Solidarity && opposition in a pluralistic church:
Modras, Ronald
THE POPE & THEOLOGY Solidarity & opposition in a pluralistic...
...The consequences of communal life and activity...
...He the moral dimension of human history: the Berrigan brothers hadn't "thought of that problem," he admitted...
...fortunate, in that it was generally free of these irenic, humanis- Opposition consists of voicing disagreement within a comtic and secular pressures...
...contemporaries...
...His articles have appeared in basic values against the destructive power of authority...
...Their relationship since that time is quite a differexperience...
...Although he virtually embodies in his own person the criti- But the Pope's forthright rejection of servile compliance procal function of theology vis-a-vis the state, Karol Wojtyla vides broad support for a defense of the critical function of never highlighted the critical function of theology vis-a-vis the theology...
...Although much of phrases, conceived and formulated long before he became the talk pertained principally to conditions in Poland, the Pte...
...It is a function which is always preliminary to any church's pastoral...
...framework of the address was the state of theology in general Puebla was not Poland, and Cracow is not the world...
...I broad forces of social and political change, but it is the image agreed, "But it's not that simple," I added...
...It works for the comsures of conforming to "false irenicism," "humanism" and mon good, even when this sometimes means assuming duties even "secularism...
...He is too dialectical a thinker for that...
...Both are necessary to each other and natural doubt the essential content of revealed church doctrine...
...For when people adapt themselves to the demands of nally in 1969, it has been translated recently as The Acting the community only superficially and when they do so only to Person (Boston: D. Reidel, 1979...
...assaulting the Pentagon, Martin Luther King, Jr., challenging My friend, I later thought, might have been right for the Bull Connor's Birmingham, Thomas More standing firm against Henry VIII, Alexander Solzhenitsyn defying the EDWARD CUDDY, is Chairman of the History & Goverment Depart- Kremlin, Dietrich Bonhoeffer opposing Hitler...
...The instance, was among those suspected of unorthodoxy and rights of a ".righteous conscience" are not surrendered with a made to feel the pressure of the Holy Office before the Countheological education, much less with baptism...
...The position of the Catholic positive, constructive reinterpretation of traditional forms or church in Poland did not allow him to do so...
...achieve the common good that is the foundation and goal of When does solidarity become servile compliance...
...It proves the Pope to be very much at home in person as well as the community incurs irremediable losses...
...God an instrument for forcing one's own opinions...
...Both Here, as elsewhere in the Pope's early writings, one fails to these attitudes deprive an individual of the "dynamic strain of find an appreciation of the problems inherent in making hard participation" from which stem actions leading ultimately to and fast distinctions between substance and form when trans- "authentic fulfillment" within community...
...THE POPE & RESPONSIBLE DISSENT The rebel function in Catholicism EDWARD CUDDY wrong reason...
...Criticizing traditional formulas of faith is possible...
...Here, too, revelation is conceived in terms of He said a much when he announced the appearance of his revealed "truths...
...The fact that constructive," and communities should be such as to allow for Poland found itself in the position of importing Western theol- its emergence, expression and effective operation...
...Teologowie w Kosciele Posoborowym" (Theology and They contain sentiments and ideas, often enough language and Theologians in the Post-Conciliar Church...
...Vatican II life is enriched by constructive opposition...
...Louis University this fall...
...It is a work of sible," then "the functioning and the life of the community philosophy and not theology...
...They because he wanted these expressions...
...Often enough they have been disparaged as...
...Historians may prefer to focus on clear," he said, "at least you know where you stand...
...hostility of the Marxist regime against the church required a Discerning between responsible and irresponsible criticism united resistance on the part of all bishops, priests and theolo- in the church is not easy...
...leadership...
...While "a certain constituted a veritable summary of the course Catholic theolpluralism of methodology" is legitimate, theology may not ogy has taken since Vatican II...
...With church teachings so Society needs rebels...
...pensable function in the church...
...precisely those theologians who had cooperated in such Cardinal Wojtyla made no explicit reference to the church in '.model" fashion with bishops at the Council, and who conthis discussion of authentic and inauthentic attitudes within tributed so much to its teaching, often were criticized before community...
...the rarefied atmosphere of phenomenological abstraction...
...The Cardinal cil...
...Although the primary purpose of theological I F COMPARING the ideas of John Paul II since he became research is "a deeper grasp of revealed truth," theologians are pontiff with his earlier writings shows anything, it is that encouraged to assume as well the evangelical task of seeking he is consistent...
...Pope John Paul Q does not In the West, however, a different situation evokes different expect theologians to be uncritical advocates of the magisdemands...
