VATICAN CITY — Pope Benedict XVI continued his series of teachings on faith by examining how it is “reasonable and not in conflict with science.”
People from all over the world gathered in the Vatican’s Paul VI audience hall on Nov. 21 to hear the Pope’s catechesis, which he delivers every Wednesday.
“The Catholic faith is reasonable and also nurtures trust in human reason,” he told the audience of thousands. “It’s crucial for people to open up to faith and know God and his plan of salvation in Jesus Christ.”
Pope Benedict explained that there is a fruitful link between understanding and believing, which is rooted in the harmonious relationship between science and faith. Scientific research, he added, leads to knowledge of the truth about man and the cosmos.
“Also important are investigations to discover the secrets of our planet and the universe, with the knowledge that man is the crown of creation, not to exploit it foolishly, but to keep it and make it habitable,” he said.
“Faith,” the Pope reflected, “enables an authentic knowledge of God that involves the whole person: It is a knowledge that gives a new taste to life, a joyful way of being in the world. It’s expressed in the gift of self for others in fraternity that makes solidarity.”
Turning to the love of God, Pope Benedict said that it allows us to know the whole of reality, beyond the narrow perspectives of individualism and subjectivism that disorientate consciences.
“God isn’t absurd; if anything, he is a mystery. The mystery isn’t irrational, but an overabundance of a sense of meaning and truth,” he said.
The Pope compared the experience to a person looking directly at the sun and seeing only darkness.
“But who would say that the sun isn’t bright, when it’s the source of light? Faith allows us to look at the ‘sun,’ that is God, because it welcomes his revelation in history.”
“At the same time, God’s grace illumines reason and opens new, immeasurable and infinite horizons.”
After giving his catechesis, the Pope greeted the thousands of participants in several languages. He also offered a “cordial greeting” to the participants of the Catholic and Muslim cooperation conference, and the English and Welsh Catholic charity CAFOD in gratitude for 50 years of work.
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My Protestant grandmother was the first to tell me “Just have faith!”. It was certainly daunting. I was not Catholic, and putting faith in anything (and even choosing what to put my faith in) seemed intimidating - like where would my “self” go if I just “trusted” some higher power? What would happen to me if I was not in control? I admit, I tried what she said when things got bad and I had no answers to my situation. I admit, too, I was pleasantly surprised by what God had in store for me when I asked Him to look kindly upon me and guide my life. I did not know at the time that I was asking for His mercy.
Now that I’m Catholic (I put my faith in the right place!), and it is the Year of Faith, I find that when others ask me what I believe, I tell them I do not like all the politics and fighting and hearing about Catholics who go against Christ’s teachings. Also, I still do not like people trying to tell me what to do or say, because those are not things that come from my own heart. Instead, I tell them I believe in the “Holy Catholic Church” (...the communion of saints…) that Christ founded. I put my faith in the Church that is purely from Christ’s heart - the real and only Church that is eternal and unchanging. This is the Church that we all, as Catholics, believe in. Its pastors and emmissaries can only direct us to look within our hearts, where God writes the Truth, for His will and His goodness to drive our lives. The Holy Catholic Church is the only one, true Church. I hope more people will ask God for faith and understanding of His goodness and love.
Today is the anniversary of my confirmation - St. Cecilia’s Day! May God bless all who helped me. And thank you, Grandma. Rest in peace.
Reason and faith are not in conflict. They compliment each other. Oh! What a wonderful catechism from the Pope.
What about the tiny detail about how science blatently contradicts this religion when it come to such things as beginning of the universe, the age of the planet and evolution?
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