A SACRAMENTAL READING OF THE THEOLOGY OF THE BODY

A SACRAMENTAL READING OF THE THEOLOGY OF THE BODY OF ST. JOHN PAUL II WITH REFERENCE TO THE DIGNITY OF THE HUMAN BODY INTRODUCTION The last few years have seen an increasing interest in the Theology of the Body, but relatively little is understood about its sacramental1 aspects. "A theological time bomb, set to go off with dramatic consequences"2. That’s how papal biographer, George Weigel, described Pope John Paul II’s Theology of the Body. The Theology of the Body of St. John Paul II is considered by many to be an innovative project in its approach. This theological doctrine was first developed by then Father Karol Wojtyla and later as auxiliary bishop and archbishop gained consistency. Thus, in the early years of the pontificate, St. John Paul II presents the Church with this project for five years (1979-1984), every Wednesday at the usual general audience at the Vatican. The sources of this paper go through the works of St. John Paul II, including some, before his papal appointment. Noteworthy is the Brazilian edition, which brings together all the speeches of Wednesday's general audiences in St. Peter's Square, in the Vatican, from 1979 to 1984. Besides these were used in the study several works that address the study Important to mention that historically, the word ‘sacrament’ developed from the Greek word ‘mysterion’ and the Latin word ‘sacramentum’. Tertullian used the word ‘sacramentum’ in explaining rites of initiation. St. Augustine developed the notion that a sacramentum is a sign that sanctifies – because it is efficacious – produces the intended effect: “Sacraments are outward signs of inward grace, instituted by Christ for our sanctification”. Catechismus concil. Trident., n. 4, ex St. Augustine, "De Catechizandis rudibus". 2 George Weigel (2009). Witness to Hope: The Biography of Pope John Paul II, p.343. Zondervan Press 1 1212659 of the Theology of the Body, as well as works that complement the specific areas of the elaborate study. These works are studies of these catechesis and seek also how Saint John Paul II made known this theological novelty to the world. On the other hand, I also present criticisms that Christian theologians level against John Paul’s thought - and I offer my reflection on the critique. I have focused this essay on what John Paul teaches, and have tried to critically analyse its value, roots and originality. Due to the limitations of this essay, some other themes which, though important, e.g. the dignity of the body at Love and Responsibility, the dignity of the body and celibacy, are briefly presented in the Appendix I and II. MAIN OBJECTIVES AND METHODOLOGY This essay seeks to assess whether the description – of a theological novelty - fits. It offers a critical evaluation of the Theology of the Body, discusses its originality and its role in the modern world. I attempt to shed some light on the extent to which the Theology of the Body is the Catholic sacramental world-view, understood, structured, and articulated for a culture troubled by a diseased understanding of humanity. I investigate whether that worldview and the understanding of the dignity of human body, when properly understood and truly lived, has the power to transform the way men and women understand their bodies and their souls, their masculinity and femininity, their vocation in this life, and their destiny in the next. In the first part, I examine the degree to which Bishop Wojtyla’s pastoral experience has impacted on the way he builds his thinking. I present some fundamental ideas underlying the way the Theology of the Body develops from a theological view to refocus the human being on its dignity in the light of God. I set out to investigate arguments supporting that we are not faced with an anthropocentrism, but with a theocentrism. 2 1212659 In the second part, my attention focuses on the analysis of the "principle", referring to the first moments of humanity, in God's creation. I undertake an analysis of the reading of Genesis in connection with a passage from Matthew about the possibility of husbands repudiating their wives that Jesus refers to the "beginning." I consider the extent to which the first sin is generated in the heart of human beings and the consequences of not fully living the bodily dimension. This section critically attempts to establish the connection between the "beginning" and an understanding of how the body created by God can give humanity a great contribution in its redemption. In the last sections, I analyse the implications of the Theology of the Body for the different moments of Christian life. I shed light on how in virginity one lives the spousal dynamics of body and person, examining ways in which marriage can also be lived by celibates, giving their entire life to the Creator. I reflect on the sacramental dimension of marriage and I examine the relationship between the Theology of the Body and eschatology. I refer to the dignity of the body in the light of the mystery of the Resurrection of Christ – considering we are temples of the Holy Spirit, living image of Christ and with Him we shall rise at the end of time. I report on Paul’s Trinitarian vision: our body is sacred by reason of God’s gift, his indwelling Spirit: “Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, which dwells in you, which you received from God, and that you do not belong to yourselves? Glorify God in your body ”(1 Cor 6: 19-20). Therefore, there are theological reasons for deepening the theme of human corporeality as a temple of God and as a human dimension also in need of redemption. I also present THE FIRST STEPS OF THE THEOLOGY OF THE BODY In the early 60's of the twentieth century, the then priest Karol Wojtyla showed a great knowledge of the realities that affected the married life. Karol had a great passion for the 3 1212659 theatrical arts and in 1960, he published his first play3. Only his closest friends knew that behind this play was a priest, for the writing revealed a vast knowledge of matrimonial realities in a quasi-empirical way. Father Karol thus founded his thought on experience, especially on the dialogue he had with others4, specially the youth. Father Wojtyla had a keen interest in family ministry. He pioneered in the archdiocese of Krakow the creation of a