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    A History of The Church - Angela Pellicciari - 095929

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    A History of The Church - Angela Pellicciari - 095929

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    A History of The Church - Angela Pellicciari - 095929

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    CTSA) PIN Vt Popes and Saints ft TT Angela Pellicciari A TISTORY OF THE CHURCH 4 Popes and Saints, | Emperors and Kings, | Gnosis and Persecution Foreword by Card. Robert Sarah Foreword by Canina Robt Ser ‘Entering a church makes me feel at home, Its in in silence and discernment that I find my way. Yet my faith is not something ‘confined to that moment of silence. It becomes concrete in life, coloring everything with a profound.new meaning. It allows me to live i history while being outside of history. To be “in the word, but not of the world” (John 15:10-21). “That is why the great cathedrals ~ which arose in the hundreds across Europe according to « model people have sought to replicate throughout the world - tll story. Tes story of evangelization, above al, The story of bringing. people to an encounter with Christ. The story of the moment that encounter traly takes place and overturns our lies so much that we ‘are not only changed but become missionaries (Pope Francis, General ‘Audience of August 31, 2017). And being missionaries means precisely that: being in History, and seeking to make mankind's history a History of the Love of Mao, ‘The great cathedrals all testify to this. Angela Pellcciri writes: “The society that by the will of God went to Palestine wo fight was ‘the same one that, to give praise to God, bult cathedrals and convents, the most beautiful cathedrals and the most beautiful convents, everywhere in Europe’ Cathedrals whose builders are the people, The author recounts history by rereading the words of Rodulfus Glaber, who speaks of the construction of churches as of “a competition berween one people and another”, so much so that “you would think the world, casting (of its old rags, wanted to clothe itself everywhere in the white garments of new churches.” “The people built the cathedrals and did s0 to speak of God. ‘Romanic and gothic cathedrals, with their freseoes and stained-glass ‘windows, ere “a living Bibl”, “teaching those who cannot read, and reminding those who ean, ofthe stories the Bible recounts,” ‘This need to speak of God changes and shapes history. In the ‘countyside, the towns grow around their churches, while the great Angle Pir ties grow around the cathedrals. The art, music, and architecture ave didactic and liturgical purposes, and from Paris to Durham to rague, all share the same structure. And in the meantime, the faith £ the people also creates che great pilgrimages towards Compostela, \miens, Jerusalem, Rome, Cologne, Rocamadour. Before reaching the Middle Ages, the Church had a story that gan in Palestine and spread from Rome to the world Following the fiddle Ages were the Protestant waves that sil today put the Chazch : ctsis, and then the ideologies of the Enlightenment and Masonry hat area constant cheat, FFor this reason, itis important to present a history, and for this cason A History of te Chuet, by Angela Pelicciai, is above all the ory ofa living encounter that manifests itself in History, ‘The path the Church travels, from Jerusalem to Athens and Rome, ad from Rome to the whole word, is # rough road, one of til and ror, heresies and very human wats. Yet, despite the miseries and nexpected reversals of history it sa rue path of evangelization, ‘We cannot understand the Church's history without understanding s missionary impulse, to cross boundaties and borders, ‘The Church Catholic because it is universal, that is, the Gospel is valid at every joment and in every place Its precisely this universality that has the owe to shape the world, ‘The Church’ history teaches us that 2 living faith remains aways, ontinuing to give shape and substance to cies, ideas, and vilages, eating humanity, ‘A-reading of A Histor ofthe Chach is important sbove all to place 1 topic of faith and reason back at the center of things, and at the me time answer those who, due to a dictatorship of an increasingly ervasve relativism, undervalue the Sacrament, the frst and ultimate use of our if ‘This humanity chat makes history is, after all, enlivened by the uchatst, Christ become incarnate, the raison d'etre and faith of rey Christian who looks to Christ, “che Way, the Truth, and the fe” A reason for living that was at the heatt of daily fe in the ‘As Benedict XVI explained: “First and foremost, it must be ankly admitted straight away that it was nor thir intention to create culture nor even to preserve a culture from the past. Their AnmsrorY oF Tuk Hume 9 motivation was mach more bc. Their goal wat quate Dim to Seek God, Amid the confson ofthe ies n which nding seamed perancat,hey Wanted to do theese ~ to yt id what wae Poco val andasting Life fact, They were seching for God ‘They wanted to go fom the increta f te essen othe ony truly important and cle hing there