THE SEARCH FOR IDENTITY
AND ITS PASTORAL CHALLENGES.
THE THEOLOGICAL LEGACY OF JOHN PAUL II
Editors:
Dariusz Zagórski
Saša Horvat
2018
Content
Introduction ........................................................................................7
Cover picture: St. John Paul II from Luxembourg cathedral; credit:
Dennis Jarvis, Halifax, Canada
Reviewers:
1. Dr.sc. Franjo Mijatović (Rijeka, Croatia)
2. Prof. José Ramón Villar (Pamplona, Spain)
3. Prof. José Manuel Chillón (Valladolid, Spain)
PART ONE
John Paul II and his theological legacy
CHAPTER I
Dariusz Zagórski – “The Church still lives today
by the life received from Her Fathers.” Christian Antiquity
in the Teaching of John Paul II ..............................................13
CHAPTER II
Jan Perszon – The Religious Transformation of Polish Society
after the Collapse of Communism ..........................................25
© Copyright by Fundacja Pro Futuro Theologiae, 2018
ul. Gagarina 37, 87-100 Toruń
pft.umk.pl
Wydawnictwo „Bernardinum” Sp. z o.o.
ul. Biskupa Dominika 11, 83-130 Pelplin
tel. +48 58 536 17 57, fax +48 58 536 17 26
bernardinum@bernardinum.com.pl, www.bernardinum.com.pl
Skład, druk i oprawa
Drukarnia Wydawnictwa „Bernardinum” Sp. z o.o., Pelplin
ISBN 978-83-8127-???-??
CHAPTER III
Mario Tomljanović – Saint John Paul II – an example
of priestly spirituality .............................................................43
CHAPTER IV
Zbigniew Wanat – The Timeless Nature of the Moral Message
of St. John Paul II’s Pilgrimages to Croatia...........................55
PART TWO
John Paul II and his cultural legacy
CHAPTER V
Piotr Roszak – John Paul II’s Inspirations
for Contemporary Apologetics ...............................................77
CHAPTER VI
Mirosław Mróz – Faith and Wisdom. Reflections
on the Theory and Practice of Proclaiming the Truth
about God Inspired by Fides et ratio ......................................93
CHAPTER VII
Josip Tomić – On the Origin and Importance
of White Croatia ................................................................... 111
CHAPTER VIII
Saša Horvat – Philosophy in John Paul II’s Speeches
in Croatia ..............................................................................123
Introduction
The scientific articles gathered in this book, and titled: “The search
for identity and its pastoral challenges” are a collection of works created
by members of the international scientific Polish-Croatian Summer
School on John Paul II and his legacy, likewise titled – “The search
for identity and its pastoral challenges”.
The Polish – Croatian Summer School, held from July 15 to 22,
2018 in Toruń, Poland – was organized by the Faculty of Theology at
the University of Nicolaus Copernicus (Toruń, Poland) and Theology
in Rijeka, an extension centre of the Catholic Faculty of Theology at
the University of Zagreb in Croatia.
The rector of Toruń seminary – ks. prof Dariusz Zagórski (the
principal investigator) and doc.dr.sc. Saša Horvat (Theology in Rijeka)
were appointed as Project Coordinators.
The school hosted professors and students from Poland and Croatia.
The lectures were conducted by the following professors: prof. zw.
dr hab. Jan Perszon (“The Religious Transformation in Polish
Society after the Collapse of Communism”); prof. dr hab. Mirosław
Mróz (“Fides et Ratio: The enduring originality of the thought of
Saint Thomas Aguinas”); dr hab. Piotr Roszak (“Sterile or fertile
identity? John Paul II and his view of apologetics”); izv. prof. dr.
sc. Nenad Malović (“John Paul II. and Human Dignity”); dr.sc.
Mario Tomljanović (“Saint John Paul II – an example of priesthood
spirituality”); doc.dr.sc. Saša Horvat (“Philosophy in John Paul II’s
Speeches in Croatia”). Each lecture was discussed in detail afterwards.
It is worth noting that prof. dr hab. Mirosław Mróz introduced the
participants to the work of The Research Center for Biblical Thomism
at the Faculty of Theology in Toruń, and the school was honoured to
7
CHAPTER V
Piotr Roszak
John Paul II’s Inspirations for Contemporary Apologetics
During his apostolic pilgrimages to Poland and Croatia John
Paul II repeatedly referred to the theme of identity and the presence of
Christianity in a society which needs to build its future after its liberation
from communism. While analysing the problems of both countries, the
Pope focused on the key role of identity, which could shape a proper
social and cultural order, improve relations, and overcome divisions.
