ZENIT, Daily dispatch
The World Seen From Rome
====================================================
VATICAN DOSSIER
* Pontiff Extols Jerome's Biblical Insights
* Benedict XVI Welcomes Relics of St. Thérèse
* Pope Recalls Italians Who Died in Iraq
* Vatican to Study Care of Elderly
WORLD FEATURES
* Faith Should Affect Voting, Say U.S. Bishops
* Interreligious Dialogue Is Working, Says Scholar
* U.S. Bishops Invite Youth to Be Generous
NEWS BRIEFS
* Florida Bishops Urge Stay of Execution
INTERVIEW
* What Every Parent Should Know About "The Golden Compass"
WEDNESDAY'S AUDIENCE
* St. Jerome on the Bible
DOCUMENTS
* Papal Message on the Common Good
--------------------------------------
VATICAN DOSSIER
--------------------------------------
Pontiff Extols Jerome's Biblical Insights
Comments on the Scholar's Many Lessons
VATICAN CITY, NOV. 14, 2007 (Zenit.org).- St. Jerome left the Church many valuable lessons for everything from raising children to the importance of reading the Bible daily, says Benedict XVI.
The Pope said this today to the 25,000 people who had gathered in St. Peter's Square for the general audience. He drew heavily from the letters of the biblical exegete St. Jerome (347-419/420) to illustrate the many counsels the scholar gave.
The Holy Father said that in Jerome's writings, he "underlined the joy and importance of familiarizing oneself with the biblical texts." He cited one of the epistles of the scholar: "Don't you feel, here on earth, that you are already in the kingdom of heaven, just by living in these texts, meditating on them, and not seeking anything else?"
Jerome saw the Bible as the "catalyst and source of Christian life for all situations and for everyone," said the Holy Father. He further quoted teh biblical scholar, "The study and meditation of Scripture makes man wise and at peace."
"Certainly, to penetrate more deeply the word of God, a constant and increasing practice is necessary," said the Pope. He quoted Jerome who advised in a letter, "Read the divine Scriptures with much regularity; let the Holy Book never be laid down by your hands."
"Love sacred Scripture and wisdom shall love you; love it tenderly, and it will protect you; honor it and you shall receive its caresses," Jerome had written to a spiritual daughter. "Love the science of Scripture, and you shall not love the vices of the flesh," added the exegete.
In communion
Benedict XVI said that a basic principle used by Jerome to understand Scripture was to read it in the light of the Church's teachings: "Alone we are not able to read Scripture. We find too many closed doors and we are easily mistaken. The Bible was written by the people of God, for the people of God, with the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. Only in communion with the people of God can we truly enter the core of the truth that God intends to convey us."
The Pope said that for Jerome, "an authentic interpretation of the Bible always had to be in harmony with the faith of the Catholic Church. The book itself is the voice of the people of God in pilgrimage, and only in the faith of these people we find the right frame of mind to understand sacred Scripture."
The Pontiff said that Jerome thus warned, "Stay firmly attached to the traditional doctrine that has been taught to you, so that you can preach according to the right doctrine and refute those who contradict it."
Jerome also wrote of the importance of not only understanding Scripture, but also living it, said the Holy Father. He quoted Jerome who said, "Even when mastering a wonderful doctrine, he who is condemned by his own conscience will be shamed."
Benedict XVI also discussed Jerome's teaching on Christian asceticism: "He reminds us that a courageous engagement toward perfection requires a constant alertness, frequent mortifications, even if with moderation and caution, an assiduous intellectual or manual work to avoid idleness."
The Pope said that Jerome taught that above all is "obedience to God. ... That is the most outstanding and the sole virtue."
Education
"Finally, we have to mention Jerome's contribution to Christian pedagogy," said the Holy Father.
The biblical scholar urged "parents to create an environment of serenity and joy around the children, to encourage them to study and work, also through praise and emulation, to encourage them to overcome difficulties, to nurture in them good habits and protect them from bad ones," said the Pontiff.
"Parents are the primary educators for children, their first life teachers," he added.
Benedict XVI continued by saying that Jerome underlined "the importance attributed to a healthy and complete education from infancy, as well as the special responsibility acknowledged as belonging to parents, the urgency of a serious moral and religious education, and the need of study for a more complete human formation."
Jerome was also a proponent for the education of women, said the Pope: "A vital aspect retained by the author but disregarded in ancient times is the promotion of the woman, to whom he acknowledges the right to a complete education: human, academic, religious, professional."
"We actually see today that the true condition to any progress, peace, reconciliation and exclusion of violence" said the Holy Father, "is the education of the person in its entirety and the education in responsibility before God and before man. Sacred Scripture offers us the guidance of education and of true humanism."
email this article:
http://www.zenit.org/article-21010?l=english
--------------------------------------
Benedict XVI Welcomes Relics of St. Thérèse
Urges Faithful to Love Scripture as She Did
VATICAN CITY, NOV. 14, 2007 (Zenit.org).- Benedict XVI expressed his joy at being able to pray before the relics of St. Thérèse of Lisieux, which are in Rome accompanied by pilgrims and the bishop from the saint's home diocese.
At the end of today's general audience, the Pope greeted the faithful from the French Diocese of Bayeux and Lisieux, and Bishop Pierre Auguste Pican, who are in Rome on pilgrimage, with the relics of St. Thérèse of the Child Jesus and the Holy Face.
The Holy Father recalled how "120 years ago, Thérèse of Lisieux came to Rome to ask permission of Pope Leo XIII to enter the Carmelite order, despite her youth. Eighty years ago, Pope Pius XI proclaimed her patron saint of missions, and in 1997, Pope John Paul II declared her a doctor of the Church."