a” (Bender VI, Mag ib Repetto ts Word of Cit, College des Berman, Pats Sepcmber 1208) "The bith f this cation ha derives fom th by scien Just asthe deteoraton of evry ciation represents, deep down, 2 etchment fom the fh satan Tels no mystery andi pais me grey to ay tht our modern worlds cumenty dancing ielf fom God oo « pace! vel, reninga vo in people Toya a ealled wo seek something that fright promise an acute and discover along the way chat nothing tere human ca il he eat comple ‘Men have expences troapon in history. For thi resto, iv important to go back nto cure, and wadertand the meaning of ech scrmens each geste of the tag, and then sen the Church, rereading i story with the extraordinary reading ey that isthe dee to evangelize "These are te tough that have come to me upon reading A sy of te Char oe conc ie election wth a aviation to veut tha opal sp of sezhing for God. Tis ony wth Ft that we en be bearers of canton and ales of history Jerusalem Holy city Jerusalem, city of the great king, heats desire, city of peace, hope in the midst of afficton, place of God's manifestation, “Next year in Jerusalem!” This is how piout Jews greet each other. ‘Throughout the history of the Jewish people, the most significant «events all took place in Jerusalem: the satfce of Ian, the kingdom ‘of David the Temple construction, Jerusalem remains the throbbing heart of Judaisn forall ages Jerusilem is also the city where Jesus Christ, the long-awaited Méssiah, flied God's promises to the chosen people. Jesus died, rose again and ascended to heaven, alin Jeraalem. Also Pentecost took place in Jerusalem. Almost all the main evens inthe history of the world traaspized in Jerusalem, Tin the Later fthe Hebrexsone read that Cis took lesb, so “that through death he might destroy him who has the power of death, that 4s, che devi and deiver all ose who ehrough teat of death ete subject to lifelong bondage”: the resurrection of Jesus ie the event ‘hich anges ory, Beene Fess people om the or of ch “Witnesses to Jesus? resurrection, the apostles and disciples kept sail unt they were invaded by the stength of the Holy Spt. Only then, were they empowered to leave the locked Cenacle and cary out ‘what che Lord bad commanded them: "Go ino all the world and preach the gospel to the whole creation.” The history ofthe Church isthe ecounting of che fats that occurred berween Pentecost and the descent ftom heaven, f2om God, of the holy city, the New Jerusalem, “prepared asa bride adorned for er husband” Cerin, ding the dine ofthis earthly pilgrimage, everyday faith is patto the test Since the very frst moment, the Church learned to dea with divisions, failures, and betryals. However, the course had been already sce heaven In the Send Later Timely, Pal wrote “1 have fought the good fight, Vhave Snished the race Fave kept the faith, Henceforth thee is id up for me the crown of tghteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that Day.” _ANMSTORY OF HE CHURCH n In Jesus” age, the world was united under Rome's legal system, culture and power. Moved by the Holy Spirit, Peter and Paul, the fist Pope and the apostle to the gentiles, cook off for Rome and there concluded their earthly pilgrimage, “For here we have no lasting city, ‘but we seek the city which is to come,” is written in the Latter tte Hebress, The Church was born in Jerusalem and though on earth it hat ao true dwelling place, it chose Rome a5 the seat for Peter's Rome “A proud man was the Roman [Mari], His speech a single one, Bot his eyes were lke an eagle's eyes "Thats staring at che sun.” (V: 140-143) “Bear not my body home, For all che earth ie Roman earth ‘And I shall di ip Rome.” (V: 149-151) ‘This was written by Chesterton in The Balad f te White Hor. The ‘whole world is Roman earth, wrote the English poet at the turn of the 20" centary. Chesterton identified in Rome the heart ofthe batle Derween light and darkness, order and chaos, life and death. The intuition ofthis conaeetion to Rome articulates the common thread ‘which accompanied Christian culture throughout the centaris. “When the fullness of time had come, God sent his Son,” wrote ‘Paul to the Galatians. What does the phrase, “fallness of time” mean? ‘The Fathers ofthe Church, for the most par, identified Rome and its empire with the fullness of dime, La’ try to understand why. Half a century before the bith of Christ, the Greek historian Diodorus Siculus described the essence of Rome with these words: “The whole world as if ie were one city.” The same words were used three centuries later by another Greek, the rhetorician Actius Aristide, his Econ of Rome: “Tsverything is at everyone’ disposal. No one foreigner anywhere”; atthe curn of the 5® century the Latin poet Ratiliss Namazianus sang: “You built one sole fatherland for different peoples; you shrunk the world to one city.” 2 Ae ait ‘The whole world one cy the whole wd Romein he ame way tat the Chron sanouncement ele, whieh ees Trivers ined ote cater word and mete conse bythe boundaes oso natn. Thee onthe Jew nor Orc, tht is ner dare not chris ter mae or fale youn alone Gist Jen woe Pin he Lar Galan Tein the Lat Coon “There ager