The Pope’s arguments made a great impact on the listeners, offering
them the vision of presence and role of the Church in the new historical
circumstances of both countries. Therefore, it appears justified to look
at the specific Christian apologetics proposed and practiced by John
Paul II, the apologetics, which harmoniously combined the message
of faith with its justification in the form of reasons and arguments. The
style of apologetics represented by the Pope in Poland and Croatia
has not lost its freshness and it is worth considering it in the context
of our efforts to present the credibility of Christianity in new cultural
circumstances. It is of paramount importance to understand many
detailed problems of identity (national, religious and personal) which
appeared in papal speeches when he visited both countries.1
The aim of this chapter is not to provide an exhaustive analysis of
John Paul II’s apologetics but to inspire the reader with some reflections
of the Pope in a new cultural context marked by, among others, postS. Baloban, “Teološko-socijalni govor crkve u hrvatskoj u stvaranju kulture
dijaloga i pomirenja,” Bogoslovska Smotra 3(2017), 577-598.
1
77
secularism. It is worth presenting the apologetic approach of John
Paul II not from the historical perspective but as a stage in the long
process of dialogue between the Church and the world, continued by
Benedict XVI and Pope Francis. The aim is not to reconstruct but to
indicate still relevant inspirations for dialogue with atheism and the
credibility of Christianity and its “meaningful proposal” nowadays.
From this perspective, it is easier to observe this significant contribution
of John Paul II to the awakening of apologetics at the end of the
twentieth century and to reflect on whether it is still valid.
1. Being ashamed of apologetics?
As Cardinal Avery Dulles has observed, the principal proposal of
John Paul II concerning the question of apologetics is personalism,
which was supposed to awake the world from the metaphysical stupor
of the last centuries.2 Also, the history of apologetics is very instructive
in this respect as after the period of modernist controversy, which
promoted the attitude to adjust to the world and abandon any form of
apologetics, an opposing trend supporting the conviction that everything
can be explained with an apologetic argument without the need for
grace became popular. Thus, interest in apologetics has disappeared
and many felt a certain sense of shame for it. Recently the situation
has changed significantly, as we may observe a revival of interest in
apologetics in many Christian denominations and it is not necessary
to justify or defend apologetics any more.
Even in the culture imbued with a deep postmodern distrust of great
syntheses there are various methods of arguing for the faith in God.3
The following passage from Fides et ratio very aptly describes the tasks
of fundamental theology and offers the central line of argumentation:
In studying Revelation and its credibility, as well as the corresponding
act of faith, fundamental theology should show how, in the light of the
A. Dulles, “Rebirth of Apologetics,” McGinley Lecture delivered at Fordham
on March 2, 2004 (published in First Things).
3
Cf. Ch. Gschwandtner, Post-modern apologetics? Arguments for God in
Contemporary Philosophy, Fordham University Press, New York 2013.
knowledge conferred by faith, there emerge certain truths which reason,
from its own independent enquiry, already perceives. Revelation
endows these truths with their fullest meaning, directing them towards
the richness of the revealed mystery in which they find their ultimate
purpose. … From all these truths, the mind is led to acknowledge the
existence of a truly propaedeutic path to faith, one which can lead to
the acceptance of Revelation without in any way compromising the
principles and autonomy of the mind itself. Similarly, fundamental
theology should demonstrate the profound compatibility that exists
between faith and its need to find expression by way of human reason
fully free to give its assent. (Fides et ratio 67).
The way John Paul II justifies Christian faith is not an attempt to
prove or show its rational nature but to embed it in a universal human
experience which, as the faith explains, is due to the light of Revelation
and which is accessible to a human mind. In his speeches in Croatia and
Poland, the Pope frequently referred to the category of the “common
good” and “reconciliation” showing their creative role. However, the
main emphasis was put on the discovery of the mystery of the personal
life of man and transition from the “phenomenon” to “foundation”.
This is the main element of papal apologetics: in the complex world
of postmodern patchwork, Christianity plays a hermeneutical role. It
helps to find your way among quick sands (a metaphor favoured by
postmodernists) to get hold of something stable on which it is possible
to build a meaningful human life.4
The personalist matrix of John Paul II’s apologetics, based on ideas
already discussed by M. Blondel, leads to a deeper understanding
of the desires of the human heart, which find their justification in
Christ. The subjectivism, individualism and collectivism, which exploit
man are overcome. The Pope observed that the reflection on faith
understood from the personalist perspective gives access to the truth
which includes the element of trust, namely the relation, thus giving
people a deeper knowledge than a purely objective understanding. The
basis of apologetic proposal of John Paul II is the renewed category
of “testimony” which is not a simple formal statement or the result
2
78
P. Roszak, “Camino de Santiago i devotio post-moderna. W poszukiwaniu
tożsamości pielgrzyma w dobie ponowoczesnej bezdomności,” in P. Roszak, W. Rozynkowski (eds.), Camino Polaco, vol. 2, WN UMK, Toruń 2015, pp. 219-238.
