The Linacre Quarterly
Volume 24 | Number 1 Article 7
February 1957 The ysM tery of Suffering Jerome A. Kelly
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Recommended Citation Kelly, Jerome A. (1957) "The ysM tery of Suffering," The Linacre Quarterly: Vol. 24 : No. 1 , Article 7. Available at: http://epublications.marquette.edu/lnq/vol24/iss1/7 Dr. Nicholson J. Eastman, Pro whether we like it or not. nly fessor of Obstetrics at Johns Hop fools and dead men never change kins University Medical School. is their minds." commenting on an article entitled Such challenges as these come "Patients with Four or More Ce not from theologians arguing from sarean Sections: "6 ethical principles, but from m.:m "The main theme of the paper bers of your own medical profes is that uteri containing four or sion pleading the cause of the best more cesarean scars are less likely possible medicine. It is their < on JEROME A. KELLY, O.F.M. to r�pture in subsequent preg tention that most, if not· all, ther nancies than we have hitherto sup apeutic abortions are medically un posed. This thesis is convincingly acceptable; that the routine steri supported by the following simple lization after a second or third �ec Father Kelly, a member of the Franciscan Province of the Holy fact: Rupture through one of the tion is not good obstetrics! Again Name, has been a priest since 19 37 and is professor of English at St. old scars occurred in only two of I ask you: can one logically term Bonaventure University, St. Bonaventure, New York. As guest speaker these I 30 cases or in only 1.5 per obstructionistic to medicine an eth at the "White Mass" to honor St. Luke on October 18, Father Kelly cent. To set a precise figure for the ical principle which leads to a like gave this sermon to the medical staff at St. Francis Hospital, Olean, incidence of rupture in uteri which conclusion? New York. We wish to share the message with all of our readers. ·have been subjected to only one or St. Francis is one of the many hospitals cooperating with the Federa !here is. I can assure you, noth two previous sections would be tion in sponsoring the "White Mass" in their chapels on St. Luke's Day. ing incompatible between what is hazardous. but on the basis of re best in medical science and what cent reports the figure is probably It does not make sense, so he pays is sound moral teaching. There Among many differences be not less than I .0 per cent. in other no attention to it, unless inconve should be no hostility between the tween modern times and days gone words. not appreciably lower than nient, then he goes to work to physician as such and the m ral by is the change in attitude to• the authors' figure for these uteri stamp it out. to eliminate it. theologian as such. Even if we wards mystery. Mystery used to containing four to ten scars. This And that is what you And him understand religion in the restricted be something actually not under is a new and important fact to have doing suffering, where suffering sense in which I have taken it, viz.. stood. but essentially understand to established - a fact, it may be stands for all pain - physical and as the virtue which inclines human able; something which did make noted, which pretty well annihil spiritual - loneliness. sorrow. pov nature to grant God the reverence sense on dne level of intelligence, ates any real obstetrical basis for erty. "the heart-ache and the thou and honor which is due Him. re even though a lower level could routine sterilization after the third sand natural shocks that flesh is ligion's relationship to good medi not see how. Things that impressed section. Those of us who have fol heir to." Moderns tend to think of cine is one of complete amicability. a child as mysteries, for example, lowe? this widespread policy may suffering like that rather as an evil _ For religion does no more than ask were not such for his parents. not like this revelation, but the im of the physician in God's name Whereas,. in a grander sense. than as a mystery; and in that re portant thing is to know the truth gard they differ radically from what his profession expects of him things transparently clear to God 6 H. F. McNally. M.D., and V. de p ve were mysteries for all His children. their ancestors. Fitzpatrick, M.D., in JA.M.A. 160 (Mar· in the name of true progressi 2 "· 1956) 1005-10. science. But modern man has altered that When you look back over the view of mystery; mystery now is history of our culture and examine simply something he does not un the Classic thought and the Chris derstand today. but will tomorrow. tian faith which llgu;e so promi He pushes the matter to conclusion nently in it, you discover a com by insisting that.anything not clear mon recognition of suffering as a ly comprehended ultimately by a mystery. something which made majority of intelligent people is sense even though the sufferer simply a delusion, a popular myth. could not see as much. The lite.r� a superstition more likely than not. ture of Greece is· her monument 26 LINACRE QUARTERLY 27 FEBRUARY, 1957 l and memorial, and supreme among with Christ further strengthe11ed sin. I do not mean that in any son. While the good doctor will its works are the great tragedies. him to accept his personal suffer shortsighted way. as though suf neglect nothing that will make his Nowhe.re else have human pain, ing and to make his own thnse fering were the immediate result examination professionally thor anguish, bodily ills anci the spirit other words of St. Paul: "I re of sin as indigestion is the conse ough, his diagnosis scientifically ual sorrows been more compelling joice now in the sufferings I bt ar quence of gluttony; or as though exact, his prescription adequate be ly described and dramatized. And . . . and what is lacking of the suffering were the