ree fr, Gcumcnd nd schon, Barat, Sepia, ave and fos ‘bat Christ is all in alll” eden Spin, icine "he univer dnnson to which Rome spies sally ened in the Char 6 Lo th Great deat se Tha ou, by an chosen peopl, pity aod ing cir, woud presi by eine tclgon tote evenly than by arly domiton.” Tis wes prety the reson for Pee coming © Rome lathe word of Benedict XVI, hs te pemmentmiton of Pots dat the Chae never eat ic th only one mao, th nl one care or oly one Ste halve be the har ofl chr {eben onal ents hema ‘ods dion, sake pect the peace of God the so force of his love.” ae Hy oa said ‘The Roman Empize atthe peak of is expansion Atsrony oF rs cou B I-was fortis reason that Chsist’s disciples insisted on their being ronan. Tertullian defined it nicola dementia that i, asidiculoas folly, the thought that Christians were enemies to Rome. The enemies of Rome are rather thote emperors who persecute Christians, wrote Iaetantius, Ambrose thought that the Romans who remained pagan were barbarians while he exalted Christians as the true heirs of (Camille sirawr and Regulus’ and Scipio's militia ‘The history ofthe Church, ofits persecutions, ofits victories and ‘oF is defeats, coincides with the history of Rome. ‘The Virigin gives birth to a Child “The virgin shall conceive and bear a child, who shall be called LUmanae” This is what Isaiah prophesied in the 8* century before Crit, Seven hunved years ltr in Rome, Vigil the greatest poet in the time of Emperor August Cactar, wrote in the IV Belogue: “Now does che vig retin. anew humanity descends from the high heavens. A ehild isto be born and with him the iron peoples ball detine,« new golden people shall arse onthe earth [.] He tall free the earch from the pangs oftetor. He wll partake of the Ue ofthe gods ..] immediatly, my eid, the ath, by no human work, shall bring forth is fruit, and our cate shall no longer fear buge eile lions.” ‘Ving wrote that Bocks will no longer fearlions. Isaiah used similar cxpremions to describe the new creation brought about bythe son of the virgin: The wolf shall dwell withthe lamb, the leopard shall ie tlw with the kid the eal andthe lon shall graze together, and a le chil shall guide dhem. Tae cow and che bea shall graze together, thei young shal ie down together. Th lion shall eat straw hike the tnx The nursing child sball play over the hole of the asp, and the ‘weaned child shall putts hand in che adders den.” Not by chance Dante chose Vinyl as teacher and guide on his journey through hel and purgatory. Tnflexible and rutless with ts enemies yt careful not to break its sgreements, Roman civilization was founded on respect forthe law, ti, and par Rome beeame Rome because its wll power was tisained by a constant atendon to familial and social virtues and Aneel Guties. Worship of the gods and ancestors created 4 community ‘which was conscious of its own duties and obligations because its identity was fitmly anchored in its colletive and family history. Benedict XVI stressed how western culture is the synthesis beeween Roman law and the Gospel. Unicugne san, “On the one hand was the great roman law, natural law, man’s astutalcalrae in the conerete form ittook under roman culture, with is laws and sense Of justice; on the other hand, was the Gospel” Pagan Rome and (Christian Rome. Legend atrbutes the founding of Rome tothe twin brothers Romulus and Remus. In the same way, the history and ‘sadition of the Church identify the founding of Christian Rome with the two apostles Peter and Paul. “These ate your holy fathers, your true shepherds, who in order to make you worthy ofthe kingdom of hheaven, have built much better and mote ftingly than those who worked to lay the first foundations of your walls” wrote Leo the Great Christians are accustomed to honor their histony’s greatest champions with feast days. The feast of Rome, the fest of ts patrons Saints Peter and Paul is June 29.'The same day unites the memory of Peter and Paul, a new brand of brothers, the two columns on whom the Church's capital was built, ‘The drunken woman ‘The universal and law-abiding Rome is not the only Rome, Next toher lives another Rome enslaved to power, violence and abuse. In his Fint Later, Peter wrote: “Your sister church in Babylon, chosen together with you, sends you greetings.” While Chaistians identify chemselves with the great roman tradition, atthe same time, they viewed Rome as the Babylon of Jesus’ times. Babylon was the place where the Jews had been deporied and enslaved and the city’s ‘people were so cruel tha they commanded the deported to sing songs ‘of joy from Zion in thie place of exile. Probably as a precautionary measute, to avoid that his presence in Rome be noticed, Peter spoke to the community that “dwells in Babylon.” Instead John, in the Book of Revelation, used a metaphor to allude to Rome, But his descripcion is so precise that it eannot be anisrory ov n-cuune 1s mistaken for any other place: “The seven head are seven mountains ‘on which the woman is Seated also they are seven kings.” With egal to the woman he sid, “That woman was drunk with the blood of the sints andthe blood ofthe witnesses to esas” Dosing