Duquesne University Duquesne Scholarship Collection Electronic Theses and Dissertations Summer 2008 Homiletics at the Threshold: Pope Benedict XVI's Invitation Joseph Mele Follow this and additional works at: https://dsc.duq.edu/etd Recommended Citation Mele, J. (2008). Homiletics at the Threshold: Pope Benedict XVI's Invitation (Doctoral dissertation, Duquesne University). Retrieved from https://dsc.duq.edu/etd/919 This Immediate Access is brought to you for free and open access by Duquesne Scholarship Collection. It has been accepted for inclusion in Electronic Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of Duquesne Scholarship Collection. For more information, please contact [email protected]. HOMILETICS AT THE THRESHOLD: POPE BENEDICT XVI‘S INVITATION A Dissertation Submitted to The McAnulty College and Graduate School of Liberal Arts Duquesne University In partial fulfillment of the requirements for The degree of Doctor of Philosophy By Joseph M. Mele May 2008 Copyright by Joseph M. Mele 2008 HOMILETICS AT THE THRESHOLD: POPE BENEDICT XVI‘S INVITATION By Joseph M. Mele Approved Month Day, 2008 ____________________________ ____________________________ Name of Professor Name of Professor Professor of Professor of (Dissertation Director) (Committee Member) ____________________________ ____________________________ Name of Professor Name of Professor Professor of Professor of (Committee Member) (Committee Member) ___________________________ ____________________________ Name of Dean Name of External Reviewer Dean, The McAnulty College and Title Graduate School of Liberal Arts (External Member) Professor of iii ABSTRACT HOMILETICS AT THE THRESHOLD: POPE BENEDICT XVI‘S INVITATION By Joseph M. Mele May 2008 Dissertation Supervised by Ronald C. Arnett, PhD No. of Pages in Text: xi + 242 Is the Roman Catholic Church reticent towards preaching and if it is, why is this so? In an age when people often prefer to hear the Word preached to personal likings and individualistic needs, why would an ecclesial institution, such as the Catholic Church, hesitate to embrace this popular trend? This dissertation places the ethos of Roman Catholic homiletics in dialogue with the writings of Pope Benedict XVI in light of his desire to ―reform the reforms‖ made after the Second Vatican Council. The works of Simone Weil, a Jewish philosopher and mystic, are introduced into the conversation conducted at the threshold between cosmopolitanism and provincialism where contemporary Catholic preaching must take place if it is to be heard effectively today. First is an overview of contemporary homiletics and a brief history of preaching‘s relationship with rhetoric. Sacred rhetoric is examined from a historical perspective as a propaedeutic to Pope Benedict‘s writings that are reminiscent of Christian classical works. Pope Benedict‘s works identifying the problem of homiletic technique in an age that tolerates no revealed, eternal, and commanding truths are analyzed. iv Next, corollaries are presented between Pope Benedict XVI as a churchman and ―insider‖ of the Church and Simone Weil, a devotee but an ―outsider‖ of the Church, with both pointing to the threshold where the Catholic preacher must engage the conflicts of the secular and mundane. Standing at this threshold, Catholic preaching can turn from the Word towards the end or aim of all biblical proclamation, the Eucharist. This work answers why the in-breaking of Word of God relies upon fidelity to the traditional elements of liturgical preaching. The Church as a pre-modern institution makes a profound contribution by standing neither on the side of cosmopolitanism nor provincialism but preaching in the threshold between. In conclusion, the Church is reticent towards preaching, assuring that the Gospel message remains grounded in the Gospel and not solely upon the creativity or individualism of the homilist in any given age. This threshold at which the Word is preached within a wider liturgical context advances a homiletical turn within a pedagogy for homiletics. v DEDICATION I dedicate this dissertation in loving memory to my parents Joseph (Jack) and Rose Mele and my Aunt Isabel Bonacci who were the first to teach me the Word of God and witnessed by their lives how to put it into practice. vi ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I want to thank God for surrounding me with the people who helped make this dissertation possible. I am indebted to my family, especially my parents. Their generous bequests at the time of their passing enabled me to stay in graduate school over all these years. I believe their prayers opened other doors along the way without which I could never have completed this work. A special thanks to the parishioners at Saint John the Baptist Parish and the parishioners at Saint Sebastian Parish for supporting me and never doubting that the time I took away