4
79
of human speculations on God but receiving the Word of God. This
testimony has transformed the disciples and made them capable of
courageous preaching about Christ. The grammar of papal apologetics
is based on the notions originating from the personalist terminology,
such as testimony, invitation, response, engagement, fidelity, and
communion.
The call to young Croats to be “the watchmen of the morning,”
being vigilant in the face of new times, is the appeal to adopt a vigilant
approach and a deeper understanding of their existence instead of living
a superficial life.5 During his apostolic visit to Greece, in the vicinity
of Areopagus, where St. Paul made a famous speech to Athenians,
St. John Paul II referring to the metaphor of city walls and watchmen
emphasised the role of testimony:
The “areopagi” that today call out for the witness of Christians are
many (cf. Redemptoris Missio, 37); and I encourage you to be present
to the world. Like the Prophet Isaiah, Christians have been placed as
watchmen on the summit of the walls (cf. Is 21:11-12), to discern the
human consequences of present situations, to discern the seeds of hope
within society, and to show the world the light of Easter that illuminates
with the radiance of a new day all human realities.6
The Pope encourages Christians to view the processes of social
life in a broader perspective and to have the courage of the sower who
knows that he sowed the seed although it is not visible yet. The time
of growth will come. This is the courage of someone who is able to
anticipate the coming events, a clear allusion of the Gospel to recognize
the signs. Jesus reproaches his contemporaries for lacking this ability
and nowadays many people still live focused on the fearful protection of
what is now without opening to God who comes. The Parable about the
Merciful Father is significant in this respect as the author emphasizes
that the Father runs towards the Prodigal Son when he “was still far
away” (cf. Lk 15: 20-21) still carrying the remains of his old life. The
apologetic instinct that John Paul II has in mind when he speaks to
Cf. The speech of John Paul II during the night vigil for young people in Rijeka
7/8 June 2003.
6
John Paul II, Homily during the Mass at the Sport Palace in the Complex of
the Olympic Centre of Athens, 5th May 2001. Italics mine.
5
80
young Polish and Croatian Christians is thus manifested in noticing
the inconspicuous changes, frequently hidden to the untrained eye.
Christians should be the first to notice “the seeds of hope” that one
day will produce a fully-formed plant, still hidden in small seeds, heroic
attitudes and everyday faithfulness. This is the ability to notice the
early symptoms of change and to be watchful over them so that they
are not abandoned and ignored. This vision of Christian life reveals
papal guidance to take care of identity. Christians on the city walls
are not sterilely clean, isolated from the environment resembling the
man from the parable who hid the treasure out of fear (cf. Mt 25: 18).
Christians should be characterized by a fertile identity, which is open
to personal dialogue giving power to be the children of God. This is
the conviction that Christ acts through and in the faithful (cf. 2 Cor 13).
Standing on the city walls like watchmen, Christians become the careful
and engaged observers, fully aware of what is at stake.
2. Apologetics for today?
Homeless Christianity and cultural engagement
The discourse of John Paul II is based on the in-depth assessment of
philosophical transformations, which appeared in the times dominated
by postmodernism. According to Ch. Delsol, the mental state of this
period is marked by the image of the fall of Icarus from the Greek
mythology. After the collapse of ambitious projects of modernity,
which promised new future, the time of decision overshadowed by
earlier disappointments has come. The morning after the fall of Icarus
seems to be filled with apathy and distrust towards all great narratives
and all-encompassing syntheses. That is why, in the minimalist world
satisfied only with “analyses” (the analytical trend in philosophy and
its popularity are certainly linked with it), the Christian message with
its claims appears to be suspicious.
Another factor is the developing secularism whose origin and
course is described by Charles Taylor in A Secular Age.7 Among many
definitions of the term secularism, including the one encompassing
7
Ch. Taylor, A Secular Age, Harvard University Press, Harvard 2007.
81
Christian engagement in the world, Taylor presents the situation in
which former human goods are deactivated and located under the
surface being absent from a discourse and lifestyle. It does not mean
that they do not exist, but they do not exert any influence on the life
of people at the beginning of the new millennium. This situation can
be compared to a palimpsest, well-known in biblical studies, which
requires the writing must to be superimposed on effaced earlier writing,
in order to save the material. The earlier writing, however, shows
visible traces and the reader is able to decipher it even though it is in
the background.
