Posted on 04/25/2007 4:41:04 PM PDT by NYer
Cites Example of Origen
VATICAN CITY, APRIL 25, 2007 (Zenit.org).- Prayerful reading of Scripture, and the consequent reform of life, is the secret to the constant renewal of the Church, Benedict XVI says.
The Pope affirmed that today when speaking of Origen of Alexandria at the general audience in St. Peter's Square. He continued with his series of catechesis on early Church Fathers.
Origen, "true teacher … brilliant theologian … exemplary witness of the doctrine he taught … the most prolific author of the first three Christian centuries," brought about an "irreversible turn in Christian thought," the Holy Father said.
"He grounded theology in the explanations of the Scriptures; or we could also say that his theology is the perfect symbiosis between theology and exegesis," the Pontiff explained.
He added: "The characterizing mark of Origen's doctrine seems to reside in his incessant invitation to pass from the letter to the spirit of the Scriptures, to progress in the knowledge of God.
"We can say, therefore, that the central nucleus of Origen's immense literary works consists in his 'three-pronged reading' of the Bible."
Three prongs
Benedict XVI explained Origen's methodology in studying sacred Scripture.
"To know what is actually written and to know what this text wanted to say intentionally and initially," was Origen's first step, the Pope said.
He explained how Origen used a system of columns to evaluate all the possible meanings of the original biblical language. For example, in the first column, he would put the Hebrew original. And in five parallel columns, Origen would do a transliteration and four different translations into Greek. He thus tried "to know exactly what is written," the Holy Father explained.
The second prong was reading Scripture along with its most famous commentaries. "He proceeds almost verse by verse, probing amply and deeply, with philological and doctrinal notes," the Pope added.
Finally, Benedict XVI continued: "Origen dedicated himself a great deal to the preaching of the Bible, adapting himself to varied audiences. In any case, as we see in his Homilies, the teacher, dedicated to systematic interpretation of verses, breaks them down into smaller verses.
"Origen takes every opportunity to mention the various senses of sacred Scripture that help or express a way of growth in faith: There is the 'literal' sense, but this hides depths that are not apparent upon a first reading; the second dimension is the 'moral' sense: what we must do as we live the Word; and in the end we have the 'spiritual' sense, the unity of Scripture in its diversity."
Multidimensional
Benedict XVI said that he followed a similar process in his recently released book.
"I tried somewhat, in my book 'Jesus of Nazareth,' to show the multiple dimensions of the Word in today's world, of sacred Scripture, that must first of all be respected in the historical sense," he said. "But this sense brings us toward Christ, in the light of the Holy Spirit, and shows us the way, how to live."
The Pope invited the faithful to follow Origen's example: "I invite you to welcome the teachings of this great teacher of the faith into your hearts.
"He reminds us that in the prayerful reading of Scripture and in a coherent way of life, the Church is renewed and rejuvenated."
What an intelligent rebuttal! I must remember it.
For proof that translators of the Bible into English were hunted down and executed, google “William Tyndale”
Perhaps. But there is also, often, poverty, tyranny and political corruption. For all three, think the Catholic countries of South America, Mexico Central America. For two out of three, think Philippines. The politically incorrect truth is that free, stable, representative political institutions arose in and out of Protestant countries. My protestant (Hugenot) ancestors fled Louis XIV's Catholic France because he was a dictator. The America settlers fought the French in the French and Indian Wars for the same reason - to defend themselves against Catholic authoritarianism. Today, immigrants are flooding north out of Mexico and South America because their catholic cultures may have offered plenty of "good red wine," but little in the way of political stability or safety or prosperity.
What affected Europe during the 19th century, affected Latin America during the late 19th century and 20th. The ills of that region have more to do with revolutionary ideology from Europe than Catholicism.
Why did they fight the British?
“Oh Lord, open the King of England’s eyes”
I’ll repeat: The politically incorrect truth is that free, stable, representative political institutions arose in and out of Protestant countries.
A significant contribution, at least in New England, was the granting of wider religious freedoms for those French Catholics by the French government in 1774.
Ooops, make that the British government.
Isn’t that Wycliffe?
“Don’t read the bible, son, we’ve got our own faith tradition.” (Just a line I heard once.)
tell that to the Greeks
Nope. The Magna Carta was a product of a Catholic England.
So what? The Catholic Church saved civilization during the Dark Ages when Europe was being overrun by Vandals. There would be no opportunity for “free, stable, representative government” were it not for the Catholic Church. You do realize, of course, that the Catholic Church also developed the concept of the university (everything in the universe centering around God) and kept learning alive during the Dark Ages. Your Protestant heroes wouldn’t have even known how to think critically if it hadn’t been for the disciplines developed in Catholic universities.
nah, Wycliffe died of old age
I googled “William Tyndale” and found that he incurred the wrath of Henry VIII and was arrested and tried on a charge of heresy and treason and was executed in 1536.
Henry VIII was most decidedly NOT the Catholic Church. He was the head of the Church of England.
Try again!
Oops, it was Tyndale! I got the two mixed up. I just saw a PBS “documentary” on Wycliffe, Tyndale, and Cranmer last night. It was junk.
This must be a Freeper First! I’ve never before seen a post against someone’s tag line. I’m sure you’d have strong opinion on my other one: “Our Lady’s Hat Society.” Would you care to comment on that one, too?
That can just as easily be an indictment of Spanish and Portuguese colonialism as it is of Catholicism. It's debatable whether an authentically Catholic culture was ever established in Latin America or the Philippines.
Christianity preserved the classical heritage of Europe, yes. However, the Celtic monastaries in which so many of the old texts were saved were independent of Rome. The church at that time was not the monarchical top-down institution that Roman Catholicism became centuries later. More like the geographically-based Christianity that the early Church of England divines advocated.
My point is that political freedom developed in countries where the Reformation took root. You answer, "So what?" As someone who values liberty and the Anglo-American heritage of free institutions, I have to respond, "BIG what."
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