...He is the author of Paul Tillich's sounded more recently in the apostolic constitution on univerTheology of the Church...
...They American Quarterly, Catholic Historical Review, National Catholic help break the rigid patterns of society, releasing its creative Reporter, The Progressive and other journals, and he is the author of forces and enabling it to adjust to changing conditions...
...But it was not to scholars that In the recently published apostolic constitution, Sapientia God gave the mission of authentically interpreting the faith...
...Registering strong disagreement, he singled out the difficulties that it may bring with it along the way," communal anthropology of the Council as especially pertinent...
...But differThe Cardinal reserved particular criticism for those who ences expressed in dialogue bring to light "what is right and regarded the theology of Vatican II as already outmoded or true in these differences...
...any pretense at unity even for the sake of appearances...
...On the contrary, it may arise in the West," who criticize Polish theology as "conserva- precisely out of "deep concern for the common good," out of tive...
...He must have been chosen pope for a purpose...
...and faculties, the Pope underlines the intimate connection Theology, the Cardinal emphasized in his address, has the FATBR RONALD MODRAS has just completed a year as Visiting task of reinterpreting Catholic tradition in forms more accomScholar at Harvard Divini y School and is joining the theology faculty modated to contemporary culture-this was the theme at St...
...In short, "if members of a though, that invites application to the church and should be of community see the only solution' to their personal problems in particular interest to theologians...
...Henri de Lubac, for for theology and reform movements within Catholicism...
...my priestly and then episcopal service," he said...
...What if the of the rebel pitted against established power that dramatizes church's demands go against your honest convictions...
...It results not in gnity but in a uniformity doctrines into contemporary, personalist categories, provided that simply masks latent differences...
...If Christ Neither his encyclical nor the apostolic constitution is the has called me with such thoughts, with such sentiments, it is first time the Pope has expressed himself in this way...
...Loyal opposition can serve the of Cracow...
...opposition puts a certain strain on a community...
...In a non-pluralistic society, a pluralistic church could the mere fact that Cardinal Wojtyla so explicitly affirmed the not possibly survive, let alone lead an effective struggle for necessity of conjoining opposition to solidarity gives cause for human and religious rights...
...With a certain defensiveness, if not munity without thereby withdrawing from it...
...By 1965, though, he was invited to write the preface for a recognized not only the possibility but the necessity of loyal new book, Amour et Responsabilite, by Archbishop Wojtyla criticism within a community...
...Contingent beings and seeing them as personal participants in formism consists of a servile resignation that allows oneself to dialogue with a personal God...
...sities...
...Published origi- writes...
...Opposition is outright resentment, he refered to "certain circles, especially not inconsistent with solidarity...
...marked a distinct turn in the Catholic theological approach, from a cosmological orientation to one decidedly more per- AT ODDS WITH solidarity and opposition are the inauthentic sonalist...
...There is a difference between seeing people as con- attitudes of "conformism" and "noninvolvement...
...Theologians are blamed for depart from "fundamental unity in the teaching of faith and sowing seeds...
...The comogy without exporting its own might be attributed to the mon good, Karol Wojtyla continues, is dynamic, not static...
...Situations of prevailthe task, as he saw it, with his most ambitious work of ing conformism can never be accepted as satisfactory," he philosophical anthropology, Osoba i Czyn...
...It 14 September 1979:493 may even be called for...
...Obviously, however, his words have implications the Council for their lack of orthodoxy...
...If it "becomes imposthe experience of deliberate human action...
...The author grants posing doctrinal or other statements from one culture to that sometimes'there may be reasons which lead an individual another...
...In a pluralistic society, a non-pluralistic church terium...
...What is there, though, is clear ind to the point: conclusion, Paul VI had issued an apostolic exhortation to Theologians are meant to "serve the magisterium, which in bishops entitled "Postrema sessio...
...He exemplified strong in his criticism of such servility...
...The Pope is a reader and a listener...
...These attitudes are "solidarity" and opposition constructive and called for...
...The Cardinal's topic, was "Theologia i lical, as well as other addresses, prove him true to his word...
...They Irish-America and Nationalism, 1914-1920 (Arno Press...
...The militant formulas, such as he called for...
...Careful...
...The touchstone for Commonweal: 494 discerning authentic from inauthentic attitudes is the and other Catholics, in their relationship with bishops, have "dynamic subordination of action to truth," reflected in "the found it necessary to assume the thankless function of loyal righteous conscience...
...give dramatic point to the integrity of the individual straining 14 September 1979:495...
...Loyal criticism is no vice...
...But Noninvolvement, like conformism, is a withdrawal from the book also indicates a less than sympathetic attitude to the real participation in a community, but it further refrains from difficulties of analyzing philosophically our use of language...