"In this audience," he continued, "I will have the joy of praying before her relics, as will many faithful over the course of this week in various churches in Rome."
The Pontiff used the French Carmelite's example to encourage reading the Bible.
"St. Thérèse would have liked to learn the languages of the Bible in order to better understand sacred Scripture," he said. "Following her example and that of St. Jerome, dedicate time to frequent reading of the Bible. By familiarizing yourselves with the Word of God, you will discover Christ and remain in intimate contact with him."
email this article:
http://www.zenit.org/article-21000?l=english
--------------------------------------
Pope Recalls Italians Who Died in Iraq
VATICAN CITY, NOV. 14, 2007 (Zenit.org).- Benedict XVI recalled the anniversary of the death of Italians who lost their lives during a suicide attack in Iraq four years ago, expressing his hopes that Iraqis might have a future of hope.
Today after the general audience, the Pope greeted relatives of the 19 Italians, mainly soldiers, who died Nov. 12, 2003, in Nassiriya, Iraq. Insurgents attacked military police headquarters and 28 people were killed.
The Holy Father said: "May the memory of these our brothers, and of others who have made the supreme sacrifice of their lives for the noble cause of peace, contribute to supporting the journey to hopeful rebirth of the dear Iraqi people."
Italy withdrew its troops from Iraq in 2006.
email this article:
http://www.zenit.org/article-21002?l=english
--------------------------------------
Vatican to Study Care of Elderly
Conference to Gather Medical and Pastoral Experts
VATICAN CITY, NOV. 14, 2007 (Zenit.org).- The Vatican is asking how Catholics can offer better pastoral assistance to the world's 390 million people over the age 65, especially as that number continues to grow.
The president of the Pontifical Council for Health Care Ministry presented today in the Vatican the annual international congress organized by that dicastery. The congress, "Pastoral Care in the Cure of Sick Elderly People," will take place Thursday through Saturday."In the world today," said Cardinal Javier Lozano Barragán, "there are 390 million people over the age of 65 and it is expected their numbers will increase to 800 million by the year 2025. Five hundred million people live in countries with a life expectancy that exceeds 60, while 50 million people live in countries where the expectancy does not exceed 45. Sierra Leone in Africa, for example, has an expectancy of 39 years."
Faced with statistics such as these, said the cardinal, "we asked ourselves: How can we offer better pastoral assistance to these people, given the great importance of life in its final stages?"
During the conference, experts will analyze the demographic situation, and the main illnesses, both old and new, in the context of globalization, as well as the origins of such illnesses from an individual, technological, scientific, sociopolitical and ecological viewpoint.
Another aspect that will be studied, Cardinal Lozano Barragán explained, is care for the sick in the light of sacred Scripture, the writings of early Christian theologians and the history of the Church.
The conference will also include reflections on this form of pastoral care from the standpoints of Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism and of postmodern culture.
Participants will also debate the steps that must be taken in the pastoral care of sick elderly people from the religious and biomedical perspectives
Finally, Cardinal Lozano Barragán indicated that the question will be considered from the point of view of families and the attitude they should assume toward their sick and elderly members, with particular emphasis on the spiritual attention that must be offered to them, especially through the sacraments, prayer and visits.
email this article:
http://www.zenit.org/article-21001?l=english
--------------------------------------
--------------------------------------
WORLD FEATURES
--------------------------------------
Faith Should Affect Voting, Say U.S. Bishops
Prelates Approve Citizenship Document
WASHINGTON, D.C., NOV. 14, 2007 (Zenit.org).- U.S. bishops are encouraging people to use their faith and a well-formed conscience as guidance in political choices.
The U.S. episcopal conference approved today a statement called "Faithful Citizenship: A Call to Political Responsibility." The bishops are meeting in Baltimore, Maryland, for their fall general assembly through Thursday.
"In this statement, we bishops do not intend to tell Catholics for whom or against whom to vote," a statement from the bishops explained. "Our purpose is to help Catholics form their consciences in accordance with God's truth. We recognize that the responsibility to make choices in political life rests with each individual in light of a properly formed conscience, and that participation goes well beyond casting a vote in a particular election."
The Church's role in helping Catholics to form their consciences is a central theme of the document.
"With this foundation," the bishops explained, "Catholics are better able to evaluate policy positions, party platforms, and candidates' promises and action in light of the Gospel and the moral and social teaching of the Church in order to help build a better world."
The bishops affirmed their legitimate role in public life. "The obligation to teach about moral values that should shape our lives, including our public lives, is central to [our] mission," they stated. "Our nation's tradition of pluralism is enhanced, not threatened, when religious groups and people of faith bring their convictions and concerns into public life."
Opposing abortion
The document recalls that respect for the dignity of every human being is a foundation for Catholic teaching about "faithful citizenship."
The statement says people must oppose actions that are intrinsically wrong, such as abortion and euthanasia, because these actions involve directly and intentionally ending an innocent human life.
It also affirms the obligation to promote the common good by combating such threats to human life and dignity as hunger, poverty, racism, unjust immigration policies, and unjust war. "Both opposing evil and doing good are essential obligations," the document says.
The bishops warn of two temptations for Catholics in public life.
"The first is a moral equivalence that makes no ethical distinctions between different kinds of issues involving human life and dignity," the statement says. "The direct and intentional destruction of innocent human life [] is always wrong and is not just one issue among many. It must always be opposed."
A second temptation, the bishops said, involves "dismissing or ignoring other serious threats to human life and dignity. Racism and other unjust discrimination, torture, the use of the death penalty, resorting to unjust war, war crimes, the failure to respond to those who are suffering from hunger or lack health care, or unjust immigration policies are all serious moral issues that challenge our consciences and require us to act."
