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VATICAN INFORMATION SERVICE
YEAR XXII - N° 143
DATE 05-07-2013
Summary:
- SUMMARY OF THE ENCYCLICAL “LUMEN FIDEI”
- PRESENTATION OF THE ENCYCLICAL “LUMEN FIDEI”: FAITH IS AN
EXPERIENCE OF COMMUNION AND SOLIDARITY
- NEW MONUMENT TO ARCHANGEL MICHAEL IN THE VATICAN
- PROMULGATION OF DECREES BY CONGREGATION FOR CAUSES OF SAINTS
- AUDIENCES
___________________________________________________________
SUMMARY OF THE ENCYCLICAL “LUMEN FIDEI”
Vatican City, 5 July 2013 (VIS) – Published below is a broad summary of
Pope Francis' first encyclical, “Lumen Fidei”, published today, 5
July 2013 and signed on 29 June of the same year.
Lumen fidei – The light of faith (LF) is the first Encyclical signed by
Pope Francis. Divided into four chapters, plus an introduction and a
conclusion, the Pontiff explains that the Letter supplements Benedict
XVI’s Encyclicals on charity
and hope, and takes up the “fine work” carried out by the Pope
Emeritus, who had already “almost completed” the Encyclical on
faith. The Holy Father has now added “further contributions” to
this existing “first
draft”.
The introduction (nos. 1-7) of LF illustrates the motivations at the basis of
the document: firstly, it reiterates the characteristics of light typical of
faith, able to illuminate all man’s existence, to assist him in
distinguishing good from
evil, especially in this modern age in which belief is opposed to searching
and faith is regarded as an illusion, a leap into the void that impedes
man’s freedom. Secondly, LF – precisely in this Year of Faith, 50
years following the Second
Vatican Council, a “Council on faith” – seeks to
reinvigorate the perception of the breadth of the horizons faith opens so that
it might be confessed in unity and integrity. Indeed, faith is not a condition
to be taken for granted, but
rather a gift from God, to be nurtured and reinforced. “Who believes,
sees”, the Pope writes, since the light of faith comes from God and is
able to illuminate all aspects of man’s existence: it proceeds from the
pa
st,
from the memory of Jesus’ life, but also comes from the future as it
opens up vast horizons.
Chapter One (nos. 8-22): We have believed in love (1 John 4: 16). Referring to
the biblical figure of Abraham, in this chapter faith is explained as
“listening” to the word of God, the “call” to come out
from the isolated self in
order to open oneself to a new life and the “promise” of the
future, which makes possible the continuity of our path through time, linked
so closely to hope. Faith also has a connotation of “paternity”,
because the God who calls
us is not a stranger, but is God the Father, the wellspring of the goodness
that is at the origin of and sustains everything. In the history of Israel,
faith is opposed to idolatry, which man is broken down in the multiplicity of
his desires and
“his life story disintegrates into a myriad of unconnected
instants”, denying him the time to await the fulfilment of the promise.
On the contrary, faith is trust in God’s merciful love, which always
welcomes and forgiv
es,
and which straightens “the crooked lines of our history”; it is
the willingness to allow oneself to be transformed anew by “God’s
free gift, which calls for humility and the courage to trust and to entrust;
it enables us to see
the luminous path leading to the encounter of God and humanity, the history of
salvation” (no. 14). And herein lies the “paradox” of faith:
constantly turning to the Lord gives humanity stability, liberating us from
idols.
LF then turns to the figure of Jesus, the mediator who opens to us to a truth
greater than ourselves, the manifestation of God’s love that is the
foundation of faith: “in contemplating Jesus’ death … faith
grows stronger”,
as in this He reveals His unshakeable love for mankind. His resurrection
renders Christ a “trustworthy witness”, “deserving of
faith”, through Whom God works truly throughout history, determining its
final destiny. But there is a
“decisive aspect” of faith in Jesus: “participation in His
way of seeing”. Faith, indeed, looks not only to Jesus but also from
Jesus’ point of view, with His eyes. The Pope uses an analogy to explain
that, just as how in
our daily lives we place our trust in “others who know better than we
do” – the architect, the pharmacist, the lawyer – also for
faith we need someone who is reliable and expert “where God is
concerned” and Jesus is “the one who makes God known to us”.