marriage preparation program. He stood out for the simple and fearless way in which he spoke of human love. This spiritual direction for young couples has opened doors for reflection and “understanding of our bodies in the light of the divine plan rejected by man, restored by Christ and proclaimed by the Church”5. I also highlight his work, Love and Responsibility, which immediately constitutes an outline of the Theology of the Body. Since the focus of this essay is on the Theology of the Body, I do not go in details into Love and Responsibility – but I should point out that the catechesis in the Theology of the Body build on the philosophy developed in a more academic way in Love and Responsibility. ANTHROPOLOGY OF THE BODY IN THE CATHESES ON THE PRINCIPLE The human body is the centre of St. John Paul II's study and is seen in a new and revolutionary way. But is this way of looking at the body a counter current to Catholic doctrine? Quite the contrary: rather it came to give it a new face, responding to what are the demands of the contemporary world in the debates about God and the "why" of man's existence. When we see theology approaching the body, it may seem very strange to us, since its field of study is not the body itself, but God. The study of the body seems to be something 3 K. WOJTYLA, A loja do ourives (Sao Paulo: Editora Rei dos Livros 1984). Cf. Y. SEMEN, A sexualidade segundo João Paulo II (Estoril: Principia 2006) 27. 5 JOÃO PAULO II, Theology of the Body. Catechesis 23, § 4. 4 4 1212659 more proper to biology, medicine, etc.6 However, when theology studies man7, one must also perceive his corporeal and somatic dimensions. Did not the Word of God be made flesh? Were we not redeemed by the Son of God made flesh?8 I argue that it is precisely at this point that reflection on the text of Genesis is irreplaceable. It is really the "beginning" of body theology. The fact that theology also understands the body should not astonish or surprise anyone who is aware of the mystery and reality of the Incarnation. Because the Word of God was made flesh, the body entered, I would say, through the main door of theology. In his book Sexuality According to John Paul II, Yves Semen addresses the issue of duality “body-spirit”.9 There is an idea in us that our body appetites are solely the fault of the body. From this perspective, the body is easily associated with something imperfect, unclean, which we need to break free from. “Here we find the inheritance of Platonic philosophy, which considers the body to be a prison for the soul, and that we must free ourselves from it to rediscover the purity of the human essence, which is spiritual”10. Semen clearly says that we are facing a mystery rather than a problem itself. How to understand this mystery of the rebellion of the body against the spirit and vice versa? St. John Paul explores that the most viable attitude is, first, to “recognize the mystery, then to embrace it, to make it close, to become acquainted with it, more by concrete experience than by logic… to reflect upon it through an interior recovery effort”11. Here we find St. John Paul II's theological proposal: to welcome the mystery of our bodily condition. With Christ, human corporeality is the target of a new creation, for redemption Cf. T. WILLIAMS, The originality of Blessed John Paul’s theology of the body, 29. It is relevant to clarify that I will eventually adopt the generic expression "man" as meaning the human person, i.e. man and woman; considering the analysis of Genesis ("God created man in his own image; he created man and woman"). There is no intention of overvaluing male over the female. 6 7 8 JOÃO PAULO II, Theology of the Body. Catechesis 23, § 4. Y. SEMEN, A sexualidade segundo João Paulo II, 49-51. 10 Ibid., 50. 11 Ibid., 51. 9 5 1212659 was wrought in the whole man – soul and body. In the unity of body and soul, man, by his own bodily condition, is a synthesis of the material world, so that through it he reaches its highest point and freely praise the Creator. It is not, therefore, lawful for man to despise bodily life, but, on the contrary, is obliged to regard his body as good and honourable, since it was created by God and is to be resurrected on the last day. Therefore, since his creation, man has been put in relationship with God, for his existence is in the image of God. Human existence could not be understood without the immense gift of freedom. The drama of original sin, coupled with man's origins as God's creation, leads us to a broad exposition of the thought of St. John Paul II. To perceive this question of principle as the original space of understanding of man, we cannot be on the margins of what the essence of God the Creator and Redeemer is. The mystery of Christ illuminates this whole truth about the human body. Since man was created in God's image and likeness, his whole person reveals something about God. Thus, an “integral vision of man”12 is necessary, against the superficial views of man that convey him to our world13. A THEOLOGICAL AND SACRAMENTAL REFLECTION ON THE PRINCIPLE In his catechesis, St. John Paul II begins by addressing a primordial question of humankind, namely its creation. This indication of the principle is seen in the light of the mystery of Christ the new Adam. The method of St. John Paul II resides in a “philosophical and theological reading of the first three chapters of Genesis, considering man first in his condition of original solitude and then in his sexual differentiation after the creation of Eve”14. St. John Paul II begins his approach by reference to the Gospel text of Matthew 19: 3-9, where the Pharisees confront Jesus with a question about the indissolubility of marriage. 12 13 14 PAULO VI, carta encíclica Humane vitae 1968, p.11. Ibid.,7. J. LAFFITTE, A Theology of the Body: a sexualidade segundo João Paulo II, Lisboa: Aletheia 2013, 23. 