A duty
The bishops call Catholics to a different kind of political engagement shaped by well-formed consciences and focused on the dignity of every human being, the pursuit of the common good, and the protection of the weak and the vulnerable.
They add, "Participation in political life in light of fundamental moral principles is an essential duty for every Catholic and all people of good will."
The bishops also acknowledge the challenges faced by Catholic voters: "Catholics may feel politically disenfranchised sensing that no party and too few candidates fully share the Church's comprehensive commitment to the dignity of the human person.
"As Catholics we are not single issues voters. A candidate's position on a single issue is not sufficient to guarantee a voter's support. Yet a candidate's position on a single issue that involves an intrinsic evil, such as support for legal abortion or the promotion of racism, may legitimately lead a voter to disqualify a candidate from receiving support."
Getting involved
Despite challenges, the statement urges Catholics "to become more involved: running for office, working within political parties, and communicating concerns to elected officials."
It suggests that Catholics should be "guided more by our moral convictions than by our attachment to a political party or interest group."
As they prepare for the elections, the statement says "Catholic voters should use Catholic teaching to examine candidates' positions on issues and should consider candidates' integrity, philosophy and performance."
email this article:
http://www.zenit.org/article-21009?l=english
--------------------------------------
Interreligious Dialogue Is Working, Says Scholar
Affirms It Needs to Continue in Daily Relationships
ROME, NOV. 14, 2007 (Zenit.org).- Interreligious dialogue should extend to daily relationships, but it is bringing good fruits, said the director of the Pontifical Institute for Arabic and Islamic Studies.
Father Miguel Ángel Ayuso Guixot affirmed this recently at an event ushering in the new school year for the Pontifical Theological Faculty Marianum.
Drawing from the Second Vatican Council declaration "Nostra Aetate," Father Ayuso explained that "the cooperation between cultural and religious groups is absolutely necessary to overcome all forms of community tension and to be able, therefore, to live in hopes of camaraderie and peace."
The priest spent 20 years as a missionary in Egypt and Sudan.
"Some of this new millennium's events -- Sept. 11, Afghanistan, Iraq, the Middle East, etc. -- have clouded over the world, already seen as a global village thanks to human progress, and it has been placed in a delicate situation demanding everyone's collaboration at all levels to assure world peace," he contended. "It's obvious that religion has a fundamental role in this process of integration, coexistence and peace."
Catalyst
Father Ayuso said that in recent decades, interreligious dialogue with Muslims has produced numerous fruits.
"In the Catholic Church, the great impulse of the Islamic-Christian dialogue was Vatican II. In the Muslim environment, the response to dialogue's demands comes a little late, but it is at least significant, contrary to what some think," he said.
Citing Father Maurice Borrmans, a well-known promoter of Islamic-Christian dialogue, Father Ayuso affirmed that "in the midst of the questions and confusion generated today by the international situation regarding Islamic-Western relations, and in the midst of the uncertainties and worries of many men and women accustomed to dialogue, it is necessary on everyone's part, Christian and Muslim alike, not to lose hope and to recover the momentum."
"This dialogue continues, as we've seen, in spite of difficulties and obstacles. Many institutions, Christian and Muslim, have insisted on this work," he noted.
Future
Father Ayuso acknowledged that the process is difficult: "Many criticize this dialogue and come to believe it is useless, at times dangerous, as much for one as for the other. In reality, the actual situation offers everyone a good opportunity to purify intentions, improve methods and increase activities.
"In this sense, they have marked three perspectives for the future: education, seeking common shared values and reciprocal cooperation in the building of our future."
"We need a common platform to develop interreligious relationships in daily life, in interreligous cooperation, and in theological reflection, as well as in a spiritual encounter," Father Ayuso continued. "Our times, ever more globalized every day, urgently need harmonious dealings that promote religious freedom, healthy reciprocity and the promotion of peace."
Quoting Benedict XVI, he proposed that "all this must happen by means of intercultural and interreligious dialogue, with optimism and hope, simply because this dialogue can't be reduced to something added or optional; on the contrary, it is a vital necessity on which is dependent a good part of our future."
email this article:
http://www.zenit.org/article-21005?l=english
--------------------------------------
U.S. Bishops Invite Youth to Be Generous
Urge Teenagers to Practice Stewardship
BALTIMORE, Maryland, NOV. 14, 2007 (Zenit.org).- With the invitation, "Come join us in the adventure," U.S. bishops are encouraging teenagers to practice stewardship and form a close personal relationship with Christ.
The statement "Stewardship and Teenagers: The Challenge of Being a Disciple" was released today, after being approved by the bishops gathered in their fall general assembly, under way through Thursday in Baltimore.
"Living out the Gospel value of stewardship as a disciple means sharing your time, talents and treasures," the bishops wrote. "Why? Because everything you have to share is from God, and it is all meant for sharing.
"In baptism you were called to the common priesthood of Jesus Christ -- showing Christ's presence in the world; you were called to be a prophet -- speaking the truth courageously; and you were called to the kingly role of serving others lovingly. [] The Eucharist sustains you and gives you the strength to respond to this call even when you don't feel like responding!"
The bishops' statement continues: "Being a disciple, living out stewardship, cannot be done alone or without guidance. Jesus is your best friend and guide in this venture. You wouldn't go very long without talking to your best friend or spending time together. So it is with Jesus.
"Build a personal relationship with him through daily prayer and weekly participation in Mass or Divine Liturgy. Choose a time every day for prayer, by yourself or perhaps in front of the Blessed Sacrament. [] Go to confession on a regular basis, drawing upon the graces offered through the Sacrament of Reconciliation. If possible, attend the Eucharist more than once a week. Trust us! God is always there, waiting to hear from you and wanting you to know of his unconditional love for you."