the pa romana, the world saw an age united by cule: everywhere, the cizens ofthis immense empire lived in the same sway. Throughout Burope, Africa and Asia, the acheologial remains of cites and homes witness exhaustively to how roman elture was a ‘unifying issue which spread everywhere. Romans lived in the same Jxarioas, modem and splendid cities, planned according t0 4 consolidated model they lodged in homes bil wit the same exter their fice time was cadenced by the same habits and pass-dmes. Besides the feasts, horse races, orgies, and thermal baths, there were also circus spectacles, games which pit life aguinst death in lve show: Romans were passionate fans of gladiator combat and were sesty eterained by the sight of men caught upin a vain stage to ward off the beasts they were served to as feed. “The “reat whore, the “rat city that rales ove the kings ofthe catch," at che end will be devoured by the same beast on which she ‘was sated, prophesied John in exultaton: “Fall, fallen is Babylon the great” Without a doubt, Babylon is Rome. But itis not only Rome: the propheey aplics ro every city that rate islf up ax queen sod master ofthe world. Against these cites, John prophesied Jesus? teiamph and their complete annihilation together with the demonic beasts which enslaved them. “Hallelujah Salvation and glory and power to our God; for his judgments are tru and just; he has judged the great whore ‘who comrupted the earth with her fornication, snd he has avenged on her the blood of his servants!” You, follow Me ‘The Book of Numbers says that, “he man Moses was very ‘humble, more so than anyone else on the face of the earth,” Simon ‘was nothing less. Impulsive, impetuous, simple, in love with Jesus and by him called Peter. He denied the Master in the hour of tia Forgiven, he mended his ways; he came to know himeelf and exercised the primacy by serving tirelessly and with all humility. Verses 18 and 19 of chapter 16 in the Gospel of Matthew read as follows: “You are Peter and on this rock I will build my chatch, and the gates of Hell wll not prevail against i. Iwill give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you lote on earth shall be loosed in hheaven.” Jesus wanted Peter to be the frst and the apostles respected this assignment. Immediately after the effusion of the Holy Spirit, it ‘was Peter who announced the victory of Chris over death it was he ‘who represented the Chistian community ic was always Peter who spoke in John’s presence ~ the same apostle whom Jesus loved and ‘the only one who stood at the foot of the cross’ torment. His person was s0 effective and so powerful, that his shadow was enough to heal the sick who thronged his path. ‘Though he was indeed the accepted leader, he was bitterly rebuked by apostles and disciples alike for entering the house of pagans and for eating with them (Jews referred to pagans as “dogs” and since they viewed them as impure, they were barred from having any contact with them). How did Simon-Peter react? With humility. He ‘was neithér itritated nor harsh in hs reaction towards those brothers who spoke unwittingly; he limited himeelf to retelling the facts in all ‘reekness and simplicity: I was praying, I had a vision, the Spite told me to follow those who had come to find me without hesitation and was ead to the house of the Centurion Cornelius; I had jut started 1 speak when the Spirit descended on those who were thet, just like atone time it descended upon us; “who was I that I could withstand God?" When they heard this, ll rejoiced that the pagans converted. “Yes, they had just put their leader on trial “am coming to gather all nations and all tongues; and they shall, ‘come and shall see my glory”: Israel had a hatd time understanding that Issiah’s prophecy was fulfilled. Learning how to live together AtusroRy oF rap crue ” ‘with pagans and how to accept them as brothers was no easy task for the chosen people, In fact, observant Jews view it as a scandal 10 entertain relations and cat with the uncircumcised. So the difficulties persisted. Sure, Petr had aid his hands on che gentiles. But, le’s be easonable here. We should still keep some kind of reserve, some distance: the new arsivals stil have to learn how to submit to the demands of the law, to the laws of purity and, above all, 10 czcumcision. Therefore, let them be circumcised. ‘What did Peter, the sherman now fisher of men, do then? He hesitated. He waited for Paul and Barnabas. Newly arrived from Antioch and strongly opposed to the idea of forcing circumcision on the new converts, they fervently argued the issue against Jerusalem's elders, some of whom, for the most part Pharisees, were favorable, “After chere had been much debate,” the book of Acts details that “Peter rose” and resolved the issue: Ao, we must not impose anything, ‘on converted pagans: “God, who knows the heart, bore witness «© them, giving them the Holy Spisic just as he did to'us; and he made ‘no distinction between us and them, but cleansed their hears by faith.” ‘This decision made history, The heart must be circumcised, sot the flesh Ie matked the passage from Judaism to Christianity ‘Yer, the