholding communion as a last resort and work tirelessly to persuade them that their posi- in order to bring about the conversion of pro-choice tion contradicts Church teaching, one cannot but Catholic politicians. ✠ notice the reluctance of the American bishops to be more insistent with pro-choice Catholics by denying communion to them when the work of persuasion fails to achieve its end. By not following Cardinal Ratzinger’s teaching on the theology of denying

The Authority of the “Old” Pontifical Biblical Commission by Donald Prudlo, PhD It is important to ask how this state of affairs came The Liberty Fund to be. These decrees, they maintain, were historically Indianapolis, Indiana conditioned and as such are no longer in force. They declare that the decisions were developed in the face t has been fashionable in the last thirty years of the modernist crisis and therefore part of the his- to dismiss or simply forget about magisterial torical past. Finally they assert that several documents, pronouncements before Vatican II. For some beginning with Divino Afflante Spiritu of Pius XII biblical scholars this trend started early. Since in 1943, sucessively undercut the authority and bind- the late 1950’s, and especially after the con- ing force of the commission’s findings. Iclusion of the Second Vatican Council, the majority This question touches the very nature of scholar- of Catholic scholars specializing in Holy Scripture ship, especially in terms of the current debate over have considered themselves unconstrained by the the episcopal mandatum to theology professors. How declarations of the Pontifical Biblical Commission much must Catholic researchers submit the results of (hereafter referred to as the PBC) which were hand- their findings to the doctrines of the faith? Ought ed down at the beginning of the twentieth century. their very research be constrained by the admoni-

12 FCS Quarterly • Fall 2004 FCS Quarterly • Fall 2004 13 tions of the Church, especially in those cases where In writing this the Pope expressly made the de- the subject is not clearly defined doctrine or morals? cisions binding in consicence, though not infallible. Can scholarship in this sense really be the spirit of Three years later he mandated that all who recieved free inquiry which most moderns seem to demand as the degree of Doctor from the PBC were to swear the precondition of research? This question also deals an oath which bound them to accept the decisions of with the difficult problem of development of doc- that body as normative for their studies. trine, and on the varying levels of authority in mag- The Commission made a series of declarations isterial statements. The PBC decrees are heard about on a large number of topics in the next ten years, very little these days and it is important to ask why. ranging from the historicity of Genesis to the au- In response to the rise of rationalist biblical criti- thorship of the Pauline letters. Today the decisions cism which looked to reduce the scriptures to the are sometimes presented as the greatest example of status of near-eastern myths and unhistorical accounts, institutionally monolithic acts perpetrated against Pope Leo XIII decided to create a committee which academic freedom since the Galileo Case. This is would investigate the issues raised by scholars both in- somewhat unfair. In fact, most of the declarations side and outside of the Catholic Church. In his letter themselves are actually very temperate in language Vigilantiae of October 30, 1902 the Pope established and considered in tone. Several examples ought to the Biblical Commission. It was constituted to exam- make this clear. ine the findings of contemporary scholarship and to The first declaration made by the Commission, rule whether or not it was compatible with Catholic regarding implicit citations, states that they may not Doctrine. The commission was to be made up both be accepted unless proved by solid arguments.2 Thus of Cardinals and of expert consultors from around the first decision invites Catholic scholars to make the world. Decrees began to be issued in 1905. It is arguments where they believe an implicit citation important to note that most of the decrees occurred to have taken place. Another decision, handed down during the reign of St. Pius X, whose pontificate was in 1906, was in response to a question as to whether dedicated to opposing the modernist heresy. Moses was the author of the Pentateuch.3 This dec- As if to dispell any doubts about the authority laration is often pointed to by biblical scholars who of the Biblical Commission, Pius X issued the Moto seem to see this as the keystone of the church’s at- th Proprio Praestantia on the 18 of November 1907. In tempt to quell historical criticism (largely due to it he declared how the decisions of the Biblical Com- their general acceptance of the JEPD documentary mission were to be received. This document not only hypothesis). The commission first declared it un- reinforced the position of the Commission but also necessary to hold that Moses wrote every word nor made more clear the consequences of dissent from the even that he dictated every word to scribes (hardly anti-modernist encyclical Lamentabili Sane. The perti- an uncritical position). The second part of the answer nent section of the document reads: contains the extremely important qualifier that Mo- Wherefore we find it necessary to declare and to ex- ses must be held to be the substantial author of the pressly prescribe, and by this our act we do declare and text and that glosses and interpretations might have decree that all are bound in conscience to submit to the been added to the books later in history. It seems that decisions of the Biblical Commission relating to doc- there is an extremely large area for interpretation and trine, which have been given in the past and which shall research contained within the very wording of the be given in the future, in the same way as to the decrees decree. Far from being stifling to research it would of the Roman congregations approved by the Pontiff; appear that the commission provided a wide latitude nor can all those escape the note of disobedience or for scholarly investigation. Finally, to show that temerity, and consequently of grave sin, who in speech the Church was both faithful to her long tradition or writing contradict such decisions, and this besides the scandal they give and the other reasons for which they of spiritual interpretation and at the same time may be responsible before God for other temerities and permissive to the investigations of modern science, errors which generally go with such contradictions. 1 the commission decided that the Six Days of the first Chapter of Genesis may be taken either in the

12 FCS Quarterly • Fall 2004 FCS Quarterly • Fall 2004 13 ARTICLES specific sense of a natural day or in the general sense modern scientific research and to consult the original of a space of time.4 languages. It clarified the position of the Vulgate as Though this is only a small sampling of the deci- free from error and authoritative in juridical and pas- sions handed down by the experts on the commis- torial cases but not as the definitive critical edition. sion they hardly seem to deserve the opprobrium of The literal sense was again pointed to as the primary the modern community of scripture scholars. The sense of scripture and different literary genres were decrees themselves are far from being either uncriti- recognized. Nowhere in the document is the author- cal or anti-academic. One of the criticisms often ity of the PBC directives challenged. raised against them is that they were handed down at The commission itself had definitely shifted gears the time of the modernist controversy. The examples during this period. After its initial flurry of activity given above are hardly conducive to this argument. of 1905-1915 it issued decisions on only two more In the minds of some modern scholars, such a heav- questions until its constitution was changed in 1971. ily conservative commission should have declared In 1948 it issued an important letter to Cardinal that Moses was the only author and that the Six Days Suhard, the Archbishop of Paris, regarding the Pen- must be taken in their proper literal sense alone, for tateuch and the historicity of Genesis.6 The reply this would have strengthened their case against it. states that no one doubts that Moses used sources One should beware of conflating the relationship be- in composing the Pentateuch and that there was tween theological modernism and historical criticism subsequent development in the Mosaic Law. More too closely, even though there was much cross-fertil- importantly though, and this is often downplayed by ization between the two. Even though the reaction those who see a shift, the PBC stated that they said to modernism in general was an acute historical fact as much in their 1906 Decree. No new decrees were at that time one must beware of undercutting the needed and this was expressly stated in the letter. As insights made by the magisterium in that period. For to the issue of the historicity of Genesis, the letter example, though the declarations against the Arian follows Divino Afflante Spiritu, and contends that the heresy date back 1700 years, it still seems as if they history narrated by Genesis 1-11 is not proper mod- have something to say to the modern believer. ern history nor that of a Greco-Roman historian. In What then was understood as the binding force light of this, the commission calls for more scientific of these decrees at the time? It is clear that Pius X and literary study of the texts. Indeed here is noth- intended the decisions of the PBC to form an inte- ing revolutionary either. In any case no decrees were gral part of the ordinary magisterium. Its decrees, by made and neither was there mention of any of the a wide consensus, were held to be binding in con- other declarations of the commission. science. Indeed an American scholar, Henry A. Poels, To those who want to prove that the decrees are was asked to swear, in consicence, that he believed no longer binding, 1955 appears to be the water- the decrees of the commission to be true.5 In spite shed. In that year, two secretaries of the Commis- of this, the status of the PBC as a curial commission sion, Athanasius Miller O.S.B. and Ardhuin Klein- certainly meant that the Pope’s personal charism of hans O.F.M. wrote reviews of a new edition of the infallibility did not extend to it. The findings of the Enchriridion Biblicum, the compilation of Church commission therefore were neither infallible nor ir- teachings on the bible. Though writing in different reformable. However the competence to change the languages they apparently had worked out a com- decrees seemed only to lie in the power of the com- mon position which declared that only PBC decrees mission itself or in the power of the Pontiff under relating to faith and morals were binding; as to all the whose auspices it operated. others, scholars could now work on them “in all free- In subsequent decades the atmosphere of biblical dom.”7 It is important to mention that the two men study began to change. The Modernist crisis passed. were not members of the commission, but rather Divino Afflante Spiritu of Pius XII is often cited as they were the secretaries. Msgr. John Steinmuller as- the great charter of modern biblical scholarship. The serts that this caused such a stir that the Prefect of the document invited scholars to employ the tools of Holy Office wanted to bring them up on charges,

14 FCS Quarterly • Fall 2004 FCS Quarterly • Fall 2004 15 but that they were saved by the head of the PBC, if doctrine changed every time a Roman congrega- Cardinal Tisserant, and no more was heard officially tion said nothing in response to a challenge. about it.8 Nonetheless, as Fitzmyer declares, most exegetes It is ironic that Pius XII, the popular archetype began to act as if this were an official retraction of of a conservative pontiff, presided over what mod- the PBC decrees. They acted “in all freedom” as the ern scripture scholars see as the great relaxation of Miller/Kleinhans articles had recommended. Ray- Church strictures on Biblical research. It is equally mond Brown, S.S. and Thomas Aquinas Collins, O.P. strange that under Bl. John XXIII, whose popu- in the Jerome Biblical Commentary give the obitu- lar image is that of a jocund and open liberal, that ary of the decrees: a marked conservative reaction occurred in which some scholars were removed from their teaching po- A brief (italics theirs) summary seems indicated, for many of these decrees now have little more than his- sitions. The Second Vatican Council made no specific toric interest, being implicitly revoked by later decrees, decisions contrary to the earlier decrees of the PBC. by Divino Afflante Spiritu, and by Vatican II. The early In 1971 the tenure of the PBC as a magisterial organ decrees must be evaluated according to the 1955 clari- came to an end with the Moto Proprio Sedula Cura fication issued in Latin and German by A. Miller and of Paul VI. The PBC was made an advisory subcom- A. Kleinhaus(sic)...10 mission of the Congregation for the Doctrine of Faith, thus ending its term as an independent body Fathers Brown and Collins do not take the trou- with papally-conferred authority. In light of this de- ble to point out any of the subsequent decrees which velopment, nothing after the promulgation of this implicitly revoked the earlier ones. Indeed there were document can be considered to have the indepen- no later decrees of the commission. They also ne- dent magisterial authority that the decrees of 1905- glect to point out later where Divino Afflante Spiritu 1915 possess. even mentions the PBC decisions. And citing Vatican It is not at all clear that any document has re- II as a blanket revocation for previous magisterial pealed the binding force of the decrees of 1905-1915, pronouncements is a bit broad. In any case Roman issued by a commission with independent authority documents are usually pretty exact when something and confirmed by a reigning Pope. Those who would is getting revoked, canon lawyers tend to get antsy pass over the decrees as historical curiosities (since when something is implied in a document rather they are deprived of any evidence of positive magis- than stated. terial abrogation) are forced to rely on the arguments In the end, the case for the revocation of the de- of Kleinhans and Miller in 1955. It is Father Joseph crees seems tenuous at best, made up of assumptions Fitzmyer’s assertion that no one on the Commission and implicit assertions, but not backed up by any or indeed anywhere in the curia made any rebuttal formal magisterial pronouncement. Perhaps biblical or retraction of the secretaries’ articles.9 This is true. scholars really did not need to go through all of these Fitzmayer states that, by their silence, the members of gymnastics to get out of submission to the decisions the PBC gave their consent to the content of Miller’s in the first place. All of the decrees are very carefully and Kleinhans’ assertions. However the sentiment of phrased and many point out the need for further the Commission is not the real issue. Perhaps some research. At the same time the decisions respect the Cardinal members of the commission did agree with constant traditions of the Church regarding things Miller and Kleinhans, perhaps most did. That they like authorship. It is not too onerous a thing to be took no action may imply consent but it still results tied to tradition. Instead of beginning research with in the status quo. The secretaries had no authority a blank slate, “in all freedom,” perhaps ecclesiastical whatsoever, they were not voting members of the traditions could be taken as the starting point, indeed Commission. Even if they were expressing the mind as normative unless proved wrong. Some have pointed of the commission, their voice was an outside one out that the atmosphere of the modernist reaction with no right to absolve Catholics of their obligation was not conducive to original research. Perhaps, to the decrees. Imagine how troublesome it would be but as they have indicated, that period is past, and

14 FCS Quarterly • Fall 2004 FCS Quarterly • Fall 2004 15 ARTICLES freedom of research is now possible. That freedom Footnotes must be conversely understood in light of the re- 1 Pope St. Pius X, Praestantia Scripturae, 18 Nov. 1907. sponsibilities of a Catholic scholar. They have a real 2 Denzinger-Schoenmetzer, 1979. 3 DS, 1997-8. obligation to the past and to tradition, they also 4 DS, 2128. have responsibilities to assist the magisterium and to 5 Fogarty, Gerald P., S.J. American Catholic Biblical Scholarship. San Francisco: submit when necessary, and finally they have a re- Harper, 1989., 105-117. sponsibility to truth. From a Catholic perspective, all 6 DS, 3002. of these things are intimately related. ✠ 7 Fogarty, 261-264. 8 Steinmuller, John, Msgr. The Sword of the Spirit. Waco, TX: Stella Maris, 1977. 7, n. 1. 9 Fitzmyer, Joseph A. A Christological Catechism: New Testament Answers. New York: Paulist, 1982., 100, n.1. 10 Jerome Biblical Commentary. Raymond Brown, Joseph Fitzmyer, and Ro- land Murphy eds. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall, 1968, 629.

Policy Suggestions for the Church*

Joseph A. Varacalli, Ph.D. hard for so long to right the direction of the Catho- Professor of Sociology and Director for the Center for lic community during his era but perceives that his Catholic Studies at Nassau Community College–S.U.N.Y. efforts have been mostly for naught. Or perhaps it Reprinted with permission from Homiletic & Pastoral Review, is the declaration of an older man who has, finally, Volume CIV, No. 9, June 2004 lost his patience. Or perhaps the good Monsignor was just “calling it as he sees it” and seeing it pretty Introduction clearly at that. Even allowing for a certain amount of hyperbole on the part of the good and colorful n what was perhaps his last public lecture, Monsignor Kelly, I would argue that this judge- given at the Nassau Community College ment made by one of the true heros of the Catholic Center for Catholic Studies, in Garden City, Church during the post-Vatican II debacle is not too New York, on March 29th, 2003, Monsignor far off the mark. As I see it, the picture of the con- George A. Kelly started his talk on the rea- temporary Catholic Church in the United States isn’t Isons for the founding of the Fellowship of Catholic pretty. It most certainly is uglier than many of those Scholars by declaring bluntly that “sometime after committed to maintaining, for whatever reasons, a Vatican II, the Church went to hell.” Perhaps the certain image of a faithful and functioning religious bluntness of Monsignor Kelly on this occasion could community would be willing to admit publicly. be explained by the fact that his presentation was not I will start my deliberations rehashing some of the written in advance and his remark was extempora- pertinent facts about the present state of the Catholic neous and not as nuanced as it could have been. Or Church in this country, facts that many from even perhaps it can be partially explained by the disap- disparate worldviews would agree on in terms of pointment and exasperation on one who has tried to their simple veracity. I will then address the issue of how these accepted facts are interpreted and what policy conclusions naturally flow from such divergent *An earlier version of this paper, under different title, analyses. Finally, I will propose solutions that are was presented at Sacred Heart Major Seminary, Detroit, consistent with my own analysis of the state of the Michigan, November 3rd, 2003 contemporary Church.

16 FCS Quarterly • Fall 2004 FCS Quarterly • Fall 2004 17 Institutional and Social Failure: cated by sociologist Father Andrew Greeley through his discussion of a “communal Catholicism” (which Some Facts actually was predicted as a general religious trend last century by the liberal Protestant theologian and so- he failure of contemporary Catholicism ciologist Ernest Troeltsch through his own discussion can be discussed in terms of two necessarily of what he saw as the inevitable rise of a “mystical” Toverlapping categories, those that are inter- appropriation of religion). For both Troeltsch and nal to the Church institution and those referring to Father Greeley, it is both inevitable and desirous that the Catholic population at large. These categories are the locus of religious authority reside with the indi- necessarily overlapping because there exists a dialecti- vidual and not with received or organically develop- cal or mutually shaping relationship between Church ing tradition. Such a radical individuation of religion and society. This is a relationship heavily weighted, at is quite consistent with the worldview of liberal the moment, on the impact of society on the Church Protestantism and a Protestantizing Catholicism and and not the other way round due precisely to the its effects quite in line with sociologist Peter L. Berg- weakened condition of the latter. er’s observation that, inevitably, a liberal religiosity is Regarding institutional failures, the most impor- a self-liquidating enterprise. tant one is the seeming inability of the Church to ef- Compared to a baseline of the mid-twentieth fectively pass on the essentials of the faith to its own century Catholic Church in the United States, mass membership. Sociological studies comparing pre- attendance is down. The abandonment of the priest- Vatican II, Vatican II, and post-Vatican II generations hood and religious life after almost 40 years now clearly show a general trend downwards in terms of, seems finally to have stabilized but, at the moment, most basically, knowledge of, and derivatively, assent at inadequate levels of replacement. A substantial and to, Church teachings. Of paramount importance here well-placed “middle management “ of progressive is the overwhelming fact that the majority of the Catholics intent to “update” the faith at all costs and current teachers of the Catholic faith in the Church’s unsympathetic to the Catechism of the Catholic Church official education programs simply do not pass on the is still, for the most part, in charge of catechesis Catholic faith correctly and effectively because they and the other functions performed by the Church’s themselves do not possess the faith. The members various organizations and bureaucracies. Too many of what Monsignor Michael Wrenn and Kenneth seminaries allow or even encourage dissent and some Whitehead have referred to as the present day “cat- have become enclaves for an active homosexual echetical establishment” have themselves been trained movement. Too many Church administrators and by dissenting theologians who have consciously pastors view the Catholic high school and parochial misinterpreted the theology of the Second Vatican school system not as an opportunity to evangelize Council into a vision that, practically speaking, falsely and as a non-negotiable aspect of their ministry but baptizes as Catholic the secularizing developments as an unnecessary headache. The sacrament of pen- of the outer American and modern culture. In this ance has almost disappeared, priests themselves go to regard, I cannot think of a more depressingly cen- confession less, and when the sacrament is celebrated, tral indicator of contemporary widespread religious it oftentimes serves as an opportunity for priests to illiteracy than the recent research indicating that a deny the objective reality of sin and promote in its high percentage of communicants are not aware that place an undemanding “therapeutic mentality.” The they are receiving the body and blood of Jesus Christ incredibly large number of annulments granted in when administered the sacrament of the Eucharist. the Catholic Church in America breeds suspicion, at Related to this is the significant increase in the un- the very least, of the possible misuse by marriage tri- worthy reception of the sacrament. This religious bunals of psychological analysis. The implementation illiteracy is at least one key factor in explaining the of Ex corde Ecclesiae has effectively been obstructed growth of the selective “picking and choosing” of and the secularization of Catholic higher education, the essentials of the faith both described and advo- for the most part, continues unabated. Finally, and

16 FCS Quarterly • Fall 2004 FCS Quarterly • Fall 2004 17 ARTICLES as a result of this institutional defilement, financial An Important Qualification contributions are down as serious Catholics refuse to throw good money after bad and progressive Catho- n important qualification about the facts lics have more “important” liberal and secular causes hitherto presented is in order. This qualifica- to support. Regarding the latter, many leaders of the Ation moves in the direction of modifying, a misnamed group, “Voice of the Faithful,” are quite up bit, the bleak picture thus far displayed. This caveat front in urging their followers to withhold dona- is that the portrayal presented thus far doesn’t make tions subject, presumably, to the “structural” changes a basic distinction between practicing and non- they want instituted in the Catholic Church. Far less practicing Catholics. When asked by my students honestly, however, this group claims that their desired which is America’s largest denomination, I answer, changes are not intended to violate the essentials of “the Catholic Church.” When students naturally the faith. For one thing, it is a contradiction for a follow with the question as to which group is the group of laity to demand to oversee the Bishops who second largest denomination, I respond, only half- are, after all, the official “overseers” of the Catholic facetiously,“nominal Catholics.” Sociologist Father Church set up by Christ himself. Put another way, Joseph Fichter’s categories, based on participation in the hierarchy of the Catholic Church is the non-ne- the Church and developed before the unintended gotiable foundation of the faith not subject to being impact of Vatican II was felt, are here useful; utilizing subverted by democratic forces, whether those forces a concentric zone framework, he speaks of “nuclear,” are actually authentically democratic or not. “modal,” “marginal,” and “dormant” Catholics. Reli- Regarding the Catholic population at large, gious illiteracy, by definition, is obviously higher for the percentage of both Catholics who are married, marginal and dormant Catholics. If these baptized and married validly in the eyes of the Church, has Catholics were, sociologically, not defined as mem- dropped. Relatedly, the size of Catholic families bers of the Catholic community but as the targets of has decreased to, more or less, the national norm. Catholic missionary activity, the illiteracy rates would Similarly, Catholic acceptance of the use of artificial not look quite as bad as they do when all the four means of birth control, pre-marital sex, and abortion categories are combined. are generally indistinguishable from the American The issue of religious dissent, however, is a little population at large. The Catholic population over- more complex. In the immediate pre-Vatican II era, whelmingly seems to be innocent of the realty of, one could usefully assume that “nuclear” Catholics the logic behind, and the empirical evidence sup- meant Catholics who were religiously orthodox in porting the salutary effects of, both the natural law both belief and practice. Sociologically at least, this and Catholic social doctrine. As a result, too many is not the empirical case today as many outright dis- Catholics, especially from the middle classes upward, senters have accepted the advice of people like the have followed the mental lines of least resistence radical feminist Rosemary Radford Reuther not to embracing various forms of neo-paganism as their leave the Church but to stay active and fight from “ultimate concern” (referring to Paul Tillich’s term) within. The latter figure is alleged to have responded such as the soft socialism of cultural elites in aca- to the question as to why she stays in a Catholic demia, the mass media, the arts, government, and the Church that she views as inherently sexist as follows: Democratic Party or the soft capitalism of corporate “In order to win the revolution you need xerox America and the Rockefeller wing of the Republi- machines and the Church has the xerox machines.” can Party. That which is of paramount importance for Many such dissenters have demanded what Joseph many other Catholics, especially from the working Sobran has referred to as “squatter’s rights” in the class and immigrant populations, remains an essen- Church; while they defile the vision and violate the tially pagan attachment to such essentially pre-mod- practice of the Church’s teachings, they nonetheless ern allegiances as the family, ethnicity, and the local do not abandon the institution; they are “nuclear,” at community/neighborhood. least sociologically, to the institution and its activi- ties and programs and stand in combat with the re-