The bishops encouraged teenagers to take advantage of their youth and serve others in charity.
"Stewardship is about acting for others," they wrote. "Discipleship is about doing for others and not counting the cost. Even the smallest act of kindness can bring joy and relief to another. You are in a unique position to reach out to your peers and share with them the unconditional love of God. Seize every opportunity to show them God's love through your random acts of kindness: an encouraging word, a pat on the back, a helpful hand."
The prelates concluded, saying that both Benedict XVI, like Pope John Paul II before him, has expressed the need for the Church to be "a Church for young people [] a Church that is not afraid to require much, after having given much; that does not fear asking from young people the effort of a noble and authentic adventure, such as that of following Christ. We, your bishops, are asking: Come join us in the adventure!"
email this article:
http://www.zenit.org/article-21007?l=english
--------------------------------------
--------------------------------------
NEWS BRIEFS
--------------------------------------
Florida Bishops Urge Stay of Execution
Say Better Option Exists for Punishing Offender
TALLAHASSEE, Florida, NOV. 14, 2007 (Zenit.org).- Bishops of the Florida Catholic Conference are urging the state's governor to stay the execution scheduled for Thursday of a man convicted of killing an 11-year-old boy.
In a statement published today, the bishops urged Governor Charlie Cist to halt the execution of Mark Dean Schwab, noting that more than a dozen stays of execution have been granted since the beginning of October.
"At this time, while the U.S. Supreme Court is considering the case of Baze v. Rees to determine whether the drug combination used in lethal injection executions is cruel and unusual punishment in violation of the Eighth Amendment, it seems both prudent and judicious for you to follow the example of another governor and many state and federal courts," the bishops wrote.
The prelates said they oppose the use of the death penalty, given "the option of life in prison without possibility of parole, that will punish the offender and keep society safe."
"Incarceration for life is a severe punishment, allows the possibility of conversion for the wrong doer, and gives us the opportunity to forgive their wrong doings," the bishops said. "Killing those who have harmed others only perpetuates the use of violence in society.
"We express our sincere sympathy to the family and loved ones of the victim [] Carrying out the death penalty for Mark Dean Schwab will not compensate for their loss and encourages vengeance rather than forgiveness."
Schwab, 38, was sentenced to death in 1992.
The bishops concluded by affirming "state-sanctioned killing coarsens us all."
"It is only when society cannot be protected in any other way that the death penalty is justified," they explained. "We urge you to lead Florida toward a standard of decency that calls us to turn away from killing as a solution for crime."
email this article:
http://www.zenit.org/article-21006?l=english
--------------------------------------
--------------------------------------
INTERVIEW
--------------------------------------
What Every Parent Should Know About "The Golden Compass"
Interview With Pete Vere and Sandra Miesel
INDIANAPOLIS, Indiana, NOV. 14, 2007 (Zenit.org).- The film "The Golden Compass" isn't simply about using fairy-tale magic to tell a good story, it corrupts the imagery of Lewis and Tolkien to undermine children's faith in God and the Church, says Catholic author Pete Vere.
In this interview with ZENIT, Vere and Sandra Miesel discuss the movie adaptation of the fantasy novels written by Philip Pullman. The film, staring Nicole Kidman and Daniel Craig, will be released in the United States in early December.Vere and Miesel are co-authors of the booklet "Pied Piper of Atheism: Philip Pullman and Children's Fantasy," to be published by Ignatius Press next month on the topic of "The Golden Compass."
Q: The first movie of "The Golden Compass" trilogy is being released at Christmas. For those unfamiliar with the series, what kind of books are these and to whom do they appeal?
Vere: To begin, the books are marketed for 9-12 year olds as children's fantasy literature in the tradition of J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, and J.K. Rowling. "If you're a fan of 'Lord of the Rings,' 'Narnia ' or 'Harry Potter,'" the critics tell us, "you'll love Pullman."
Personally, I just can't see a child picking up these books and reading them. I see them more as books that adults give kids to read.
Having said that, "The Golden Compass" (1995) is the first book in Pullman's trilogy. The second book is titled "The Subtle Knife" (1997) and it is followed by "The Amber Spyglass" (2000).
Collectively, the trilogy is known as "His Dark Materials," a phrase taken from John Milton's "Paradise Lost." This is appropriately titled in my opinion, since each book gets progressively darker -- both in the intensity with which Pullman attacks the Catholic Church and the Judeo-Christian concept of God, as well as the stridency with which he promotes atheism.
For example, one of the main supporting characters, Dr. Mary Malone, is a former Catholic nun who abandoned her vocation to pursue sex and science. The reader does not meet her until the second book, by which time the young reader is already engrossed in the story. By the third book, Dr. Malone is engaging in occult practices to lead the two main characters, a 12-year-old boy and girl, to sleep in the same bed and engage in -- at the very least -- heavy kissing. This is the act through which they renew the multiple universes created by Pullman.
Another example is Pullman's portrayal of the Judeo-Christian God. Pullman refers to him as "The Authority," although a number of passages make clear that this is the God of the Bible. The Authority is a liar and a mere angel, and as we discover in the third book, senile as well. He was locked in some sort of jewel and held prisoner by the patriarch Enoch, who is now called Metatron and who rules in the Authority's name. When the children find the jewel and accidentally release the Authority, he falls apart and dies.
Additionally, Pullman uses the imagery of C.S. Lewis' "Narnia" chronicles. "His Dark Materials" opens with the young heroine stuck in a wardrobe belonging to an old academic, conversing with a talking animal, when she discovers multiple worlds. So the young reader is lulled early on with the familiar feel of Lewis.
Nevertheless, Pullman's work isn't simply about using fairy-tale magic to tell a good story. He openly proselytizes for atheism, corrupting the imagery of Lewis and Tolkien to undermine children's faith in God and the Church.