conflict didn't stop there. When Peter arrived in Antioch ‘on a pastoral vist to the communities evangelized by Paul, the clash ‘became public: “I opposed him face to face because he stood ‘condemned,” wrote Paul to the Galatians. In this ease, the problem ‘was che eating table: are Jews allowed to eat with pagans? Again, Peet hesitated: at fist, he ate with them without a quibble. But then, “fearing the circumcision ary,” he “drew back and seperated ‘himel£ Paul objected that if this was how things stood, then Chis’ sacrifice was in vain: “If justification were through the law, then Crist died to. no purpose." Peter understood that Paal was right, so he stopped acting “insincere,” and put an end tothe hypocrisy and duplicity towards the gentiles. United to Peter, the whole Church accepted to grant fll tata of brothers to all pagan converts: “So then you are no longer strangers and sojoumers, but you ae fellow citizens ‘withthe saints and members of the household of God, built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Chris Jesus himself being the comnerstone,” wrote Paul to the Ephesians a Avge Pali Jesus foretold with what kind of death, Peter would have glorified God in his old age: “Another will gd you and carry you where you do ‘ot wish to go.” And what will become of John, asked the impulsive Peter after seeing the disciple Jesus loved following close by: “If its sy will that he remains undl T come, what is it to you? You, follow ‘met” Peter really followed: crucified upside down in Neto's circus. Many followed with Peter and in his footsteps, Inthe fitst three centuries, to be elected Pope was the same assigning a death warrant. Also more recent times, the last few centuries, showed how often, (Christ has come back to say especially to the follower of the first ‘among the apostles: you follow me, The Age of Paul A great historian of roman antiquity, Santo Mazzarino (1916- 1987), a Marxist atheist, defined the 1" century after Chiist as “the ‘Age of Paul the apostie.” Paul's personality, which “is not even remembered by contemporary historians,” is the dominant personality: “The apostle Paul sses as the giant of his time.” ecould not be better std. He was a Pharisee and a violent man, a ppersecutor of Christians on behalf of the Temple; an abortion, o he ‘described himself Upon his conversion, he became the most untiing. ‘witness of Jesus’ resurrection: first tothe Jews and then tothe pagans Persecuted everywhere by his fellow Jews, in the Swond Later the Cornthions he wrote that, “ive times I have received atthe hands of the Jews the forty lashes ess one; three times I have been beaten with rods; once T'was stoned.” After having done everything humanly possible to announce the Messiah's coming to the chosen people, he solemaly declared: “Your blood fill upon yous head: I am innocent; from now on Iwill go to the pagans.” Nonetheless, also in Rome, while trying to convince people of his ‘own blood thatthe salvation promised was fulfilled in Jesus Chist, at the same time, he exhorted the pagans not to swell up with pride if for the time being, God had placed a veil on the heart ofthe Jewish people so that they would not convert: “A hatdening has come upon part of Israel, until the full number of the Gentiles come i, and $0 all Israel will be saved." It was for the benefit of pagans that Jews -Ausrory ov mmcuumest 9 weeded Its in view “fhe mee shown you” Bat ‘Bie an te el of God ne inowone” al lets con ‘Sas fever bce “Gol as ot reed he people whom he feck." Pal cea “Throogh the esp, aration has tomes he Genes" te ord lve ue whee Gans tithe el sive shot fed ot tee ole te Not by chance, Da doesn oul ies with ret dea te Ltrs Toms paaion of wich proceed inal he wr” Stl toy espe le aie fed tng te trod nin i acute ea te ry pot ace {Erde Chace mapas one Jowsh people Pel rer red Sf edoscing nd wing tte con he ened in ow me he bohen brome “pec? sbedee wo contd aie in bois ey aed Wen te cucaon of che, i cr rcoathp to ae, Grattan theif of be new mans Plunge then bare shed" bgyou bees a, as ave Btome yo teh wo © ie alan : elvan ern af bit i pectin iain dosing, 1 gant oun sours of coment Hy pant ss ‘lle, Bur he fur aso tgs of concncon Thro, Creuphou he cay, he Bese peal ne fe Hae ‘how by Jou ene Pee id Pate Chr’ clamos, were bah publi ener nestor tite ots wus maroon prot shall Siro tes fr canuiesw cme te hsm fener Ged {govt a proporion io te swucnen of en's veut he pened uy Maga the woman Som vom Jee epee tere damon, Ske bred chy wo auch at Se meted ecg theaten Lon epson, Strive for perfection “Blessed ate you poot”; “Blessed are you when they shall insult you and persecute you, and utter all kinds of evil aginst you falsely on my account”; “forif you love those who love you, what reward do you have?"; “love your enemies”: no man is able to eatry out Jesus 2» Aree Palin ‘ill unless he is a man of heaven, someone transformed by the Holy Spitit into a Christian, that is to say, another Christ. How did the aposties behave in front of such high-minded teaching? Did they remain faithful to what was entrusted to them of did they give in to compromise? Let's analyze the teaching of