Therefore, we believe Jesus when we accept his Word, and we believe in Jesus
when we welcome Him in our life and entrust ourselves to Him. Indeed, his
incarnation ensures
that faith does not separate us from reality, but rather helps us to grasp its
deepest meaning. Thanks to faith, man saves himself, as he opens himself to a
Love that precedes and transforms him from within. And this is the true action
of the Holy
Spirit: “The Christian can see with the eyes of Jesus and share in His
mind, His filial disposition, because he or she shares in his love, which is
the Spirit” (no.21). Without the presence of the Spirit it is impossible
to confess the Lord.
Therefore “the life of the believer becomes an ecclesial e
istence”, since faith is confessed within the body of the Church, as the
“concrete communion of believers”. Christians are &l
quo;one” without losing
their
individuality and in the service of others they come into their own. Thus,
“faith is not a private matter, a completely individualistic notion or a
personal opinion”, but rather “it comes from hearing, and is meant
to find expression
in words and to be proclaimed”.
Chapter Two (nos. 23-36): Unless you believe, you will not understand (Is
7:9). The Pope shows the close link between faith and truth, the reliable
truth of God, His faithful presence throughout history. “Faith without
truth does not save”,
writes the Pope; “It remains a beautiful story, the projection of our
deep yearning for happiness”. And nowadays, given “the crisis of
truth in our age”, it is more necessary than ever before to recall this
link, as contemporary
culture tends to accept only the truth of technology, what man manages to
build and measure through science, truth that “works”, or rather
the single truths valid only for the individual and not in the service of the
common good. Today we
regard with suspicion the “Truth itself, the truth which would
comprehensively explain our life as individuals and in society”, as it
is erroneously associated with the truths claimed by twentieth-century forms of
totalitarianism. However, this leads to a “massive amnesia in our
contemporary world” which – to the advantage of relativism and in
fear of fanaticism – forgets this question of truth, of the origin of
all – the question of
God. LF then underlines the link between faith and love, understood not as
“an ephemeral emotion”, but as God’s great love which
transforms us within and grants us new eyes with which we may see reality. If,
therefore, faith is linked
to truth and love, then “love and truth are inseparable”, because
only true love withstands the test of time and becomes the source of
knowledge. And since the knowledge of faith is born of God’s faithful
love, “truth and
fidelity go together”. The truth that discloses faith is a truth centred
on the encounter with Christ incarnate, Who, coming among us, has touched us
and granted us His grace, transforming our hearts.
At this point, the Pope begins a broad reflection on the “dialogue
between faith and reason”, on the truth in today’s world, in which
it is often reduced to a “subjective authenticity”, as common
truth inspires fear, and is
often identified with the intransigent demands of totalitarianism. Instead, if
the truth is that of God’s love, then it is not imposed violently and
does not crush the individual. Therefore, faith is not intransigent, and the
believer is not
arrogant. On the contrary, faith renders the believer humble and leads to
co-existence with and respect for others. From this, it follows that faith
lead to dialogue in all fields: in that of science, as it reawakens the
critical sense and broadens the
horizons of reason, inviting us to behold Creation with wonder; in the
interreligious context, in which Christianity offers its own contribution; in
dialogue with non-believers who ceaselessly search, who “strive to act
as if God
existed”, because “God is light and can be find also by those who
seek him with a sincere heart”. “Anyone who sets off on the path
of doing good to others is already drawing near to God”, the Pope
emphasizes. Finally, LF
speaks about theology and confirms that it is impossible without faith, since
God is not a simple “object” but rather the Subject who makes
Himself known. Theology is participation in the knowledge that God has of
Himself; as a consequence
theology must be placed at the service of Christian faith and the ecclesial
Magisterium is not a limit to theological freedom, but rather one of its
constitutive elements as it ensures contact with its original source, the Word
of Christ.