Q: Many Catholics, including William Donohue of the Catholic League, are speaking out against the movie. What should parents know before they let their children watch this film?
Vere: I don't recommend any parent allow their children to view the film. While the movie has reportedly been sanitized of its more anti-Christian and anti-religious elements, it will do nothing but pique children's curiosity about the books. I'm a parent myself. My children would think it hypocritical if I told them it was OK to see the movie, but not to read the books. And they would be right.
It's not OK for children -- impressionable as they are -- to read stories in which the plot revolves around the supreme blasphemy, namely, that God is a liar and a mortal. It is not appropriate for children to read books in which the heroine is the product of adultery and murder; priests act as professional hit men, torturers and authorize occult experimentation on young children; an ex-nun engages in occult practices and promiscuous behavior, and speaks of it openly with a 12-year-old couple; and the angels who rebel against God are good, while those who fight on God's side are evil. This is wrong. And while it's been softened in the movie -- or at least that's what Hollywood is telling us -- it's still there in the books.
Miesel: Furthermore, there's a great deal of cruelty and gore in the books, not just battles but deliberate murder, sadism, mutilation, suicide, euthanasia and even cannibalism. There are also passages of disturbing sensuality and homosexual angels who are "platonic lovers."
I agree with Pete. Avoid both the movie and the books. It would be best if people didn't picket or make a public fuss because that's just free publicity. If the movie fails at the box office, the second and third books won't be filmed.
Q: The author, Philip Pullman, is an outspoken atheist. Does this come across in the books and the movie as a secularist position or more in the form of anti-Catholicism?
Vere: It's not an "either/or" situation. What begins as a rebellion against the Church turns into a rebellion against God. This then leads to the discovery that God -- and Christianity -- are a fraud.
The 12-year-old protagonists -- Lyra and Bill -- discover there is no immortal soul, no heaven or hell. All that awaits us in the afterlife is some gloomy Hades-type afterlife where the soul goes to wait until it completely dissolves. Thus Pullman uses anti-Catholicism as the gateway to promoting atheism.
Q: The trilogy is being compared to "Harry Potter" and "The Lord of the Rings." Is there a comparison to be made with either?
Vere: On the surface, yes. You've got wizards, heroines, strange creatures, alternate worlds, etc. Although for reasons already stated, the real comparison -- by way of inverted imagery -- is to C.S. Lewis' "Narnia" chronicles. Pullman, who has called "The Lord of the Rings" "infantile," has a particular dislike for Lewis and "Narnia." This is reflected in Pullman taking Lewis' literary devices and inverting them to attack Christianity and promote atheism.
As Pullman said in a 1998 article in The Guardian: "[Lewis] didn't like women in general, or sexuality at all, at least at the stage in his life when he wrote the 'Narnia' books. He was frightened and appalled at the notion of wanting to grow up. Susan, who did want to grow up, and who might have been the most interesting character in the whole cycle if she'd been allowed to, is a Cinderella in a story where the ugly sisters win."
Miesel: That nasty quote is factually wrong on both points. Lewis began corresponding with his future wife in 1950, the year the first "Narnia" book came out, and married her in 1956, the year the last one was published. Susan's problem isn't "growing up," but turning silly and conceited. She doesn't even appear -- much less get sent to hell -- in "The Last Battle."
Vere: Thus what we see here is more contrast and corruption than comparison. Also, the work of Tolkien, Lewis and Rowling is primarily driven by the audience. It is the average reader who purchases these works, reads them, and makes them popular.
Pullman's work, on the other hand, appears to be driven by the critics. The only people I know recommending Pullman's work are English majors and university professors. I don't know a single electrician, hairdresser or accountant who recommends Pullman's work by word of mouth. Thus the books haven't resonated with the average person to the same degree as "Lord of the Rings," "Narnia" and "Harry Potter."
Q: Nicole Kidman, a Catholic who stars in the film, has said she wouldn't have taken the role if she thought the movie was anti-Catholic. What do you make of this response?
Vere: The film has not yet been released, so I cannot comment on it. However, Christ asks very pointedly in the Gospels: Can a good tree bear rotten fruit? The movie is the fruit of the books and Pullman's imagination. These are anti-Christian and atheistic at their core. How does one sanitize this from the movie without completely gutting Pullman from his story?
During an interview with Hollywood screenwriter Barbara Nicolosi a couple of months ago, I asked her whether it was possible to tone down the anti-Christian elements for the movie. Nicolosi is the chair of Act One, a training and mentoring organization for Christians starting out in Hollywood.
She had given the question thought. A few years ago one of her friends -- an evangelical Christian -- had been asked by her agent to pitch on the project, that is, propose to write the screenplay adapting "The Golden Compass" to film.
"We read [the book] and there was just no way we could come in on this," Nicolosi told me. "Pullman's fantasy universe is nihilistic and rooted in chaos. You cannot fix that in a rewrite without changing the story Pullman is trying to tell -- which is atheistic, angry and at times polemical."
But let's suppose it is possible. Let's suppose Kidman is right and that the movie has been sanitized of its anti-Catholicism. The books remain saturated with bitter anti-Christian polemic. So why promote a movie that will only generate interest in the books among impressionable young children?
For the Christian parent, the movie cannot be anything but spiritual poison to their children -- for the movie is the fruit of the book.
email this article:
http://www.zenit.org/article-21008?l=english
--------------------------------------
--------------------------------------
Wednesday's Audience
--------------------------------------
St. Jerome on the Bible
"Love Sacred Scripture and Wisdom Shall Love You"
VATICAN CITY, NOV. 14, 2007 (Zenit.org).- Here is a translation of the address Benedict XVI delivered today at the general audience in St. Peter's Square. The reflection focused on St. Jerome.