Taylor’s diagnosis is not pessimistic and, interestingly, suggests
a way of repeated “binding” (reactivation) which is associated with new
forms of religiosity and contexts of faith. In the apologetic message
to the secular world it is worth presenting the faith as the “context of
understanding”, “the framework” which allows us to have a better orientation in the world. It does not limit culture but creates a reference which
makes the world intelligible (a con-text is always referred to a text).
It is easy to realize that the presentation of the beauty of faith and its
intelligibility was the method used by John Paul II. He was aware that
in the secular culture the vision of “homeless Christianity” cut off from
its roots would appear. That is why, during his apostolic visits to Poland
and Croatia he frequently referred to the history of both countries so
that Christianity would not be treated as a “cultural backwater”. Faith
becomes culture long – term, as it expresses itself through culture and
the attempts to separate it from culture are dangerous. It is clearly visible
in modern post-secularism, which notes the indispensable character of
religion in modern social life but markedly differs in defining the new
role of religion.8 It is worth stressing that the concern about culture is
not the result of the personal interests of the Pope but of his conviction
about its special role in the transmission of faith. There are some forms
Post-secularism is not a homogenous trend, but its representatives share a similar
view on the presence of religion in the society. However, this theme will not be the
subject of this text.
8
82
of culture which hinder this process similarly to clogged arteries which
reduce blood flow ultimately resulting in stroke.9
The apologetics of John Paul II is aware of the addressee of the new
evangelization who matures in the times of a specific type of atheism, in
particular after the fall of communism in Poland and Croatia, defined by
some as a practical atheism, atheism “in disguise”, or quiet atheism.10
Thus the words of the Pope who describes the attitude towards these
challenges as the “fidelity to our own heritage”:
The Lord has not failed to enlighten your days with hope (cf. Eph 1:1718), and now, with the coming of freedom and democracy, it is legitimate
to expect a new springtime of faith in this land of Croatia. The Church
is now able to employ many means of evangelization and can approach
all sectors of society. This is a promising moment which Providence
is offering to this generation in order to proclaim the Gospel and bear
witness to Christ Jesus, the one Saviour of the world, and thus to
contribute to the building of a society worthy of man.11
On the other hand, it is symptomatic that the so-called “new atheism”
appears after the death of John Paul II whose engagement in the dialogue
of religion and science is a breakthrough, just to mention the famous
Divine Action Project realized by the Vatican Observatory. Undoubtedly,
this new atheism did not appear suddenly but was prepared and present
also during Wojtyła’s pontificate, repeating the same old theses about
the conflict of religion and science proclaimed since positivism. The
books of Alister McGrath (for example The Dawkins’ delusion) and
street campaigns in London buses are an apologetic response to the
arguments of new atheism put forth by Dawkins and Denett.
These obstacles have been discussed by J. Burggraf, La transmision de la fe en
la sociedad postmoderna y otros escritos, Eunsa, Pamplona 2015.
10
The attitude of John Paul II towards atheism is presented in detail in P. Roszak,
“Jan Paweł II i dialog Kościoła z ateizmem,” in: Ocalić dziedzictwo: [świętemu
Janowi Pawłowi II w X rocznicę nadania doktoratu honoris causa Uniwersytetu
Mikołaja Kopernika w Toruniu] J. Bagrowicz, W. Karaszewski (eds) WN UMK,
Toruń 2015, pp. 133-151.
11
John Paul II, Homily during the Eucharistic Celebration at Znjan Esplanade
in Split, 4th October 1998
https://w2.vatican.va/content/john-paul-ii/en/homilies/1998/documents/hf_jpii_hom_19981004_croazia-split.html.
9
83
Thus, configured cultural portrayal of our times, which has started
with John Paul II and develops nowadays, reminds us that apologetics
cannot be seen as a simple remedy for pain. It is necessary to diagnose
the causes and to treat them instead of focusing merely on symptoms.
The style of John Paul II’s apologetics was, perhaps, not spectacular but
insightful. It encouraged an understanding of the processes, looking for
answers to the questions about the diagnosis of the present situation.
3. What arguments shall we use today?
Trying to describe the papal model of apologetics present in his
speeches to Poles and Croats, it is important to pay attention to how he
proposes the creation of Christian credibility as much as it is possible
in the post-secular world. The Pope has not left us an apologetics
manual or simple guidelines, but he suggested the dynamics of faith,
which is multiplied when it is transmitted on the level of families,
parish communities and education for faith. The Pope spoke through
his actions and, certainly, in his speeches it is possible to notice many
models of argumentation characteristic of his personalist apologetics.