Chapter Three (nos. 37- 49): I delivered to you what I also received (1 Cor
15:3). This chapter focuses entirely on the importance of evangelization: he
who has opened himself to God’s love cannot keep this gift for himself,
writes the Pope. The
light of Jesus shines on the face of Christians and spreads in this way, is
transmitted by contact like a flame that ignites from another, and passes from
generation to generation, through the uninterrupted chain of witnesses to the
faith. This leads to
a link between faith and memory as God’s love keeps all times united,
making us Christ’s contemporaries. Furthermore, it is “impossible
to believe on our own”, because faith is not “an individual
decision”, but rather
opens “I” to “we” and always occurs “within the
community of the Church”. Therefore, “those who believe are never
alone”, as he discovers that the spaces of the self enlarge and gene
rate
new relations that enrich life.
There is, however, “a special means” by which faith may be
transmitted: the Sacraments, in which an “incarnate memory” is
communicated. The Pope first mentions Baptism – both of children and
adults, in the form of the
catechumenate – which reminds us that faith is not the work of an
isolated individual, an act that may be carried out alone, but instead must be
received, in ecclesial communion. “No-one baptizes himself”,
explains LF. Furthermore,
since the baptized child cannot confess the faith himself but must instead be
supported by parents and godparents, the “cooperation between Church and
family” is important. Secondly, the Encyclical refers to the Eucharist,
“precious
nourishment for faith”, an “act of remembrance, a making present
of the mystery”, which “leads from the visible world to the
invisible”, teaching us to experience the depth of reality. The Pope
then considers th
e
confession of the faith, the Creed, in which the believer not only confesses
faith but is involved in the truth that he confesses; prayer, Our Father, by
which the Christian learns to see through Christ’s eyes; the Decalogue,
understood not as
“a set of negative commands” but rather as “concrete
directions” to enter into dialogue with God, “to be embraced by
His mercy”, the “path of gratitude” towards the fullness of
communion with God. Finally,
the Pope underlines the there is one faith because of the “oneness of
the God who is known and confessed”, because it is directed towards the
one Lord, who grants us “a common gaze” and “is shared by
the whole Church, which
is one body and one Spirit”. Therefore, given that there is one faith
alone, it follows that is must be confessed in all its purity and integrity:
“the unity of faith is the unity of the Church”; to subtract someth
ing
from faith is to subtract something from the veracity of communion.
Furthermore, since the unity of faith is that of a living organism, it is able
to assimilate all it encounters, demonstrating itself to be universal,
catholic, illuminating and able to
lead all the cosmos and all history to its finest expression. This unity is
guaranteed by the apostolic succession.
Fourth chapter (nos. 50-60): God prepares a city for them (Heb 11:16) This
chapter explains the link between faith and the common good, which leads to
the creation of a place in which men and women may live together with others.
Faith, which is born of
the love of God, strengthens the bonds of humanity and places itself at the
service of justice, rights and peace. This is why it does not distance itself
from the world and is not unrelated to the real commitments of contemporary
man. On the contrary,
without the love of God in which we can place our trust, the bonds between
people would be based only on utility, interests and fear. Instead faith
grasps the deepest foundation of human relationships, their definitive destiny
in God, and places them at
the service of the common good. Faith “is for all, it is a common
good”; its purpose is not merely to build the hereafter but to help in
edifying our societies in order that they may proceed together towards a
future of
hope.