* * *
Dear brothers and sisters!
Today we continue with the presentation of St. Jerome. As we said last Wednesday, he devoted his life to the study of the Bible, for which he was acknowledged as "eminent doctor in the interpretation of sacred Scripture" by one of my predecessors, Pope Benedict XV.
Jerome underlined the joy and importance of familiarizing oneself with the biblical texts: "Don't you feel, here on Earth, that you are already in the kingdom of heaven, just by living in these texts, meditating on them, and not seeking anything else?" (Ep. 53,10).
In truth, to converse with God and with his word means to be in heaven's presence, that is to say, in God's presence. To draw close to the biblical texts, above all to the New Testament, is essential for the believer, because "ignorance of Scriptures is ignorance of Christ." This is his famous sentence, also quoted by the Second Vatican Council in the constitution "Dei Verbum" (No. 25).
Truly "enchanted" by the word of God, Jerome asked himself: "How could we live without the science of Scriptures, through which we learn how to know Christ himself, who is the life of the believer?" (Ep. 30,7). Hence the Bible, the instrument "with which God speaks to the faithful every day" (Ep. 133,13), becomes catalyst and source of Christian life for all situations and for everyone.
To read Scripture is to converse with God: "If you are praying," he writes to a noble young lady from Rome, "you are speaking with the Groom; if you are reading, it is He who is speaking to you" (Ep. 22,25). The study and meditation of Scripture makes man wise and at peace (cf. In Eph., prol.). Certainly, to penetrate more deeply the word of God, a constant and increasing practice is necessary. This is what Jerome recommended to the priest Nepotian: "Read the divine Scriptures with much regularity; let the Holy Book never be laid down by your hands. Learn there what you ought to teach (Ep. 52,7)."
To the Roman matron Laeta he gave the following advice for the Christian education of her daughter: "Make sure that every day she studies some passages of Scripture. ... That she ensues from reading to praying and from praying to reading. ... Instead of loving jewelry and silk garments, may she rather love the divine books" (Ep. 107,9.12). With the meditation and the science of the Scriptures one "maintains the balance of the soul" (Ad Eph., prol.). Only through a deep spirit of prayer and the help of the Holy Spirit are we able to understand the Bible: "For the interpretation of sacred Scripture we always need the help of the Holy Spirit" (In Mich. 1,1,10,15).
A passionate love for Scripture pervaded all of Jerome's life, a love that he sought to also awaken in the faithful. To a spiritual daughter he recommended: "Love sacred Scripture and wisdom shall love you; love it tenderly, and it will protect you; honor it and you shall receive its caresses. Let it mean to you as much as your necklaces and your earrings mean to you" (Ep. 130,20). And again: "Love the science of Scripture, and you shall not love the vices of the flesh" (Ep. 125,11).
A fundamental criterion Jerome used to interpret Scripture was to be in tune with the magisterium of the Church. Alone we are not able to read Scripture. We find too many closed doors and we are easily mistaken. The Bible was written by the people of God, for the people of God, with the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. Only in communion with the people of God can we truly enter the core of the truth that God intends to convey us.
For him an authentic interpretation of the Bible always had to be in harmony with the faith of the Catholic Church. This is not an external requirement imposed on the book. The book itself is the voice of the people of God in pilgrimage, and only in the faith of these people we find the right frame of mind to understand sacred Scripture. Hence Jerome warned: "Stay firmly attached to the traditional doctrine that has been taught to you, so that you can preach according to the right doctrine and refute those who contradict it" (Ep. 52,7).
In particular, given that Jesus Christ founded his Church on Peter, he concluded that every Christian has to be in communion "with the chair of St. Peter. I know that on this stone the Church is built" (Ep. 15,2). Consequently, he declared: "I am with whoever is united to the chair of St. Peter" (Ep. 16).
Jerome obviously does not neglect the ethical side. Rather often he recalls the duty of reconciling life with the divine word, and that only by living it we manage to understand it. Such coherence is necessary for every Christian, especially for the preacher, to ensure that his actions are not a source of embarrassment when conflicting with his speech. So he urges the priest Nepotian: "Let not your actions deny your words, so that when you preach in church someone won't be able to say: 'Why don't you act this way?' Interesting is the teacher who, with his belly full, preaches about fasting -- even a thief can condemn greed -- but for the priest of Christ the mind and word have to match" (Ep. 52,7).
In another letter Jerome confirms: "Even when mastering a wonderful doctrine, he who is condemned by his own conscience will be shamed" (Ep. 127,4). Always in terms of coherence, he observes, the Gospel has to translate into attitudes of true charity, because in every human being Christ is present. For instance, when addressing Paulinus (who became bishop of Nola and then a saint), Jerome advises: "The true temple of Christ is the soul of the faithful: adorn this sanctuary, embellish it, put your offerings in it and receive Christ. To what purpose do you adorn walls with precious stones, if Christ starves in the person of the poor?" (Ep. 58,7).
Jerome continues: It is necessary "to dress Christ among the poor, to visit him among the suffering, to nourish him among the starving, to host him among the homeless" (Ep. 130,14). The love for Christ, fed with study and meditation, makes us overcome any difficulty: "We love Jesus Christ, we always search the union with him: then all that is difficult will seem easy" (Ep. 22,40).
Jerome, defined as "a model of conduct and a master of the human kind" by Prosper of Aquitaine ("Carmen de Ingratis," 57), also left us a rich teaching on Christian asceticism. He reminds us that a courageous engagement toward perfection requires a constant alertness, frequent mortifications, even if with moderation and caution, an assiduous intellectual or manual work to avoid idleness (cf. Epp. 125.11 and 130,15), and above all obedience to God: "Nothing pleases God as much as obedience. ... That is the most outstanding and the sole virtue" (Hom. De oboedientia: CCL 78,552).