His “persuasion” was based on numerous references to the history of
both nations as he inscribed the Christian message in the historical
context knowing that he does not speak to masses but to individual
people with their history, frequently abounding in suffering and conflicts
but still being an important human dimension. The theme of Baptism
of Croatia (879) and Poland (966) is often mentioned by John Paul II.
However, the image which most fully illustrates his apologetics is
opening the doors to Christ. Each pilgrimage was such an event in the
history of Poland and Croatia.
3.1. “Opening the doors” as the image of John Paul II’s apologetics
It seems that the most apt description of papal apologetics are the
words from the beginning of his pontificate, an announcement of its
program: “open the doors to Christ”. They express the conviction
that Christian Revelation does not impoverish human existence but
84
completes it by offering new perspectives. The perception of faith as
something that limits human freedom and development or as a burden
which should be disposed of in the name of modernity, such positivist
postulates and their association with evolutionary concepts of religiosity,
proclaiming the coming of a post-religious era, are based on a caricature
of the faith and religious life of Christians. The theme of opening the
doors to Christ, who knows best the fullness of humanity, can be also
interpreted, from an apologetic perspective, as the opening of new
dimensions to earthly reality. This also draws attention to a certain
aspect of classical apologetics, which John Paul II remains faithful to.
It was formulated by St. Thomas Aquinas (+1274), the author of the
famous Summa contra Gentiles, who presented the tasks of apologetics
in the context of a reflection on the virtue of faith which cannot be
forced on anyone. The only thing we can do is to remove the obstacle
on the way leading to faith. The aim is to show that it is possible for
man to believe but it is not necessary to sacrifice the reason for the
faith to win. In De Veritate Aquinas presents faith in the context of five
other ways of cognition: direct understanding and knowledge occupy
a higher position than faith, whereas a lower position is reserved for
opinion and doubts. In the act of faith, Thomas, after St. Augustine,
discovers the volitive element of “being convinced” and the intellectual
one “to reason further”(assensione cum cogitare). Faith is the reasoning
based on a certain foundation, on the conviction, and thus it is not only
an opinion on religious matters. The practice of apologetics in the
Thomistic spirit consists in a constant understanding of what impedes
faith, like a huge stone which is difficult to pass. This explains why
Thomas in his Summa Theologiae devoted so much attention to people
who think differently, to partial concepts and theological errors. It was
his apologetic passion that he viewed as “enabling faith”. Undoubtedly,
his approach to the question of the relationship between nature and
grace is fully visible here.
The task of opening the doors which John Paul II places before the
Church in the third millennium is not so much the role of a guard in
the museum but of an ostiary. It is worth reminding that this term has
been used to designate the lowest-ranking order for the candidates
to priesthood and their role was to guard the church doors. Modern
85
dictionaries describe this person as “a porter or doorman, originally
a servant or guard posted at the entrance of a building.”12 This is
a symbolic function describing the identity of the Christian who is not
the owner of the Gospel but the one standing at the threshold, trying
to understand the dilemmas of people who stand at the door, afraid
of making a step forward. It signifies overcoming the temptation of
isolationism in the Church as a self-complacent community observing
only the internal signs of ecclesial life. It teaches the new form of
thinking and seeing the world “outside the box” through the eyes
of those who do not believe. The apologetic effort of observation of
culture consists in the discovery of these “sensitive spots” where faith
cannot break through.
However, the effort of “opening the doors” in the spirit of John
Paul II concerns not only what is outside but also inside the Church, as
Pope Francis observes. It is based on combining various dimensions of
the life of the Church to avoid the harmful closure in fundamentalism
and conservatism. This is the opening of faith to the lack of faith,
various approaches of tradition to each other, and life experience. This
way, we are able to overcome the false vision of bifocal theology, in
which there is doctrine and ministry. It has to be remembered that the
greatest theologians have always been true pastors. At the same time,
it entails the shift of position from being at the threshold to being
a pioneer who is able to discern the new situation. It is translated into
the call of Pope Francis to go to the frontiers, imitating God who goes
out to man, towards periphery.13
3.2. Imaginative apologetics
Recently, what attracts much attention is the imaginative potential
which is not a simple ability to imagine impossible things but to project
and give significance to the projected image.14 On the one hand, human
See the definition at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ostiarius.
Address of Pope Francis to members of the International Theological Commission, 6th December 2013: OR(e) 50 (13-12-2013) 2.
14
H. Ordway, Apologetics and the Christian Imagination: An Integrated Approach
to Defending the Faith Emmaus Road Publishing, Stubenville 2017.