6 1212659 Jesus is clear when he speaks of the beginning, as he refers to the book of Genesis. In this discussion with the Pharisees, Jesus shows the original design of creation, where the indissolubility of the union of Adam and Eve was dear to God. St. John Paul II calls the primordial times before the historical man15 (the man after the Original Sin) the "prehistory of humanity." It is with sin that it begins. The reference to the principle made by Jesus nevertheless raises a question: how to understand in depth the covenant between God and men in the original plan of creation? The Gospel passage allows us to see that the purpose of the creation of men and women is in the unity of both, as a form of participation in God's creative work (“Blessing them, God said to them: fill and rule the earth”) and to be a visible sign of God's predilection for the human species, precisely because man and woman are his image and likeness. “We cannot separate God's creation which He creates from the designs He has for His creature from eternity”16. St. John Paul II tells us: […] The definitive creation of man consists in the creation of the unity of two beings. Its unity denotes above all the identity of human nature; duality, in turn, manifests what, based on such an identity, constitutes the masculinity and femininity of the created mankind. I argue that this ontological dimension of unity and duality has great significance. The creation of man and woman as living beings for one another in the experience of mutual communion expresses the goodness of the Creator and his original purpose for them. The corporeality of man and woman is an appeal to communion from the beginning. St John Paul II saw precisely at this point “the true sign of man's creation in the image of God”17. 16 L. LADARIA, Introdución a la antropología teológica (Navarra: Verbo Divino 2011), p. 58. 17 J. LAFFITTE, A Theology of the Body: a sexualidade segundo João Paulo II, 36. 7 1212659 In fact, the concepts of self-awareness and self-determination have structured man from the beginning as a body among other bodies18. Man is a unique being to God, and his relationship with God bears no resemblance to any other creature: only man has this relationship of image and resemblance to the Creator. While the body, for example, is a dimension that has in common with animals, reason establishes in Human Beings a unique excellence, not shared with any other being. That is, it creates a qualitative, not just quantitative, difference in it. And it is precisely the fact that human beings are the image of God that constitutes in them the qualitative difference19. However, man could risk recognizing himself as one among the others, to the point of not recognizing his solitude. Thus, in his distinction of animals, man becomes aware of his body, aware of his superiority and difference from animals, and ultimately his dignity as a person20. Man is capable to realise that his humanity is unique to God as he is capable of self-awareness and self-determination. In this discovery, he finds the definition of himself before God. “Body consciousness seems to be identified, in this case, with the discovery of the complexity of the structure itself, which, based on philosophical anthropology, ultimately consists in the relationship between soul and body”21. The relationship between interiority and exteriority manifests itself in the complexity of the human structure22. There is a complementarity that defines human beings as being endowed with rational capacities that allow them to aspire to higher gifts, as St. Augustine pointed out in his distinction between the body stature of man and that of animals (cf. Col 3: 2). 18 JOÃO PAULO II, Theology of the Body. Catechesis 6, § 3. 19 D. BARBOSA, A vida como deserto nas Enarrationes in Psalmos de Agostinho, in Revista Filosófica, n.º 42 (Coimbra 2012) 395. 20 JOÃO PAULO II, Theology of the Body. Catechesis 6, § 3. 21 Ibid.,7, § 1. 22 “K. WOJTYLA, Persona y acción, Madrid: BAC 1982. p. 134. 8 1212659 Thus, we come to the point where man's actions as being endowed with reason, selfawareness and self-awareness reveal his superiority. Through the proper structure of his body, man becomes capable of truly human activity. Unlike all earthly creatures, man wonders about the meaning of his imminent end. […] Thanks to the body, man's life is a journey whose origin and ultimate end are the Creator23. Man finds in himself the gift of freedom, which is given by God. There is before him an “alternative, intimate and directly linked by God-Yahweh to the tree of the knowledge of good and evil”24. St. John Paul II does not develop this idea, but such a reference is decisive for understanding the original solitude. From this solitude, as already mentioned, man feels the need to give himself to someone like him. The words of Genesis 2:18 open to him the possibility of finding the fulfilment of his vocation. Original solitude thus finds meaning in original unity. This original unity, which illuminates the human reality in its masculine and feminine aspects, brings with it the specific elements of sex, which through corporeality denote their difference and complementarity. This is key finding of my research. "A person as a unified whole, as an incarnate spirit, is an end that God wills for himself, never a means." Therefore, all utilitarian dynamics, which see the body as a medium or object, are reprehensible, as it is in relation to another person. This dynamic does not mark man in his identity discovery, nor in his primordial encounter with woman. “Adam stands before a new human person whose presence enriches and widens the horizon of his life. […] The interpersonal encounter that reveals love happens precisely through the body ”25. THE DIGNITY OF THE BODY, INNOCENCE AND SHAME T. WILLIAMS, The Originality of Blessed John Paul’s Theology of the Body, 41. JOÃO PAULO II, Theology of the Body. Catechesis 8, § 3. 25 C. ANDERSON – J. GRANADOS, Criados para o amor, 48. 