Peter and Paul in regard to marviage and slavery, two crucial aspects of civil life: — Roman society made ample use of divorce and the Jews exercised repudiation, Jesus however forbade both: “For your hardness of heart Moses allowed you to divorce your wives” ‘whoever repudiates his wife commits adultery.” This teaching is so ludicrous for anyone, even for an apostle, that the disciples remarked: if this isthe case then its better not to mary. But Jesus came to bring the Mosaic Law to falfillment. So he clarified: “Everyone who looks at a woman lutfully ha already ‘committed adultery with her in his heart.” ~ Afier the death of Christ, Paul linked the indissolubility of ‘macrage to Jesus’ love for the Chusch as revealed on the cross: This mystery is great and I am saying that i refers to Christ and the Church,” he wrote to the Ephesians; “As Christ loved the Church and gave himself up for he,” ikewise, “husbands should love their wives as their own bodies”; “Let the wife see 1 it that she respects het husband.” Never before and in no society had women been placed in a position of such honor with respect to their husbands: husbands are called here t0 clita on the cross for them. Never before had human love known such extraordinary acclaim; ~ in 71 B.C, the dramatic episode of the slave rebelion led by Spartacus concluded with an endless line of crucifixions. The Roman imperial economy was founded on slavery and ever, Jews admired a certain type of temporary slavery, which ended teach sabbatical year. What about the teaching of the apostles? In his first leter, Peter wrote the following: “Servants, be submissive to your masters with profound respect, not only to ‘the kind and gentle but also to the overbearing, For itis a grace ‘to you who know God when yon endure pain while suffering “unjustly”: you Well know how “Chust also suffered for you, AvosroRY OF Tas CHURCH a leaving you an example, so that you should follow in is steps.” Also Paul exhorted Cristian to behave as if their own masters were the Lord and to obey them if they were Jesus himself “Slaves, be obedient to those who are your earthly masters, with, fear and trembling, in singleness of heart, as to Chris,” he ‘wrote to the Ephesians, With regard to masters he says, “do the same to them, and forbear threstening, knowing that he who is both their Master and yours isin heaven, and that there is no ppartalcy with him” While these were the general guidelines, cher is another guideline which is much moze particular but extremely significant. Paul ‘expressed it in one of his last and most moving letters. Tt was addressed to Philemon, his ftiend and the owner ofa slave who after ‘eseaping had become Pau!’ disciple. The author a this point was old and in chains: “Though I am at fl bert in Christ to command you 10 do whats required, yer for love's sake I prefer to appeal to you~ 1, Paul, an ambassador and now a prisoner also for Christ Jesus.” Paul sent Onesimus back. He sent the fagitive slave, back to his master. ‘At the same time, he asked the master to show ebarty towards “ny child [,..] whose father I have become ia my imprisonment”: “lam sending him back to you, sending my very hear; “I preferred to do. ‘nothing without your consent in order that your goodness might not >be by compulsion but of your own free will” ‘The Later to Philemon is among the most vivid examples of how (Cristian freedom, founded on charity, can and does in fact transform a society and a people's customs from within. Ie needs no use of ‘violence by Christians, ao claims beyond that ofa sincere affection. ‘Afr three centuries of persecation, Roman society changed how it ‘viewed the Gospel because che ove by which Christians loved eath other overcame their hardness of hears. Again, we go back to Ratzinger’ words: Christianity “had the power to convince because of the bond between faith and reason, and because action was guided beyond all social differences towards chart, the loving care of the suffering, the poor and the weak.” ‘The primitive Church Besics Judas, the taitor who died commiting suicide, and Joho, ‘who died saturally ofan exemely old age, all he apostes glorified God through cruel and violent deaths. In no way des this mean that, inthe primitive Church all displayed a heroic Kind of holiness, Its enough to read St.Paul’ eters. In che Fiat Leer t the Cornbions, for example, St.Paul sui “It is acutely reported that there is immoralry among you, and ofa kind that snot found even among, the pagans fora mans living with his father’s wife othe Galatians he wrote: “Ifyou bit and devour one another ake heed at est chat you ae otal consumed by one another!” Tkis the eternal strogale between the good wheat and the weeds, the parable told by Jesus and recounted by Matthew an enemy sowed ‘weed among the wheat ofa ld and the servants wanted to ip them ‘nt, But the master forbade them from doing 80 “for in gathering the ‘weeds you would uproot the wheat along with them” The harvest, will take plce atthe end of times, and only then will God command Bis ares to gut the wed, ind the i bundles and ben (rer ime ~ Lather is only the most apparent case ~ the