penalty for one's yond question, he will, and more what makes these tragic master sufferings of Christ I make up in personal sin as gout torments the importantly, be patient and under pieces unforgettable is their in my flesh for His body which is the aging bon vivant. No, I mean that standing, genial and tender, kind sistence that man cannot abolish or Church (Col. 1:24)." suffering is a result of sin in this and sympathetic. He will heed the eliminate suffering: he can face and Actually. suffering wa·s not so deeper sense; it is an abiding con words spoken 'at the dedication of bear up under suffering, as a mys much a mystery for the Christian; comitant of the human condition, one of Italy's most modern psychi tery somehow implicated with the it was the logical consequence of the penalty for being human and atric hospitals by the man who in will of his gods. sin. There was the mystery, the so, lasting as long as man is man. spired its foundation, Padre Pio: It is the perpetuation of the pas "You have the mission of curing What the Greek mind groped mystery of evil so tremendous that sion of Christ, enduring among the sickness, but if you do not bring. for in these tragedies, the Chris it occasioned the Incarnation of members of His Mystical Body, love to the sickbed, I do not think tian discovered in the Gospel. The Jesus Christ "who disposses. ed holding its sway until the redemp that medicine will do much good." "good news" of Christianity, in himself, and took the nature of tion of the race is consummated. In the richest sense of the words, fact, centered upon the mystery of slave, . . . lowered his own dig he will depend for his best results suffering, incarnate in the person nity, accepted an obedience which Secondly, and as a kind of corol on a "bedside manner" that. of Jesus Christ. Who, precisely be brought him to suffer death· on the lary of the first position, the Cath whether his patients know it or cause "he has been tried by suffer cross (Phil. 2:7-8)." What Chris olic doctor adopts a practical atti not, will resemble that of Christ ing . . . has power to help us tianity did was to validate the sur tude towards suffering. He does who had "compassion on the multi ( Hebrews 2: 18) ." The Christian mise of the Greek that there was not undertake the task of scientifi tude" of sufferers in His day. was united with this suffering Sav something religious about suffer cally eliminating it, but of sympa iour, and becomes one with his ing. Christianity announce d , in thetically alleviating it. And he Which brings me to the third brothers in a Mystical Body whose· fact, that through suffering with accomplishes this purpose by do point: the Catholic doctor has a Head is the Crucified Christ. This Christ each individual could play ing all he can to bring it within the spiritual insight into suffering incorporation helped the Christian a part in the great drama of salva power of humans to bear - for which is his most powerful sup to accept the mystery of suffering tion from sin. But, of course, that there is a point beyond which no port. We know. especially from and to be saved through it. First. Christian concept, which brought human can go, a point where even the experiences recorded in treat it was through suffering he had his the Greek attitude to fulfillment, Jesus prays, "If it be possible let ment of psychiatric cases, how chance to show his love for Christ: cannot be popular today, would this chalice pass from me. ( Lk. therapeutically valuable is the bear the sufferer - the poor, the needy, not be acceptable to a world that 22:42) ." More importantly, how ing and the conduct of the psychi the sick and the sorrowful - was has denied sin and all but despaired ner, he fulfills this purpose by atrist himself. So it is with any Christ and when a Christian be of salvation. helping his patients bear that share doctor to a certain extent; his most friended and consoled "even the It is most fitting, however, that f suffering every human must beneficial effect upon his patients least of these" he did it to Christ. commend this Christian ·attitude bear; by doing everything in his is a spiritual thin!'.!, deeper than the Then, the very act of Christian to members of your profession on power- to help them say with effect produced by his pills and faith and love, too, made you the the feast of Saint Luke, "the be Christ: "Not my will, but thy will prescriptions: it is a trariquilizing, better for it; in order to see Christ loved physician (Col. 4.14)," as be done. (Lk. 22:42)." soothing, stabilizing effect upon in others, you had to be Christ Saint Paul called him. He so sym This means, of course, that his those he treats. It is a radiation of yourself, you had to realize the bolizes it that his life becomes contribution is as much what he his own spiritual adjustment to the boast of Saint Paul: "It is now practically a text for three points. does for his patient's spirit as what mystery of suffering. If he him not I who lives, but Christ lives First, the Catholic doctor thinks he does for his body. The patient self is interiorly tense. edgy. baf in me ( Gal. 2: 20)." Finally. con of suffering-;- fundamentally, and never becomes merely a problem; fled. perhaps frustrated, because he sciousness of such intimate union essentially, as one of the effects of he is always and first of all a per- is dedicated only to the elimination 28 LINACRE QUARTERLY PEBRUA-RY, 1957 29 of pain and suffering, his patients ing proportion. That minimum he will subtly be infected by his atti must accept and really want be tude. If he is calm, tranquil, strong cause he sees it as the chance God s�urdiu-e �oa,,ul. ly confident in the help of Christ gives to every man to take up the to alleviate pain and to make it cross and follow in the footsteps o/ 'P�l4"4-, fluit