23 24 9 1212659 The original nudity is something that deserves analysis. We should turn above all to Genesis 2, 25: "Both men and women were naked, but they were not ashamed." St. John Paul II states that this verse is fundamental to the revelation about origins. Being naked without being ashamed “unquestionably describes his state of consciousness and even his reciprocal experience of the body, that is, man's experience of femininity that is revealed in the nakedness of the body and, conversely, the experience of masculinity on the part. of the woman ”26. There is a threshold between the original state of innocence, where there was no body shame, and the state after sin - which causes Adam and Eve to lay fig leaves to cover themselves (cf. Gen 3: 7). St. John Paul II tells us that the transformation takes place at a deeper level than the pure use of the sense of sight. Thus, the state of nakedness puts man in a state of vulnerability - "Such a change refers directly to the experience of the meaning of one's body before the Creator and the creatures."27 Through the body humanity discovers its complementarity (“flesh of my flesh”) and the realization of human unity as an expression of God's image. However, we cannot stand for the mere exteriority of the human body: one must go within, to realize this original nakedness. “The body, in fact, expresses the person in his ontological and essential concreteness, which is something more than 'individual'”28. The body is a place of communion and not an expression of individualism. The body is an expression of the communion desired by God for man and woman29. Thus, the expression “they were not ashamed” expresses that, in the feminine and masculine, there is a personal intimacy that communicates each other in a state of radical purity. THE SPOUSAL AND SACRAMENTAL DIMENSION OF THE BODY 26 JOÃO PAULO II, Theology of the Body. Catechesis 11, § 3. 27 Ibid.,11, § 5. 28 JOÃO PAULO II, Theology of the Body. Catechesis 12, § 4. 29 C. CAFFARRA, Introducción General, 45. 10 1212659 As highlighted earlier, man and woman were created for communion. Unity between them manifests the mystery of creation, for man and woman, by their superiority over the rest of creation, manifest God as the origin of all that is. When Jesus refers to the principle in dialogue with the Pharisees, we find that the body has a spousal meaning, as it is made for the gift: “It is this capacity for total self-giving that gives us the dignity of people… and in this freedom. the human being accomplishes what he was created for ”30. Thus, the spousal dynamics also reveals God's way of being, namely, the communion. From this communion of people derives the spousal dimension. This is based on a reciprocal belonging of people, under the bond of an alliance, through which man can fulfil his vocation to be a gift, to give himself to another - which complements his bodily solitude. In marital intimacy, this dimension becomes more evident, because in it the man and the woman become one flesh, expressing that same unity of life that both form in this world31. This mutual surrender of spouses always implies a mature awareness of the body. At this maturity, man realizes that his body is not intended exclusively for procreation, as in the case of animals: the body is made above all for the communion of people, for that fullness of love that God manifests through men. Procreation is a fruit of this same loving surrender; In fact, it loses all meaning if it is not lived in a communion of life. We cannot reduce sexuality to procreative function, otherwise it will betray the sense of the spousal vocation of the body. What comes first is communion; procreation comes later, because it is the fruit of communion. Thus, through the gift, and consequently through the communion of persons, humanity is fully realized. In this meeting of complementarity, man discovers his fundamental vocation: to give oneself to the “other”, to the spouse. In the mutual giving of his whole being, in a unique intimacy, man discovers that he bears witness to the love God has for 30 31 Y. SEMEN, A sexualidade segundo João Paulo II, 73. JOÃO PAULO II, Theology of the Body.Catechesis 10, § 2. 11 1212659 him. This surrender is not only a matter of fecundity and procreation, but also brings with it the spousal dimension, such as "the capacity to express love"32. The fact that people are different makes them even more aware of their need for each other, reminding them that they are not complete in themselves. It is an invitation to both to enrich their experience by learning to see the world through each other's perspective33. Hence, we can talk about the horizontality and verticality of the dynamics of the gift: horizontality, as human beings relate to each other, giving themselves; Verticality refers above all to their relationship with the Creator, for it is the certainty of God's favourite love for each that makes them love their spouse34. St John Paul II considers that holiness as a means to redeem mankind manifests itself above all in the capacity for bestowal. This ability goes far beyond the body, but it is in the immediate consequences of the marital relationship that total bestowal becomes a trustworthy receiving. Therefore, I argue that, participation in God's creative act is manifested by the generation of children. God, in his immense love, created us to commune with him. Thus, men and women, united in marriage, are called to accept the gift of their children and to make them know God, the source of all love, and to meet the "other." In this constant exodus, God fills the spousal relationship35. This is a vital aspect of my essay. The presence of the Lord in every human generation is constant, for, as St. John Paul II recalls, even after sin every man in this world continues to contain within himself the image and likeness of God. Despite the difference in states before and after sin, “in the different dimensions of the human being, the condition of being an image of God is manifested, and in turn it is not destroyed, but it integrates the aspects we discover 32 Ibid, Catechesis 15, § 1. C. ANDERSON – J. GRANADOS, Cridos para o amor, 53. 34 W. KASPER, Theology del matrimonio cristiano, 41. 35 Cf. BENTO XVI, Carta encíclica Deus caritas est, 6. 