The Encyclical then considers those areas illuminated by faith: first and
foremost, the family based on marriage, understood as a stable union between
man and woman. This is born of the recognition and acceptance of the goodness
of sexual
differentiation and, based on love in Christ, promises “a love for
ever” and recognises love as the creator that leads to the begetting of
children. Then, youth; here the Pope cites the World Youth Days, in which
young people demonstrate
“the joy of faith” and their commitment to live faith solidly and
generously. “Young people want to live life to the fullest”,
writes the Pope. “Encountering Christ … enlarges the horizons of
existence, gives it a
firm hope which will not disappoint. Faith is no refuge for the fainthearted,
but something which enhances our lives”. And again, in all social
relations, by making us children of God, indeed, faith gives new meaning to
universal brotherhood, w
hich
is not merely equality, but rather the common experience of God’s
paternity, the comprehension of the unique dignity of each person. A further
area is that of nature: faith helps us to respect it, to “find models of
development which are
based not simply on utility and profit, but consider creation as a
gift”. It teaches us to find just forms of government, in which
authority comes from God and which serve the common good; it offers us the
possibility of forgiveness that leads us
to overcome all conflict. “When faith is weakened, the foundations of
humanity also risk being weakened”, writes the Pope, and if we remove
faith in God from our cities, we will lose our mutual trust and be united only
by fear. Therefore we
must not be ashamed to publicly confess God, because faith illuminates social
life. Another area illuminated by faith is that of suffering and death:
Christians are aware that suffering cannot be eliminated, but it may be given
meanin
g; it
can be entrusted to the hands of God who never abandons us and therefore
become “a moment of growth in faith”. To he who suffers, God does
not give reasons to explain everything, but rather offers His presence that
accompanies us, that opens
up a threshold of light in the shadows. In this sense, faith is linked to
hope. And here the Pope makes an appeal: “Let us refuse to be robbed of
hope, or to allow our hope to be dimmed by facile answers and solutions which
block our
progress”.
Conclusion (nos. 58-60): Blessed are you who believed (Luke 1,45) At the end
of LF, the Pope invites us to look to Mary, “perfect icon” of
faith who, as the Mother of Jesus, conceived “faith and joy”. The
Pope elevates his prayer
to Maria that she might assist man in his faith, to remind us those who
believe are never alone and to teach us to see through Jesus’ eyes.
___________________________________________________________
PRESENTATION OF THE ENCYCLICAL “LUMEN FIDEI”: FAITH IS AN
EXPERIENCE OF COMMUNION AND SOLIDARITY
Vatican City, 5 July 2013 (VIS) – A press conference was held at 11.00
this morning in the Holy See Press Office to present Pope Francis' first
encyclical, “Lumen Fidei”. The conference was presented by
Cardinal Marc Ouellet, P.S.S.,
prefect of the Congregation for Bishops, and Archbishops Gerhard Ludwig Muller
and Rino Fisichella, respectively prefect for the Congregation for the
Doctrine of the Faith and president of the Pontifical Council for New
Evangelization.
Archbishop Gerhard Ludwig Muller began the presentations, explaining that
“'Lumen Fidei' is divided into four parts, which can be seen as four
aspects of one whole”.
“In the first part”, he said, “we move from the faith of
Abraham, the man who recognised in the voice of God 'a profound call which was
always present at the core of his being', to the faith of the People of
Israel. The history of the
faith of Israel, in its turn, is a continual passage from 'the temptation to
unbelief' and the adoration of idols, 'works of the hands of man', to the
confession 'of God’s mighty deeds and the progressive fulfilment of his
promises'. This leads
ultimately to the history of Jesus, a summary of salvation, in which all the
diverse threads of the history of Israel are united and fulfilled. In Jesus we
are able to say definitively that 'we know and believe the love that God has
for us' because He
is 'the complete manifestation of God’s reliability'”.
Archbishop Muller continued, “In the second part, the encyclical
forcefully raises the question of truth as one which is 'central to faith'.
Because faith has to do with knowledge of reality it is intrinsically linked
to truth: 'faith without
truth does not save… it remains a beautiful story…or it is
reduced to a lofty sentiment'”.