18 FCS Quarterly • Fall 2004 FCS Quarterly • Fall 2004 19 ligiously orthodox “nuclear”core for the soul of the minded as was, and is, possible. Church. Indeed, as James Hitchcock and others have The “hard dissent” of the religiously heterodox, argued, a religiously heterodox “new class” of intel- on the other hand, emanates far more out of some lectuals, bureaucrats, activists, combined with some secularized ideological commitment and is often- misinformed and misguided “church mice,” now times buttressed by sets of material, power, and status constitute a vast “middle management” of Church interests (as they have no desire to lose their jobs, run, or better yet, mis-run, institutions. bully pulpits, and influence). This dissent is dispro- It is important to point out that the dissent portionately influential within the Church precisely of the religiously illiterate differs significantly from because it is so well placed. However, the numbers the dissent of the religiously heterodox core. The involved are not vast, at least not as a proportion of former is a form of “soft dissent,” not based on codi- the total Catholic community. Literally speaking, a fied and articulated knowledge and critical reflec- policy of “decimation” would do wonders for the tion, and most times the issues involving dissent are health of the Catholic Church. To be perfectly clear, merely of passing interest or outright indifference to what I am calling for is not the classic Roman deci- the individual in question. And precisely because this mation leading to the execution of Roman soldiers form of “dissent” is soft, it is subject to being cor- picked randomly from legions who have been judged rected by vigorous evangelization and re-evangeliza- not to have performed their duties. Rather, what I tion efforts. Does the marginal or dormant Catholic am calling for is a Roman Catholic disciplinary pol- really care, for instance, about the issue of the ordina- icy regarding all baptized Catholics that ranges from tion of women or whether or not Bishops should excommunication in those cases in which Church be democratically elected? And even the marginal insiders and members of civil society have notorious- or dormant Catholic woman, shorn of any hardened ly and scandalously rejected Christ and His Church, secular ideological commitment, who approves of to the firing of dissenters from Church-based em- abortion rights and actually has willing consented to ployment, to the never relenting and public correct- abortions herself is far more susceptible to admitting ing of those who themselves have manifestly denied eventually to the evil of the act as the dysfunctions Catholic doctrine. Such a policy regarding the deci- –spiritually, bodily, and socially–of abortion manifest mation of dissent would quickly take care of the issue themselves as they inevitably do. The same could be of making it clear to all just what Catholic teachings said of Catholics who have experienced the disas- are and what they aren’t. To quote the phrase of one trous consequences of rejecting the Catholic ideal of the more famous general managers of baseball, of the intact traditional family. It cannot be stressed Branch Rickey, institutionalizing such a policy would enough, however, that successful conversions to the represent a case of “addition through subtraction,” state of thinking and acting with the Church require in terms both of personnel and worldview. To sum more than just disenchantment with the status quo. up: the present disarray in the Church could be im- In any intellectual and moral migration, there must proved substantially if proper Church officials would be more than just a “push” factor; there must also be use, respectively, their authority against the hard dis- some sort of “pull” factor. The Church must capital- senters and their evangelization resources for a mas- ize on the present day experience of disenchantment sive outreach to the marginal and dormant Catholic. by many by offering simultaneously a compelling alternative vision, a vision that Karl Adam has re- Differing Interpretations ferred to as “the spirit of Catholicism.” Regrettably, given the massive dissent that has been allowed to of What to Do be institutionalized within the Church over the past forty years, the Catholic vision has not been pre- s one wag has allegedly commented, “there sented whole, with integrity, and in all its majesty and are lies, damn lies, and statistics.” The point therefore has failed to convert as many of the disen- Ahere, regarding the second purpose of my chanted, the searchers, the ambivalent, and the open- presentation, is to show that “the facts never speak for

18 FCS Quarterly • Fall 2004 FCS Quarterly • Fall 2004 19 ARTICLES themselves,”i.e., to demonstrate how factual informa- by the Lutheran theologian, George Lindbeck, an tion about the state of the Church is capable of being “experiential-expressive” one. It is an approach transformed by various theoretical or interpretative that argues that all doctrinal statements are merely spins and by the ability of human beings to rational- non-essential reflections of some alleged universal ize what they perceive, many times incorrectly, to be religious experience. The goal, presumably, of the in their self-interest. Regarding Catholics in Ameri- religious seeker is to try to bask in the presence of, can society, for instance, the apparently clearer and or perhaps even merge into, the “numinous,” what ever more indisputable “fact” that human life exists Rudolf Otto referred to as the “totally other” than within the womb will not necessarily convince all human. Doctrinal issues (e.g. that the Eucharist is abortionists to stop their barbaric practices; rather it the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ) including, social is quite possible, following the claim of James K. Fitz- doctrinal issues (e.g. that abortion is the destruction patrick, that elaborate or, for that matter, home spun, of a child of God) are best of secondary importance defenses of infanticide will emerge. Likewise, the and usually viewed as a matter of opinion and taste. overwhelming “fact” that more and more upper mid- Some traditional religionists, for their part, ac- dle class married couples consciously decide not to knowledge, (as I do), that all the religious and social have children will not automatically “wake up” femi- indicators previously discussed are negative and del- nists to the dangers and limitations of submerging eterious but view them, (as I do not), as out their oneself into a self-absorbed, hedonistic, and materi- or anybody’s control, usually attributing them as the alist upper-middle class American lifestyle; so-called inevitable consequences of broad cultural and social “quality of life” arguments similarly have multiplied. trends. All that can be done, so this logic goes, is to Regarding issues of religious dissent and illiteracy take a basically passive counter cultural stance and that are internal to the institution, many progressive try to keep the religion alive in the nooks and cran- Catholics would merely shrug off their acknowl- nies of society waiting for a more propitious circum- edged reality by claiming, incorrectly, that Vatican stance from which Catholicism can re-emerge as a II’s positing of conscience as the “supreme subjective potentially society shaping force. There is yet another norm” is an endorsement of the value and reality of interpretation that believes both that the Church in an autonomous individualism and, practically speak- the contemporary United States is in a bad way but ing, means that, short of murder and transgressing the that the goal of “restoring all things in Christ” in this politically correct, Catholics can believe anything and civilization is not only necessary but possible–the do anything and still call themselves faithful members interpretation that I support and that will be present- of the religious community. Again, Father Greeley’s ed momentarily. However, the point summarizing advocacy of a “communal Catholicism” is here rel- this overall section is even granting some consensus evant. Or, similarly, other progressive Catholics will reached on the mere existence of specific factual de- make the claim—like the liberal Baptist thinker, velopments occurring within the Church and society Harvey Cox, does in his The Secular City—that the will not, in and by itself, lead to a consensus about evolving, broader, and ever more secular culture is the health and welfare of the Church and society and “out in front” of organized religion, the Catholic their necessary and desired directions. Church most especially included, and that all would be well if only the Church would marry the zeitgeist. Reorienting the Catholic Church Dissent, from this perspective, is viewed not merely as just an option but actually as a valuable and required Back in the Right Direction contribution to the Church. Another progressive approach that tries to neu- he claim, accepted by almost all non-Marxist tralize the negative statistical information previously sociologists, that human beings are “cultural laid out is to argue that all religion, including Ca- Tcreatures” is one similar but not identical tholicism, is, at base, a matter of “experience” and with the Church’s understanding that human beings not, conversely, doctrine. Such an approach is labeled are “moral beings” subject to the internal conversa-

20 FCS Quarterly • Fall 2004 FCS Quarterly • Fall 2004 21 tion between the natural law “written into the heart” Catholic plausibility structure consisting of a com- and the surrounding environment. The sociological prehensive set of mediating institutions, what social- and Catholic understandings are not identical be- izes those baptized in the Church is not the Catholic cause of the deterministic leanings of some (not all) worldview but whatever system of ideas that, at the cultural sociologists who portray the individual as moment, is socially dominant. a prisoner of culture and hence cannot incorporate Legitimated by a false and selective understand- into their models the reasoning capability and free ing of Vatican II, what has occurred in the Catholic will that are constitutive of a Catholic philosophical Church of the United States over the past forty anthropology. However, the sociological and Catho- years or so is a defilement of its plausibility struc- lic traditions are, indeed, similar in that they both ture though what Peter Berger has referred to as a acknowledge the important role for what sociolo- “secularization from within.” The latter refers to an gists call “socialization”-- or the internalization of empirical situation in which traditional religion sur- culture--in shaping the thoughts and activities of vives in society as a hollowed out, ineffective reality, individuals. The relevant point here is that the key little more than providing a thin veneer for what is concern in reorienting the Church back in the right actually and effectively non-religious belief and activ- direction involves what sociologists call “socializa- ity. The processes of a “secularization from within” tion,” what religionists term “evangelization,” and has occurred at almost all but Magisterially defined what the man in the street simply refers to as “educa- and controlled levels of the Church, including what tion.” What, then, can Catholic social policy suggest passes for a general religious worldview in too many that can lead to more nominal Catholics, and poten- Church bureaucracies. The end result is a cutting tial non-Catholic converts, “thinking and acting with down of an authentic worldview to the contours of the Mind of the Church?” American liberalism and autonomous individualism The most basic and essential proposal geared to with predictable and disastrous results in the forma- reorienting the Catholic Church back in the right tion, knowledge, and behavior of a vast percentage direction is the rebuilding of what the distinguished of the Catholic population in the United States. For Lutheran sociologist, Peter L. Berger, calls its “plau- those interested in an elaboration of this thesis, I refer sibility structure.” For Berger, any belief system you to my volume, Bright Promise, Failed Community: requires a structural base that reaffirms, through con- Catholics and the American Public Order. stant interaction and exposure, its “realness” to the individual, that provides what the psychologist Wil- Some More Concrete liam James refers to as a necessary “accent on reality.” The Church’s plausibility structure consists of those Suggestions “intermediate” (and potentially “mediating”) institu- tions (e.g. parishes, seminaries, schools and colleges, he most basic concrete suggestion is that the hospitals, mass media outlets, professional and aca- Catholic Church in this country should radi- demic associations, libraries, museums, art galleries, Tcally change priorities, in terms of its min- etc.) that stand between the individual and what the istries and apostolates, which would entail a change classical French sociologist, Emile Durkheim, called a in its allocation of personnel and spending priori- society’s “collective conscience” or, more simply, cen- ties. Outside of the administration of the sacraments, tral value system. A plausibility structure, if its vari- there must be an almost exclusive emphasis given to ous parts are internally consistent with each other, is Catholic education, with the ultimate goal being to capable of producing either subcultures or, if need be, offer all interested Americans, Catholic or not, a free countercultures capable of dialoguing with and cri- K-12 education for their children that is shaped by tiquing the messages of an American society that was, an authentic Catholic worldview. The basic idea was originally, characterized by a Protestant cultural, eco- first suggested by, of all people, Father Andrew Gree- nomic, and political hegemony and now by a secular ley over a decade ago. Father Greeley was making the monopoly in the public square. Without an effective claim that the single greatest service that the Catholic

20 FCS Quarterly • Fall 2004 FCS Quarterly • Fall 2004 21 ARTICLES

Church can offer to minorities and the poor would out violating the natural law, let it do it, at least until be a first rate and free Catholic elementary and high the Church’s financial resources and, more impor- school education geared to both body and soul. I tantly, number of orthodox personnel increases. think his suggestion should be expanded to include It is no secret that the state of Catholic higher the whole American population, given my expressed education, judged by authentic Catholic criteria, is belief that it is possible to restore major sections of close to abysmal. The number of smaller orthodox the total society to Christ. It surely is the case, how- colleges, either started over the past few decades ever, that such a proposal would be seized upon with or that have come home to the bosom of Mother most enthusiasm by those most disenfranchised in Church, while heartening, is not an adequate re- our society. The possibilities for the saving of souls sponse. At least some of the sacred Catholic soil that and the promotion of human dignity among the mi- has been occupied by the secular pretenders to the nority populations in the Archdiocese of Detroit, for thrown of Catholic education during the past de- instance and to underplay the point, are both palpa- cades must be recaptured. Another concrete sugges- ble and realistic. Related to this, all parishes must em- tion is to create a nation wide Catholic educational phasize, much more than they do now, catechetical agency composed of orthodox Catholic scholars instruction in the essentials of the faith not only for from groups like the Fellowship of Catholic Scholars, their parishioners but for any potentially interested the Cardinal Newman Society, and the Society of citizen, Catholic or not. Related to and supporting Catholic Social Scientists which is designed to help this general catechetical thrust would be efforts— and serve those Bishops concerned with the renewal via such instruments as cable television, radio pro- of Catholic higher education. The religious and in- gramming, and free continuing education courses— tellectual argument must be made to the Bishops, presenting the Catholic worldview on a wide range and at least a core must accept such an argument of topics and issues through discussions of theology, if the proposal has any chance of even limited suc- philosophy, the popes, the saints, social thought, so- cess, that any college that wants to call itself Catholic cial science and history, and social and public policy. must be willing to be evaluated by this agency which Diocesan newspapers must be transformed into more will offer its professional judgement to the presid- serious religious, intellectual and moral vehicles both ing diocesan Bishop about whether or not, or to promoting and explaining the Catholic faith and what degree, and where and where not, the Catholic what it has to offer the individual and society. scholarly, religious, and moral tradition is being ef- Such a radical change in priorities would natu- fectively and faithfully presented. If Catholic col- rally impact on the degree and nature of support that leges and universities submit, in certain respects, to the faith offers other aspects of its internal ministry secular accrediting agencies, they should understand and social apostolate. All other aspects of the Catholic that they logically and necessarily bear the burden of social apostolate, if it wants labor intensive and fi- being judged simultaneously from a Catholic frame- nancial support, should be an activity that the secular work legitimated by Magisterial authority. Catholic State does not fund for whatever ideological reason universities and colleges who are unwilling to submit (e.g. natural family planning, pregnancy care, Project to this evaluation–and there will be many of them-- Rachel and the caring of those suffering from post- could be designated by the complying local ordinary abortion syndrome, settlement or hospitality houses of the diocese in which the institution is located as addressing the needs of the homeless including those no longer a “Catholic institution” and thereby must who are mentally and physically ill, etc.). While, ide- not be able to advertize itself as such. Obviously, a ally, it is important for all social welfare activity to be diocesan based Catholic institution of higher educa- performed simultaneously in conjunction with the tion, like Seton Hall University which is ultimately presentation of Catholic social doctrine, the present under the outstanding and very orthodox leadership weakened condition of the Church does not allow of his Grace, Archbishop John Myers, should be more the Church to do everything for everybody. If the easily reconverted than others under the direction State can perform some social welfare function with- of religious orders that, practically (although not

22 FCS Quarterly • Fall 2004 FCS Quarterly • Fall 2004 23 theoretically) speaking, have some greater degree of got and what we’ve got are a few institutions, like autonomy. Sacred Heart Major Seminary, which are fast heading As is well known, His Eminence Adam Cardinal back to Catholic orthodoxy. Such seminaries must be Maida of the Archdiocese of Detroit was one of the quickly expanded into developing liberal arts col- key proponents of the creation of the magnificent leges and must also serve as “hotbeds” of Catholic John Paul II Cultural Center based in Washington, intellectual and evangelistic activity where faithful D.C. which serves as a key depository of the Catholic groups (e.g. Catholics United for the Faith, Opus faith and as an agent of evangelization. Cardinal Mai- Dei, the Legionaries of Christ, etc.) must be invited da and all the Bishops in charge of Catholic dioceses to run their programs. Given the present unreliability should strongly consider the creation and dispersion of most colleges that call themselves Catholic, faithful of similar entities within their own jurisdictions, i.e., seminaries should be locations offering the com- what I’ve previously referred to in the Newsletter of munity various educational outreach programs both the Fellowship of Catholic Scholars as “Catholic religious situated at the seminary and, through technology, and cultural centers.” These centers can effectively geared to an national audience. The focus, therefore, evangelize by representing both the universal message of Catholic institutions during this period of crisis of the Catholic faith and the specific needs, gifts, and should not merely be to serve some local community applications of each individual region. (e.g. the Archdiocese of Detroit) but should be ori- Another suggestion is to increase the scope of ed- ented also to what is best for the Church, both na- ucational and evangelization activities that take place tionally and universally. The motto should be some- at Catholic seminaries which are under, very clearly thing like “One for all and all for Jesus Christ.” ✠ and without ambiguity, the authority of orthodox This essay is based, in part, on the volume, Bright Promise, Catholic leadership. There is, of course, a certain dan- Failed Community: Catholics and the American Public Order ger in this proposal. By their very nature, seminar- (Lexington Books, 1-800-462-6420; www.lexingtonbooks.com ies are designed to meet the need of generating and or www.barnesandnoble.com or www.amazon.com. The author cultivating that most central calling, the priesthood. would like to express his thanks to both Kenneth White- Again, however, it must be pointed out that these are head of the Fellowship of Catholic Scholars and the Very not normal times within the Catholic Church in the Reverend Steven Boguslawski, O.P., Rector and President of Sacred Heart Seminary, for the critical feedback they offered United States; our functioning institutions must, of my initial presentation. I accepted some, but not all, of their necessity, be asked to bear extra responsibilities and suggestions. It should be made perfectly clear that the author tasks that they were not originally intended to mas- assumes total responsibility for the line of argumentation ter. Alas, we must “go into battle” with what we’ve offered in this essay.)

Announcement: Creation of the Murphy Institute May 2004 The University of St Thomas announces the creation both programs, as well as on other academic disciplines of the Terrence J Murphy Institute for Catholic Thought, and other faith traditions. In exploring the connections Law, and Public Policy. Named after the University’s between law and Catholic thought, the Institute will longtime former president and chancellor, the Institute emphasize developing curricular resources, facilitating will explore the various interactions between law and scholarship and scholarly discussions, and engaging and Catholic thought. It will examine how the law might be serving the community through public events and public affected by a “vision of the human person and the world policy analysis. The Institute plans to hold its first major that is enlightened by the Gospel” (Pope John Paul II, conference in the spring of 2005. the co-directors of the Ex corde ecclesiae). As a collaboration between the Institute are Professor Robert Kennedy of the Center University’s Center for Catholic Studies and its School for Catholic Studies and Professor Thomas Berg of the of Law, the Institute will draw on the resources of School of Law.

22 FCS Quarterly • Fall 2004 FCS Quarterly • Fall 2004 23 ARTICLES Edith Stein As Mystical Theologian by D. Q. McInerny, Ph.D. of the venerable tradition of the Scholastic commen- Professor, Our Lady of Guadalupe Seminary, Lincoln, NE] tary, as indicated by the fact that the principal goal she set for herself was to provide the reader with an I accurate and comprehensive account of the thought n 1942, Sister Teresa Benedicta of the Cross, of St. John of the Cross, as revealed in his major Edith Stein, was asked by her prioress to write works. This was accompanied by her own running a tribute to St. John of the Cross, as a contri- commentary, the purpose of which was to add elu- bution to the celebration of the fourth cente- cidation to explication. She succeeded impressively nary of the birth of the great Spanish mystic. in achieving her goal. In her subject she was dealing IIt may be doubted that Edith Stein ever embarked with someone who was not only a great saint and a upon a major writing project with anything less great mystic, but a great poet as well, and she shows than full enthusiasm, and with that peculiar brand of remarkable versatility in handing every aspect of the concentrated seriousness which was a hallmark of her saint’s multi-faceted character. This is especially ap- character, but surely this task must have represented parent in her treatment of St. John as a poet, where something special for her, qualifying it for the cat- we witness a sensitive and perspicacious literary critic egory of a labor of love. She had in the past rolled up at work. If one is looking for a more or less precise her scholarly sleeves to the challenge of writing on category into which to put the book, it would do other doctors of the Church, St. Augustine, for ex- quite well to call it a work in mystical theology. ample, and, more notably, St. Thomas Aquinas [1], but In the Preface to The Science of the Cross, Edith for her as a Carmelite, St. John of the Cross was not Stein gives a precise advertisement of what she in- simply another subject for analytic concern. He was tends to accomplish in the book. “In the following her “Holy Father,” the co-founder of the Order to pages,” she writes, “an attempt will be made to grasp which she belonged, and she had dedicated her entire St. John of the Cross in the unity of his being as it life to the assimilation and imitation of his spiritual- expresses itself in his life and in his works–from a ity. The approach she had taken to St. Thomas Aqui- viewpoint that will enable us to see this unity.”[2] nas had been critical, in the sense that she sought to Few authors pose for themselves so ambitious an measure his thought against certain philosophical undertaking. A writer who intends to present to us standards which were not his own, and in the sense St. John of the Cross, or any other human subject that she at times passed negative judgments on his for that matter, in terms of “the unity of his being,” thought. But she came to St. John of the Cross, not is one who, eschewing all that is superficial or inci- as a philosopher and a critic, but as a daughter and dental, is concerned only with what is substantive. dedicated disciple. It was the contrast between an She wants to get at the very essence of St. John of intellectual approach and a devotional approach. The the Cross, to reveal him in terms of his innermost product of her labors was The Science of the Cross, identity. It was her altogether correct intuition that which she finished a year before she met her death she had in her subject someone who was in fact ex- in the gas chambers of Auschwitz. It was published in traordinary for his unity of being, someone who, in 1950, the first volume of her collected works. other words, was possessed of exceptional personal To say that the main approach Edith Stein took integrity. It was precisely the integral completeness of to the writing of The Science of the Cross was devo- the saint’s person that she was attempting to explain, tional is not to say that this is a work lacking in what something that would be impossible to explain apart might broadly be defined as philosophical analysis. It from his sanctity. St. John’s unity of being was not a could not have been written by Edith Stein if that purely natural phenomenon, as if he were no more were the case. The work can be seen as representative than an exemplar of well-balanced psychology. His perfect oneness with self followed upon his perfect This is a companion piece to “Edith Stein as Philosopher, in oneness with Christ. Vol. 26, No. 4 FCS Quarterly, Winter 2004, pp. 17-32] Interestingly, Edith Stein calls to our attention

