While some Traditionalists continue to complain, belittle, begrudge, and bemoan every thing the Holy Father does (because it is never enough)! I find myself quite encouraged and optimistic and hopeful and almost at peace.
Now if we could only get our political situation sorted out!
It is heartening, then, though not at all surprising, to see throughout much of the world a certain reinvigoration in the Church, under the guidance of our Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI. Hearts once thought to be cold as stone have warmed, and fields which once produced only chaff have yielded wheat. From surprising quarters, we hear more and more good news, and the root cause is the unashamed and unabashed proclamation of the Gospel. Pope Benedict is not interested in scolding sinners, but rather in encouraging their repentance and bringing them closer to our Divine Saviour. First and foremost is our love of God, a love which grows stronger and deeper when we live in accordance with that love. Then there is our natural love for one another, which results in our zeal that our friends, family and loved ones should share in that wonderful love of God.
John Allen, the veteran Rome correspondent, has termed this Benedict's "affirmative orthodoxy":
By “affirmative orthodoxy,” I mean a tenacious defense of the core elements of classic Catholic doctrine, but presented in a relentlessly positive key. Benedict appears convinced that the gap between the faith and contemporary secular culture, which Paul VI called “the drama of our time,” has its roots in Europe dating from the Reformation, the Wars of Religion, and the Enlightenment, with a resulting tendency to see Christianity as a largely negative system of prohibitions and controls. In effect, Benedict's project is to reintroduce Christianity from the ground up, in terms of what it’s for rather than what it’s against.
Wherever this affirmative orthodoxy has been maintained, or reintroduced, it has borne fruit.
4 comments:
"The Reformation, the Wars of Religion, and the Enlightenment"
Yes, but did the process start there, or much earlier, with the end of the Middle Ages and the decline of medieval Christendom.
There is no denying the genie was let out of the bottle during the Renaissance.
And why stop at the Enlightenment ?
What about the the principles of the French revolution, republicanism, the risorgimento, Marxism, and so down to the present day secularism and nihilism ?
And how is "affirmative orthodoxy" to be upheld except through a system of prohibitions and controls ?
By changing hearts and minds ?
Would that it were so, but I doubt it .
I tagged you over at my blog :)
Hi, Mary!
I yet live.
Edward
Oh, and I wanted to say I havn't 'dumped' you.
Just haven't been able to get on the web.
We have it at home now, and I am DEFINITELY going to set Mrs. Edward on you! She'll love this place!
Say, by the by, I've been reading some of Fr. Feeney's theological works lately(the 'non-controversial' stuff, you know?).
I have not experienced such coruscating cerebral brilliance in the expression of deep truths since Frank Sheed!
And a deeply poetic, Irish soul for flavourimg as well!
God bless you all, Mary.
I sincerely pray you are well!
P.S.
You're not sore about the High School Musical rantings of recent memory, I hope. :)
Edward.
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