from the parish was for a good reason. I pray that what I learned in these studies made a positive difference in the way I taught, preached and ministered to and with them while I served as their pastor. A special thanks also to Father Martin Barkin and the parishioners of Saint Gerard Majellan Parish for permitting me to stay at their rectory while I was writing my proposal. Very special thanks to the Sisters of Saint Joseph in Baden, Pennsylvania for their hospitality to me at Blessing House and to Archabbot Douglas Nowicki and the Benedictine monks at Saint Vincent Monastery in Latrobe, Pennsylvania for their hospitality and patience, especially Father Tom Acklin, Father Kurt Belsole and Father Justin Matro, OSB. I stayed at their beautiful monastery to study and write so often some of the monks thought I was in the process of joining their community. I have come to love all of the monks as my brothers and respect the monastic way of life more deeply than ever. Needless to say, I was thrilled when the Holy Father chose the name Benedict XVI. As I state in this dissertation, Pope Benedict chose his name with the hope that he can do for the Church today what Benedict of Nursia and the Benedictine monks did for vii the world in transition in their moment of time. My hope is to be accepted into the Oblates of Saint Benedict someday if they find me worthy of such an honor. A heartfelt thanks to my former parochial vicars: Father Clint Zadroga, Father Jim Holland, Father Bill Terza; deacons Rick Cessar and Patrick Egan, OSB; and Ginger Vannucci, Dolores and Hank Lauer, Rosalyn DeStefano, Rose Graziano, Lynda Hahner, Marie Seres, Sister Joan McGinley, Father Harry Nichols, Father Albie Schempp, Nancy McGervey, Sally Rose, Sylvia DeMarco, Marge Sarver, and all the pastoral staff members and the auxiliary staff members of Saint Sebastian Parish. They put up with a great deal, listening to me fret over this labor of love. I shall never forget them for their patience and untiring encouragement. I look up to them as co-workers in the vineyard, and as Catholics. I am honored to call them my friends. A special thanks to Dr. Craig Maier, my fellow student and diocesan colleague for his patience in answering questions that helped me clarify what I wanted to write, to Dr. Melissa Cook, Dr. Lisa Goetz and Nora McBurney who spent countless hours editing, proofreading and suggesting what I could do better. They were always there for me. A special thanks to Father Jim Wehner, Sister Cindy Ann Kibler, Lori Rectenwald and the staff at Saint Paul Seminary. Special thanks to the seminarians at Saint Vincent Seminary in Latrobe, Pennsylvania and Saint Paul Seminary in Pittsburgh for their prayerful support, especially to all my students in Homiletics class. Heartfelt thanks to Bishop David A. Zubik and Bishop Paul Bradley for their support and permission for to take time away to complete the final drafts of this work. I want to most especially thank Bishop Zubik for his faith in me and the special ministry with priests and seminarians he has entrusted to me. Hopefully this dissertation and its viii preparation will help me to make a worthwhile contribution to these good men in the years ahead. Most of all, my eternal gratitude is expressed to Dr. Ronald C. Arnett, Dr. Janie Fritz-Harden and Dr. Kathleen Roberts for agreeing to serve as my Dissertation Director and Readers. Dr. Arnett has been to me what I want to become for all the students I teach. His wisdom and insight have made this experience truly enjoyable. His understanding of my strengths and his considerations for my limitations has taught me more than he might ever imagine. He is truly a teacher for ―this historical moment‖. I thank God for letting me study under him. ix TABLE OF CONTENTS Page Abstract . iv Dedication . vi Acknowledgment . vii 1 Laying the Footer: Insights into a sense of Catholic Homiletics 1 1.1 Introduction . 4 1.2 Dissertation Overview . 6 1.3 Chapter One: Laying the Footer: Insights Into a Sense of Catholic Homiletics . 7 1.4 Chapter Two: The Impact of Vatican II Upon Catholic Homiletics . 9 1.5 Chapter Three: Pope Benedict XVI and Catholic Homiletics . 12 1.6 Chapter Four: Simon Weil and the Word . 14 1.7 Chapter Five: Voices of Provincial Implications— Defrocking Priestly Individualism . 15 1.8 Chapter Six: Voices of Cosmopolitan Implications— Turning to the Threshold . 16 1.9 Homiletics: Faith and the Word . 18 1.10 Benedict: Faith and the Word . 24 1.11 Homiletics and Delivery of the Word . 26 1.12 Interpretive Engagement: Philosophical Hermeneutics . 30 1.13 Engagement of Benedict and Weil . 32 1.14 Benedict . 33 1.15 Weil . 35 1.16 Conclusion . 37 x 2 The Impact of Vatican Council II on Catholic Homiletics . 39 2.1 Introduction . 40 2.2 Re-examining the Origin of Proclamation . 42 2.3 The Link between Vatican Council II and ―the Church vis-à-vis the world‖ .