24 FCS Quarterly • Fall 2004 FCS Quarterly • Fall 2004 25 that what she will have to say in one of the book’s distorting. Such explanation might succeed in catch- chapters, where she treats of, “I, freedom, and person, ing the letter here and there, but the spirit would be does not derive from the teaching of our Holy Fa- missed. ther John of the Cross.”[3] That she took care to One will not find inThe Science of the Cross the point this out reveals the keen sense of obligation she kind of scholarly distance between author and sub- felt to be scrupulously accurate in delineating the ject which is typical of Edith Stein’s earlier major thought of St. John. As it happens, though what she works. Her interest in the doctrine of St. John of the discusses in the chapter in question does not indeed Cross is not merely theoretical. So thoroughly had derive from St. John’s thought, I cannot see, from she made the doctrine she is discussing an intimate my reading, that it is in any way incongruous with part of her own life that it is no exaggeration to say that thought, and certainly not antipathetic to it. that this book is as much about Edith Stein as it is Because her principal intention is to engage directly about St. John of the Cross. The interpretations she with the doctrine of St. John as revealed in his own will bring to bear upon his thought, she tells us in major works [4], she does not concern herself with the Preface, “will be validated by what the author delving into a wide array of secondary sources. How- believes she has gained from a lifelong effort to grasp ever, there are two secondary sources, she tells us, the laws of spiritual being and life.”[8] In this essay, upon which she did put considerable reliance, Father then, the thought, the spiritual doctrine, of the two Bruno’s St. John of the Cross, published in 1929, and saints will be treated as if they were one, as I take his Life of Love of St. John of the Cross, published in them virtually to have been. 1936.[5] She also found valuable supporting material The richness and breadth of the book precludes in Jean Baruzi’s St. John of the Cross and the Problem of my being able to do anything like full justice to it Mystical Experience, published in 1931. within the scope of this essay, but I think the heart One of the reasons that might be proposed to of its message can be effectively communicated by explain why Edith Stein did not approach the writ- focusing on three of its central themes: the role of ing of The Science of the Cross with the kind of philo- faith in the spiritual life; the prominence of the cross; sophical frame of mind that guided the writing of union with God. Finite and Eternal Being was that she simply saw that II the subject matter of the book did not warrant such t is the end which defines, which lends intelligi- an approach. This was not philosophy she was deal- bility to, human action; that fundamental prin- ing with, but mystical theology, and an important ciple applies to the sum total of those actions that difference between the two is that philosophy treats I go together to compose the life of someone who is of what is at least potentially explicable, whereas earnestly committed to advancing in the spiritual mystical theology treats of what is by its very nature life. The end or purpose of the spiritual life–which inexplicable, at least in the sense that it does not lend is simply to say, the Christian life lived seriously–is itself to the sort of explanations to which philosophy nothing less than union with God, to the degree that is limited. And so she approached the subject mat- it is possible to attain such union in this life. The final ter of the book with hesitancy, and in that she was end for which every human being has been created is imitating the attitude shown by St. John himself in that perfect and permanent union with God which is dealing with like subject matter. “John had hesitated the Beatific Vision (visio divinae essentiae). But short of to attempt the exposition,” she writes, “because, as a that perfect and unqualified union with God which task for the natural intellect, it seemed to him to be is the Beatific Vision, there is another union, of a impossible.”[6] And there was this consideration: “If very elevated kind, which, according to the teaching the saint is compelled to silence by the feeling of his of St. John of the Cross, is possible to achieve in this inability to write the inexpressible–how shall we dare life. What led the saint to such a conviction was his to follow his words with a technical explanation?”[7] taking quite literally Christ’s straightforward, quite Her solution to the problem was to avoid any at- unambiguous injunction, “Be therefore perfect, as tempt to follow his words with a “technical explana- your heavenly Father is perfect.” If Christ were to be tion.” A technical explanation of the texts she was understood as enjoining us to be perfect in the same studying would yield results that would be superficial manner as God is perfect He would of course be at best, and very likely would end up being seriously asking the impossible, but the import of His words

24 FCS Quarterly • Fall 2004 FCS Quarterly • Fall 2004 25 ARTICLES is that we should strive, in complete cooperation the night of the spirit, the soul surrenders uncon- with divine grace, to attain completeness of being ditionally to God. One abandons oneself without according to the peculiar kind of beings we are. We reserve to the painfully perfecting action of divine should be perfect in the sense that we should seek grace. This is a spiritual “letting go” of the most com- the completion of our own proper nature. If union plete kind. St. John’s blunt advice to the soul at this with God is the end, the very reason for our being, stage: “If you desire to be perfect, sell your what are the means that are to be followed in striv- will.”[9] In the night of the spirit, the soul under- ing to attain that end? The absolute first step, a nega- goes a veritable crucifixion. While the attitude of the tive one, which must be taken by anyone seriously soul in this dark night is essentially passive, the pas- intending to work toward sanctity is the rejection sivity in question is freely acquiesced to. Here divine of all sin. It is absurd to suppose that one can attain grace does most of the work, but that work is effec- perfection while continuing to cling to that which is tive only because of unstinting cooperation on the completely antithetical to perfection. To be a saint is, part of the soul. for a human being, to be a quintessentially rational In the night of the spirit, also called the night creature, for a life of perfection is a life lived in com- of faith, one surrenders all reliance upon human plete accordance with reason. But living in complete knowledge or wisdom as would-be means of attain- accordance with reason is anything but easy. We have ing union with God. Neither philosophy nor theol- to contend with our passions. ogy are of any help to the soul. If the philosophical Given man’s fallen state, his passions often work or theological knowledge we gain through natural in ways that are directly contrary to reason, so one of reason can be compared to light, the knowledge of the most important tasks to be performed by some- faith can be compared to darkness. It is not a knowl- one who has set his foot upon the path of perfection edge completely devoid of content–a contentless is to bring his passions entirely under the control of knowledge would be no knowledge at all. There are, reason. Man’s sense life must be made entirely sub- as mainstays, the basic tenets of the faith. But this is missive to his rational life. This task, an arduous one a knowledge founded not so much on content as on indeed, is undertaken in what St. John of the Cross the Source of the content. In other words, it repre- calls the night of the senses. The victory of the spirit sents a total trust in God as the source of all truth, over the flesh is not gained without the assisting even when the truth of which He is the source is far grace of God, to be sure, but the soul is very much from perfectly clear to us. Those who choose to enter an active participant in the effort. And it is precisely this narrow way must “liberate themselves from the this active participation of the soul that sharply dis- impediment and fatigue of ideas and thoughts, and tinguishes the night of the senses from the rather care not about thinking and meditating,” Edith Stein disconcerting experience which is to follow it, the writes.[10] There was a time when it was entirely night of the spirit. In the night of the senses, the soul appropriate that the soul should solidify its spiritual rids itself of attachment to things of the flesh; in the base through discursive meditation, prayerfully think- night of the spirit the soul rids itself of–or, more ac- ing about God and the things of God. That time is curately, allows itself to be rid of–all attachment to now past. Following St. John, Edith Stein sees medi- things of the spirit. The soul is to be rendered utterly tation as an activity which, once the soul has entered empty, so as to make room for God and God alone. into the night of the spirit, is not only unnecessary, According to the doctrine of St. John of the but might even prove to be a positive impediment to Cross, it is within the dark night of the spirit that the further advancement in the spiritual life. real work of sanctification takes place. It is by pas- One who walks in the dark night of faith should sage through the dark night of the spirit that Chris- not strain to understand. “It greatly behooves the tian perfection is immediately effected. This is the soul,” she quotes St. John, “not to want to understand proper means by which union with God is attained. the truths of faith so clearly, that she may thereby Enduring the dark night of the spirit involves two conserve the merit of faith pure and entire.”[11] And indispensable and closely related experiences: the soul St. John shows to what extent his own doctrine is lives entirely by faith, and the soul suffers. The night integrated within the larger apophatic tradition of of the senses, as noted, is a period of purification in Christian spirituality when he adds: “the soul must which the soul takes an active part. In entering into know God more by what He is not than by what

26 FCS Quarterly • Fall 2004 FCS Quarterly • Fall 2004 27 He is.”[12] One must suppress the natural and other- which is God Himself.[15] wise praiseworthy desire to know in order to render Looked at from a purely natural point of view, more perfect, more refined and unalloyed, the qual- the way of St. John of the Cross which is mapped out ity of that faith upon which one has chosen to put for us so faithfully by Edith Stein in The Science of the one’s entire store. But, again, the fact of the matter is Cross, and which she implicitly invites us to accom- that at this stage, knowledge, the kind of knowledge pany her in following, can easily strike us as not only that results upon discursive reasoning, is no longer quite forbidding, but perhaps downright inhuman. needed, and, as indicated, can act as an impediment But to look at it from a purely natural point of view to progress.[13] While by no means diminishing the is to look at it from precisely the wrong point of importance of the truths revealed by God, indeed, view, and thus not to see it for what it actually is. In being sustained by them in the deepest sense, the the night of the spirit, having witnessed what Edith soul’s faith is focused on and fixed in the God who Stein describes as “the progressive collapse of the nat- reveals. ural,”[16] we find ourselves very much in the realm A very important aspect of the total submission of the supernatural. And the demands made upon to the workings of divine grace which character- anyone who would have the courage to enter upon izes the night of the spirit, is the soul’s willingness this way are not, in any considered understanding of to forsake all consolation, spiritual as well as sensual. the term, inhuman, for if that were true they would There could be no more egregious misunderstand- not be, what in fact they are, perfective of our human ing of the spiritual doctrine of St. John of the Cross nature. St. John can calmly advise us, as a matter of and St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross, or of genuine regular practice, to “Never omit a work that does not Christian mysticism in general, than to suppose that appeal to you and for which you have no taste.”[17] it has anything to do with what would pass for “mys- We are being urged here to go very much against the tical experiences” in today’s popular imagination. grain, not of human nature just as such, but of a hu- Signs and wonders, locutions, ecstatic raptures–these man nature that is seriously debilitated, for the pur- are things to be shunned, not sought. The way being pose of rehabilitating it. St. John is advising us to be followed here is the way of the cross. The point is not consciously “counter intuitive” in all our choices of to foster an in-turning attitude that seeks soothing, behavior, and that is because, given the present state subjective confirmations of one’s spiritual state, but to of our nature, almost all of out “intuitive” promptings keep one’s eyes turned ever outward, upon the Cru- are invariably egocentric and systematically self-serv- cified. This is a way whose foundational premise is ing. We must learn to act “unnaturally,” that is to say, God-affirmation, not self-affirmation. deliberately go counter to our natural proclivities be- One who is guided by the darkness of faith, then, cause of their marked tendency to be disoriented. St. must eschew all extraordinary experiences, and, in- John outlines the general strategy by describing the deed, even look upon them as temptations. The way kind of “lifestyle” to which we should be committed. of faith is the way of the ordinary, not the extraordi- “Let us live on earth like pilgrims and the poor,” he nary. In St. John’s calculus, there is an inverse relation writes, “like the banished and the orphans, in dryness, between “signs and external proofs”[14] and faith, in without a way, and without anything else, but always that the more there is of the former, the less there is hope.”[18] This is a way “without a way,” in the sense of the latter, and vice versa. The soul must not seek to that it is followed by the wayfarer in a spirit of per- be “confirmed” in his faith by emotive assurances or fect trust in the God by whom he is being led. This by spiritual favors of any sort, for to do so would shift is God’s way, not the way of the wayfarer, and it is a the proper focus, from God to self. Abiding patiently way of darkness. in the dark night of faith is the surest way to God, and the profoundest way to praise Him. Does the fact III that the soul puts complete reliance upon the dark- t was no accident that St. John of the Cross, who ness of faith mean that he is in the throes of uncer- began his religious life as Friar John of St. Mat- tainty? Just the opposite. There is no greater certainty thias, changed his name to John of the Cross than the certainty of faith, as St. Thomas teaches. And I when he joined the Carmelite reform which had this is because the source of that certainty is not the been initiated by St. Teresa of Avila, a woman who human intellect, but the originating cause of faith, was both mother and daughter to him. If ever a title

26 FCS Quarterly • Fall 2004 FCS Quarterly • Fall 2004 27 ARTICLES was eminently apt in revealing the core character of be known. “Teresa” was of course in honor of her a man, it was “of the Cross” as applied to St. John. “Holy Mother,” St. Teresa of Avila, the Foundress of The cross, for him, was considerably more than a the Order. The “Benedicta” reflected the love and mere devotional preoccupation. It was central to his sense of gratitude she felt toward the Benedictine life and consciousness, not unlike, I think it may be tradition, in which her Catholicism had been impor- said, the way in which the cross was central to the tantly nurtured. The “of the Cross” title she assumed life of Christ Himself. The whole purpose of the is, doubtless, to be interpreted as a sure sign of the Incarnation was the redemption of mankind, and in special love and veneration she felt toward her “Holy the impenetrable mystery of divine providence that Father,” but its significance ran deeper than that. Like redemption was to be effected in one way and one St. John himself, she was, right from the outset, fully way only, through the crucifixion and death of the prepared to take with all literalness that condition for Redeemer. The whole of Christ’s life was ordered discipleship which had been set by Christ Himself. toward the crucifixion. The crucifixion of Christ was What this seemed to have meant for her, in the most an act which was absolutely unique, and absolutely personal terms, was the conviction that there could efficacious in its effects. But, understood in an ex- be no union with God, in perfect love, a union that tended sense, the crucifixion was an experience He she desired above all else, without giving herself over willed to be not exclusively His own. He bid those unconditionally to the cross, with all it implied. For who would be His disciplines to imitate what He her, there simply was no other way to divine union had done; indeed, He made it a condition of disciple- than the via crucis. “The fundamental setting is the ship. “If anyone wishes to come after me, let him same,” she writes: “there is no other way to union deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me.” (MT than that which leads through the cross and night, 16:24) the death of the old self.”[20] There is a poignant redundancy in that condi- To follow Christ after the manner of St. John of tional proposition. Christ is telling us: if you wish to the Cross meant not only to live a life of complete be my follower, then you must truly follow. You must detachment from material things–again, this is what do what I have done. The condition that Christ’s sets was commonly expected of anyone who was in ear- for discipleship is not presented as an option, as one nest about the spiritual life–but furthermore, and un- possibility among other, perhaps less onerous, pos- commonly, actively to seek suffering, consciously to sibilities. We are being presented with the cross as a desire crucifixion. In this she was showing how thor- conditio sine qua non, one that is necessary as well as oughgoing and uncompromising a disciple she was sufficient. This particular point would seem to be of her Carmelite Father. Quoting St. John, she writes emphasized by another passage, also from St. Mat- that those who seek perfection should have “a great thew’s gospel, where Christ says, “And he who does predilection for suffering.” In this indicative of a flir- not take up his cross and follow me, is not worthy tation with masochism? Hardly. She goes on to stress of me.”[19] What would it mean to be unworthy of the point that this predilection for suffering must be Christ? From the point of view of the mystical theol- “purely for the sake of Christ alone.”[21] In her most ogy expounded by St. John of the Cross and Edith important philosophical work, Finite and Eternal Be- Stein, the phrase would seem to be appropriately in- ing, Edith Stein develops an interesting interpretation terpreted as referring to someone who simply is not of the experience of joy, in which the experience suited for union with God. By His crucifixion and turns out to be something like a participation in a death Christ lost all, and thereby gained all. And He Platonic Form.[22] By the time she wrote The Science invites us to enter into a similar paradoxical situation, of the Cross, joy, or at least a certain type of joy, would one in which the only way we can save our life is by seem to have become for her almost an irrelevancy, losing it. or worse. She now looks upon joy as something that Nor was it an accident when Edith Stein, on should be renounced for the love of God.[23] The the occasion of her receiving the habit of a Dis- joy she has in mind is “vain joy,” which is to say joy calced Carmelite, chose to take the name of Sister that leads the soul–she is quoting St. John–“to de- Teresa Benedicta of the Cross. Her whole spiritual ceive others and to be deceived herself.”[24] life as a Catholic could be said to be summed up in Following in the footsteps of Christ, the soul the new names by which she henceforth wanted to must seek that supreme form of suffering which is

28 FCS Quarterly • Fall 2004 FCS Quarterly • Fall 2004 29 death to self–crucifixion.The imitation of Christ kind of union with God is referred to by him as a necessarily entails following Him all the way to betrothal. Through baptism we are “given” to God, Golgatha. “If our life does not consist in imitating solemnly committed to a future, indissoluble, and (the Crucified),” she quotes St. John again, “it has no eternal union with Him–the Beatific Vision–that will value.”[25] They are effectively telling us that there be realized only after death. is no greater delusion than to suppose that one can Short of the Beatific Vision, there is another type be a genuine Christian and at the same time escape of union with God, considerably different from that the prospect of crucifixion. With perfect logic, then, which is represented by a soul in the state of sancti- St. John advises us pointedly that we must allow fying grace, and which is described by St. John as a ourselves to be crucified.[26] The passive voice must marriage between God and the soul. It is called, more be carefully noted. One does not crucify oneself. To fully, a transforming union through perfect love. It is attempt it is to pass from the world of healthy spiri- just this union that is the end toward which the dark tuality into the world of aberrant psychology. night of the spirt is directed. Echoing the opinion In reading her moving self-oblation, made, with of St. Teresa of Avila, Edith Stein maintains that the the permission of her prioress, in 1939, in which she difference between the second and third levels of voluntarily accepts whatever suffering and death God union, i.e., the difference between spiritual betrothal might send her, for, among several other intentions, and spiritual marriage, is a difference in kind and not the conversion of the Jewish people, one cannot help merely of degree.[28] but wonder if Edith Stein did not have a special pre- In terms of what has been said thus far con- monition of just the kind of crucifixion she was go- cerning the nature of the night of the spirit, are we ing to be asked to bear. However that might be, this permitted to conclude that the very special union act provides emphatic evidence of how complete and with God which is its outcome, mystical marriage, uncompromising was her dedication to the imitation is something that is universally realized? The ques- of Christ.[27] tion is no sooner posed than we know the answer to it. That this is a state that is attained by very few in IV this life is a fact for which two millennia of Chris- he crucifixion of Christ was not an end in tian history offer ample evidence. And there is no itself. It was the means by which the redemp- commanding reason to believe that things will be tion of mankind was effected. So too, the appreciably different in the future. Why is this so? T Is it simply how God wills it to be? Not according dark night of the spirit and the crucifixion it repre- sents is not to be regarded as an end in itself: it is the to St. John and Edith Stein. God wills that all men means through which union with God is attained. should be perfect. That so few men manage to gain Edith Stein, following the reasoning laid down by St. perfection in this life is a circumstance for which Thomas Aquinas, reminds us that there are three dis- God is not to be blamed. The fault lies with men. tinct types of union with God. Most basically, there is God provides the necessary grace, but only a small what is called substantial union. This is the union that number of men are able to muster the quality of is established between Creator and creature, through courage necessary to endure the crucifying trials that the very act by which the creature is brought into full cooperation with that grace inevitably involves. being by the Creator. This union is signaled by the Every Christian, presumably, wants to be identified as fact that God is in every creature by His “presence, a true follower of Christ, but the condition that must essence, and power,” as it is traditionally expressed. be met to merit that status proves to be more than Absent that divine presence, the existent simply most men are willing to meet. It is this fact that leads would not exist. Edith Stein to observe that, “The saint did not write On a much higher level, there is the very special his works for everyone.”[29] union that is established between God and His ratio- The night of the spirit, and the transforming nal creatures through the presence in them of sanc- union through perfect love (the mystical marriage tifying grace, which is to say, more precisely, through between God and the soul) that follows upon it, may the presence in them of God Himself, as perfecting be offered as the culminating exemplification of the them through His life and love. In the connubial great Christian paradox that it is only by losing one’s language favored by St. John of the Cross, this second life that one succeeds in saving it. Through the dark

28 FCS Quarterly • Fall 2004 FCS Quarterly • Fall 2004 29 ARTICLES night of the spirit, all is lost, all, that is, that we tend ments about the great Carmelite mystic, but they are to value from a purely natural point of view. And yet, muted, and offered with the understanding that they precisely through that loss, everything is gained, the pertain to what is of only peripheral import. This “everything” here referring to all that is truly valu- is a book written by a daughter about her beloved able to man in terms of what contributes toward father, a book written by a dedicated disciple about his ultimate end, his very reason for being. In the her master. darkness and ignorance of faith there is discovered a The markedly different complexions of these knowledge that far surpasses anything natural reason two books, the last two major works to come from could ever hope to attain. By abandoning all “vain the pen of Edith Stein, reflect, I would like to sug- joy” one comes into possession of a joy that is as gest, a significant change that took place over the fi- deep and inexpressible as being itself. One embraces nal years of her life, a change which had the effect of suffering, and in that embrace an ogre is transformed altering her whole attitude toward philosophy. What into an angel. we find revealed to us in The Science of the Cross is The formula is as simple as it is unfathomable not Edith Stein the philosopher, but Edith Stein the to those who are of the world and can think only in mystical theologian. Edith Stein the philosopher, worldly terms: to give all is to gain all, to erase self by the time she came to write this book, had re- is to uncover self.[30] To submit to crucifixion is to ceded into the background, and this is explained by insure resurrection. As to the suffering that is neces- her having dedicated herself completely to a life of sary for mystical marriage, it is all “of short duration,” Christian perfection as a Discalced Carmelite nun. St. John writes, “since it lasts only until the knife A comparison might be made between the kind of is raised; then Isaac remains alive and receives the change I am suggesting came over Edith Stein and promise of his reward.”[31] And all the creatures that that experienced by St. Thomas Aquinas during the one has given up in a spirit of detachment are repos- final year of his life. We all know the story, how, as sessed in a more pure and permanent way, for, as St. the result of a mystical experience the particulars of John explains, “The soul knows creatures through which remain obscure, St. Thomas abruptly stopped God and no longer through creatures.”[32] writing the Summa Theologiae, announcing that ev- And in another place he writes: “Whoever seeks God erything that he had written appeared to him now and nothing else is not wandering in darkness no as “so much straw.” All the earnest solicitations on matter how dark and poor you think your are.”[33] the part of his confreres, urging him to continue his The dark night of the spirit, in some wondrously writing, were to no avail, and the Summa Theologiae, strange way, is luminous. the saint’s magnum opus, was left unfinished. There are important differences between the two cases. The V experience of St. Thomas would seem to have been ome six years separated the writing of Finite a specific incident of some sort, and the transforma- and Eternal Being and The Science of the tion it brought about in him was sudden. A specific SCross. They are quite different books. One result of that transformation was his decision to can almost imagine that they were written by two stop writing.[34] With Edith Stein the experience different people, and perhaps, in a sense, they were. extended over a period of years, and the transforma- Finite and Eternal Being is very much a philosophi- tion that accompanied it was gradual. And she made cal work. Her approach is determinedly analytic. She no decision to stop writing. But, and citing The seeks to plumb the depths of the various subjects she Science of the Cross as the illustrative case in point, treats of, in order to come up with the most reliable she ceased to write principally as a philosopher. understanding of them. And she is not shy about call- She most definitely continued to employ reason, in ing attention to how the conclusions she reaches dif- its broadest sense, but now it was reason put in the fer from those reached by other philosophers. In The service of truths that, though very much applicable Science of the Cross, critical analysis, in any kind of to the human sphere, came from a source that tran- rigid employment, plays a rather minor role. Here, scended that sphere. the object of her study, the writings of St. John of In The Science of the Cross, Edith Stein, while not the Cross, are approached with deferential reverence. altogether abandoning philosophy and the philo- It is not that she is beyond making any critical com- sophical mode of reasoning, had in the main tran-