33 12 1212659 in the experience of our life”36. Without ignoring the harmful consequences of Original Sin, it is important to bear in mind that man is still the visible expression of an invisible reality. By the communion of persons who are called to constitute, man and woman, to “confirm and renew the existence of mankind in the image of God.37 I argue that the Theology of the Body has significant implications for the Christian life, namely, for marriage and for eschatology. Thus, from the mystery of Christ, who took our flesh and redeemed it, we will look at the body as a dimension that one day when we will be resurrected at the end of time will return to its greater dignity. A SACRAMENTAL READING OF THE DIGNITY OF THE BODY AND MARRIAGE Marital life is a crosscutting theme to the Theology of the Body. Based on the study done so far, I came across a number of principles about marriage that should be remembered, such as: the indissolubility of marriage in light of the first chapters of Genesis; the dynamics of spousal love and the other consequences of this love for a pure life in body and spirit; and the possibility of holiness in marriage38. Once again, St. John Paul II reiterates the exegesis of St. Paul, endorsing that marriage is understood in the light of the mystery of Christ and the Church. The marriage institution existed from the beginning, and Christ recalls the Creator's original designs for man and woman: as the Redeemer of mankind, God transforms family institution into a space where redemption is possible. In the Old Testament, marriage expressed the image of God's covenant with the people. This covenant reaches its summit in Jesus Christ, which seals God's union with mankind for eternity. In this way, man is destined for eternity with God and not for this world, and for this reason the Apostle exhorts us not to be too attached to earthly things, but rather to those above (cf. Col 3: 2). From this perspective, 36 L. LADARIA, Introduccion a la antropologia teologica, 80. 37 JOÃO PAULO II, Theology of the Body. Catechesis 20 § 7. 38 JOÃO PAULO II, Carta encíclica Familiaris consortio, 13. 13 1212659 the Christian must live the marriage in view of his definitive vocation with God. Therefore, whether in the celibate option or in marriage life, the body must be an expression of a reality that goes beyond the finite view of this world. St. John Paul II tells us about this: Indeed, in one and the other way of life - in one and another vocation - operates that gift that each one receives from God, that is, grace, which makes the body the temple of the Holy Spirit, and it remains, both in virginity (in continence) as well as in marriage, if man remains faithful to his own gift and, in accordance with his state, that is, his vocation, does not dishonour this “temple of the Holy Spirit” which is your body39. So, marriage becomes something of a learning reality as spouses build one another through understanding the true meaning of the body. In effect, marriage, in the light of this, is an expression of a greater love, a love between God and his people, between Christ and the Church. This way of loving to which St. Paul exhorts the Christians of Ephesus is possible only - humanly speaking, and in view of human frailty - because we are God's image and likeness and His grace. It is in marriage that we find the profound greatness of the body through the physical involvement that it enhances. There is a sacredness in the union of spouses, because the intimate sharing of their bodies is a mediation for the knowledge of love and life. The body manifests this response to the love received and is fundamental in consolidating the marital relationship. Marriage can only be understood as a sacrament insofar as divine reality is expressed in an earthly reality. In the letter to the Ephesians, marriage is presented in a sacramental sense, for the union between Christ and the Church is essential for the redemption of mankind. Thus, in the light of this union, marriage becomes the place of salvation and 39 JOÃO PAULO II, Theology of the Body. Catechesis 85 § 4. 14 1212659 sanctification of the spouses: “By the grace of the sacrament of marriage, we are able to be icons of the Holy Trinity”40. Indeed, the sacramentality and holiness in marriage derives from the Christian vocation of all the baptized, for belonging to the Body of Christ implies a constant search for identification with the redeeming mystery of the Messiah. The importance of this sacrament in the life of the Church impels her to protect the family institution as a privileged space for knowing the experience of God's love for humanity. The Theology of the Body thus becomes important in the rediscovery of the human body and its value in the light of human redemption. The communion or communal dimension is structuring in understanding the mystery of the Church. In the realization of this vocation, marriage expresses a uniqueness to society and the Church41. The consent given in the sacramental act becomes a living expression of the bodily surrender that will henceforth be realized in union: these words correspond to a "reality which they themselves [i.e., the spouses] constitute".42 This dimension helps each spouse realize his mission to lead the other to eternal life. THE DIGNITY OF THE BODY AND ESCHATOLOGY One can argue that Christian existence is guided by a permanent eschatological tension, as it speaks of a reality that surpasses us, and we look forward to it. One of the novelties of Christianity is precisely in its bodily revelation, for God takes our flesh and raises it to Himself. In the profession of Christian faith is the truth of Christ's resurrection and our resurrection — in which our bodies will unite with our souls, and thus we will fully participate in the mystery of Christ's resurrection. In this sense, the Theology of the Body seeks to give the 40 41 42 Y. SEMEN, A sexualidade segundo João Paulo II, 103. Apostolicam actuositatem, 11. JOÃO PAULO II, Theology of the Body. Catechesis 104 § 4. 15 1212659 Christian an integral vision of his life and constitution, which is marked by Christ's redemptive action. There is also an important aspect in the Christian life: the presence of the Holy Spirit as sanctifier of the faithful and guide of the Church. Saint John Paul II says: “Those who, as spouses, according to God's eternal plan, have united to the point of becoming, in a sense, one flesh, are also in turn called, through the sacrament, to a life according to the Spirit, corresponding to the gift received in the sacrament. By virtue of that gift, they are able to rediscover the particular grace they have become part of.”43 Without the Holy Spirit it is impossible to understand the logic of the gift or its eschatological implications. In the Synoptic Gospels (Mt 22: 23-32; Mk 12: 18-27; Lk 20: 34-39) Jesus pronounces in relation to the resurrection of bodies, saying that marriage is not an eschatological reality. Carnal union does not happen in heaven; in Him we shall be either male or female by virtue of the body, but in a transformed way with God. Bodies will thus be an expression of our spousal