12
13
86
attempts to construct the image of God and their corrections remind us
that our judgments about God are analogical and impossible to exhaust
in the system of notions. It might be expressed in the attempts of the
“disenchantment” of Christianity, that is the essence of Christian faith.
On the other hand, this is the appeal to look closely at language
and the meaning which people ascribe to words to search for the
methods of communicating the Christian understanding of God in an
accessible manner. It is worth paying attention to the popularity of the
books by C. S. Lewis and J. R. R. Tolkien which deal with Christian
truths but presented from a different perspective. Perhaps we are used
to gospel narrative so much that we are not able to be fascinated by its
extraordinary nature. It is similar to the situation when everyday objects
removed from their traditional framework can enchant us with their
originality that we are not able to notice because they are dominated
by other objects we usually pay more attention to.
The idea is to “disenchant Christianity” from the overlays which
have appeared in the course of history to prove that Christian style of
life is not harmful to man and his aspirations. Personalist apologetics of
John Paul II originating from the analysis of human longings and hopes
presents the space of true freedom in the Church as the community
called by Christ.
In the same spirit, it is worth interpreting the vision of fundamental
theology represented by Pope Francis who instead of using evangelical
images offers different metaphors to express the mysteries of faith,
such as the Church as a field hospital, couch potato Christians or
understanding the service in the Church as a car park space. This is not
only the attempt to make the everyday world closer to the mysteries of
faith but also the promotion of the culture of image, which speaks better
than the synthesis. In his speech at the Pontifical Gregorian University,
Pope Francis shows what kind of theology is needed today. It is not so
much the theology that constructs synthesis and uses a heap of notions
unconnected to one another but the act of transmitting knowledge to
offer a key for vital comprehension. The Pope denounces a narcissistic
approach to theology as a sign of “an ecclesiastical illness” which is
satisfied with itself and its syntheses instead of creating “a spiritual
atmosphere of research and certainty based on the truths of reason and
87
of faith.”15 What we need are not nails to close something, but the keys
which open and allow for a search to continue.16
3.3 Creativity and longanimitas
The apologetic style of recent popes (John Paul II, Benedict XVI
and Pope Francis) is characterized not so much by its approach of
“extinguishing fires,” thus answering the accusations of the critics of
religion who are somehow “behind”, but by its tendency to initiate
processes. The idea is not to please the early modern period with
its criteria and adjust to its requirements to be accepted. Since the
Age of Enlightenment the culture has tried to form such a model of
religiosity which could be accepted by enlightenment thinking. This
type of natural religiosity has encouraged Christianity to adjust and fit
this framework. It appears that the vision of religiosity founded on the
tradition of Enlightenment deprives religion of its cognitive dimension
leaving it only the questions of morality. Such a view of religiosity
is absolutely incompatible with Christianity. It is clear that that John
Paul II and his successors try to indicate new areas of modern culture,
which is the result of their vision of relationship between faith and
reason: faith encourages reason to move further and further and exceed
the boundaries, but it does not oppose reason.17
Creativity and a humble search for new ways of proclaiming the
Gospel to new generations without being attached to old methods is
essential in transmitting faith. It consists in initiating the processes
which in the future can bring a significant opening of culture to
the Gospel. This is not “the domination of space” to give a cultural
Pope Francis, Address to the Community of the Pontifical Gregorian University
together with Members of the Pontifical Biblical Institute and the Pontifical Oriental
Institute. Paul VI Audience Hall, 10 April 2014 https://w2.vatican.va/content/
francesco/en/speeches/2014/april/documents/papa-francesco_20140410_universitaconsortium-gregorianum.html.
16
The vision of Pope Francis’ fundamental theology seen as the image of transition
from “nails” which close something to “keys” which open to a new perspective is
presented in M. Tenace (ed.), Dal chiodo alla chiave. La teologia fondamentale di
papa Francesco, LEV 2017.
17
C. Izquierdo, Transmitir la fe en la cultura contemporanea. Tradicion y
magisterio a partir del Vaticano II, Ed. Cristiandad, Madrid 2018.
15
88
advantage18 but the initiation of processes which lead to new dynamics
making sacrum present in everyday life, time and human existence.19
It is not necessary to look for social “influence” and compete for it
with others in the name of logic that if we do not do it, someone else
will take our place, 20 but it is essential to broaden the horizon to avoid
the pressure of seeing matters in a micro perspective. This “initiation”
based on the inclusion of more people leads to the transformation of
historical events. In his new vision of apologetics Pope Francis speaks
about the ability to choose the longer way in ministry without forcing
your presence onto others, but accompanying and choosing only what
is possible in a given situation. This aspiration of fullness, however,
must start with the real assessment of life and possibilities of time. John
Paul II emphasized this aspect during his pilgrimage to Split:
“If you had faith...”. “We are unworthy servants...”. Faith does not
seek the extraordinary, but strives to be useful by serving our
brothers and sisters in the light of the Kingdom. Its grandeur lies in
humility: “We are unworthy servants...”. A humble faith is an authentic
faith. And an authentic faith, even if it is as small “as a grain of mustard
seed”, can make extraordinary things happen.