30 FCS Quarterly • Fall 2004 FCS Quarterly • Fall 2004 31 scended them. She had come to see the limitations 11. Ibid., p. 75. of philosophy. Philosophy responds to the world by 12. Ibid., p. 82. speech, the only way it can respond. The typical re- 13. St. John writes: “...the mystical wisdom...need not be understood distinctly...in order to cause love and enthusiasm in the soul.” (Ibid., p. 234.) action of a soul brought into experiential proximity When he speaks of enthusiasm here he is not referring to purely emotional to God is speechlessness. Language fails, not because responses–these, according to his doctrine, are at best irrelevant and at worst there is nothing to respond to, but because what is dangerous–but a firmer fixity of the will upon God. being experienced is more than the human intel- 14. Ibid., p. 102. 15. St. Thomas’s argument runs along the following lines: one way in which lect is capable of coping with. There are no words we can determine certitude is in terms of its cause, “and thus something is available because there are no thoughts available, and said to be more certain which has a more certain cause. In this respect faith there are no thoughts available because the mind, is more certain...because it is founded upon divine truth.” (Summa Theologiae, II-II, q. 4, a. 8.) given what it is confronting, lacks the wherewithal to 16. SC, p. 273. form them. Edith Stein continued to speak, but with 17. Ibid., p. 280. the measured wisdom of one who realizes that she is 18. Ibid., p. 279. speaking about the unspeakable. It was only the fac- 19. As if to accentuate the importance of the message, and to insure that tor of charity, acting as motivating impetus, that pre- it is clearly understood, Christ’s statement, in which He sets the condition vented that from being an exercise in futility. Like her that must be met by those who desire to follow Him, is expressed in almost identical terms in all three synoptic gospels. Holy Father St. John of the Cross, she accepted the 20. SC, p. 217. challenge of attempting to express the inexpressible 21. Ibid., p. 276. because of the pressing importance of reminding 22. See Finite and Eternal Being. Washington, D.C.: ICS Publications, 2002, p. duller and more distracted wits of the constant need 62 ff. to be aware of the One Thing Necessary. Edith Stein 23. SC, p. 93. had given way to St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross. ✠ 24. Ibid., p. 101. 25. Ibid., p. 279. Notes 26. Ibid., p. 282. 27. The self-oblation reads in part: “May the Lord accept my life and death for the honor and glory of his name, for the needs of his holy Church...for 1. Her developed responses to St. Augustine and St. Thomas Aquinas are to the Jewish people, that the Lord may be received by his own....” Waltraud be found in the pages of her single most ambitious philosophical work, Finite Herbstrith. Edith Stein: A Biography (trans. Father Bernard Bonowitz, OCSO). and Eternal Being, which she finished in the fall of 1936. The book was pub- San Francisco: Harper & Row, Publishers, 1985, p. 95. lished by the Institute of Carmelite Studies, Washington, D.C., in 2002. 28. SC, pp. 171-72. 2. Edith Stein. The Science of the Cross. (trans. Sr. Josephine Koeppel, O.C.D. Washington, 29. Ibid., p. 37. She goes on to explain: “Of course, he does not wish to exclude anyone. But he knows that for understanding he can count only on D. C.: ICS Publications, 2002, p. 5. In all subsequent citations from the book a determinate circle of persons, those who have a certain amount of experi- I will refer to it simply as SC. ence of the inner life.” (Ibid.) In the final analysis, only those who accept 3. SC, p. 5. the cross as he did will be able to understand the writings of St. John of the Cross. 4. These are: The Ascent of Mount Carmel, The Dark Night, The Spiritual Can- ticle, and The Living Flame of Love. 30. St. John of the Cross offers a pointed rebuke to the narrow mind-set that would interpret human fulfillment in purely individualistic and naturalistic 5. I think it right to say that the status of “definitive biography” of St. terms. “If you are relieved of the burden [i.e., the burden of the cross] you John has now shifted from Father Bruno’s book to that written by Father will find your strength in yourself alone, you who are weakness itself.” (Ibid., Crisogono of Jesus, O.C.D., The Life of St. John of the Cross. (trans. Kathleen p. 281.) Pond). New York: Harper & Brothers, 1958. 31. Ibid., p. 277. 6. SC, p. 218. 32. Ibid., p. 214. 7. Ibid., p. 217. 33. Ibid., p. 279. 8. Ibid., p. 5. 34. It should be noted that on his death bed he dictated a commentary on 9. Ibid., p. 282. the Canticle of Canticle for the Cistercian monks at Fossanova. 10. Ibid., p. 52.

30 FCS Quarterly • Fall 2004 FCS Quarterly • Fall 2004 31 Fellowship of Catholic Scholars 27th Anniversary Convention Wyndham Pittsburgh Airport, Pittsburgh, Penn. Friday, September 24th, 2004

Because of space limitations, breaks and meals are not indicated in this schedule. 8:45 a.m. Raising Catholic Children in a Secular Culture: e Importance of a FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2003 continued Sound Vision of the Person in a Sexually Permissive Culture— 8:00 a.m. Registration opens eresa H. Farnan, Mount St. Mary’s Seminary and William ierfelder, 9:00 a.m. Convention Opens with Sacred Liturgy Belmont Abbey College 10:15 a.m. Welcome by Gerard Bradley, President, Fellowship of Catholic Scholar e Cultural Battle for the Family in Contemporary Society, Introduction by William Saunders, Program Chair, Chair: Damian Fedoryka, Professor of Philosophy, Ave Maria College Family Research Council Homosexuality: How Relevant are Experience and Science to 10:30 a.m. Session I : Gender eory & Identity: A Challenge for the Church eology and Pastoral Practice? Paul Flaman, St. Joseph’s College, in the 21st Century—Stephen Miletic, Professor of Scripture and University of Alberta Catechetics, Franciscan University of Steubenville and John Crosby, e Human Family as a Type of the Family of the Trinity, Chairman of the Philosophy Department, Franciscan University of Kelly Bowring, Independent Scholar Steubenville 10:30 a.m. Session IV: e Future of Marriage and the Family in the United 1:30 p.m. Session II: Public & Personal Goods of Marriage— States: Some History Lessons —Allan Carlson, President of the Howard Most Rev. Anthony Fisher OP, Auxiliary Bishop of Sydney, Australia, Center for Family, Religion, and Society and William E. May, Michael J. McGivney Professor of Moral eology, Response: Msgr. Stuart Swetland, Newman Center, University of Illinois John Paul II Institute for Studies on Marriage and Family 1:15 p.m. Session V: Lessons from Social Science and Demography on the 3:15 p.m. Session III: Catholic Marriage and Feminism— Family—William Bradford Wilcox, Professor of Sociology, University of Sister Mary Prudence Allen, Professor of Philosophy, Saint John Vianney Virginia and Nicholas Eberstadt, Henry Wendt Scholar in Political Economy eological Seminary at the American Enterprise Institute Response: Laura Garcia, Professor of Philosophy, Boston College 3:00 p.m. Session VI: eological Developments Regarding the Family Since 7:30 p.m. Keynote address: On the 10th Anniversary of the Holy Father’s Vatican II: As Nuptial Body and As Domestic Church—David Schindler, Letter to Families—Alfonso Cardinal Lopez Trujillo, President of the Academic Dean and Edouard Cardinal Gagnon Professor of Fundamental Pontifical Council for the Family eology, John Paul II Institute for Studies on Marriage and Family, and Joseph Atkinson, Assistant Professor of Sacred Scripture and Pastoral SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 2003 eology, John Paul II Institute for Studies on Marriage and Family 7:00 a.m. Mass (in the hotel) 4:30 p.m. Fellowship Business Meeting 8:45 a.m. Concurrent Sessions 6:30 p.m. Cardinal Wright Banquet Psychological Insights and the Dignity of the Person and the Presentation of Awards to: Role of Parents, Chair: Philip Sutton, Family Psychologist, Cardinal Wright Award—Sister Prudence Allen Diocese of Fort Wayne/South Bend O’Boyle Award—Honorable Chris Smith (Republican, NJ) and Marie Smith Pornography and the Community of Persons,Whitney Jacobs, Institute for the Psychological Sciences SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 26TH, 2003 Talking ‘Bout My Generation: e Emergence of the ‘New Wife’ in 8:30 a.m. Sacred Liturgy (in the hotel) Generation Y, Rachael Patterson, Deakin University, Australia 9:30 a.m. Defending the Family at the United Nations: 10 years since Cairo— Raising Catholic Children in a Secular Culture, Chair: Sr. Hanna Austin Ruse, President of the Catholic Family and Human Rights Institute Klaus, Executive Director, Teen STAR Program, Natural Family Planning Response: William Saunders (Senior Felllow & Human Rights Counsel, Center of Washington, DC, Inc. Family Research Council) K-12 Catholic Schools and the Revival of the Catholic Family in 11:00 a.m. Convention officially ends American Culture: An Appraisal, Dennis Purificacion,University of Sacramento

32 FCS Quarterly • Fall 2004 FCS Quarterly • Fall 2004 33 BOOK REVIEWS

The Virus and the Vaccine by Debbie lymphatic cancers in adults. Between attending the 1997 SV40 conference Bookchin and Jim Schumacher, New 1954 and 1963 almost 100 million in Bethesda. Ratner had served as the York, St. Martin’s Press, 2004. Americans had received polio vac- public health officer during the 1950s cinations with a vaccine contaminated in—of all places—Oak Park, Illinois, Reviewed by Eugene Diamond, M.D., with this same carcinogenic monkey the very community in which Car- Director of the Linacre Institute virus. This fascinating book, The Virus bone resided. Ratner had been hoping Dr. Ratner was recipient of the Cardinal and the Vaccine traces the growing body to hear from the young Italian scientist Wright award from the Fellowship of of evidence that the SV40 virus intro- who had impressed him at the 1997 Catholic Scholars. duced into human subjects by a huge conference; he had something very experiment of nature through a con- special he wanted to give him. r. Herbert Ratner was one of taminated vaccine has the potential to Within a week of the April 12, the most illustrious members continue to function over time as a 1955 announcement of the success Dof the Catholic Medical As- slow growing oncogenic virus. of the Salk field trials, cases of Parke, sociation having served as its president This began a years long odys- Davis vaccine had arrived at Ratner’s in 1977. He was a charismatic and sey by Dr. Carbone to study the role offices in Oak Park. Ratner was sup- influential teacher in the Department of SV40 in the causation of human posed to start inoculating local school of Public Health at Loyola University tumors. Other investigators using the children immediately as part of the School of Medicine while, at the same polymerase chain reaction technique National Foundation’s free immu- time, serving as Director of Public were able to detect traces of viral nization campaign. But Ratner was Health in Oak Park, Illinois west of DNA in tumors. When Bergsogel and the rare public health official in 1955 Chicago. In that capacity he was called Garseo at the Farber Institute were that was not eager to distribute the upon to approve the use of Salk po- able to detect SV40 DNA in tumors, newly licensed Salk vaccine. He was lio vaccine for the immunization of they were accused of having contami- concerned that the Salk inactivation school children in Oak Park. Because nated their material. Skeptics came up process was inadequate, and he was of his unique intuition as a scientist, with many theories as to explain away also concerned about viral contami- he refused to give the vaccine in Oak the SV40 that in appearing in human nants. Ratner refused to administer the Park. He felt that the process for the cancers in denial of its source laving vaccine. Parents were angry, and Rat- development of the vaccine did not been the polio vaccine. ner was practically run out of town. guarantee that it would be free of viral Dr. Carbone had tried for a Then the Cutter incident broke, and contamination. While his community number of years to find old vials of Ratner suddenly appeared to be very was protesting loudly that their chil- vaccine. He wanted to use PCR to perspicacious. After the Cutter inci- dren were being denied protection see if they contained SV40 and, if so, dent had blown over, Ratner remained from a dread disease by a highly publi- what type. But how could he get his suspicious of the vaccine. Instead of cized and effective vaccine, Dr. Ratner lands on archival vaccine? Carbone injecting the young children of Oak was vindicated by the occurrence of first approached the FDA. The agency Park with the vials he deemed unsafe, polio cases caused by the vaccine, par- responded that it no longer had vials he stored them away in his refrigera- ticularly that manufactured by Cutter dating back to the contamination era tor, where they remained, unopened, Laboratories. Later Dr. Ratner was in the late 1950s and early 1960s. In for more than forty years. The eighty- one of the first to call attention to the the early 1990s, coincident with the seven-year-old Ratner offered them fact that Simian virus 40 also contami- new round of SV40 research that Car- to Carbone to test. “I would have nated the vaccine, containing virus bone and others had begun, a decision gone all the way to Alaska to find this grown on monkey kidneys. had apparently been made at FDA to stuff, and here it was three miles away,” Forty years later Dr. Michaela discard the old lots of vaccine. Car- Carbone says, holding a tiny vial of Carbone working at the NIH in a lab- bone next wrote to every one of the vintage vaccine between his gloved oratory studying oncogenes discovered six manufacturers who had produced thumb and forefinger. that SV40 when injected into ham- Salk vaccine in the 1950s and 1960s. Carbone and Rizzo used PCR sters caused mesotheliomas. Dr. Car- None had vials for him to test; they to test Ratner’s vials in the summer bone, presently also working at Loyola had discarded their old stock years, of 1999 Their first dicovery was that Medical School was able, with other even decades, ago. Where could Car- the 1955 Parke-Davis vaccine did in- scientists around the world, to dem- bone find vaccine to test? Stumped, deed contain SV40, but it was a vari- onstrate that SV40 was showing up he decided to call on Herbert Ratner, ant of the simian virus that virologists in a variety of human lung, brain and an elderly doctor he had met while refer to as slow-growing, because it

32 FCS Quarterly • Fall 2004 FCS Quarterly • Fall 2004 33 BOOK REVIEWS replicates at a much slower rather than The Liturgy Betrayed and The Liturgy traditionalists nor the religious left most SV40 strains used in laboratories. After Vatican II: Collapsing or Resur- have brought them back in any signif- Carbone’s discovery was significant gent? Denis Crouan, (San Francisco: icant numbers. False liturgical reform because it marked the fist time such Ignatius Press, 2000 and 2001) has led to fatigue and disillusionment an SV40 variant had been recovered Reviewed by Reverend Brian Van Hove, SJ on the part of ordinary believers. from polio vaccine. Earlier research- Some just do not care anymore. ers, including Sweet and Hilleman, These two little books by Denis Though Denis Crouan writes had only found fast-growing SV40 Crouan are each just over a hundred from France, his experience is not so 6 when they had searched contaminated pages which makes them into extend- different from that of North America. vaccines. Both kinds of SV40 occur ed essays on the same subject.1 Surely His analysis of the present situation is in human tumors, but until Carbone many Catholics who have been disap- balanced and reasoned. Even so, he can tested the Parke- Davis vaccine, there pointed by the liturgical reform since provide no more comfort than any was no proof that the slow-growing the end of the Second Vatican Council of the others who have tried to write 7 SV40 found in humans had come are looking for ways to explain just about the disappearance of beauty, li- from polio vaccine. Carbone’s finding what went wrong and when. To say turgical malaise, and the painful failure debunked claims that the virus the “adapt the liturgy to the mentality of of reform to convey a satisfying sense 8 researchers were finding in human tu- the people of today” or “go back to of the divine. mors came from another source. Even the old Mass” is too simplistic. What Crouan’s own position is the if some small amount of exposure to has happened to our people, clergy official one. “…We believe in the SV40 was due to monkey bites, SV40 and laity, is deeper. Crouan tells the grandeur and the beauty of the liturgy researchers now widely agree there is story. as restored by the Council and insofar no question that the vast exposure of The collapse of religious and as we know that we must work, in millions of Americans to the monkey liturgical consciousness has led to a the Church, for a true birth at last of virus occurred through contaminated widespread loss of the Catholic mean- this Roman liturgy, so that it may be vaccines. “This proves that the SV40 ing of the eucharist, especially in the developed and become a living pres- that was present in the polio vaccine industrialized West. There has been ence in all our parishes, as expressly 9 is identical to the SV40 we are finding a process of desacralization, perhaps requested by Pope John Paul II.” in these human tumors,” Carbone says latent well before the Council. But in He pleads for the implementation of of his finding. short, people no longer know what the Roman documents and for the The Virus and the Vaccine is a me- the Mass is, and if you ask them for an true “Mass of the Council” whether ticulously researched and powerfully explanation, they hardly know what offered in Latin or in translation, written account. The Salk vaccine and to say.2 whether celebrated versus populum or its role in wiping out one of man- Occasionally a specialist still ad orientem. Only a careful implemen- kind’s most dreaded of disease may defends sacramental realism, but in- tation of the current Roman Missal 10 ironically have contributed to a new creasingly the faithful seem to hold is the answer, and he writes as a threat to the health of millions. that the words of consecration trans- professional historian of the Roman 11 Needless to say, this possibility has form their minds and hearts into the Missal. His writing is an apologeti- inspired extensive political maneuver- body of Christ and that they, not the cal defense of the authoritative reform ing among various national health elements,3 are the unique body of and the official books which have agencies reluctant to admit that their Christ.4 Crouan says, “It is the liturgy been promulgated since Vatican II. If triumphal medical achievement of the which is the ‘source’ and not the be- not especially original, Crouan is very 1950’s may prove to have a serious liever: it is the liturgy that makes the Catholic. He knows that to change downside. believer, and not the opposite.”5 De- the liturgy is to change the faith itself 12 spite papal exhortations from “Mys- lex orandi, lex credendi. He also knows terium Fidei” to “Dominicae Cenae”, that there is no substitute for personal and from “Inaestimabile Donum” to conversion and that the liturgy, no “Redemptionis Sacramentum”, the matter how perfectly celebrated ex- 13 subtle acceptance of The Protestant ternally, may not substitute for this 14 Principle continues. growth in faith. Crouan defends a Crouan points out, however, liturgy which is “worship and a per- that in many places people have just sonal relationship with God by way of 15 stopped going to church. Neither the the sacrifice of the cross.”

34 FCS Quarterly • Fall 2004 FCS Quarterly • Fall 2004 35 Arguments from authority are Roman Missal correctly applied.20 The and shallow, spiritually superficial said to be the weakest. Crouan none- tactic of allowing Indult parishes in (balloons anyone?23) and improvised. theless does not hesitate to argue some dioceses frees up the innovators We may better understand the present from authority, though not solely to continue ignoring the official Ro- crisis, which he describes in terms of from it. On the subject of author- man liturgical books with no opposi- “second-rate theatre” and “a harm- ity, the French bishops come in for tion from anybody at all. ful sideshow,”24 by reading Crouan’s severe criticism in the unfolding of For this reviewer as a teacher, how- books that promote both genuine Crouan’s account. They have had the ever, the utility of Crouan’s work is less reform and the Roman Missal with full authority at every turn to demand as an antidote to extreme traditional- the current General Instruction dating of their clergy the full realization in ism. Rather, it locates in a readable from April, 2000. For the recovery of France of the authentic reform laid format a historical introduction to the beauty and a sense of the sacred in our down by Vatican II and the subse- liturgical reform and to the Roman liturgy, we need only consult Vatican quently published liturgical books. Missal as we have it and as we had it. II and then sensitively implement the Still, according to Crouan, ninety With the exception of someone com- Instruction.25 This is the Crouan for- percent of French parish churches do ing from an Indult parish, students to- mula because it is “first and foremost not have the normative Mass as leg- day never experienced the old rites and the Church herself who gives us the islated in the General Instruction of the they are certainly not able to imagine liturgy.”26 Roman Missal. what that era was like when those rites The author is at pains to prove were in vigor.21 They have heard good Footnotes by exact textual analysis that really and bad things about the “old church”, very little was changed between the but they are usually unable to sort out 1 It makes their lack of an index perhaps more missal of 1962 and the missal of 1969. legend from fact. They have also grown tolerable. What changes there were in terms of up with a variety of abuses which they 2 The Liturgy After Vatican II, 15. a sensible evolution can be proved to take as normative, often finding the 3 93. be welcome restorations of ancient normative unfamiliar or even foreign. 4 This is a common distortion of #7 in Sacro- practice, something the traditionalists sanctum Concilium which refers to the presence Sometimes these innocents have been of Christ in the assembly. This reference by the should themselves applaud but never placed on the doorstep of gnosis with- Council was not intended to weaken the tradi- do.16 In fact, Crouan is often writ- out knowing it. tion of sacramental realism with its insistence ing more to answer the objections of upon the transformation of the bread and the Crouan makes a fine comparison wine and all that transubstantiation means for 17 French traditionalists than to defeat of ritual elements as they are now in doctrine and piety. his innovating opponents on the re- the official Mass and as they were in 5 Liturgy After Vatican II, 56, n. 2. 18 ligious left. The religious left makes the missal of 1962 on the eve of Vatican 6 Interestingly, the books never mention Car- few “converts” and seems to be dying II. He gives a textual presentation that dinal Lustiger of Paris. The names of Cardinals Daneels and Ratzinger often come up for praise. a slow but inevitable death, whereas is clear and understandable, and also a 7 Liturgy After Vatican II, 64, 98-99. the traditionalists in France (and else- discussion of ritual and symbol which 8 From various directions and at different levels where) are growing and they appar- is helpful. Here is an explanation which authors such as Richard J. Schuler, Giles Dim- ently have the power to attract young might be usable for the classroom be- mock, Max Thurian, James Hitchcock, Thomas people to their thinking. cause it is neither too popular nor too Day, Benedict Groeschel, Joseph Champlin, Den- nis Smolarski, William P. Sampson, Louis Bouyer, Yet the traditionalists, he main- technical. Klaus Gamber, Joseph Ratzinger, and Catherine tains, are ignorant of the sound prin- Perhaps if the faithful had better Pickstock have tried to address some of these ciples of reform desired by the Coun- known some of these precise things complex issues. cil. By articulating those principles for when the reforms were implemented 9 The Liturgy Betrayed, 68-69. us once again, he hopes to show how over thirty years ago we would have 10 90 they are wrong to reject the missal had less confusion and disarray. Perhaps 11 See Denis Crouan, Histoire du Missel romain (Paris: Téqui, 1988). of 1969 as “watered down”. He is if the pastors of thirty years ago had a 12 Liturgy After Vatican II, 75, n. 27. also convinced that Indult parishes19 firmer grasp on liturgical history they 13 The icy or mechanical interpretation of the (he calls them ghetto chapels) set would have been more circumspect Missal of Paul VI seen in the chapels of certain up for them can be cleverly used by and prudent despite the mood of those small religious orders today reminds us again of the religious left as a kind of dump- 22 the need for a deep grasp of the tradition behind times. But that did not happen. Since the missal. A strictly legalistic approach can kill ing ground for the disgruntled, thus the beginning of the postconciliar trau- the authentic reform desired by the Council. merging both those who want the old ma we have gone out into the desert to There is no necessary antagonism between verti- cal prayer and communal warmth, or between rite and those who want the current witness a liturgy which is impoverished