union with God44. The resurrection of bodies was not part of the faith of the Sadducees. Therefore, in posing the problem of the wife who had seven husbands, they seek to deconstruct the teaching of Christ. But when Christ says that "when they shall rise from the dead, they shall neither marry, nor be given in marriage, but shall be as angels in heaven" (Mk 12:25), reveals a fundamental point of Christian revelation. The resurrection of bodies will be the full manifestation of our spousality, not between men and women, but toward God Himself. On the one hand, for numerous theologians it is clear that when the resurrection of the dead takes place, humanity will be complete, will be quantitatively closed - procreation will no longer be necessary. On the other hand, our will for communion will be fully satisfied, for our relationship with God will be perfect. Such a communion will be so 43 44 JOÃO PAULO II, Theology of the Body. Catechesis 102 § 5. C. CAFFARRA, Introducción general, 41. 16 1212659 perfect that other forms of earthly intersubjectivity will be infinitely small in the face of the communion we will experience with God. In brief, the body will be glorified, and the Holy Spirit will be in it with all its might. When we refer to the resurrection, we cannot think of mere bodily renewal - the resurrection aims at the glorification of mankind, establishing his perfect integrity: it is the human restitution to true bodily life, which was subjected to death in its historical course45. CRITICISMS AGAINST THE MORAL THOUGHT OF JOHN PAUL II Charles E. Curran’s book entitled The Moral Theology of Pope John Paul II46 is a sustained attack on the late pope’s moral theology. Curran claims that John Paul II’s theology “cannot serve as a theology for all bodies….what the pope develops in terms of the nuptial meaning of the body really does not apply to people who are single or those who are widows or widowers….”. He says that “….The impression given by The Theology of the Body is that passion and sexual pleasure are totally suspect and in need of control. The pope does not seem to acknowledge a fundamental goodness about sexuality and sexual pleasure…”47. In my view, Curran clearly chose not to consider pre-papal works such as Love and Responsibility. It is important to mention some passages from that work. In it Karol Wojtyla affirmed that sensuality is a “response to the sexual values of the body-person and a response to the person as a ‘potential object of enjoyment.”48 He emphasized that sensuality is “a sort of raw material for true, conjugal love,” and he insisted that “an 45 JOÃO PAULO II, Theology of the Body. Catechesis 68 § 3 Curran, C.E., The Moral Theology of Pope John Paul II, Washington, D.C.: Georgetown University Press, 2005. 47 Ibid, pp. 4, 5. 46. 168, 188. 48 Karol Wojtyla, Love and Responsibility, New York: Farrar, Straus, Giroux, 1981, p. 105. 46 17 1212659 exuberant and readily roused sensuality is the stuff from which a rich—if difficult— personal life may be made.”49 I agree with Dr William May50, that John Paul II clearly recognizes, in his “Theology of the Body,” that the sexual desire of man for woman and vice versa is itself something good, although “lust,” sinful desire, is not. He explicitly declares that sexual desire can have a “noble” fulfilment, a joyful, pleasurable, sinless sexual union between husband and wife in the conjugal act. Also, it is important to mention that the previous translations were not accurate and were hard to understand. Different translators were used over the long period that the Catechesis were given. Therefore, it happened that the same term would be translated differently from one Catechesis to the other. The new translation of Michael Waldstein in 2006 has corrected that problem – and he had access to John Paul's original notes in Polish. As Thomas Petri, O.P. says, "Charles Curran can be excused for his criticism to the contrary since it was made before the publication of Waldstein’s translation."51 Other criticisms can likewise be shown to be gratuitous and rooted in a profound failure to read carefully the texts and to consider other theologians’ analysis on such issues. CONCLUSION The path taken throughout this paper allowed me to have a more secure knowledge of the Theology of the Body of St. John Paul II. The study required careful reading and reflection, as theological and philosophical density was always present. The present research has and had its limits. There is of course a lot more to what St. John Paul II says than just the dignity of the body. Due to the limitations of this essay, I had to keep the focus narrow and go in depth into one issue: a sacramental reading of the 49 Ibid, p. 109. MAY, W., Theology of the Body (Boston: Pauline Books 2010). p.39-59. 51 Petri, O.P., Thomas (2016). Aquinas and the Theology of the Body: The Thomistic Foundations of John Paul II's Anthropology. Catholic University of America Press. 50 18 1212659 Theology of the Body, to bring out more clearly the contributions that St. John Paul II makes when we read his work “sacramentally”. From this research I highlight some aspects. The Church has always shown its concern for the human body and all its dimensions and has struggled strongly with heretical currents that sought to diminish its dignity. The body is called to participate in redemption, since, as I reiterated in this paper, Christ, by incarnating, redeemed man in his totality: soul and body. Wojtyla's approach to love has allowed me to look at this dimension from a vertical perspective, first, and then from a horizontal perspective. Because God first loved us, we are able to love, and we really know what that is. We cannot understand the love between human beings without realizing God's love for us. This theological reflection is important as we realize that God's love moves the whole history of salvation. Love is all the more perfect, as it is configured with the love of Christ, who gave himself for us on the cross. The body enters into all these dynamics of our relationship with God. In this I highlight how the mystery of the incarnation allows us to understand the Old Testament man, always pointing to the future life. The man in original sin lost that communion he had with God, and Jesus restores it by taking on our flesh, becoming one of us. The body becomes part of God. The body as God's creation and medium through which we relate to Him deserves a careful analysis of current theologians. However, there has always been a tendency to negate the body because of its body appetites and the disorder it causes in humans. The Theology of the Body thus contributes to a renewal of the Christian view of earthly realities, namely of our body. None of what was said by St. John Paul II in his theological reflection is outside the mystery of humanity in the light of Christ's revelation. 