How many times has this happened in this land! May the future
prove once more the truth of these words of the Lord, so that the Gospel
may continue to bear abundant fruits of holiness among generations
yet to come. ”21
John Paul II reminded us that faith is not based on a blind promotion of
our own convictions because this might easily lead to the ideologization
of faith but on seeking possible solutions to show the utility of faith.
This is a message for our age, which is characterized by the cultural
This aspect has been already observed by Guardini, who is cited by Pope
Francis in almost all his documents.
19
E. Bueno de la Fuente, Eclesiologia del Papa Francisco. Una iglesia bautismal
y sinodal, editorial Monte Carmelo, Burgos 2018, 30-31.
20
It is necessary to indicate the transition in perceiving sacrum from a traditional
spatial approach to a personal category. See: A. Cristoforetti, F. Gennai, G. Rodeschini,
“Home sweet home: The emotional construction of places,” Journal of Aging Studies
3(2011), 225-232.
21
John Paul II, Homily during the Eucharistic Celebration at Esplanade in Split,
4th October 1998. https://w2.vatican.va/content/john-paul-ii/en/homilies/1998/
documents/hf_jp-ii_hom_19981004_croazia-split.html.
18
89
perception of faith as limiting freedom and enslaving individuals. The
utility of faith and the vision of faith as service should be promoted in
all spheres of social life. John Paul II showed how faith acting through
love is able to transform human life, he communicated it through
references to the past but also through transformations which happened
right in front of his eyes in Poland and Croatia.
4. Conclusions
The Pope’s emphasis is not on preaching but on testimony as the
future of apologetics for the new millennium. It is translated into
a personalist approach to another person, to make them aware of the
grace which does not destroy nature but perfects it. This fundamental
principle of Christian theology played a special role in John Paul II’s
apologetics. It is worthwhile, following Javier Prades,22 to build the
fundamental theology on the basis of this category. This form of
apologetics does not consist in creating a “closed synthesis” but in
opening and seeking “more”. This is the apologetics of providing
people with “clues” in their search for a more profound understanding
of their lives, making use of the genius of people that Providence puts
in our path. The metaphors of “opening the doors” of John Paul II
and “clues” of Pope Francis show the same direction in thinking
about apologetics in modern times. The challenges of John Paul II’s
pontificate were the problems of late modernity and postmodernism,
whereas Pope Francis is faced with globalization and its repercussions
for the life of faith, namely the so-called post-industrial era.
Apologetics as such is not able to convert someone, because
conversion is not an automatic, deductive process and requires a free
decision of the human will. It may, however, remove the obstacles
on the way to faith, as emphasized by Thomas Aquinas, and indicate
the right way, constantly providing us with clues to understand life.
Great Scholasticism and great Thomas Aquinas, as Pope Francis says,
proclaim interest in life and provide answers to questions of it.
It is worth remembering that the transmission of faith is one of
the charisms of the Church and according to St. Thomas Aquinas it is
different for the faith which teaches man what he should believe in and
what not to believe in. The former is the characteristic feature of every
believer, whereas the latter teaches “how to induce others to believe,
and confute those who deny faith.”23 That is why, it requires prayer
and opening of man to the gifts of grace. In this context, the words of
John Paul II should not surprise us:
Those who today, at the end of the Second Millennium, must continue
the work of evangelization can draw light and strength from these
words. In this work, at once divine and human, we need to call upon the
power of the Lord. On the threshold of the new Millennium, we rightly
speak of the need for a new evangelization: new in method, but always
the same with regard to the truths it proclaims. The new evangelization
is an immense task: universal in its content and destination, it must take
on new and diverse forms, adapting to the needs of different places.
How can we not sense the need of God’s help to sustain our weakness
and limitations?24
Speaking about “always the same truths”, John Paul II does not
have in mind any mathematical formulas, which, once created, always
remain the same, always are correct, but the truths which continually
embody the culture and are characterized by a tension, observed
by St. Thomas Aquinas, between the credo and reality, which these
truths signify. We accept the faith through the lens of our cognitive
abilities but not according to the truth itself. In other words, it has to
be “formatted” (Aquinas spoke of the formatting of faith through lovecharity) in such a manner that it is comprehensible in a given cultural
period. Similarly, we format a computer disk so that it can be used in
the related environment. In this sense, apologetics is the art of properly
“formatting” the faith, to make it more intelligible in our times.