...On a variety of issues, theologians loyalty, for him, is no virtue...
...His new office will assuredly affect John Paul II as much task of theologians to guard, teach, and defend "the sacred as he is already :affecting the office...
...Theologians fulfill an indiswere, a simple collection of his own personal ideas...
...advantages Catholics have...
...Pope apparently did considerable rewriting of his speeches in In glowing terms the Cardinal held up as a "model the Mexico...
...form of revealed truth may change but not its substance...
...The after Vatican II...
...of doubt on such basic teachings as the Trinity, morals...
...Cardinal Wojtyla was always that their essence is preserved intact...
...some allaying of apprehension...
...has succumbed in some instances to the pres- plement the action of other members...
...It "barrier of language," but it was clear the Cardinal was not requires solidarity without stifling opposition...
...reading of the encyc- theologians...
...It allows a person to find The Cardinal described the state of theology in Poland as fulfillment in complementing others...
...Because it replaces authentic engagement with superficial compliance, conFOR SOME TIME now, Pope John Paul II has regarded it a formism constitutes a veritable withdrawal from real participacrucial task for Catholic theology to recast traditional tion in community...
...When is existence in community...
...But this does not permit calling into "opposition...
...Their demarcation is rarely neat...
...Conscience is "the ultimate judge of criticism...
...to find resonance in both echo an address he gave in 1971 to a congress of Polish my new and universal ministry...
...It is too easily forgotten that common good...
...It is the safeguard of the to the church because of it...
...To be sure, happy with the uneven exchange...
...Hence, evangelical adaptation may affect inaugural encyclical, Redemptor Hominis...
...There are limits to opposition, as there must be to compliance...
...Striking differences between his first and last addres- cooperation that existed between bishops and theologians at ses there indicate the ability to revise thinking in the light of the Council...
...Nobody "can make theology, as it the indissolubility of marriage...
...criticism impoverishes religious as well as other communities...
...Regardless of the obstacles and passe...
...well-being of a church as well as of a state...
...For the immediate future, deposit of Revelation," in close association with the bishops however, the new Bishop of Rome can be expected to speak but subordinate to them...
...Concurring with a statement of Carthe same mind that he did as Archbishop of Cracow...
...The Pope did not write at any length about theology in his A year previous, on the fifth anniversary of the Council's first encyclical...
...Christiana, establishing norms for ecclesiastical universities That responsibility belongs to the bishops...
...The book is unquestionably gain some immediate advantages or to avoid trouble, the a tour de force...
...Participation is a Aristotelian arid Thomistic anthropology with an analysis of "fundamental good of a community...
...The Cardinal cited Pope Paul VI as to the proper facts...
...traitors the authenticity of human attitudes...
...Close collaboration by theology with the magis- Christology, the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist and terium is indispensable...
...Solidarity refers to a "constant readiness to accept and Post-conciliar theology has not always observed this important realize one's share in the community," the readiness to "comdistinction...
...It contains the cultural form of a doctrine, but it must preserve "the same thoughts which "had been maturing in me during the years of sense and meaning...
...He respects ent matter...
...Karol Wojtyla feels a sense of Providence "a more suitable way of communicating doctrine" to our ruling his life...
...Such opposition is "essentially deposit of faith and respect for the magisterium...
...But gians...
...The Catholic "advantage" might not be simply the church's clear doctrine, but the framework she provides for A UNITARIAN FRIEND (of all people) recently spoke of the creative dissent...
...to become noninvolved, and "these same reasons become an The Acting Person is an attempt to translate and validate accusation of the community" that caused it...
...There is one section of the book, must somehow be defective...
...and obligations not one's own...
...He rejected the accusation out of hand, distinguishing the desire to participate more fully and effectively in the life between conservativism and an "honest relationship to the and work of a community...
...be carried along by the anonymous majority...
...Attempting to stifle Clearly, criticism can be intemperate and unconstructive...
...THE POPE & THEOLOGY Solidarity & opposition in a pluralistic church RONALD MADRAS between theology and the church's pastoral "mission of evangelization...
...Within the context of the withdrawal from the communal life, this is a sure sign that the "acting person" as a participant in community, the book common good in this community is conceived of erroneoutlines two "authentic attitudes" which are necessary to ously...
...For Cardinal Wojtyla it the church is entrusted to the bishops...
...Rebels assert ment of Daemen College in Buffalo...
...Uncritical would be an anachronism...
...And that dinal Seper, he insisted that theologians have a purely "conmay give a number of Catholic theologians cause for ap- sultative function" and warned against "making the word of prehension...
Vol. 106 • September 1979 • No. 16