19 1212659 It is from Christ that the Polish Pope reads all human life on its historical horizon, and it is also from him that reminds us that man's abode is not this world: it is to be with God52. This research allowed me to secure a broader understanding of at the importance of the dignity of the body in the sacramental dynamics. The sacraments are understood only to the extent that the body participates in them. In addition, this study has helped me to recognise the sacramental dignity of the human body as enacted in Marriage with regards to sexual complementarity; the giving of the whole person (ensouled body, embodied soul) to the other plus the reception of the other person’s self-gift. It enabled me to appreciate the power of the sacraments, and how “they catch up humanity into the unfolding of God’s saving work, to the extent that men and women, as sharers in Christ’s Priesthood, and as his Body in the world, are made, themselves, sacramental”53. St. John Paul II's innovative (and in my view, brilliant) approach has much to say to the Church today, especially at a time when the crisis in families becomes a major concern. Many of the structural problems that exist today necessarily involve a poor approach to the various forms of corporeality. From the outset, the lust that is lived today in relation to the bodies expresses the lack of understanding of the dignity that is continually attributed to the body: it goes from a proper space of the relationship to a utilitarian dynamic, similar to the use of the things of this world. In this context the Theology of the Body in Latin America is already in an advanced and mature state, while in several countries in Europe it is still rehearsing its first steps. Thus, 52 JOÃO PAULO II, Theology of the Body. Catechesis 69 § 8. 53 Mcgrail, Peter and Foster, Martins, SCM Studyguide: Catholic Liturgy, SCM Press 2018. 20 1212659 it becomes an objective of this dissertation to raise awareness of the novelty of Theology of the Body in the United Kingdom and to encourage further research opportunities. BIBLIOGRAPHY Works by Saint John Paul II/Karol Wojtyla JOÃO PAULO II, Teologia do Corpo. O amor humano no plano divino (São Paulo: Paulinas 2013). _____, Carta encíclica Redemptor Hominis (Braga: Editorial A. O. 1978). _____, Exortação apostólica Familiaris Consortio (Sao Paulo: Edições SÃO PAULO 1994). _____, Carta encíclica Fides et Ratio (Cidade do Vaticano, Libreria Editrice Vaticana 1998). _____, Tríptico Romano: Meditações (Sao Paulo: Paulinas 2004). WOJTYLA, K., A loja do ourives (Sao Paulo: Editora Rei dos Livros 1984). _____, Amor e Responsabilidade (Braga: Editorial A.O. 1979). ADDITIONAL BIBLIOGRAPHY CURRAN, C.E. and McCORMICK, R.A., Moral Theology No. 8 – Dialogue About Catholic Sexual Teaching (New Jersey: Paulist Press 1993). COKELEY, M., Shame, Lust, and the Human Body after the Fall: A Comparison of St. Augustine and Pope John Paul II, in Nova et Vetera 2 (2004) 249-256. 94 WILLIAMS, T., The originality of Blessed John Paul’s theology of the body, in La Teologia del Corpo di Giovani Paolo II. A cura de P. A. Barrajón (L.C. 2012) 29-48. BENTO XVI, carta encíclica Deus caritas est (Prior Velho: Paulinas 2006). ___, Acta Apostolicae Sedis, Vol. XCVII, nº5, Homilia in Missa Pro eligendo Pontifice (Cittá del Vaticano: Libreria Editrice Vaticana 2005). 685-689. BENTO XVI, carta encíclica Deus caritas est (Prior Velho: Paulinas 2006). ___, Acta Apostolicae Sedis, Vol. XCVII, nº5, Homilia missa Pro eligendo Pontifice (Cittá del Vaticano: Libreria Editrice Vaticana 2005). 685-689. CATECISMO DA IGREJA CATÓLICA (Coimbra: Gráfica de Coimbra 1999). CONCÍLIO ECUMÉNICO VATICANO II, Documentos conciliares. Constituições – Decretos - Declarações (Coimbra: Gráfica de Coimbra 1998). DENZINGER, H. – HUNERMANN, P., El magistério de la Iglesia (Barcelona: Herder 2000). FERRATER MORA, J., Dicionário de Filosofia (Sao Paulo: Publicações Dom Quixote 1978). 21 1212659 GUITTON, J. Ensaio sobre o amor humano (Livraria Cruz: Braga 1957). HEALY, M., Os Homens e as Mulheres são do Éden (Sao Paulo: Encontro da Escrita 2013). LADARIA, L., Introdución a la antropología teológica (Navarra: Verbo Divino 2011). KASPER, W., Teologia del Matrimonio Cristiano (Santander: Sal Terrae 1984). MAY, W., Theology of the Body (Boston: Pauline Books 2010). MARCEL, G., Être et Avoir (Paris: Aubier 1935). MORAIS BARBOSA, D., A vida como deserto nas Enarrationes, Psalmos de Agostinho, in Revista Filosófica de Coimbra n.º 42 (Coimbra 2012) 391-416. MORUJÃO, A., Fenomenologia, in Logos (Sao Paulo/São Paulo: Editorial Verbo) 488-493. MOUNIER, E., O personalismo (Sao Paulo: Livraria Morais Editora 1960). NELSON, J. B., Body Theology (Loisville: Westminister/John Knox Press 1992). PAULO VI, Carta encíclica Humane Vitae (Braga: Secretariado Nacional do Apostolado da Oração 1968). PHILIPPE, J., La libertad interior (Madrid: Rialp S. A. 2008). SARMIENTO, A., El Matrimónio Cristiano (Pamplona: EUNSA 1997). SEMMELROTH, O., La Iglesia como sacramento original (San Sebastian: Ediciones Dinor, S. L. 1966). SOLANA, J. P., Hacia una ética de la corporeidade humana (Murcia: Universidad Católica de San Antonio 2004). TEIXEIRA, J., Personalismo, in Logos (Sao Paulo/São Paulo: Editorial Verbo) 78-92. TOMAS DE AQUINO, Suma Teologica (Rio de Janeiro: BAC 1988). 