S. Th., II-II, q. 9, a.1, ad 2.
John Paul II, Homily during the Eucharistic Celebration at Esplanade in
Split, 4th October 1998. https://w2.vatican.va/content/john-paul-ii/en/homilies/1998/
documents/hf_jp-ii_hom_19981004_croazia-split.html.
23
24
See: J. M. Prades, Dar testimonio. La presencia de los cristianos en la sociedad
plural, BAC, Madrid 2015.
22
90
91
Bibliography:
Baloban, S. “Teološko-socijalni govor crkve u hrvatskoj u stvaranju
kulture dijaloga i pomirenja,” Bogoslovska Smotra 3(2017), 577-598.
Bueno de la Fuente, E., Eclesiologia del Papa Francisco. Una
iglesia bautismal y sinodal, Editorial Monte Carmelo, Burgos 2018.
Burggraf, J., La transmision de la fe en la sociedad postmoderna y
otros escritos, Eunsa, Pamplona 2015.
Cristoforetti, A.; Gennai, F.; Rodeschini, G.; “Home sweet home:
The emotional construction of places”, Journal of Aging Studies
3(2011), 225-232.
Dulles, A., “Rebirth of Apologetics,” McGinley Lecture delivered
at Fordham on March 2, 2004 (published in First Things).
Gschwandtner, Ch., Post-modern apologetics? Arguments for God in
Contemporary Philosophy, Fordham University Press, New York 2013.
Izquierdo, C., Transmitir la fe en la cultura contemporanea.
Tradicion y magisterio a partir del Vaticano II, Ed. Cristiandad,
Madrid 2018.
Ordway, H., Apologetics and the Christian Imagination: An
Integrated Approach to Defending the Faith Emmaus Road Publishing,
Stubenville 2017.
Prades, J.M., Dar testimonio. La presencia de los cristianos en la
sociedad plural, BAC, Madrid 2015.
Roszak, P., “Camino de Santiago i devotio post-moderna. W poszukiwaniu tożsamości pielgrzyma w dobie ponowoczesnej bezdomności”,
in P. Roszak, W. Rozynkowski (eds), Camino Polaco: Teologia-Sztuka-Historia-Teraźniejszość, vol.2, Wydawnictwo Naukowe UMK, Toruń
2015, 219-238.
Roszak, P., “Jan Paweł II i dialog Kościoła z ateizmem” in: Ocalić dziedzictwo: [świętemu Janowi Pawłowi II w X rocznicę nadania
doktoratu honoris causa Uniwersytetu Mikołaja Kopernika w Toruniu]
J. Bagrowicz, W. Karaszewski (eds), Wydawnictwo Naukowe UMK,
Toruń 2015, 133-151.
Taylor, Ch., A Secular Age, Harvard University Press, Harvard 2007.
Tenace, M., (ed.), Dal chiodo alla chiave. La teologia fondamentale
di papa Francesco, LEV, Citta del Vaticano 2017.
92
CHAPTER VI
Mirosław Mróz
Faith and Wisdom. Reflections on the Theory
and Practice of Proclaiming the Truth
about God Inspired by Fides et ratio
1. Faith and wisdom: concepts and distinctions
The reflections based on the encyclical Fides et ratio by John Paul II
(chapter IV, 43 and 44) concentrate on the theme of faith and wisdom
from both the practical and theoretical perspective. It is closely linked
with the whole process of attaining knowledge and finding the full
truth. The focus on practical wisdom is an important pastoral matter
because it shows how to transmit faith by learning it from those who
are endowed with the gift of wisdom.
It would appear that the transition from knowledge acquired by
knowing the world to wisdom is an easy task. However, a special
sensitivity of spirit is needed to be not only intelligent but also wise.
A wise person is the one who has a deep insight into many matters and
additionally, through inner intuition, can grasp what is most important
to understand the world, human fate and the sense of life. The search for
a modern man seems to follow this course. However, a real “respect”
towards everything we can know is also needed, especially of what it
is and why it is exactly as it is.1 Both John Paul II and Thomas Aquinas
Cf. John Paul II, Fides et ratio, chapter III, 24-35; Id., Address at Meeting
with Rectors of Academic Institutions, Nicolaus Copernicus University, Toruń, 7th
June 1999, 5-6 (https://w2.vatican.va/content/john-paul-ii/en/speeches/1999/june/
documents/hf_jp-ii_spe_1eq9990607_torun.html).
1
93