34 FCS Quarterly • Fall 2004 FCS Quarterly • Fall 2004 35 BOOK REVIEWS intelligence and fidelity, or between the human reasoned books and articles. many book reviews. There is also an and the divine. Festschrifts should not be enco- excellent appendix to the book, which 14 See Liturgy Betrayed, 52, 81, 90; Liturgy After Vatican II, 106. miums or even biographies; however, has a year-by-year list of books, articles in such collections it is appropriate to and reviews written by Father Cana- 15 Liturgy After Vatican II, 76. speak about the life and work of the van. It shows the breadth and quantity 16 58. honoree, and it is natural for a reader of Father Canavan’s work. 17 Esp. 35-39, 42. of such a work to want to learn more The book itself has seventeen 18 One possible difference between France and the United States is that there is less of a about the honoree. The introduction essays that can roughly be divided “middle” in France. There are only the two by the editors, Kenneth L. Grasso into three main areas: Edmund Burke, extremes of traditionalism and ultra-progressiv- ism, especially outside the Archdiocese of Paris. and Robert P. Hunt, briefly describes Catholic social teaching, and liberal- In the United States the “Mass of Paul VI” might Canavan’s life and work, his academic ism. These subjects were the primary be a bit more available in some places, chiefly in degrees, his position as an editor at concerns of Father Canavan’s intellec- the large urban archdioceses of the East Coast and a few small Midwestern dioceses known for America Magazine in the early 1960s tual work. The book begins with a few their orthodoxy. and his academic career that included essays on Edmund Burke. It is cer- 19 According to Ecclesia Dei adflicta, July over 20 years of teaching at Fordham tainly appropriate to begin the work 2,1988, issued on the occasion of the schism be- University. Hunt and Grasso point out with these essays as Father Canavan’s tween Rome and Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre’s Society/Fraternity of St. Pius X. An indult is in the introduction my favorite fact in early work concerned Edmund Burke. defined as “a wound upon the law”. the entire book: Father Canavan was Father Canavan’s doctoral dissertation 20 Liturgy After Vatican II, 53. a high school classmate of two other at Duke University was on Burke and 21 Pope John Paul II described this new situa- prominent political philosophers, the Duke University Press published a tion aptly in Vicesimus quintus annus, December Harry Jaffa and Joseph Cropsey. revised version of that dissertation in 4, 1988, #14. The introduction describes some 1960 as The Political Reason of Edmund 22 Liturgy After Vatican II, 81-84. of Canavan’s major works and com- Burke. Three established Burke schol- 23 59, 62-63. ments on the themes of those books ars offer essays on the famed critic of 24 Liturgy Betrayed, 78-79 and other writings. Grasso and Hunt the French revolution. Peter Stanlis, 25 Liturgy After Vatican II, 96. argue that “for more than thirty years, long-time editor of publications de- 26 100; 116-117. Canavan argued—perhaps more co- voted to Burke and author of two gently than John Courtney Murray books on Burke, characterizes Burke himself—for a different view of the as employing morality and prudence relationship between Catholicism and when arguing on behalf of American A Moral Enterprise: Politics, Reason, liberalism.” According to Grasso and independence. F. P. Lock, the author and the Human Good, Essays in Hon- Hunt, Canavan rejected both secular of a significant scholarly biography of or of Francis Canavan Edited by Ken- liberalism and a narrow sectarian pre- Burke, persuasively argues that Burke’s neth L. Grasso and Robert P. Hunt. Vatican II approach to politics; instead political philosophy has an important Wilmington, DE: ISI Books, 2002. he argued for the legitimacy of what place for human rights. Lock notes Reviewed by Michael Coulter “George Weigel has called ‘the Catho- that those who simplify Burke and fail Michael Coulter teaches political science at lic human rights revolution’ and its to read him carefully ignore his com- Grove City College and is a co-editor of defense of constitutional democracy plete account of rights. Drawing in Catholic Social Teaching, Social and religious freedom.” part on the work of Father Canavan, Science and Social Policy: An Ency- Some of the chapters comment Joseph Pappin III, current president clopedia (Scarecrow Press, forthcoming) on essays or books by Father Canavan. of the Edmund Burke Society of These discussions demonstrate that America, argues for the importance of his festshrift for Father Fran- Father Canavan has certainly contrib- Christianity in the political philosophy cis Canavan is an excellent uted to our understanding of liberal- of Burke. Tbook filled with substan- ism, Catholic social teaching, and the There follows several essays that tive essays and, as such, is a deserving political philosophy of Edmund Burke. consider the relationship between honor to Father Canavan, a political This collection also includes an essay Catholicism and politics. Gerald philosopher and faithful Catholic who by fellow Jesuit and political philoso- McCool examines the evolution of inspired, informed and encouraged pher, James V. Schall, wherein Father Catholic social teaching from the time many students at Fordham University Schall considers the wit and wisdom of pre-modern politics to the devel- as well as those who read his carefully of Father Canavan as presented in his opment of social teaching beginning

36 FCS Quarterly • Fall 2004 FCS Quarterly • Fall 2004 37 with Leo XIII to the contribution of Christian Marriage: A Historical Testament Period” [50-100]), working John Paul II. Keith Pavlischek writes a Study, Glenn W. Olsen, ed., sponsored carefully and inductively, Francis provocative essay examining potential by the Wethersfield Institute (New Martin provides a thorough basis for difficulties in the natural law theory York: Crossroad Publishing / Herder understanding better the contempo- developed in the work of Robert P. and Herder, 2001) x + 374pp rary theology of marriage developed George, John Finnis, and Germain by John Paul II, itself developed in sig- Grisez because those thinkers present Reviewed by Dennis D. Martin, nificant measure on the basis of careful religion—any religion—as a general Loyola University Chicago exegesis of Genesis. good when defending separation of In his treatment of the Old Tes- church and state. Robert Hunt’s es- he studies that make up this tament and intertestamental period, say demonstrates how Catholic social book were originally papers Martin surveys Jewish law in compari- teaching properly understood presents Tdelivered at a conference son with surrounding ancient Near an understanding of the separation of sponsored by the Wethersfield Insti- Eastern cultures and comes to what church and state that is distinct from tute in New York. They have been must be counterintuitive conclusions liberal neutrality. prepared for publication with care: for those who have been impressed A third group of essays in the individual authors appear to have had by the claims of the existence of a book considers the meaning and available drafts of their colleagues’ Jewish patriarchy that made women practice of liberalism. Father Canavan papers and taken them into account in the virtual property of their hubands. wrote much about liberalism, both revising for publication, since frequent Women and their children had certain regarding its theoretical understand- cross references occur. One-third of built-in protections and rights. He ing and political life in a liberal state. the book is devoted to the biblical details the circumstances under which There is a fine essay by Duke political period (two papers by Francis Martin), woman in surrounding cultures could theorist Thomas Spragens, author of one-third to the patristic and medieval initiate divorce (non-consummation, Civic Liberalism, examining the role of periods (three papers by Glenn Ol- non-support, lack of respect, annul- church and state in the works of John sen and Teresa Olsen Pierre), and one ment of matrimonial contract before Locke and Alexis de Tocqueville. There third to the early modern and modern consummation) and notes that some is also an essay of more practical con- periods combined (three papers by A. of these are found in Jewish law codes cern—and certainly timely—by Ge- V. Young, James Hitchcock, and John and others can legitimately be inferred rard Bradley of the Notre Dame Law M. Haas). Coverage jumps from the (some of the above, of course, would School on the relation between politi- thirteenth to the sixteenth century, correspond to grounds for annulment cal liberalism and marriage policy. with the last three essays covering under contemporary Catholic canon There are some essays which five centuries in one hundred pages. law) (20). He describes a “sapiential don’t fit directly into on of these three This strategy is not indefensible. The understanding of marriage and fidel- categories. For example, there is a very key shifts in Christian understanding ity, friendship in marriage, the duties fine essay on the meaning of authority of marriage take place in the third- of parents and children” based on within politics as well as an excellent fourth,twelfth, and sixteenth centuries. the mystery of creation, with man essay by Germane Paulo Walsh on the The massive socio-economic changes and woman as the chief work of the relationship between theoretical and of the Industrial Revolution and the Creator. The marriage relationship practical reason in Aristotle. contraceptive revolution justify par- throughout the Hebrew Scriptures be- For students of political philoso- ticular attention to the last two or comes a symbol of the covenant rela- phy, the book is certainly worth ob- three centuries. Devoting one-hun- tionship between God and man. After taining, and it should certainly would dred pages to the biblical material is the Fall, “neither the man nor the merit being placed in college libraries. valuable since during all periods the woman are cursed. Rather the form of Grasso, Hunt and all the contributors theology of marriage among Chris- diminished existence we now know is have provided a fine work that adds to tians was understood as commentary explicitly seen as the consequence of our understanding—and one that is a on Scripture. the rebellion of the adam and his wife” fitting honor to Father Canavan. Indeed, in two chapters on the (29). By the time of Christ, “Most Old and New Testament views of marriages were monogamous, fidel- marriage (“Marriage in the Old Testa- ity and affection were esteemed, and ment and Intertestamental Periods” children were cared for. Nevertheless, [1-49]; “Marriage in the New the position of women was generally

36 FCS Quarterly • Fall 2004 FCS Quarterly • Fall 2004 37 BOOK REVIEWS inferior to that of men, and the avail- vide an analogy for this relation, it is them because their primary concerns ability of divorce, at least in some itself a realization on another level of are sociological and feminist and they quarters, made life uncertain for this mystery of love” (90-91). thus fail to grasp the theological issues them.” In “Progeny, Faithfulness, Sacred involved. Far from being “nostalgic for With this background, Martin Bond: Marriage in the Age of Au- paradise” and living in a fantasy world, develops what was new in the New gustine” (101-145), Glenn W. Olsen as Dyan Elliott claims, Augustine is the Testament ecclesia established by Christ. sorts through the conflicted views on most realistic of his contemporaries With his announcement of the King- marriage held by Christians of this era: about the present state of man and, dom Jesus “sublates” the family, even some disparaged marriage and cham- facing the future, seeks a reformatio ad though it is the most sacred human pioned virginity, yet that did not pre- melius, seeks to reform the present in reality, into something even greater: clude simultaneously the development, the light of Eden (130). Above all, Au- the Messianic Family he has inau- above all in Augustine and Chrysos- gustine and contemporaries like Pauli- gurated (68). After a brief survey of tom, of a high view of the role of con- nus of Nola were part of an increasing marriage in the late Roman Republic sent and companionship in marriage, realization of the implications of the and early Empire (71) he turns to of the goodness and divine givenness Incarnation. the [Deutero?]-Pauline “Domestic of marriage. Marriage does not, by the The ambiguity of patristic views Codes,” concluding, “We have here time of Augustine, represent for the is captured well in a poem by Paulinus a Christian adaptation of an existing, Church Fathers, a fall from an original of Nola with which Olsen concludes specific vocabulary to describe a new androgyny, but a fact of creation and his chapter. I quote from Olsen’s re- reality. The term hypotassesthai is in the thus necessarily a human good (128). sumé of the verses: “Following Augus- middle voice, addresssing the woman Ruling and government of one’s wife tine, Paulinus insists that marriage is a as a free person exhorted to conform need not mean sinful domination, part of God’s primordial plan, and he freely to the will of God in relation since, although lust for domination also agrees that consent is more central to her husband. Thus, while the term characterizes humans and the City of to marriage’s definition than carnal indicates a willingness to ‘give way’ to Man after the Fall, serving each other union. Though virginity is preferable, another, the avoidance of the uusual in love characterizes the City of God holiness may be found in marriage obedience vocabulary in regard to the (123-24). For Augustine as well as also. . . In Paulinus’s view love and wife (though it is used of children and Paulinus of Nola and his wife Therasia, consent are central to marriage, but all slaves) shows that something new is husbands are held to the same standard things carnal remain as problematic as being suggested within a culture that of marital fidelity as wives and have the idea of two becoming one flesh could not envisage actual reciprocity as a goal the same virtue (125). Con- without becoming one flesh. This was between man and wife. . . . [W]e see trary to the claims of John Boswell the view of serious, learned Christians that an advance has been made in a and Dyan Elliot, Augustine’s embrace at the end of the Age of Augustine” biblical understanding of anthropol- of Paul’s identification of marriage as (132). ogy: it is a question of love” (84). a spiritual sacramentum did not deni- In “Marriage in Barbarian King- Having established, in sociological grate marriage. For the Fathers, Olsen dom and Christian Court: Fifth terms, the unique and new element insists, “Conubium, marriage between through Eleventh Centuries” (146- in the Christian “Domestic Codes,” God and man, is the basic form of the 212), Olsen begins by noting that Martin concludes with a fine sum- cosmos, expressing itself primordially monks during these six centuries mary of the theological significance in the marriage of divine and human represented an affirmation of the New of this new, sacramental understanding in Christ’s hypostatic union, then in Testament ideal: those who do the will of marriage: “‘For this reason a man the marriage of Christ and Church. of God are the new, true family, the will leave his father and mother and For the Fathers to say that all mar- spiritual family. Priests did try “to im- be attached to his wife and the two riages somehow reflect the primordial part a Christian appreciation of mar- will become one flesh. This Mystery is marriage is to hold that human mar- riage” (146), but people were preoc- great, but I am speaking about Christ riage manifests, is connected to or an cupied with the idea that virginity was and the Church.’ (Eph. 5:31-32). . expression of, the central mystery of better. From the time of Gregory the . . The saving act of love by which the universe” (126). Great (d. 604), pious married people Christ created his bride is also the act Modern scholars who see the were more likely to abandon marriage by which he sustains her and builds Fathers as reading contemporary and join monasteries than to stay to- her up. This is more than a striking Roman practices back into paradise gether in spiritual (celibate) marriage, analogy. Not only does marriage pro- (Elaine Pagels), have misunderstood

38 FCS Quarterly • Fall 2004 FCS Quarterly • Fall 2004 39 though the latter did continue in vari- lation between later understandings of hearers and doers of the Gospel (188- ous forms, calling into question the annulment, divorce, and indissolubility 89). Olsen offers a careful analysis of goodness of carnal union. In a time of and the categories of early medieval the story of the Spanish nobleman war, brutality, plunder, and rape, wom- thought” is impossible (176). El Cid as an example of the complex en were often called upon to live lives The specula writings of early me- ideal of marriage at the end of this of heroic worldly involvement and to dieval bishops held up to Christian period. play important roles in the conversion couples an ideal of marriage as an By the late eleventh century the of their husbands. egalitarian societas, in which the wife so-called Gregorian Reform move- Olsen draws on primary sources was a socia, not an ancilla, a friend or ments included a strong affirmation beyond the canon law and list of pen- companion, not a servant. Jonas of of marriage, fidelity, love, indissolubil- ances for sexual sins favored by many Orléans says that a husband who has ity, and affection, an affirmation of historical accounts of marriage in the sexual relations with a servant, “dis- marriage built on fidelity and service, Middle Ages. In the saints’ lives we solves the tenderness of . . . his own not domination. In short, marriage is find world-entering saints as well as marriage” (emphasis added) (180). beginning to be more broadly under- world-fleeing examples (148-49). A Although devotion to the Holy Fam- stood not merely as a God-given road positive appreciation of marriage, a ily as a model is a late medieval and to salvation but a mystery and sacra- spirituality of incarnational married modern development, it was not en- ment, as a participation in the bond life, was not unknown. In The Educa- tirely lacking in this period: an eighth- between Christ and the Church (194). tion of the Laity (ca. 830) Bishop Jonas century Irish gospel commentary Teresa Olsen Pierre, “Marriage, of Orleans addressed the regulation refers to the Holy Family as the ecclesia Body, and Sacrament in the Age of of marital life, gave instructions on primitiva (182). Augustine’s thoughts Hugh of Saint Victor” (213-268), conjugal morality, explained how one about companionship in marriage thus tackles the crucial twelfth century, in could sanctify marriage, and under- slowly developed and expanded. which both the question of the rela- scored family heads’ obligation to give Gregory of Tours (ca. 538-94) tive importance of consent and con- religious instruction. Hagiographers of tells of a wife’s body moving aside summation was resolved and a com- the German king Henry I the Fowler in her tomb to make room for the panionate marriage ideal developed and his wife Matilda (ca. 895-968) body of her spouse. One saint’s vita alongside growing appreciation of the portrayed their marital chastity not as describes how a dead husband’s arms sacramental nature of marriage. While renunciation of sexual relations but as opened to embrace his wife’s body, Gratian (ca. 1140) held on to the marital purity, living within the laws which showed those who observed requirement of parental consent (214- of the Church and being a good ex- this miracle the greatness of the “love 15), Hugh of St. Victor (d. 1141) ad- ample to others (150). . . . between them in the world, who vocated consent of the spouses alone, Controversy surrounded the ques- embrace each other in the tomb” with consummation clearly secondary, tion whether marriage was defined (186). The relationship of Einhard, turning his back on the Germanic by consent or consummation or some Charlemagne’s biographer, and his emphasis on consummation visible in combination of the two, though the wife Emma, visible in their letters, or Carolingian prelates like Hincmar of main debate over these issues comes the lively conjugal relationship be- Reims. later and is dealt with in Teresa Olsen tween Emperor Otto the Great (936- The development of marriage Pierre’s article. In the early Middle 973) and his wife Adelaide and other as a sacrament owes much to Anselm Ages, consent could be a double- examples from hagiographic sources of Laon (d. ca. 1117), who gave new edged sword, for if mutual consent indicate clearly that at least some meaning to the term “sacrament” and alone established the marriage, could couples understood that Christianity insisted that all marriages are images the partners not mutually withdraw asked spouses to exercise a pastoral of the Church-Christ relationship consent? Roman law permitted this, role toward each other. Indeed, Syrus (217). For Anselm, to become mem- which may have influenced Byzan- of Cluny wrote a eulogy of Otto and bers of Christ through the couple’s tine practice. In the West, Germanic Adelaide ca. 1000 in which he asked service to God and the Church is the peoples were accustomed to unilateral rhetorically: if an unbelieving husband res of marriage (218). To be sure, mar- repudiation (175). In response, by can be saved by faith of his wife (1 riage, unlike other sacraments, was Carolingian times popes and councils Cor 7:14, 16), how much more can practiced in pre-Christian times, but, had repeatedly defended the principle those who are united in Christ exer- while all marriages are sacramenta and of indissolubility, though “easy corre- cise justice through faith and be both thus images of the Christ-Church

38 FCS Quarterly • Fall 2004 FCS Quarterly • Fall 2004 39 BOOK REVIEWS relationship, only Christian marriages an essential element of the sacrament Bernard of Clairvaux’s sermons “involve spouses in the grace of a life of marraige, by inventing a second on the Canticle of Canticles, by in the Church” (218). The sign of this sacramental symbolism, namely, mari- portraying the Bride in a manner sacrament was sexual consummation tal consent (the so-called “two-sacra- recognizable to married couples of (marriage is not complete until con- ments” theory of marriage) (219). the time, link marital affectio with the summation), but the res signified by Hugh of St. Victor went so far as to love of God, an end so powerful that that sign is the indissolubility of the call sexual intercourse holy, without it overrides even the bonds between Christ-Church relationship. The effect denying that couples need to be dis- the separate spouses and their par- of the sacrament is participation in the ciplined and to moderate inordinate ents (234). Influenced by the Greek reality of the Christ-Church relation- passions (237). Fathers, Bernard “began to develop a ship (218). After Peter Lombard signed on more optimistic view of persons’ abil- Hugh of St. Victor wrote fifteen to the consent theology of marriage, ity to co-operate with God in their years after Anselm, affirming that mar- it became prominent in the schools own divinization” (238-39). riage is primarily about human part- (220). Although Gratian insisted that After rich analysis of marriage in nership (like Augustine), so Mary and consummation made the union into a some of the belles lettres of the age, e.g., Joseph were truly married (218). The sacrament, later canonists (decretists) the Arthurian romance Eric and Enide great challenge to the early school gradually adopted the French consent and other courtly literature (243-47), theologians at Laon and Paris was to theology (221), which found codifica- and after mining confessors’ manu- integrate marriage into the emerg- tion in the “Alexandrine Rules” of als for a glimpse of how this teaching ing sacramental system, which meant Alexander III, endorsed and enforced was disseminated (250-251), Pierre delineating which aspects of marriage by Innocent III. notes some social history dimensions: corresponded to the various elements [FCS members may be interested this era saw a decline in power of the of other sacraments. All sacraments to know that one of the treatises dealt seigneury and solidifying of patrilin- instruct the mind about truth, lead with by Pierre, Innocent III’s De quad- eal succession, which put pressure on the mind toward internal order, and ripertita specie nuptiarum, is available in marriage relations among the nobility. confer grace (224). Thus Hugh gave English translation in a relatively little- “Women stood to lose husbands and marriage a place within salvation known publication: Eugene J. Crook, children in these social conflicts; at the history that had been only faintly “Lothario dei Segni (Pope Innocent highest levels of noble society women foreshadowed by previous think- III) on the Four Kinds of Marriage could be repudiated rather easily if ers, emphasizing the affective nature (De quadripertita specie nuptiarum), they failed to produce heirs for the of the marriage bond. He believed Introduction and Translation,”in Spiri- continuance of the lineage.” that creation was strewn with sacred tualität Heute und Gestern, Internatio- Pierre concludes her chapter with symbols or “sacraments” which “God naler Kongress vom 4. bis 7. August a quotation from a medieval Spanish implanted to lead human beings to 1982, vol. 1, Analecta Cartusiana, 35.1 marriage rite: “O God, who blessed a fuller appreciation of himself.” In (Salzburg: Institut für Anglistik und the multiplication of children from the true Augustinian and neo-platonic Amerikanistik, 1982), 1-95.] beginning of the world, look kindly fashion, for Hugh corporeal things of By the eve of Lateran IV (1215), on our petitions, and pour out the the physical world can draw us to God marriage had already been included richness of your blessing on this, your in the way God always intended, if we in lists of sacraments, since the Coun- servant, N., and this, your handmaiden, concentrate on them properly. Mar- cil of Verona, 1184, indicating how so that in conjugal society they may riage is one of these (225). much teachings on marriage had be joined as like companions in simi- Hugh insists that the consent of been largely systematized. The emerg- larity of mind and mutual sanctity” the couple consists in their mutual ing canonical definition of marriage (256). This can scarcely be called deni- agreement to owe their entire selves emphasized primacy of consent but gration of marriage. to each other, to reserve themselves to “acknowledged that consummation R. V. Young, “The Reformations each other, and not deny themselves was in some sense proof of consent.” of the Sixteenth and Seventeenth to each other (218). Hugh found a Lateran IV then added the insistence Centuries” (269-301), begins with way to preserve the Laon tradition that marriage be celebrated publicly the heart of the changes of this era, in that emphasized consummation as after public banns (229) and clarified the theology of Protestant Reformers a fitting, even necessary, symbol for the legitimate degrees of consanguin- (notably Luther and Calvin), which Christ’s union with his Body, hence as ity (229). removed marriage from the com-