Chutch ‘was subjected to schisms, violence, divisions, and ireconciable Intreds in the name of a rctua to Cristian i's perfection of the ceatly days. It is an unmistalable fact that iovolaing the Church's olden age bears no good fruits beease God is God, his atm does not shorten ("Is the Lord’ hand shortened?” answers God to an incredulous Moses in the Book of Nombers) and because in every generation Christians can once spain say the same Paal wrote in the Lae te Phi“, doa ing tog Hi ‘What re Christan communities? A well-organized body founded ‘on chatty. When Paul spoke of community in the Fist Letter to the Corinthians, it seems that he seealled the spology pronounced by ‘Menenius Agrippa at che tam of the 5* century B.C. to make peace among opposite factions of the roman populace. There it one fandameatal difference: Menenins made use of the body metaphor alluding to society as a whole; Paul instead ues the body metaphor in reference toa spiritual bods: “Now you are che body of Christ and AmustoRy oF rmx coment 2 individually members of it” In the body of Chaise there are many members, cach one necessary, exch in service to the others. After listing the charisms which beiong to the Christian assembly, Paul ‘exhorted the brothers to aim for the greatest charism: charity; because charity God. ‘Together with envies,jeslousies, divisions, thst for power and. riches, the temptation to use the gifts of God for one’s own benefit, Christians ofall ages competed in charity because they aimed high. ‘They aimed to do everything possible so as tobe lke God: “Do you not know that in a race all the runners compete, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it” wrote Paulin his fest letter +0 the Corinthians Precesely this heroic emulation, together with fruits of eternal lif, always had an extraordinary ffectin the social, culcural and economic life of various nations. Ignatius of Loyola while restricted to his sick- ‘bed, read the lives of the saints and became inflamed with zeal: “Saint Dominique did this, therefore I must do ig; Saint Francis did this, therefore, [must doit alo,” he wrote in his Axfnbigeaply. The “desire ‘to mitate che saints, without giving importance to anything other than promising himself, with the grace of God, to do as they had done.” Just barely past her adolescence, Theresa of Lisieux, patron saint ‘of missions, asked herself what God had in mind for her and dlscovered that nothing was greater than chatty. So, she decided t0 follow a way of heroic and universal love from the hidden corner of convent. In Hiton ofa Soul she wrote: Thave always desired to be a saint and “the good God would never inspire me with desires which ‘cannot be realized, therefor, in spite of my ltdeness, 1 ean aspire 10 bbe saint"; “T will look for some means of going to heaven by litle ‘way whichis very straight and very short, a litle way that is quite ew”; “Itis your arms, Jesus, which are the lift to carry me to heaven, ‘That is why there is Ho need for me to grow up. In fact, just the opposite: I must stay tle and become less and les.” If they persecuted me, they will persecute you [Jesus prepared his disciples for persecution. The clash with those in power, with the prince of this worl, is inevitable because the work] Py Arg Pair rejects what is not its own. The world eliminates all those who, by behaving differently, indirectly challenge th legitimacy andl goodness of selfishness abjection, brutality. To lve differently is possible. This is a scandal to the peace of mind of those in power. Give back to Caesar that which is Caesar's, tught Jesus. Paul, ‘writing to the Romans, established the Church's magisteium with respect to governing authorities: obedience is due to them because all authority comes from God. These are his words: "Let every person, be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. ‘Therefore he who resists the authorities resists what God has appointed.” Uniuiqu sum, said the Romans. Paul took the teaching ‘up again: “Pay all of them their dues: axes to whom taxes are duc, revenue to whom revenue is due, respect to whom respect is due, ‘honot to whom honoris due.” "To farther justify what he wrote, Paul added: “For rulers are not a ‘tetrot to good conduct, but to bad conduc.” Likewise, Peter cexptessed an analogous concept in his ist leter: “Be subject for the Lords sake to every human institution, whether it be to the emperor fs supreme, ot to governors as sent by him to punish those who do ‘wrong and to praise those who do right.” "The point is: if governments do evil, what must Christians do? Paul's letters were written in Nero's reign, the emperor who unleashed an abominable persecution in which the same Peter and Paul died, Though he well knew the scuff emperors were made of, Paul wrote in their defense. To clarify this key point of Christian doctrine, we must mum to Benedict XVI and his catechesis on (Clement. Towards the end of Domiian’s persecution in the lst few years of the 1" century, Clement wrote a letter to the Corinthians ‘which is considered “the fist exercise of the Primacy of Rome.” The letter ends in a prayer and, i this