22 1212659 APPENDIX I THE DIGNITY OF THE BODY AT LOVE AND RESPONSIBILITY Love and Responsibility54 is the name of Karol Wojtyla's work where the key points of his theological and philosophical reflection on affects and human relations are traced. Karol always starts from the basis of marital relations - which precedes them, which involves the dynamics of relations - so that he can then clearly express what the Church's thinking about marriage and other forms of being in and serving is. This work shows the great philosophical and theological intelligentsia of Karol Wojtyla. We can say that it is a true treatise of theological anthropology, because it seeks to understand man as an individual being, loved and loved by God. However, this love received from God impels man to relationship and communion. Karol always starts from the basis of marital relations - which precedes them, which involves the dynamics of relations - so that he can then clearly express what the Church's thinking about marriage and other forms of being in and serving is. Church. The work is structured in four chapters: the first analyses the person and the sexual tendency, approaching the theme to currents such as utilitarianism and personalism, as well as issues ranging from the analysis of objects and subjects of this type of relations. even ontological issues. In the second chapter, Karol seeks to analyse the person in the light of love, analysing its various manifestations, as well as spousal love and, consequently, all the implications of their experience. In the third chapter he relates the 54 K. WOJTYLA, Love and Responsibility (Braga: Editorial A.O. 1979). 23 1212659 notion of the person with the chastity virtue, seeking to describe the meaning of chastity today, as well as to provide answers to the problems that most affect it. Finally, in the fourth chapter - entitled “Justice for the Creator” - the author talks about Marriage and other vocations in the Church. This work shows the great philosophical and theological intelligentsia of Karol Wojtyla. We can say that it is a true treatise of theological anthropology, because it seeks to understand man as an individual being, loved and loved by God. However, this love received of God impels man to relationship and communion. Karol Wojtyla addresses the theme of love in his book Love and Responsibility as a starting point for understanding the complex dynamics of human relations. Love that generates life and relationship is almost transversal to the ways of being and of relationship with God and with the world. Indeed, God's love precedes us: He first loved us (cf. I Jn 4:19). Saint John Paul II tells us in the Apostolic Exhortation Familiaris Consortio: God is love and lives in himself a mystery of personal communion of love. In creating the humanity of man and woman in his own image… God has inscribed in her the vocation for love and communion and, therefore, the corresponding capacity and responsibility. Thus, the truth of the human being can only be understood in the light of God's love: since God has loved us, we are able to love. St. John Paul II was a pioneer in the reflection on the human body in the light of the incarnation of the Word of God, and the consequent appreciation of this human dimension as a meeting place for humanity, on the one hand, and the human person with God, on the other. The redemption wrought by Christ - who took on our flesh (Jn 1:14), died on a cross, rose on the third day and ascended into heaven - is the reading key that St. John 24 1212659 Paul II uses in his reflection. At bottom, it is about valuing our somatic condition as an integral part of the whole of human redemption. APPENDIX II THE DIGNITY OF THE BODY AND CELIBACY The Theology of the Body suggests that, human beings, in their celibate vocation, must consider this dimension of resemblance to God and its consequent expression in intersubjective communion with other human beings. I strongly agree with St. John Paul II when he says that we cannot deny the spousal dimension of the body and its consequences for celibate life. Love as an expression of eternity means that the commitment to celibacy is equally for life. The fruitfulness of this life option is the ability to be God's gift to others, that is, a sign of the presence of the Master's redemption and the future life to which every man is called. Freedom and motivation go hand in hand with this life option. Both dimensions are important for understanding the spousal dynamics of the gift that is realized in the body. In opting for a celibate life, man exalts the unique dignity of every human being, who must be at the service of a truth that preceded us in Creation, and which will project itself into the future life. In a word: purity connotes that particular way of being of the person who realizes the spousal meaning of the body and thereby expresses the freedom of the gift. The configuration with Christ that celibate life implies says a lot, not only of practicing chastity with an eschatological horizon, but also of a living sacrifice, that is, a sacrifice of oneself - thus revealing the body as a sign and space of redemption of the whole man, as a being that walks towards God. 25 1212659 The choice for celibate life is guided by love. This is why one should choose this state of life - something that the words of Jesus make very clear (cf. Mt 74 19, 12). This loving option refocuses man in the Kingdom of Heaven and the redemption of his body by the existential configuration with the Master. This configuration brings with it several aspects necessary for such a vocation, which one cannot do without. As has already been mentioned, sexual abstinence marks this choice, for the living sacrifice we make of our body expresses in the "now", in the present, the eschatological reality to which every man aspires in the depths of his being. I found relevant evidence in St Paul on this theme. St. Paul addresses it in the first letter to the Corinthians (7: 1-40), with a pastoral and simultaneously exhortative tone. First of all, the question of celibacy is presented by the Apostle as a counsel, not as a commandment (I Cor 7:25), since it is the voluntary choice. "As for virgins, I have no commandment from the Lord, I give counsel" ( I Cor 7, 25). However, it does not deny the greatness of marriage: it says that those who choose it do not sin (I Cor 7: 27-28), making clear the complementarity of both vocations to the Christian life (let us not forget the treatise on the sacrament of present marriage. in Ephesians 5: 21-33). Virginity as a condition of life is exalted by the Apostle of the Gentiles as a broader delivery, that is, as expressing greater availability for the things of the Lord, emphasizing the difference in service to the community in both vocational strands. 26