40 FCS Quarterly • Fall 2004 FCS Quarterly • Fall 2004 41 pany of the sacraments, thus making riage considerably. He then turns to blest end of marriage.” If the goal of its sacredness subjective. For Luther, an extended analysis of John Donne, marriage is to make man happy by since marriage is common to pagans quoting Anthony Low: “Donne was dispelling loneliness through agree- and Christians alike, the sacredness a chief actor and influence in what able companionship, then an unhappy of any given marriage must depend may be called the ‘reinvention of love,’ marriage is no marriage at all. The not on its objective sacramental status from something essentially social and aggrieved peaceable and loving hus- but on the holiness of the partners feudal to something essentially private band cannot be at fault, so the only (271). Calvin was more cautious, but and modern.” (284-85). Yet Donne is explanation is that he has married his warrant for reading Ephesians 5 conflicted. In his poem “The Canon- the wrong woman, one who does in a non-literal sense was the (to him ization” love is “a private erotic refuge not fit Genesis 2:18 because she is no obvious) non-literal meaning of “This from conventional respectability,” and “help meet.” Man’s loneliness is not is my Body.” Paul could not literally he shows contempt for bourgeois assuaged, so “such a mariage can be have meant that marriage was a myste- morality (288) by subtly comparing no mariage whereto the most honest rion in the sense that the other sacra- two lovers’ devotion to each other end is wanting.” Terminating such an ments are, but had to have meant that as a form of vow, as an equivalent to empty marriage then becomes a moral it is a mystery only “after a manner or parody of the Catholic monk’s duty. But no outsider can determine of speaking.” Mysterion can only refer or nun’s withdrawal from the world when a marriage has become empty: to heavenly things, not to an earthly (289). In contrast in his Anglican “to interpose a jurisdictive power thing like marriage. Marriage was thus wedding sermons, where “marriage upon the inward and irremediable dis- deprived of its heavenly dimensions is not simply a metaphor for the rela- position of man, to command love and and of the ability that sacraments have tion between Christ and the Church sympathy, to forbid dislike against the to integrate heaven and earth. It was, or Christ and the soul: it is a means guiltles instinct of nature, is not within in short, secularized (273). of uniting this particular man and the province of any law to reach, & Young next compares these devel- woman, by way of their marriage, were indeed an uncommodious rude- opments to the treatment of marriage with Christ,” Donne offers a de facto ness, not a just power” (294). in the writings of Catholic authors sacramental understanding of marriage The strength of James Hitchcock’s and artists like Rubens and Francis (291). contribution, “The Emergence of the de Sales, devoting particular attention Echoing Calvin, John Milton in- Modern Family” (302-331), lies in to Fray Luis de Leon (d. 1591), who sisted that Christ’s command of indis- part in its attention to socio-economic insists that continence and virginity soluble marriage could not have been developments, which arguably had are superior but equally that marriage meant literally any more than Christ the greatest impact on marriage and is “very honored and privileged by the meant “This is my Body” literally family during the period he covers Holy Spirit in Sacred Letters.” Mu- (295-96). Moreover, “. . . in Milton’s (seventeenth-nineteenth centuries). tual love between husband and wife mind the early Reformation notion The Council of Trent “aligned the are central, but above all, marriage is of inner assurance of election had Catholic Church with a more volun- what Christ made it: “a signification become identified with personal hap- taristic approach to marriage, when it and most holy sacrament of the bond piness and contentment, and personal decreed that marriages were valid even of love with which He joins him- experience thus became the measure without parental consent, provided self to souls, and He wished that the of right and wrong. In our own day that the couple were of sufficient age” matrimonial law of man with woman Milton’s vision has triumphed. We but in France, when decrees of Trent would be like a portrait and living see the results not only in no-fault were promulgated, finally, in 1597, image of the most sweet and intimate divorce, but in an entire society which that provision was omitted, because unity between Him and His Church, measures moral norms by subjective the aristocracy feared fortune hunt- and thus He ennobled matrimony longings. . . . We are saved not by faith ers and did not want to lose parental with the richest gifts of His grace and in God, but by faithfulness to our own control over property (310). The rise with other goods of heaven.” (276). restless desires, to our own vaguely of the “honeymoon” among aristo- Returning to Protestant de- idealized inner self” (296). crats as “a private period of sexual and velopments, Young examines Philip In Milton’s pamphlet, The Doc- psychological exploration,” indicates Sydney’s idealization of desire that trine and Discipline of Divorce (1643), the growing desire for personal and elevated women to an almost god- “in God’s intention a meet and happy emotional satisfaction for the spouses like status and romanticized mar- conversation is the chiefest and no- (311). Heretical Jansenism may have

40 FCS Quarterly • Fall 2004 FCS Quarterly • Fall 2004 41 BOOK REVIEWS understood marriage solely in terms of family life: “The pope extolled as in Leo XIII’s Arcanum divinae. This of procreation, but Alphonsus Lig- marriage as a companionship in which modern idea of marriage came to be uori emphasized “the love between the husband rules but the wife is not seen as the one appropriately Chris- Jesus and his disciples, between Mary a servant. Both have equal rights, and tian way for families to live” (322). and her spiritual children, and hence Leo observed that the Church had Middle class respectability, increasingly among family members as well.” For always rejected the ‘double standard’ sought by working class people, and Liguori the begetting of children of sexual behavior, even as it forbade with Queen Victoria, adopted even by remains the primary end of marriage, husbands to violate their wives’ per- the aristocracy, replaced the Church’s but he also justified marriage for love sons. The Church had also eliminated and the state’s legal penalties as the between those unable to have children the power which parents once had main influence in enforcing obliga- (311). to dictate their children’s choice of tions of family life (323-24). The Enlightenment in Europe, spouses” (319). John M. Haas, “The Contempo- especially in France, and the American Ironically, just as the new ideal of rary World” (332-359), opens by de- Revolution connected emancipation companionate marriage raised expec- scribing the well-known evidence for from political tyranny with emancipa- tations and thus seemed to require a precipitous decline in the institution tion from aristocratic arranged mar- easier divorce, so the new ideal for of marriage and family in the con- riages. In New England the rejection children seems to have led to more temporary era (332-33). He explains of the absolutely authoritative Cal- birth control. Moreover, abolition of how the Supreme Court decision vinist God also included weakening child labor made children an eco- that extended legal contraception to of patriarchal authority, so that “the nomic liability rather than an asset unmarried couples (Eisenstadt v. Baird), post-revolutionary family was defined for the first time in history, yet large defined marriage not as an “an inde- as a voluntary society held together families seem to have helped children pendent entity with a mind and heart by affection, charged with cultivating better cope with the complex world, of its own, but as an association of two virtues appropriate for the free citizens “avoiding the trap of the isolated, in- individuals each with a separate intel- of a republic” (315). But economic ward-looking family circle” (321). The lectual and emotional make-up.” (334- changes aborted the new model of Holy See began to receive queries 35). In Planned Parenthood v Danforth, family life among the industrial lower from priests about penitents (mainly the Court, striking down any require- classes as work shifted to factories women) who confessed to deliber- ment of spousal consent to an abor- and took wives and children as well ate use of contraception. In the case tion, reduced marriage to nothing but as husbands away from home (316). of coitus interruptus, where the woman an arbitrary social contract (336). In Sexual restraint (chastity before mar- was a passive accomplice, she could be short, whereas people in former eras riage, fidelity during marriage) spread absolved even if it was likely the of- grappled with questions of marriage largely among the middle class--which fense would be repeated--if she feared as a contract or as a sacrament, with is where the new religiosity spread as the wrath of her husband (321-22). property rights, with the proper min- well, but the romantic love ideal also Thus, by 1825 “the major con- ister of the sacrament, with the ques- encouraged sexual restraint. tours of modern family were discern- tion of consent versus consummation, Yet, with the new ideal of mar- ible: spouses freely chosen according in the contemporary era, our culture riage came also the demand for di- to romantic expectations (although is for the first time asking what mar- vorce as a way out when heightened middle-class courting was still highly riage itself is, no longer being sure that ideals remained unmet, and laws were supervised), an ideal of spousal friend- anyone knows or can say (337). liberalized in response (317). By the ship and mutual personal fulfillment, The Catholic response to threats Civil War, 1.5 divorces took place for the separation of work from home, to very basis of marriage in early every 1000 marriages; by the end of clearly separated spheres of activity for twentieth began with the 1917 Code the 1800s, the rate had risen to 4 per wives and husbands, tender solicitude of Canon Law, which included a pre- 1000, the highest rate in the world. for children and responsibliity for their cise definition of marriage, in response In Catholic life, Matthias Schee- upbringing, a modified ideal of patri- to the claim of the modern State that ben developed the sacramental mean- archal authority. Although the roots marriage is a merely natural institu- ing of marriage as an integral exten- of this idea of marriage and family tion, a contract over whose validity sion of the Mystical Body of Christ. life lay in the antireligious forces of the state has jurisdiction as with any Leo XIII’s Arcanum divinae (1880) gave the previous century, Christianity also other contract (338). The Code does Catholic ratification to the new view played a major role in its formation, recognize the contractual nature of

42 FCS Quarterly • Fall 2004 FCS Quarterly • Fall 2004 43 marriage, but insists that its reality mutual support, remedy for concu- John Paul II has done what M. J. as a contract is inseparable from its piscence) which is primary is readily Scheeben in the nineteenth century sacramental reality. While Gaudium et seen. It cannot be be mutual support, and Balthasar in the twentieth have Spes never uses the word contract, this since two individuals of the same sex tried to do in their theological synthe- does not mean it intended to replace can create a community of love and ses: he has restored the nuptial mystery such language with covenant language support. The only one of the three to its proper centrality in the under- (as some have claimed), and the 1983 ends that is absolutely unique to mar- standing of faith” (355). Code of Canon Law explicitly included riage is children (349-50). This collection of essays is a mine contract language (339). If marriage In contrast, if marital love be- of historical information but far from is a contract, both parties have rights comes the end of marriage, then an ar- merely that. One of its great strengths and obligations, and, in order to es- ranged marriage (minus love between is the way it illustrates the presence tablish a valid contract, each partner the spouses) would not be a valid centuries ago of themes that many must know what he is binding oneself marriage (352). Thus, Haas concludes, associate only with twentieth-century to. Hence the 1917 Code’s definition: “one of the principal reasons for the or even post-Vatican II developments. “The primary end of marriage is the grave disorder in which marriage For instance, reading Teresa Olsen procreation and education of children; finds itself at the present is simply that Pierre’s chapter on the twelfth century the secondary end is mutual help and society no longer knows what mar- shows beyond any doubt that cleri- a remedy for concupiscence” (340). riage is or what purposes it principally cal authors of the high Middle Ages Casti connubii, decisions of the Roman serves” (352). “It must be admitted sought as much as any modern Catho- Rota, and statements of Pius XII in that the condition of marriage in the lic author to develop a theology of lay the 1940s and 1950s reaffirmed the Church is almost as grave as it is in sanctity and that the “universal call to hierarchy of ends. Vatican II did not society.” Some say this comes from sanctity” was not invented at Vatican II. overturn this--the discussion con- lack of clarity in official documents, The authors are in conversation cerned the nature of the text and lan- from unwillingness to use technical with the best of scholarship on social guage to be used in Gaudium et Spes, philosophical language, but Haas in- history, as illustrated by James Hitch- not contractual versus convenantal sists that the blame rests not with the cock’s assertion that the premodern principles (344). Although Gaudium refusal to use certain technical terms family was more likely to be a nuclear et Spes # 47-51 does speak of the but with those who chose to interpret than an extended family (306), though “community of love” at the outset, it the Council’s language contrary to the his echoing of Phillippe Aries’s notori- concludes (e.g., # 50) by clearly as- expressed intentions of the Council ous thesis in suggesting the likelihood serting that procreation is the primary Fathers (353). of a “certain degree of fatalistic cal- end of marriage without using those Though marriage is in as grave lousness about the suffering of chil- exact words. Humanae Vitae does the a condition as at any time in the his- dren” in light of high infant mortality same (345). Haas refutes with specific tory of the Church, no other pope (305), might be challenged on the quotations the repeated claim that Von in history has done as much as John basis of a number of recent studies. Yet Hildebrand rejected the “hierarchy of Paul II to address the situation (353). the authors do not reduce the history ends” language or principle. The 1983 His theology of the body locates the of Christian marriage to socio-eco- Code of Canon Law drops the language imago Dei in maleness and femaleness, nomic developments. Even more im- of “ends of marriage” but retains the not merely in reason and will, with portant than attention to social history reality (347). the natural complementarity of man is its authors’ competent knowledge of Primary and secondary ends and woman reflecting the nature of the theological issues involved, mak- terminology can be used in differ- the Triune God himself as the spouses ing the collecition useful not merely ent ways. They were not primarily surrender themselves to each other to historians but to pastors, counselors, juridical terms but were taken from in such a way that a third person is canon lawyers, and religious educators metaphysics and simply passed on engendered (354). Hence the bodies at all levels. what Augustine had already said: the of all men and women have a “nuptial The book lacks an integrated end of something is known by what meaning”, reflecting not only their bibliography, depending instead on the thing does: agere sequitur esse; ac- own makeup but also God’s nature, a full citation of each item at its first tion follows on being. Thus any given above all in the way God releates to mention. On occasion locating the thing can have more than one end. If the Church, His Bride. Quoting John full citation can become quite tedious. one starts with three ends (children, Saward, Haas concludes that “Pope Some might fault, in the chapter on

42 FCS Quarterly • Fall 2004 FCS Quarterly • Fall 2004 43 BOOK REVIEWS the Reformation era, reliance on a gift from his wife, The Collectied Cliches, he says, “are catchy and an English-language anthology of Dialogues of Plato, he was hooked on easy to remember, and they provide us Luther’s writings, which contrasts with philosophy. His Ph.D in that subject is with quick answers to life’s many chal- direct citations to Spanish sources from Boston College (‘86). lenges. We absorb them growing up as in the original languages. Familiaris At St. Anselm College in New we absorb language and culture. Consortio is not an encyclical but an Hampshire he teaches all sorts of “At a certain point, however, Apostolic Exhortation (erroneous on wonderful subjects such as Dante, they become frustrating. Is it really p. 220, but correct on p. 356). The Milton, Antigone, and Hamlet. the case that ‘It doesn’t matter what chapter on the twelfth century might It is important to tell you what you believe so long as you’re sincere?’ have taken more of an evaluative posi- this different kind of book looks like. Sincerity is good but what if you’re a tion on the various theories about the It is about two-thirds the dimensions sincere racist? When you and I close a “secularity” of courtly love described of Newsweek. So, it has physical sub- difficult discussion by saying, ‘Let’s just so competently on pp. 244-47. stance. On the left-hand page is the agree to disagree,’ have we preserved It should be obvious that such cliche, such as Might Makes Right, our friendship or taken a step toward minor flaws merely mar the surface of followed by a page of text, a one sen- its destruction?” an unusually well edited and integrat- tence summary and a quote On the Half-Truths is one of those imagi- ed collection of papers that belongs facing page is the answer to the cliche, native books for the hearts and minds in parish, rectory, seminary, college, a one sentence summary of the coun- of those who delight in knowing. university, marriage tribunal, and ter argument and a quote. Each of the cliches is related to ques- personal libraries. Its sponsor, editor, There are 84 of these cliches (be- tions of truth and goodness and each and authors are to be commended for ginning with Actions Speak Louder takes us back to glorious ale-sodden the extra diligence that turned a set of Than Words and ending with You days when, “Oh, yeah, prove it!” and conference talks into a real and valu- Scratch My Back, and I’ll Scratch “Who says so?!” were as much on the able book. Yours) and 84 answers. That makes for tip of the tongue as the upcoming 168 quotes ranging from Henry Ad- game and the truly most profound Half-Truths: What’s Right (and ams to Frances Wright. Along the way issues of the day: Will she go out with What’s Wrong) with the Cliches You are such cliches as What Is Truth? Why me? Will he call me? and I Live By by Montague Brown. Trust Reason, Anyway? and Seeing Is That was when some of us were Manchester, NH. Sophia Institute Believing. saying Chaos Is King and Familiarity Press, 2003. xi + 169, softcover $14.95 Now, some of the cliches are just Breeds Contempt and Live And Let about empty of merit but most of Live. As for me in those days, my ad- Reviewed by John Adam Moreau, Ph.D. them carry degrees of truth, otherwise versaries had opinions, but, I of course Richmond, VA they wouldn’t have become cliches. had the Courage of My Convictions. The quotes which go with the cliches f you are about to give someone are not from nitwits, unless you think Bread of Life, Cup of Salvation: a gift of, say, an edition of the the likes of Euripides, Pope St Grego- Understanding the Mass by John F. ISumma or the latest treatise on ry I and Henry Adams are dim bulbs. Baldovin, S.J., Rowman and Littlefield, what went wrong after Vatican II, stop! In Experience Is The Best Teacher, 2003. Pp. xviii + 211. ISBN 0-7425- If it’s going to be a book make it this for instance, the quote is from Aristo- 3179-1. charming, handsomely produced and tle. On the response page Montague delightful work. Brown begins the page by saying, “It’s Review by David Paul Deavel Montague Brown has read the true that there are many things we can Summa and much is to be gained by only learn through experience. We r. Baldovin, a seasoned scholar reading such books of his as The Ro- can’t learn to play a sport or musical of the history of the liturgy mance of Reason: An Adventure in the instrument without the experience Fwho teaches at Weston Jesuit Thought of Thomas Aquinas and The of practice. We can’t grow in courage Seminary, has produced an enticing Quest for Moral Foundations and The or self-control without experiencing and instructive, albeit sometimes an- One-Minute Philosopher. challenges and overcoming them by noying, guide to the Mass. The oc- Montague Brown came out of doing what’s right. But if experience casion for this volume, part of the Cal-Berkeley in 1978 as an English really is the best teacher, why should I “Come and See” series, edited by literature major and when he read listen to you?” James Martin, S.J. and Jeremy Lang-

44 FCS Quarterly • Fall 2004 FCS Quarterly • Fall 2004 45 ford, is the release of the new GIRM separation, from God, other humans, what is at the center of the Sinai cov- in 2002. Thus, in addition to provid- and the world, and the Incarnation by enant, and ours, is law, worship, and ing a brief but engaging sketch of the which God brings us back to life and ethics. Second, the theme of worship history of the Mass and a reflection love by becoming “literally the food of as God-centered activity is a welcome on the meaning of the Eucharist “for Christians” (7). The second and third reminder of what the original nine- us today,” Fr. Baldovin includes along chapters provide the reader with a teenth- and twentieth-century “litur- the way an ongoing commentary on good layout of the scriptural and his- gical revival” was all about. Baldovin the celebration of the liturgy in light torical terrain without either skimping himself notes the irony that the priest of the latest documents. Of course, on the interesting detail or becoming was theologically central but ritually as things go, Cardinal Arinze and the mired in it. Of particular delight is anonymous in the Tridentine Mass, Congregation for Divine Worship Baldovin’s argument in chapter two while the priest is now central to the have since released a new document, that a “Christian Seder,” a popular ritual of the new Mass. For this reason Redemptionis Sacramentum, clarifying innovation for many during Holy he discourages the priest from the further what the GIRM intends to Week, both obscures our understand- chatty greetings and asides that have say, but this latter document adds only ing that the Christian Passover is the come to be so familiar to modern a few points that would change Fr. Easter Vigil and ignores the fact that participants in the liturgy (72). Unlike Baldovin’s reading. our knowledge of how Jesus would other modern critics of the liturgy like The volume is pleasingly laid out have celebrated Seder is limited at best the late Klaus Gamber, Louis Bouyer, with few obvious errata (the only one (21). Similarly, in the third chapter Ratzinger, and Aidan Nichols, how- of importance is a mislabeled table he dispels the false understanding of ever, Fr. Baldovin never questions the of scriptural accounts of the Eucha- the Christian practice of celebrating historically eccentric and theologi- rist on pp. 16-17). Given that this is the Eucharist in the catacombs: they cally problematic modern practice of a book geared toward use in parish were not among the dead for secrecy having the celebrant face the people education, each chapter concludes but because the sacrificial meal of the when he prays the canon. Changing with a few “Questions for Reflec- liturgy embraces the entire Church— this practice alone would go a long tion.” (This rarely successful feature militant, suffering, and triumphant. way toward ritually de-centralizing the should be removed from all books Starting with the fourth chapter priest and thus helping us turn God- geared toward adults or teenagers. If Baldovin helps us stroll through the ward. the teacher/discussion leader can’t main elements of the liturgy, begin- The two preceding examples figure out what to ask then either the ning with the Entrance Rite. Baldovin illustrate Baldovin’s general success leader or the book, or both, should be embraces Alexander Schmemann’s at theological analysis but occasional replaced.) After a brief introduction affirmation that the Entrance begins lack of success with regard to practi- scanning the contents of the book at home as the faithful prepare for the cal liturgical suggestions. Part of the and limning the contemporary expe- redemption of time, which is mani- problem is his repeated appeal to the rience of liturgy (the latter a rather fested in the Liturgy. He also helpfully ambiguous theme of “active participa- sanguine account given Baldwin’s own reminds the reader that the Penitential tion.” This concept, never defined by fond recollection of the Tridentine Rite’s focus is on God as the forgiver Baldovin, but which seems to mean Mass and his many comments in the of sin and not just on our own sin- “doing things in the liturgy,” guides main text concerning how much of fulness. These two details illustrate his advocacy of having as many min- contemporary liturgy is badly done), themes that permeate this book. First, isters, ordained and lay, as possible Baldovin begins with a chapter briefly the liturgy is the way we enter into during the liturgy, singing whenever introducing us to sacramental reality the mystery of redemption, but the possible, always receiving communion (“Food, Glorious Food”), a chapter way we know that it has penetrated from the elements consecrated during treating the Eucharist in the New us is that it affects our daily life. Bald- the liturgy and not from the taber- Testament, and then a roller-skating- ovin repeatedly stresses that Scripture, nacle, and standing in “solidarity” until through-the-Met tour of the history liturgical celebration, and the ethics everyone receives communion. While of the Eucharist. These are all well of daily life are a cord of three strands Baldovin is certainly not unaware of done considering the limits of a popu- that should not be broken. This theme the fact that “active participation” is lar book of this type. The first chapter is reminiscent of Cardinal Ratzinger’s first and foremost interior participa- sets the theological stage particularly exegesis of Exodus in The Spirit of the tion that results in a changed life, well with a description of human Liturgy (Ignatius, 2000) showing that strangely he seems to ignore the fact