“Faith, which opens us to the love of God, transforms the way we see
things 'because love itself brings enlightenment'. … Love is authentic
when it binds us to the truth and truth attracts us to itself with the force
of love. 'This
discovery of love as a source of knowledge, which is part of the primordial
experience of every man and woman' is confirmed for us in the 'biblical
understanding of faith' and is one of the most beautiful and important ideas
emphasised in this
encyclical”.
He explained, “Faith helps us to draw out the profound meaning of
reality. In this way we can understand how faith is able to 'illuminate the
questions of our own time about truth', the great questions which arise in the
human heart when faced
either with the beauty of reality or by its dramas”.
Archbishop Muller went on to highlight several key points of the encyclical,
starting with “the origin of faith, which if it profoundly touches the
believer, is an event which does not close the person in on himself in an
isolated and isolating
'face-to-face' with God. Faith in fact 'is born of an encounter which takes
place in history' and 'is passed on…by contact from one person to
another, just as one candle is lighted from another'”.
Secondly, he pointed out “a quotation from the Sermons of St. Leo the
Great that is included in the third part of the encyclical: 'If the faith is
not one, then it is not faith'. We live today in a world which, despite all
its connectedness and
globalisation, is fragmented and divided into many 'worlds' that, even if in
communication with one another, are often and intentionally isolated and in
conflict. The unity of the faith is, therefore, the precious gift that the
Holy Father and his
fellow Bishops are called to foster, guarantee and witness to, as the first
fruits of a unity that wants to give itself as a gift to the whole
world”.
Finally, he referred to a passage from the fourth chapter of the encyclical:
“While it is true that authentic faith fills one with joy and 'a desire
to live life to the fullest' – here we see concretely the connection
between the teaching of
Pope Francis and Pope Benedict XVI – 'the light of faith does not make
us forget the sufferings of the world'. Rather it opens us up to 'an
accompanying presence, a history of goodness which touches every story of
suffering and opens up a ray of
light'”.
The encyclical, concluded Archbishop Muller, “wishes to restate in a new
way the truth that faith in Jesus Christ is a good for humanity 'truly a good
for everyone; a common good': 'Its light does not simply brighten ... the
Church, nor does it
serve solely to build an eternal city in the hereafter; it helps us build our
societies in such a way that they can journey towards a future of hope”.
This was followed by a presentation by Cardinal Ouellet, who emphasised that
the encyclical “speaks of faith like an experience of communion, of the
enlargement of the 'I' and solidarity in the path the Church takes with Christ
for the salvation
of humanity. … Objectively, the light of faith guides the meaning of
life, brings comfort and consolation to unsettled or despondent hearts, but
also commits believers to place themselves at the service of the common good
of humanity through the
announcement and authentic sharing of the grace of God. … Subjectively,
faith offers an opening to Christ's Love, a welcome, the opportunity to enter
into a relationship that enlarges the 'I' to the dimensions of 'we' which is
not merely human,
within the Church, but also truly divine, and therefore an authentic
participation in the 'we' of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit”.
Starting from this trinitary 'we' that is extended to become an ecclesial
'we', the encyclical naturally refers back to the 'we' of the family, the most
privileged context for the transmission of faith. … On the other hand
the encyclical reminds
us of the deep affinities between faith and the endless love a man and woman
promise to each other when they unite in matrimony. … The encyclical
also offers a considerable contribution regarding the pertinence of faith to
social life, that our
cities may be constructed in justice and peace, with respect for every
individual and his or her liberty, thanks to the contribution faith offers in
the comfort of the suffering and the settlement of conflicts. … The
tendency to confine faith to
the private sphere is calmly but decisively rejected here” and
“many aspects developed previously in the encyclicals on charity and
hope are complemented here by this depiction of faith as communion and service
for the c
ommon
good”.
“Finally”, the cardinal concluded, “the encyclical
contemplates Maria, the ideal personification of faith, who heard the Word and
cherished it within her heart, she who followed Jesus and let herself be
transformed by Him”.
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