The practice of pilgrimages can be included in the ascetic path. In particular, Jerome promoted pilgrimages to the Holy Land, where pilgrims were welcomed and accommodated in the buildings built near Bethlehem's monastery, thanks to the generosity of the noblewoman Paula, Jerome's spiritual daughter (cf. Ep. 108,14).
Finally, we have to mention Jerome's contribution to Christian pedagogy (cf. Epp. 107 and 128). He proposes to form "a soul that has to become the temple of the Lord " (Ep. 107,4), a "most precious gem" to the eyes of God (Ep. 107,13). With deep intuition he suggests to protect the soul from evil and from sinful events, to exclude equivocal or wasteful friendships (cf. Ep. 107.4 and 8-9; cf also Ep. 128,3-4).
Above all, he urges parents to create an environment of serenity and joy around the children, to encourage them to study and work, also through praise and emulation (cf. Epp. 107,4 and 128,1), to encourage them to overcome difficulties, to nurture in them good habits and protect them from bad ones because -- here he quotes a phrase that Publilius Syrus had heard as a schoolboy -- "you will barely succeed to correct those things that you are getting used to do" (Ep. 107,8).
Parents are the primary educators for children, their first life teachers. Addressing himself to the mother of a girl and then turning to the father, Jerome warns, with much clarity, as if to express a fundamental requirement of every human creature who comes into existence: "May she find in you her teacher, and may her inexperienced childhood look at you with wonder. May she never see, neither in you nor in her father, any actions that, if imitated, could lead her to sin. Remember that ... you can educate her more with the example than with the word" (Ep. 107,9).
Among Jerome's main intuitions as a pedagogue we must underline the importance attributed to a healthy and complete education from infancy, as well as the special responsibility acknowledged as belonging to parents, the urgency of a serious moral and religious education, and the need of study for a more complete human formation.
Moreover, a vital aspect retained by the author but disregarded in ancient times is the promotion of the woman, to whom he acknowledges the right to a complete education: human, academic, religious, professional. We actually see today that the true condition to any progress, peace, reconciliation and exclusion of violence is the education of the person in its entirety and the education in responsibility before God and before man. Sacred Scripture offers us the guidance of education and of true humanism.
We cannot conclude these rapid notes on the great Father of the Church without mentioning his effective contribution to the safeguard of the positive and valid elements of ancient Israeli, Greek and Roman cultures in the rising Christian civilization. Jerome recognized and assimilated the artistic values, the rich feelings and harmonic images of the classics, which educate heart and fantasy to noble feelings.
Above all, he put the word of God at the center of his life and actions, a word that shows to man the paths of life and discloses the secrets of holiness. Today we can't be but deeply grateful to Jerome for all this.
[Translation by ZENIT]
[After praying the Angelus, the Holy Father greeted pilgrims in six languages. In English, he said:]
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
In this week's catechesis we continue our reflections on Saint Jerome, the priest and scholar who was responsible for the Latin translation of the Bible known as the Vulgate. Convinced that "ignorance of the Scriptures is ignorance of Christ", Jerome everywhere urged the daily, prayerful study of the word of God. He insisted that the correct interpretation of the Scriptures demands not only the interior assistance of the Holy Spirit but also conformity to the Church's authoritative teaching. Jerome stressed the importance for all Christians, but especially for preachers, of ensuring that their lives accord with the ethical teaching offered in the sacred texts. Devotion to the word of God also shaped Jerome's ascetic doctrine, which emphasized the virtue of obedience and encouraged the pious practice of pilgrimage, particularly to the Holy Land. Finally, by his spiritual counsel, especially to parents, he emphasized the importance of a broad and disciplined Christian education for
the young, including women. Jerome's integration of the enduring values of classical civilization and the wisdom of the inspired word of God made him one of the great figures of the emerging Christian culture of late antiquity.
I am pleased to greet the English-speaking visitors present at today's Audience, especially those from England, Denmark, Japan, Canada and the United States of America. I greet especially the Sisters of Saint Anne of Tiruchirapalli, who are preparing to celebrate the one hundred and fiftieth anniversary of their foundation. Upon all of you I cordially invoke an abundance of joy and peace in our Lord Jesus Christ.
© Copyright 2007 -- Libreria Editrice Vaticana
email this article:
http://www.zenit.org/article-21004?l=english
--------------------------------------
--------------------------------------
DOCUMENTS
--------------------------------------
Papal Message on the Common Good
"Only Together Is It Possible to Attain It and Safeguard Its Effectiveness"
VATICAN CITY, NOV. 14, 2007 (Zenit.org).- Here is a Vatican translation of the letter Benedict XVI sent on the occasion of the Sept. 23-28 Italian Catholic Social Week.
* * *
LETTER OF HIS HOLINESS BENEDICT XVI TO THE PRESIDENT OF THE ITALIAN BISHOPS' CONFERENCE ON THE OCCASION OF THE CENTENARY OF THE ITALIAN CATHOLIC SOCIAL WEEK
To my Venerable Brother Archbishop Angelo Bagnasco President of the Italian Bishops' Conference
This year is the centenary of the first Italian Catholic Social Week, which was held in Pistoia from 23 to 28 September 1907 particularly at the initiative of Prof. Giuseppe Toniolo. He was a splendid lay Catholic, scientist and social apostle, protagonist of the Catholic Movement at the end of the 19th century and the dawn of the 20th. On this important jubilee, I willingly send my cordial greeting to you, Venerable Brother, to Bishop Arrigo Miglio of Ivrea, President of the Scientific Committee and organizer of the Social Weeks, to the collaborators and to all the participants in the 45th Week that will be held in Pistoia and Pisa from the 18th to the 21st of this month. Although the theme chosen -- "The common good today: a commitment that comes from afar" -- has already been treated during previous Weeks, it has kept its timeliness intact. Indeed, it is appropriate that it be studied and explained precisely now in order to avoid a generic and at times improper use of the term
"common good".
The Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church, with reference to the teaching of the Second Vatican Ecumenical Council (cf. "Gaudium et Spes," n. 26), specifies that "the common good does not consist in the simple sum of the particular goods of each subject of a social entity. Belonging to everyone and to each person, it is and remains "common' because it is indivisible and because only together is it possible to attain it, increase it and safeguard its effectiveness, with regard also to the future" (n. 164). Francisco Suárez, a theologian, had already earlier identified a "bonum commune omnium nationum," which means: "a common good of the human race". Therefore, in the past and especially today in the epoch of globalization, the common good has been and should be considered and promoted also in the context of international relations. It clearly appears that precisely for the social foundation of human existence, the good of each person is naturally connected with the good of
all humanity. The beloved Servant of God John Paul II noted in this regard in the Encyclical "Sollicitudo Rei Socialis" that: "It is above all a question of interdependence, sensed as a system determining relationships in the contemporary world, in its economic, cultural, political and religious elements, and accepted as a moral category" (n. 38). And he added: "When interdependence becomes recognized in this way, the correlative response as a moral and social attitude, as a "virtue', is solidarity. "This then is not a feeling of vague compassion or shallow distress at the misfortunes of so many people, both near and far. "On the contrary, it is a firm and persevering determination to commit oneself to the common good; that is to say, to the good of all and of each individual, because we are all really responsible for all" (ibid.).
In the Encyclical "Deus Caritas Est," I wanted to recall that "the formation of just structures is not directly the duty of the Church, but belongs to the world of politics, the sphere of the autonomous use of reason" (n. 29). I then noted that: "The Church has an indirect duty here, in that she is called to contribute to the purification of reason and to the reawakening of those moral forces without which just structures are neither established nor prove effective in the long run" (ibid.). What better occasion than this to reaffirm that working for a just order in society is a direct task proper to the lay faithful? As citizens of the State, it is their duty to take part in public life in the first person and, with respect for the legitimate autonomies, to cooperate in forming social life correctly, together with all other citizens, in accordance with the competencies of each one and under his or her own autonomous responsibility. In my Intervention at the National Ecclesial
Convention of Verona last year, I reaffirmed that the immediate duty to act in the political sphere to build a just order in Italian society is not the Church's task as such, but rather, that of the lay faithful. They must dedicate themselves with generosity and courage to this duty of great importance, illuminated by faith and by the Church's Magisterium and animated by the charity of Christ ("Address at the Fourth Italian National Ecclesial Convention," 19 October 2006; L'Osservatore Romano English edition, 25 October, p. 8). For this reason the Social Weeks for Italian Catholics were wisely instituted, and this providential initiative will also be able to make a crucial contribution to the formation and animation of Christianly inspired citizens in the future.
The daily news demonstrates that contemporary society is facing many ethical and social emergencies that could undermine its stability and seriously jeopardize its future. Particularly relevant is the current anthropological question which embraces respect for human life and the attention to be paid to the needs of the family founded on the marriage of a man and a woman. As has been affirmed several times, it is not a matter of solely "Catholic" values and principles but of defending and protecting common human values, such as justice, peace and the safeguarding of creation. What can then be said of the problems concerning work in relation to the family and young people? When lack of steady work does not permit young people to have a family of their own, society's authentic and full development is seriously jeopardized. Here I repeat the invitation I addressed to Italian Catholics at the Ecclesial Convention in Verona, to be ready to welcome the great opportunity that these
challenges offer and not to react with a defeatist withdrawal into themselves, but on the contrary, with a renewed dynamism, to trustingly open themselves to new relationships and not waste any energy that could contribute to Italy's cultural and moral growth.
Lastly, I cannot fail to mention a specific context that prompts Catholics also in Italy to question themselves: it is the context of the relationship between religion and politics. The substantial novelty brought by Jesus is that he opened the way to a more human and freer world, with full respect for the distinction and autonomy that exists between what belongs to Caesar and what belongs to God (cf. Mt 22: 21). If, therefore, on the one hand, the Church recognizes that she is not and does not intend to be a political agent, on the other, she cannot avoid concerning herself with the good of the whole civil community in which she lives and works and to which she makes her own special contribution, shaping in the political and entrepreneurial classes a genuine spirit of truth and honesty geared to seeking the common good rather than personal advantage.
These are the particularly timely topics to which the upcoming Italian Catholic Social Week will give its attention. I assure my special remembrance in prayer to those who will be taking part in it and as I wish them fertile and fruitful work for the good of the Church and the entire Italian People, I warmly impart to all a special Apostolic Blessing.
From the Vatican, 12 October 2007
© Copyright 2007 - Libreria Editrice Vaticana
email this article:
http://www.zenit.org/article-21003?l=english
--------------------------------------
=================================================================
ZENIT is an International News Agency.
For reprint permission:
http://www.zenit.org/english/permissions.html
Visit our web page at:
To subscribe or unsubscribe:
http://www.zenit.org/english/subscribe.html
To give a ZENIT gift subscription:
http://www.zenit.org/english/gift.html
To make a donation to support ZENIT:
http://www.zenit.org/english/donation.html
=================================================================
SEND US YOUR NEWS.
Please send press releases using:
http://www.zenit.org/english/news.html
=================================================================
Copyright, Innovative Media, Inc.
=================================================================
No comments:
Post a Comment