44 FCS Quarterly • Fall 2004 FCS Quarterly • Fall 2004 45 BOOK REVIEWS that different people are comfortable pulpit (91). In yet another passage he people unconsciously but instinctively participating physically in different condemns those who object to the shy away from this challenging aspect ways—this, despite his observation pro multis of the institution narrative of Communion with the Lord and that in his studies of the early Church being translated as “for all” because with members of his body” (147). Has there is little of (his notion of) ac- Scripture scholars agree that the Baldovin ever asked anybody why he tive participation to be found (xvi). Greek word polln “suggests inclu- or she does not receive the cup? And Congregational singing is fine, since sion rather than exclusion.” That it why, contrary to the Ignatian practice, as Augustine noted we “pray twice” “suggests inclusion” is not the same as does Baldovin the Jesuit take the less in doing so, but Baldovin’s claim that an outright declaration that the shed charitable interpretation? Perhaps if we have a great deal of good contem- blood of the Lord will be received he asked, some would say they have porary worship music from the last redemptively by each individual. Bald- a tendency to spill when they drink. twenty-five years to use is debatable. I ovin notes that liturgical language has Some would say it’s difficult to do this think I’m not alone in finding that the never been constrained to the literal when they have brought little ones up “contemporary” settings of the Mass text of Scripture. Fine, but why can’t for communion. And some, particu- and most of the hymnody to be of a traditional liturgical phrases be trans- larly those who object to “receiving in very saccharine nature. Baldovin is on lated literally so that the multivalent the hand,” would say that to take the solid ground in his demand that we all nature of the texts can be experi- cup and drink for oneself seems sym- eat from the same sacrifice. But in the enced by everyone? The answer is bolically wrong. It seems like “taking” other areas he is very shaky. He does given—we can’t be trusted with the communion rather than “receiving.” not notice that in his advocacy of a real thing—in Baldovin’s illogical and Those who have experience with crowded altar area we again encoun- ad hominem lament that “[I]t is a pity Eastern liturgies know that the prac- ter the common modern liturgical that some people have such a small- tice of intinction by the priest works problem of turning the liturgy toward minded religion that they insist only very well and satisfies all concerns: humans. This is equally true of the a few will be saved” (91). How many possible clumsiness or inability to strange practice of “solidarity” stand- people would insist that “the many” grasp a cup with one hand and carry ing after communion. equals “a few”? a toddler with the other, and finally Another example of Baldovin One gets the feeling that Fr. Bald- the receptive element and the con- letting vague concepts crowd out ovin, whose pastoral experience seems cern with receiving both species. Fr. his own solid thought comes when to be limited to the Berkeley and Bos- Baldovin never mentions this possible he touches on issues of the so-called ton areas, should spend some time in solution because he has not grasped inclusive language. Baldovin repeats fly-over country to clear his thoughts. the problem. standard clichés about the “male bias” If there is no time for that, he could Despite these criticisms and many in using “man” to mean all of human- read Kathleen Norris’s Cloister Walk other ones like it, this is a fairly good ity, but then gives the example of and observe the regret that many of book. As I said, the details are hit-and- Psalm 8:8, whose christological un- the nuns who had bowdlerized the miss, but only because, like so many derstanding of “man” and the “son of lectionary to get rid of “violence” and liturgists who deplore the “liturgy man” is paramount, particularly in its “sexism” felt years later. wars” (xiv), Baldovin often seems usage in Easter week (95). His sug- Parochialism of thought is evident unaware of whom he has shot or gestion to use third-person plural or in at least one other place worth men- even that he is shooting. But when he first-person plural when not in Easter tioning here. Baldovin mentions fre- sticks to matters of fact and not bogus season is slightly ridiculous—should quently his desire that everyone would analysis of his opponents’ minds, he the christological understanding of receive the cup. Fair enough, but his is very good. Particularly interesting this psalm only be visible in Easter own hypothesis of why many do not is his defense of Eucharistic prayer 4 week? Similarly he seems to think is slanderous: “Perhaps people are all as the only one that explicitly states verses 21-25 of Ephesians 5 should be too aware of the awesome symbolism that we offer the body and blood stricken from the lectionary because that is hard to avoid in sharing a cup of Christ on our altar. Many other of their “harmful (sometimes tragic) with someone else— such gems await the reader. The final effects of treating women like second- especially relative strangers. Lovers chapter, a reflection on the Eucharist, class citizens,” even though he notes share from the same cup. The act is clarifies that “transubstantiation” is “an that such a passage can be explained a powerful symbol of commitment apt way of speaking” and not identi- properly and un-tragically from the and sharing….It could be that some cal to St. Thomas’s (or anybody else’s)

46 FCS Quarterly • Fall 2004 FCS Quarterly • Fall 2004 47 philosophical explanation of it (168). particular are prominent in our The book’s core thesis could be Similarly, Baldovin identifies what a culture: confusing selfishness with taken from a section entitled, “The sacrifice is and why no conflict -ex vocation and the idea that some Idea of a Personal Vocation.” Therein, ists between seeing the Eucharist as Christians have vocations and others the authors write, both meal and sacrifice. And Baldovin do not. As the authors point out, the The answer to the vocation crisis again returns to the three-fold cord restricting of the term “vocation” to of the Church is personal vocation. of Scripture, Eucharist, and daily life. refer only to Church vocations (priests Rather than there being a shortage Used with Stephen B. Clark’s Catho- and religious) obscures the fact that of vocations, as is often mistakenly lics and the Eucharist (Servant, 2000), “Every member of the Church who supposed, there is a widespread a good instructor, wary of Baldovin’s seeks to know what God asks of him failure by Catholics to seek, discern, blindnesses, could use Bread of Life, or her will discover a unique personal accept, and live out their personal Cup of Salvation quite well for adult vocation of his or her own.” vocations. To a considerable extent it comes from failure to realize that education or even college-level intro- It is crucial that every Christian there is such a thing as personal ductions to the Catholic liturgy. recognize that God is calling him vocation. or her to cooperate with him in the In delineating a rich concept of whole of their life. No time period in personal vocation the authors describe Personal Vocation: God Calls Every- a person’s life is to be wasted. No part three senses of the term which are ap- one by Name by Germain Grisez and of your life is yours to the exclusion of plicable to every Catholic. First, there Russell Shaw, Our Sunday Visitor, God. Two common examples illustrate is the “vocation to be a Christian” 2003. the consequences of failing to recog- which entails living the truth of our nize this reality. Some persons feel and Reviewed by faith. Second, there is “vocation in the act as if the time they spend single, Nicholas C. Lund-Molfese, J.D., sense of state of life” (single, consecrat- looking for a spouse or discerning Archdiocese of Chicago ed, married, lay, ordained, etc.) which their vocation, is “wasted” time. They Disclaimer: I am no detached or impartial sets the context for many of a person’s conceptually exclude this period of reviewer. I have already bought over 10 choices. Finally, there is “vocation in their life from God’s providence and copies of this book to give as gifts to the sense of personal vocation” which students, couples getting married and purpose. refers to the unique portion of work, even job interviewees. I invite you to do A second set of examples come encompassing the whole of a person’s the same. As a wedding gift, this would readily to mind regarding money life (without exception), that God be a far superior choice than one more and tithing. A friend once asked me, over priced dish from Needless Markup calls a given person to embrace and to “How much should we give to God (AKA, Neiman-Marcus). Students and cooperate with him in performing. and how much do we get to keep for recent college graduates will find in this Personal Vocation, at 161 pages ourselves?” The question seems to book what they may well need most —a and written in a popular style, makes guide to the organization of their life as imply that we give God a cut of our for painless reading and is accessible to a whole. Parents and teachers will benefit time (one day in seven) and money a broad audience. Adding to its utility greatly, both personally and also in their (10%) and that the remainder is to be is a final chapter entitled, “Putting the responsibility of mentoring their charges. used in whatever way maximizes our Idea to Work” that contains insightful utility and pleasure. The other false he authors begin by not- and practical advice on such matters assumption in the question is that ing that “Personal vocation as dealing with the aftermath of past the only way we “give to God” is by is enormously important yet poor vocation choices, burnout, cat- T giving to the Church. For a Christian, probably not widely understood. We echesis, and apostolate. Short sections the answer to the question could fol- have written this book with the hope are also dedicated to the application of low along these lines: You have to give of remedying that.” Indeed, one of the forgoing text to particular groups 100% to God, that is, cooperate with the primary services the book ren- such as parents, teachers and bishops. him in your use of every dime, every ders is in introducing the reader to Members of all three groups would be day and every minute. Fortunately, a more complete concept of “voca- well served by reading this book. putting money in the collection plate tion.” In the course of doing so, it also I would very much like to see is only one way of cooperating with serves as a corrective of various false Our Sunday Visitor publish a short- God. Another way (for a father or a understandings of vocation. Among ened, pamphlet version, of Personal mother) is purchasing diapers for the the important errors covered, two in Vocation that omitted the current child God has gifted you with. text’s historical overview (as valuable

46 FCS Quarterly • Fall 2004 FCS Quarterly • Fall 2004 47 BOOK REVIEWS as it is) and a few passages that seem of the Creed. His biblical acumen is teaching authority, apparently became to assume a culturally conservative evident throughout the book. essentially fixed and complete with outlook on the part of the reader. The Unfortunately, the same thing the Nicene Creed. He thus seems able proposed condensed pamphlet would cannot be said for his sense of the to prescind from more than sixteen have young persons, college and non- Church. He understands and shows centuries of Church life and teaching. college attendees, as its focal audience the scriptural evidence that Jesus did So it is not surprising that he gets the and would be inexpensive enough for indeed found a Church to carry on whole question of Church Tradition mass distribution. Tightly focused and his word and his work in the world; wrong. “The Church in every age,” organized, it would set forth the out- and he understands that it was this he writes, “must be measured by the line of what a personal vocation is and same Church at her Councils of Nica- standard of the apostolic age as wit- how one should discern it and live it. ea and Constantinople that produced nessed not by later tradition, but by the Niceno-Constantinopolitan Creed direct appeal to the writings of the which we still profess on Sundays and New Testament.” Holy Days. He also in many respects That in one sense the Church The Creed: What Christians Believe correctly analyzes and describes the must indeed be “measured” by the and Why It Matters by Luke Timo- meaning and import of this Creed. standards of the New Testament is, thy Johnson, Doubleday, 2003, 324 What he does not advert to, or even once again, true enough; but that, pages; U.S. $23.95/Canada $35.95, seem to understand, however, is that meanwhile, all the rest of Tradi- hardback.ISBN 0-385-50247-8 the Church’s belief is not limited to tion—what the Church has become what is set forth in the Nicene Creed and taught in the course of her life Reviewed by Kenneth D. Whitehead (which is basic but not exclusive). In on this earth—must or can be disre- the Catholic Church, nineteen gen- garded, or even thrown out, is far from t ought to be good news for eral councils have followed the two true; it is grossly false, in fact. Johnson’s orthodox believers when an out- ancient ones with whose work John- skewed notion of Tradition, not inci- standing modern Scripture scholar I son is rightly concerned, for example, dentally, would effectively place the turns his attention to the Creed and is and these councils too form part of a task of judging the Church’s teachings actually able to affirm that “the Creed living magisterium of the Church—a and actions into the hands of—New provides a guide to the correct reading concept that he does not seem to Testament scholars and experts such as of the Gospels.” Sola Scriptura is not grasp at all. For him the Creed which himself! enough. When the Scripture scholar issued from Nicaea and got refined It is a task that he himself pro- in question, Luke Timothy Johnson, at Constantinople seems to be pretty ceeds to carry out with alacrity in this who, awhile back in his popular book much the Church’s last word concern- book. While he specifies that his own The Real Jesus, so effectively punctured ing her beliefs and teachings.. “tradition” is “Roman Catholic,” most the balloon of the mis-named Jesus Of course, in one sense that is of what he says about the actual Cath- Seminar and exposed the pretensions true; the Church too believes that olic Church as she exists today is both of a too-rigid application of the his- the Nicene Creed is definitive in the carping and condescending. Indeed he torico-critical method—and who has sense that she has adopted it as the seems to have a rather marked distaste produced generally solid and sensible basic statement of her faith. We are all for the contemporary Church (an at- biblical scholarship, for instance on obliged to profess and believe it. For titude which he characterizes as being Luke and Acts—orthodox Catholics the Church, however, it doesn’t stop “critical” though “loyal”). might expect that a book of his re-af- there; the subsequent acts of popes His disdain for the Church as she firming the importance of the Creed and councils down through the cen- actually exists and functions spills over which the Catholic Church formulat- turies—including subsequent creeds into his historical analysis. Thus, he ed and promulgated in ancient times down to and including Pope Paul VI’s speaks, curiously, of Nicene “theolo- would be a real winner. 1968 Credo of the People of God— gians,” as if academic theologians as And, in point of fact, Johnson, add to and develop the Church’s belief we know them today were somehow who knows his Scripture, has quite as set forth in the basic Creed of Ni- the authors of the Nicene Creed. But imaginatively, and even brilliantly, caea and Constantinople without, of the authors of this Creed were, of shown how a wealth of scriptural pas- course, ever contradicting it. course, the Catholic bishops of the sages abundantly support and illustrate For Luke Timothy Johnson, how- day. How the Catholic bishops of the the terse and abstract formulations ever, the Church’s magisterium, or fourth century were somehow such

48 FCS Quarterly • Fall 2004 FCS Quarterly • Fall 2004 49 consummate and creative theologians the Lord” (as St. Athanasius aptly char- of modern radical feminism. “The and teachers, enjoying the guidance of acterized the decisions of Nicaea), but Church remains one of the places the Holy Spirit, while the bishops of then apparently later somehow lost where sexism can flourish,” he writes. all the subsequent centuries in the life that capability. That he could write He himself sets his face determinedly of Church scarcely even rate any men- what he writes about the Church after against such “sexism,” however, by the tion in his book, is not explained. Did what the 21st General Council of the adoption of feminist so-called “inclu- the Holy Spirit desert the Church’s Church at Vatican II taught in its ep- sive language” in the writing of his bishops after the Nicene Creed was ochal Dogmatic Constitution on the book. He regularly avoids the pronoun firmly in place? Church Lumen Gentium really places “his” when referring to God, even Apparently so: Johnson feels able him in the same position as the Arians resorting to such absurd phraseology to reject out of hand such later estab- of the fourth century, who preferred as “the way God has revealed Godself.” lished teachings of the Church as the their own judgment to what the Elsewhere and even in one chapter perpetual virginity of Mary, which he Council of Nicaea had decreed. heading he speaks of God “who for actually ridicules. He similarly rejects Johnson is right that too many us became human”—which is a plain Pope John Paul II’s more recent de- Catholics today simply recite the mistranslation of the original words of finitive teaching that the Church has Creed mechanically and out of habit the Creed he has set himself up as the no power to ordain women—a teach- and do not really understand what a expert on.. (He does allow the pro- ing which the pontiff bases primarily remarkable profession they are mak- noun “his” when referring to Christ, on the example of the Church in the ing when they do so. And he is quite who was manifestly a male; and he apostolic age, when Christ did not call good in some portions of the book also retains it in quotations; otherwise women to be among those he specifi- in bringing out what an amazing he bows to the radical feminists.) cally commissioned to lead and carry document the Nicene Creed indeed That this Scripture scholar should on his Church, the assembly of those is. However, not even a book which take contemporary radical feminism so who would believe in and endeavor explains the Creed as well as this one seriously as to feel the need to con- to follow Him. It would be interest- does in some respects is going to be form to the stilted artificial writing ing to know what specific scriptural of much help when its author shows style which the feminists claim is nec- evidence this noted Scripture scholar himself in so many other ways to be essary if women are to be “included” could adduce to suggest that the not only ignorant of Church teach- in modern discourse, however, unfor- apostles or their immediate succes- ing but actually contemptuous of the tunately speaks volumes about where sors could ever possibly have imag- Church as she exists and functions to- his priorities lie. That the properly ined themselves competent to ordain day. In spite of his proven expertise as constituted authority of his own de- women. a New Testament scholar, he otherwise clared “tradition”—namely, the Con- Even some of his interpreta- seems to be nothing else but another gregation for Divine Worship and the tions of the Creed as it issued from contemporary “cafeteria Catholic.” Discipline of the Sacraments in Rome, the Church in the fourth century are He evidently does not believe in “the in its 2001 Instruction Liturgiam Au- equally mistaken. For example, he holy Catholic Church,” or, at any rate, thenticam—has specificallyexcluded does not believe that “the one, holy, in many of the teachings that that so-called inclusive language in liturgi- Catholic, and apostolic Church,” in concrete entity continues to insist are cal—and biblical—translations, clearly which belief is certainly required by part of the apostolic patrimony. He affects him not in the slightest, if he is the Nicene Creed, really refers to any himself picks and chooses and de- even aware of this Instruction. actual entity. It is an “ideal,” he claims; cides which articles of the Creed he And that he adheres to modern but that is assuredly not how the Fa- is going to believe in and abide by, in feminist ideology in preference to thers of Nicaea and Constantinople other words, and he often seems to do the teachings and judgments of the viewed the matter. On Johnson’s own so pretty much on the basis of today’s Church seriously undermines his evidence, they certainly believed that conventional secular liberal ideology; credibility to speak on any issue from the Creed they had fashioned applied he sees, for example, the major evils of any truly “Catholic” standpoint. He to the actual Church they headed as today’s world residing in such things as cites with approval such extremist bishops. Nowhere does Luke Timothy “inhumane treatment of…women, the feminist theologians as Mary Daly and Johnson explain, or even address, the poor, and racial and other minorities.” Elizabeth Johnson, not only as if they question of how the Catholic bishops To combat these evils he seems somehow “represented” women today, were capable of speaking “the word of particularly to have taken up the cause but also as if they had not long since

48 FCS Quarterly • Fall 2004 FCS Quarterly • Fall 2004 49 BOOK REVIEWS abandoned many positions that remain with Kevin Griffin, a football star from his car, and threatens to kill him, thus authentically “Catholic.” That such a a presumably abusive family himself. convincing him to stop attempting to man would presume to instruct oth- The setting is an all-Irish-American murder Annie. ers in the meaning of the Creed sug- Catholic neighborhood in Chicago- If all of this sounds impossibly gests a degree of obtuseness and even land at some time that is nowhere badly written, then perhaps I have un- conceit that nobody would ever have close to the present judging from the derstated things a bit. Perhaps the only imagined in so accomplished a scholar. absence of cell-phones and computers, note of realism is that the Catholic But then what should we have the view of smoking as only a mild elements in the book are so impossi- expected from a scholar who under- naughtiness, the language of “pre-pay- bly confused in ways that indicate they takes to instruct us in the meaning of ing” for airplane tickets, the complete could only have come from a Catho- the Nicene Creed, and, at the same staffing of Catholic schools by nuns lic catechized in the last forty years. time, he himself believes that the “one, whose rules are that pregnant girls I’ll just mention a few. Everyone in holy, Catholic, and apostolic Church” ordinarily complete school at home. the book thinks that the Immaculate of which that same Creed speaks is Additionally, there don’t seem to be Conception is the same thing as the nothing more than an “ideal”? any home pregnancy tests available. Virgin Birth. In one scene a priest tells The characters, including Annie and Annie that God created all the souls at Kenneth D. Whitehead is the author, Kevin, are paste-board cutouts. Annie the beginning of the world and then among other books, of One, Holy, Catho- is one of four children of a widower, drops them into bodies when women lic, and Apostolic: The Early Church but there is neither any sense that any get pregnant. In another Annie’s fa- Was the Catholic Church (Ignatius of the children knew their mother ther tells her, “Now, the Holy Father Press, 2000). nor any explanation of what their doesn’t like these annulments, so we’ll father does for a living. Nor is there need to work fast, while we can still any explanation of what the abuse in get one in this country.” Don’t close The Breakable Vow, Kathryn Ann Kevin’s family consisted of—the only the borders, yet! We need to get to Clark, Avon Books, 2004. Pp. 472. evidence we have is that Mr. Griffin is a Mexican marriage tribunal or oth- $6.99. ISBN 0-06-051821-9. an obnoxious sort who thinks women erwise these marriage vows will have are bad drivers. to be breakable. Oy vey. Of course Review by David Paul Deavel, Doctoral Kevin and Annie are married this last element is present throughout Candidate in Theology, Fordham after the birth of a daughter, Mary, the book, beginning with the title: is University, and consulting editor, and, significantly, after the onset of the vow breakable or is it a question LOGOS: A Journal of Catholic Thought Kevin’s physical violence. Kevin, a of the possibility of free consent in and Culture. “football star” whose position is never the situation of a threatening abuser? mentioned, accepts a scholarship at Clark doesn’t seem to know at all. ow does one criticize a an unnamed university in what we What is the problem with this book that is “humbly dedi- later find out is west Texas. From there book? The cover tells us that this Hcated to the united hearts the violence escalates and the rest of “inspiring debut novel” brings “clarity of our Savior, Jesus Christ, and His the book takes the form of a thriller and compassion” to a “hotly debated Blessed Mother Mary”? I suppose in which Annie attempts to extricate issue” and comes equipped with a to start we should remember former herself from the relationship, despite “resource guide” for identifying abu- President Reagan’s stock response to the complicity of the old-boy Texas sive relationships. So it’s not really a reporters accosting him with news of law-enforcement officers who love novel, but an extended case study of his endorsement by some fringe group the football coach at this un-named an abusive relationship that is meant or other: they may have endorsed me, Texas university. The solution to her to help young women identify their but I didn’t endorse them. Whether problems comes in the form of a deus situation and then seek help. Is the or not Kathryn Ann Clark’s first novel ex machina named “Buddy” who is abusive, controlling behavior depicted is a true act of piety is God’s business. involved in a “business” and has had realistically? Well, yes, I suppose—at Whether it is a good book or not is “dealings” with the law and owes a one point in the book Annie reads the business of the reviewer. favor to Annie’s brother, Danny, whose over a list of ways to tell your spouse Clark’s plot concerns Annie Mc- own career is similarly shrouded in is an abuser just in case we don’t get Gowan, a teenage Chicagoan involved vagueness rather than mystery. Buddy it yet—but the problems are at least in an emotionally abusive relationship apparently beats up Kevin, wrecks two-fold even viewing this book as

50 FCS Quarterly • Fall 2004 FCS Quarterly • Fall 2004 51 simply a dramatized case study for use Credo: Historical And Theological according to Pelican, is “to promote, in helping young women. Guide To Creeds And Confessions Of strengthen and regulate, but also and First, because the story has almost Faith In The Christian Tradition by J. first of all to articulate the orthodoxy no foot in any social or technological Pelican, New Haven, CN: Yale Univer- of the body of the faithful.” reality recognizable since approximate- sity Press, 2003. Pp 515 BP $ 27.20 The foundation principles enun- ly twenty years ago (bizarre Catholic Review by Rev. Michael Orsi, Ph.D. ciated in the doctrinal decrees of the utterances excluded), it is severely Research Fellow in Law and Religion, early councils give priority to the Trin- difficult to see how any woman of any Ave Maria College, Ann Arbor, MI ity and the Incarnation. These beliefs sort could relate to this book in the are contained in the Nicene Creed, concrete. Second, and more worrying, aroslav Pelican, preeminent America Athanasius’ Creed and the Apostles’ even if some young woman does iden- Jhistorical theologian and a recent Creed. Pelican says that creedal de- tify with it, does this book really pres- convert from Lutheranism to Eastern velopment—for example, the Middle ent the kind of clarity we want her to Orthodoxy, has provided a valuable Ages’ emphasis on Christ’s “substitu- have? Annie doesn’t seek shelter, but book on the etiology of Christian tionary atonement” for sin and the instead calls an unknown man, a man creeds. One suspects that Credo: Histori- expansion of Mariology—are impor- of whom she is not sure whether he cal And Theological Guide To Creeds And tant but derivative doctrines. Faith is a contract killer or not, to “take care Confessions Of Faith In The Christian statements, he says, define the confess- of the problem” by roughing up her Tradition is an apologia for his personal ing institution and establish a nexus husband—once. Annie then resolves to faith journey. His emphasis on the between faith and order. The numer- stay in Texas because she has a “schol- Church’s first seven councils resonates ous Protestant confessions are an obvi- arship” rather than go back to Chicago well with Orthodoxy’s belief system ous indicator as to why organizational where she would have support, en- and ecclesiology. Nevertheless, his structures differ so radically from one couragement, and more eyes looking outstanding scholarship puts in per- another. The reader will find especially out for her as she raises her daughter spective the development of the many interesting Pelican’s historical analysis alone and tries to go to school. creeds and confessions that followed of the theological and related structural Given that this book, with its the original Nicene Creed of 325 or differences that separated the Church of overt religious droppings, is probably Niceno-Constantinopolitan Creed of the East and West. He gives a succinct aimed at Catholic high school girls, 381. Whether creeds emanated from analysis of the “filioque” problem in the educators should be aware of how the combined Church of the East and Creed and connects the Western addi- bizarre this story is. Clark is herself a West, the Middle Ages, the Reforma- tion to a theology that recognizes im- victim of abuse. Did she escape it by tion, or as adaptations of older creeds plicit truths present in scripture, tradi- contacting mysterious enforcers who expression for missionary lands, Pelican tion and the early creeds. On this issue may or may not be hit men? Did emphasizes that they are all attempts by he quotes extensively from the Church she live a thousand miles from home? systematic theologians to put the faith Fathers, Thomas Aquinas and John Car- Does she recommend these solutions of the bible in doctrinal form. Creeds, dinal Newman. After reading his cita- for young girls? This plan of action he says, militate against a purely subjec- tions to this elite company, one wonders is not recommended in the resource tive faith and set bright lines as to what if Pelican’s next step in his faith journey guide at the back of the book, but it’s a beliefs one must adhere in order to be will be Roman Catholicism. safe bet that the story trumps the social part of a particular faith community. He Often enough the production of work literature if the girl is interested shows how the development of specific creeds, he says, is polemical. Creedal in this at all. The Breakable Vow is not creedal formulas in the early centuries statements may be response to a threat only horribly written, but distinctly often emanated from the liturgical rites, against orthodox teachings and may unhelpful and potentially dangerous especially baptism. Pelican takes care to even anathematize those who contra- for modern victims of abuse. Catholic explain the close connection between dict the proclaimed truth. For instance, librarians, teachers, and social workers believing and confessing. He says that Ulrich Zwingli in his “Sixty- Seven should keep their money and look for the former has an inner basis while Articles” (1523) to emphasize the something else if they want literature. the latter requires outward expression primacy of the bible over the teachings If they want a resource guide for abu- which highlights the common and of Rome said: “All who say the gospel sive relationships, there are cheaper corporate character of the statements of is nothing without the approbation of ways of getting them than buying this faith. The purpose of the “doctrine” in the church err and slander God.” On book. all the creeds and confessions of faith, the other hand Pelican shows how

50 FCS Quarterly • Fall 2004 FCS Quarterly • Fall 2004 51 BOOK REVIEWS statements of faith may act as instru- loss of Christian identity since creeds root of this indecision is as old as the ments of concord between denomina- motivate deeds and keep future gen- Church of England itself, although this tions as in the case with the “Com- erations in conformity with Christian is what Canon Norman would not mon Declaration of Pope John Paul II truths. He gives an interesting parallel admit. He does not see that the studied and Armenian Catholicos Karckin I” example emphasizing the necessity of vagueness of the Book of Common (1996) which affirmed the Council of creeds by focusing on a secular docu- Prayer, the intentional ambivalence of Calcedon’s (451) teaching of the two ment, “The Universal Declaration the Thirty-Nine Articles and of the natures of Christ as the one hypostasis of Human Rights” adopted by the Homilies have from the start imposed of persons. United Nations General Assembly in a systematic evasiveness on those who Politics play an important part, 1948. He says the ongoing effective- were supposed to speak in the name of according to Pelican, in the formation ness of this document shows the inti- the Church of England from its incep- of creeds and confessions. He claims mate connection between creeds and tion on. this to have been the case from the deeds. The Declaration, he says, aspires Surely, an ecclesial group that time of Constantine who used the to function as a shared rule of belief wanted to appear a Church, indeed Council of Nicea to unify the empire. and of conduct much as the creeds do. the sole legitimate part of the Church Pelican lists numerous Reformation He quotes Ps. 116, “I believe and so I Catholic in the British Isles, was not confessions that served a similar pur- spoke,” to support his assertion. supposed to tamper with the episcopal pose, for example the Augsburg Con- In concluding this tome, Pelican consecration and priestly ordination fession of 1530. Latter statements of reiterates the importance of creeds. formulas it had inherited. But it did faith, he says, have often been specific From pastoral experience, it is not tamper, so that clarity may not stand in naming a geographical area in order enough just to recite the Creed on in the way of ushering in heresies. The to give both indigenous identity and Sunday but it is vitally important to Anglican hierarchy has invariably taken a political voice to the faithful of a explain the Creed’s faith statements. refuge in equivocations in respect to region. The Manifest of Korean Chris- Contemporary Catholics, it seems, the theological meaning its version of tian (1973) is a perfect example. Peli- have lost the significance of what is those formulas meant to convey. can says that creeds act in many ways being proclaimed in the words. The That hierarchy chose to lay supine like constitutions and therefore es- divine truths being enunciated arise when matters came to the very foun- tablish a rule of law. Indeed he shows from the faith experience of the com- dations of anyone’s being a Christian. how Creeds or Confessions even munity and therefore have the power This happened when in 1850 the Privy undergo a ratification process. “The to form the Church’s organization and Council decided against the bishop of Thirty-Nine Articles of the Church of its direct actions. This book reminds us Exeter, who did not want to install the England” (1571), for example contains that pastors need to preach on dogma Rev. G. C. Gorham, a dissenter from a section entitled “The Ratification” before they call people to action. the doctrine of baptismal regeneration. which explains the reception of the After putting up the semblance of a confession. Pelican raises some serious Anglican Difficulties: A New Syllabus fight, the bishop himself submitted to issues regarding ratification in the East of Errors by Edward Norman (Lon- the Crown’s ruling. The two Archbish- and West split, particularly in regard don: Morehouse Publishing. A Con- ops and then the entire Anglican hier- to the authority of the Roman Pon- tinuum Imprint, 2004), 152 pages. archy meekly followed suit by urging tiff who holds that only his approval caution and patience, a typical case legitimizes a council’s efforts. The Reviewed by Stanley L. Jaki of the failure of nerve and leadership. concepts of “concialiarism” and “col- Their failure prompted such prominent legiality” are prominent quite early in ntil the Spring of 2004, Anglo-Catholics as Manning and Hope the rift between the old Rome and Edward Norman was the to “secede” to Rome, as conversions the new Rome (Constantinople). UChancellor of the Minster were referred to until recently in the In the final chapters of the book of York and one of its Canons. He Crown’s domains. Recently the failure Pelican deals with some modern at- now presents in this book a new syl- of the Anglican hierarchy to stand firm tempts to bypass creeds in favor of labus of errors prevalent today within against the pressure of women’s ordina- action. The motto “creeds divide work the Church of England. The errors can tion resulted in the conversion of Dr. unites” became increasingly popular be summed up as a chronic indeci- Graham Leonard, bishop of London. among liberal Protestants in the early sion, which the Church of England Disagree as one may with Dr. part of the 20th Century. Pelican shows has shown in the face of problems, Norman’s suggestion that the present how historically this route has led to a doctrinal, moral, and disciplinary. The failure of leadership is somehow novel,

52 FCS Quarterly • Fall 2004 FCS Quarterly • Fall 2004 53 it cannot be doubted that today the Catholics, Dr. Norman would have mon Prayer. But if one shuns dog- failure is simply astonishing. Evasion hardly confined himself to a mere matic perspective with all its sharpness is raising its treacherous head in the two references to Newman in his and clarity, one will find it difficult to call, which the present Archbishop of book. There is in this book nothing of present a convincing case against the Canterbury issued for a “civilized” ap- Newman’s fierce and unrelenting in- Church of England. proach to the question of the ordina- sistence that the Church of England is This problem runs through Dr. tion of homosexual clergymen. If the not a Church. To speak of the Church Norman’s entire book. It is not with failure is novel it is so only because of of England in such a vein makes sense pleasure that I point this out, but the novel depths of moral depravity only if one takes a resolutely doctrinal certain things must be seen clearly to which a “good” Anglican is supposed or dogmatic standpoint and sees, as make a proper appraisal of Dr. Nor- to condone within the Church of Newman did, the Council of Trent, man’s Anglican Difficulties. Its Chapters England. So much about “Failure of with all its declarations and anathemas, 3 and 4 portray the present Church of Leadership,” or chapter 1 in this Angli- to be the authentic continuation of England’s “ambiguous ethical teach- can Difficulties. Its author strangely does the Church of the Fathers. They held ing,” first in reference to social and not mention that a century and a half the Church to be the One True Fold political morality, then in reference ago John Henry Newman delivered and the only Ark of Salvation. Con- to “human sexuality.” Newman, so in London a series of twelve lectures version to that Church made sense keen on purity and so outspoken on which became known as Anglican only if one wanted to save one’s soul. the little respect given to that virtue Difficulties. They constitute Newman’s In fact Newman many times urged by the Anglican clergy of his day, supreme literary achievement and his prospective converts not to convert would say: I told you so, or Nothing finest piece of apologetics in ecclesi- unless they could bring themselves is new under the sun. Dr. Norman ology. That such is the case is docu- to believe that the Church of Rome does not notice the inclined plane mented in this reviewer’s re-edition of spoke in the name of God. Those who on which the Church of England has that work (Real View Books [877 247 find this assertion un-Newmanian put itself when its Lambeth Confer- 6886] 1994; reprinted 2004). should consult this reviewer’s more ence of 1930 threw the door slightly In chapter 2 on “Worship,” Dr. than five-hundred-page long Newman open to contraception. It is not overly Norman begins with the damage to Converts: An Existential Ecclesiology instructive to bemoan the present which “the practical abandonment” (Real View Books, 2001). abyss, unless one sees it as a logical of the Book of Common Prayer has In this present Anglican Difficulties terminus of earlier experimentations done, not so much “to the guardian- one finds little if any confrontation with sinister slopes. It was not a day’s ship of a great spiritual treasure, but to with dogmatic truths and errors. Dr. work to let such disasters manifest its teaching office.” This reviewer finds Norman rather deplores themselves in the Church of England it difficult to agree, and again because the abandonment of the traditional as the endorsement of homosexual- of Newman. The book, The Church of texts of the Prayer Book. He fails to ity by the present bishop of Oxford, England as Viewed by Newman (Real see that those texts did not prevent who did this on the ground that the View Books, 2004), in which this the Church of England from parting Gospel’s moral teaching is not static reviewer collected and analyzed all with all Christian belief, an outcome but dynamic. About this, Newman the pertaining statements of Newman, he himself admits. Anglo-Catholics would simply say that it represents the both Anglican and Catholic, contains do not see that their Church can now onset of the desolation of abomina- Newman’s dictum that the Church glory only in the heresy of aestheti- tion in once sacred places. Whatever of England had from its inception on cism as its sole remaining treasure. This Dr. Norman’s displeasure over the been an “empty treasure chest.” New- heresy has been its chief badge ever sad welcome given in the Church of man gave many even more devastating since Cranmer, whose sole forte was England to gay manners, he does not appraisals of what the Church of Eng- to write good prose. Cranmer’s style burst into outrage, although Newman land really is, appraisals that are hardly was surely an enormous advance certainly would. ever encountered in the increasingly over the belabored English of his Chapter 5 deals with the es- trendy Newman literature. older contemporary, John Fisher. But tablished character of the Church Had an “ecumenical” Newman whereas Fisher witnessed with his life of England. Newman is again con- not been a principal contention of to Truth, Cranmer chose to save his spicuously missing when Dr. Norman Newmanists, who would have us be- own hide by promoting equivocations, traces the present misgivings of Angli- lieve that Newman today would walk couched in pleasing turns of phrases, cans about their Church’s established cheek and jowl with at least Anglo- as he composed the Book of Com- status to the rise of the High Church

52 FCS Quarterly • Fall 2004 FCS Quarterly • Fall 2004 53 BOOK REVIEWS

Movement in the 1830s. The move- new title: Conscience and Papacy (Real and not even, to use the modern ment was the Tractarian Movement, View Books, 2002). Familiarity with it cliché, partially realized Churches and which, under Newman’s spirited and would serve well American Catholics, sacraments. Once more, serious atten- most spiritual leadership, fulminated at clergy and laity, who gladly grant the tion to Newman, so different from every opportunity against Erastianism, right to communion to politicos sup- repeating clichés about him, would the doctrine of the State’s supremacy portive of abortion. have greatly helped to make matters over the Church. As to the present, Dr. Chapters 7 and 8 of the book clear. Norman registers the fact that “the deal with the crisis of authority in As he comes to the final chapter, Church of England cannot even be a the Church (of England, that is). First “Does the Church of England Have a symbol of the nation’s higher aspira- comes a discussion of the causes of Future?” Dr. Norman takes the view tions, for symbols are only effective if that crisis, and here Newman turns up that there will always be a Church of there is clarity and agreement about briefly, though hardly in a convinc- England and an Archbishop of Can- the ideas being symbolized.” This ing way. Dr. Norman sees one of the terbury, though not more than hollow would have been better said with a causes of that crisis in the inevitable labels: “Something like the Church of reference to two facts. One is that recognition in Newman’s time of the England is likely to continue. Angli- England has become perhaps the most need for doctrinal development in the canism is so ideologically insubstantial dechristianized nation in the West. The Church. Here, as one who re-edited that it is capable of incorporating other is that without a retraining in the first edition of Newman’sEssay seemingly any set of ideas. . . . The in- some form of the Penny Catechism, on the Development of Christian Doctrine frastructure of the Church will surely even Catholics will fail to help raise (Real View Books, 2003), I may be al- collapse; the surviving marginalized the low levels of social mores in Eng- lowed to deplore Dr. Norman’s rather clergy, wrapped, still, in ceremonial land. anemic presentation of what Newman attire once hallowed by historical In chapter 6, on “Indifferentism,” said. There Newman also praised Saint resonance, will be there in small num- we encounter a reference to the Syl- Augustine for never calling the Dona- bers mostly unnoticed. At the edge of labus of Errors of Pius IX, who threw tists a Church. Sapienti sat. society they will seek a function or down the gauntlet to his day’s liberal- Newman would repeat that there can a purpose with the same admirable ism with that all too often denigrated be no crisis of authority in a Church tenacity that they have always shown.” document. Missing here is a refer- which never had authority, precisely This passage by Dr. Norman has ence to Newman’s biglietto speech, the because it would never, unless the a Newmanian pathos and one can- summary of his life’s work as a battle State pushed it, enforce whatever not read it without emotion. But a against the indifferentism of liberalism. teaching its majority held normative. Newmanian logic is missing here, as It fell on deaf ears among Anglicans, To recall a much ignored but most well as throughout the book. There and today many Catholic theologians prophetic phrase in the very first is no point in singing the praises of a are unsure about what to do with it, chapter of Newman’s Anglican Dif- once proud ship, which had built-in let alone with the pope’s Syllabus. ficulties, an authority which does not holes from its construction on and is Newman, let it be noted, devoted a enforce its norms is no authority at all. therefore destined to go down. It has special chapter to Pio Nono’s Sylla- This dictum of Newman, addressed to been kept afloat not by the “admirable bus in his famous reply to Gladstone’s Anglo-Catholics, may cast in a fear- tenacity” of Anglicans, as Dr. Norman charge that on account of papal infal- some light some present-day pastoral would have it, but by their obsequi- libility Catholics can no longer be indecision in the Catholic Church. ous devotion to their Sovereign as the loyal subjects of the State. The reply, In chapter 8, Dr. Norman surveys Head of the Church, as if the English which entered theological and literary the effects of the crisis of authority Nation had a right to a Church of its history as Letter to the Duke of Norfolk, again, of course, in reference to the own. This illusion can only be dissi- made clear a point which, as will be Church of England, although here, pated if one exposes it to the beam of seen, Dr. Norman does not entirely too, he cannot help bringing in the dogmatic truth. perceive, as he bemoans the loyalty of Catholic Church. He seems to de- Insofar as they refuse to face the the Church of England to the State rive some comfort from the Roman searing light of that beam, serious An- as being a chief source of its troubles. Church’s undeniable difficulties as glicans create ever further difficulties Incidentally, that Letter of Newman if these would diminish those of the for themselves, so many reasons for was edited by this reviewer only two Church of England. It is very difficult their going on with agonizing lamen- years ago, again with a long Introduc- for an Anglo-Catholic to understand tations over an irretrievably lost cause. tion and many notes, though with a that there are no Branch Churches, One cannot help being sad over the

54 FCS Quarterly • Fall 2004 FCS Quarterly • Fall 2004 55 BOOKS RECEIVED

tragic predicament of Anglo-Catholics If you would like to receive a com- Catholic for a Reason III: Scripture and (the only breed of Anglicans worth plimentary copy of one of the books the Mystery of the Mass, ed. Scott Hahn considering according to Newman), below in order to review it for a future & Regis J. Flaherty, Emmaus Road Pub- issue, please email your request to Al- lishing, Steubenville, OH, (2004), 203 pp. but one would not serve their best ice Osberger at [email protected]. Paper. spiritual interest were one to go soft Christian Humanism: Creation, Redemp- Faith Facts: Answers to Catholic Ques- on hard truths. Such a policy would tion, and Reintegration by John P. Bequette, tions, Vol. 2, ed. Leon J. Suprenant, Jr. & only add to their painful agonies and University Press of America, Lanham, MD, Philip C. L. Gray, Emmaus Road Pub- further encourage their disconsolate (2004), 160pp. Paper. lishing, Steubenville, OH, (2004), 186 pp. Paper. but useless lamentations. A Mother’s Rule of Life: How to Bring Order to Your Home and Peace to Your Prophets and Apostles: Come and See, The Rev. Stanley L. Jaki is Distin- Soul, by Holly Pierlot, Sophia Institute Catholic Bible Study, by Fr. Joseph Pon- guished Professor at Seton Hall University Press, Manchester, NH (2004), 203 pp. essa, S.S.D. and Laurie Watson Manhardt, (South Orange, New Jersey) and winner Paper. Ph.D., Emmaus Road Publishing, Steu- benville, OH, (2004), 205 pp. Paper. of the Templeton Prize for 1987. For Death and Dying, A Reader: Readings in his almost fifty books, see hiswebsite: Bioethics, ed. Thomas A. Shannon, Row- The Heretic, a novel by William Baer, man and Littlefield Publishing Group, PublishAmerica, Baltimore, (2004) 211 www.sljaki.com. Concerning Real View Lanham, MD, (2004), 140pp. Paper. pp. Paper. Books, consult www.realviewbooks.com

BOARD OF OFFICERS AND DIRECTORS —2003–2004

OFFICERS PAST PRESIDENTS ELECTED DIRECTORS PROF. GLENN OLSEN University of Utah President +REV. MSGR. GEORGE A. KELLY 2001-2004 300 S. 1400 E. Room 211 PROF. GERARD V. BRADLEY Cardinal John O’Connor Salt Lake City, UT University of Notre Dame Residence PROF. STEPHEN BARR (University of Delaware) 84112-0311 124 Law School 5655 Arlinton Avenue [email protected] Notre Dame, IN 46556 Bronx, NY 10471 9 Wynwyd Drive Newark, DE 19711 [email protected] DR. JOSEPH VARACALLI +REV. RONALD LAWLER, [email protected] (Society of Catholic Social Vice-President OFM CAP. DR. STEPHEN MILETIC Scientists) DR. BERNARD DOBRANSKI St. Francis Friary 225 Lewis Avenue (Ave Maria School of Law) 2905 Castlegate Avenue Franciscan University of Steubenville Westbury, NY 11590 6225 Webster Church Road Pittsburgh, PA 15226 [email protected] Dexter, MI 48130 1235 University Boulevard [email protected] DR. WILLIAM MAY Steubenville, OH 43952-1763 2003-2006 John Paul II Institute [email protected] Executive Secretary 415 Michigan Avenue, NE–#290 DR. CAROL (SUE) REV. PETER RYAN, S.J. NICHOLAS C. Washington, DC 20017 ABROMAITIS Mount St. Mary’s Seminary LUND-MOLFESE [email protected] Loyola College Coordinator, Ministry in Higher Emmitsburg, MD 21727-7700 4501 North Charles Street Education REV. MSGR. WILLIAM B. SMITH [email protected] Baltimore, MD 21210 St. Joseph’s Seminary, Archdiocese of Chicago [email protected] Dunwoodie MR. WILLIAM SAUNDERS 916 S. Wolcott Street (Family Research Council) 201 E. Seminary Avenue DR. ELIZABETH Chicago, IL 60612 801 G. Street, NW [email protected] Yonkers, NY 10704-1896 FOX-GENOVESE Washington, DC 20001 (Emory University) Editor of FCS Quarterly REV. EARL A. WEIS, S.J. [email protected] 1487 Sheridan Walk Loyola University PROF. RALPH MCINERNY Atlanta, GA 30324 Jacques Maritain Center 6525 N. Sheridan Road 2002-2005 [email protected] Chicago, IL 60626-5385 714 Hesburgh Library DR. J. BRIAN BENESTAD REV. J. MICHAEL MILLER, CSB Notre Dame, IN 46556 DR. JAMES HITCHCOCK University of Scranton [email protected] University of St. Thomas St. Louis University Scranton, PA 18510 3800 Montrose Boulevard 6158 Kingsbury Drive [email protected] Houston, TX 77006 St. Louis, MO 63112 [email protected] [email protected] REV. JOSEPH KOTERSKI, SJ Fordham University, REV. STUART SWETLAND Philosophy St. John’s Newman Bronx, NY 10458 Foundation [email protected] 604 E. Armory Avenue Champaign, IL 61820 fatherstuart@newman foundation.org

54 FCS Quarterly • Fall 2004 FCS Quarterly • Fall 2004 55 EX CATHEDRA

A Flock of Shepherds

hould members of the bishops conference Father McBrien has advised Catholics to attend be allowed to receive communion? Giving to the silence of the bishops on the matter of giving aid and comfort to their fellow Democrats communion to Catholic politicians who are in the is so ingrained a habit that it has fuzzed vanguard of the Culture of Death. But we have been episcopal minds as to whether a soi-disant hearing the silence of the bishops on important mat- SCatholic politician who champions abortion is reject- ters for decades now, so much so that when a few of ing Church doctrine and thereby qualifies as a public them actually act like successors of the Apostles they sinner who should be denied the Eucharist. Of course cause one to check his hearing aid. One had come it could be argued that being a politician is already to to think that they were all Trappists of the old obser- be a public sinner, but that would be as facetious as my vance. opening sentence, even if one can invoke the authority The shambles of the post-conciliar Church is all of Mark Twain for the identification. around us. Most Catholics are unaware of what the Thomas Aquinas, in a quodlibetal question, asked if Church—by which I mean the Holy Father, Vatican being a bishop outranks being a theologian. The ques- II, the Catholic Catechism—teaches or, if aware, have tion may seem quaint in a time when bishops have been led to think that their acceptance of it is op- established a long track record of silence on dissenting tional. Now they have episcopal sanction for this het- theologians. It has become hard to tell the one from erodoxy. Who was the saint who wondered if bishops the other. Perhaps the episcopal conference fears being can go to heaven? Another quaint question when the charged with inconsistency. After all, to act manfully fearful either/or of heaven or hell is also enveloped in in the case of dissenting politicians would be in stark episcopal silence. ✠ contrast to their hands-off policy on theologians who deny the creed. Ralph McInerny

Fellowship of Nonprofit Organization Catholic Scholars U.S. Postage PAID Quarterly Notre Dame, Indiana Box 495 Permit No. 10 Notre Dame, IN 46556

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56 FCS Quarterly • Fall 2004