prayer, Clement pleas in favor of political instsaions, Ratoinger explains: “The persecution had barely ome to an end but Christians, well aware that persecutions would hhave continued, never stopped praying for those same authorities that hhad unjustly condemned them. The reason for this is frst and fotemost Chestological we need to pray for those who persecute us as did Jesus on the cross, But this prayer also contains a teaching ‘which throughout the centuries has guided the attitude of Christians _AumsrorY oF mie CHURCH 2s towards politics and the State. By praying for established authorities, Clement recognized the legitimacy of political institutions in the order cstablished by God; tthe same time, he expressed concern that these authorities should remain docile co God and that they ‘exercise the power given to chem by God in peace, meckness and piety (61,2). Caesar is not everything. An alternative sovereignty emerges, whose otigin and estence are not of this world but “of above: Truth, who boasts the right to be heard even by the State” ‘Since the very beginning, in all its heroism, Christian doctrine ‘concerning power is crystal clear: oBedience to authority but, fist and Foremost, obedience «© God. If the authorities mandate what is ‘contrary tothe will of God, Christians must not obey but ether make ‘opposition and ress, if necessary, even to the point of mareyrdom, ‘Over one thousand year late, in a completely different context but ‘nonetheless in full theological continuity, Thomas Aquinas justified this disobedience by arguing that ifthe law opposes right reason, itis not law but rather a corruption of the law: when “a law is in contrast ‘with reason, i i called a wicked law inthis case, however, it ceases to bea law and rather becomes an act of violence.” ‘Tolerant paganism? In the Analy, Tacitus recounts the rst anti-Christian persecution unleashed by Nevo in 64 A.C: countess Christians were condemned “and on the way to their death, a mockery was made of them: after they were made to wear animal skins, they were attacked by dogs, or asiled to crosses, oF they set on fire so that they might blaze after sunset like nocturnal torches. For this spectacle, Nero offered his gardens and would personally celebrate the games in the circus ‘mingling with the crowd dressed asa charioteer or would take part in the races standing on a chariot. That is why, though Csistians were viewed as guilty etiminals who mesited punishments unprecedented for their severity, a sense of pity wus kindled: they died to sassfy one ‘man's cruelty and not for the common good.” ‘in more recent times, not only has Nero been rehabilitated, butt is fathionable again to believe the myth of tolerant polytheism and of ‘violent monothcism (es if no difference existed beeween Chistian % Ale Pio! snd Islamic monotheism). This belief was shared by Hitler who, in his Tabl Talks, depicted Romans asthe prototype of tolerance: “The ancient world had its gods and served them. But priests, placed beeween gods and men, were servants of the State, because the gods protected the city. ll things considered, they were the emanation of ‘ power which the people had created. The idea of a unique god was ‘wnthinkable for those people. In this field, Romans were tolerance personified. For them, the idea of one universal god could not but soem ¢ sweet folly” "The truth is that the Roman polytheist world unleashed a persecution of unprecedented ferocity against the helpless army of (Christians. Just like ten plagues were sent against Egypt, ten great persecutions were unleashed aginst Christians: Nero, Domitian, ‘Trajan, Antoninus, Severus, Maximinus, Decius, Valerian, Aurelian, Diocletian and Maximinus Daia, Augustine isthe author of this list and he was notso sure, as some thoughe, that there would be no more persecutions before that dreadfal onslaught unleashed by the Antichrist at the end of time. In realty, che number tenis symbolic ‘Und the Edict of Mila in 313 not even one emperor let Christians live in peace, Before Nero's persecution, some of the faithful had already been. martyred by the Jews: Stephen, the very frst marty, James the elder, the brother of john, The Jews persceated Christians because they considered them to be blasphemers: in fact, it was unimaginable for them that Jesus could be God, as it was unimaginable for them that the Messiah could rue through the “scandal ofthe eross.” Moreover, those who profited economically from paganism soon became enemies of Christianity. The Act of te Aportks recounts how “e man named Demetsus, a silversmith, who made silver shrines of Artemis, brought no litle business to the craftsmen,” and when Paul put Artemis’ credibility in jeopaedy, and therefore also his earnings, Demetius riled up a crowd of fellow citizens against Paul. In fact, “there is danger that the temple of the great goddess Artemis may count for nothing, and that she may even be deposed from her magnificence, she whom all Asia and the world worship.” The danger ‘was very real because Pauls preaching in Ephesus had convinced “a considerable company of people” from the vanity of idols built by _AuusrorY oF a CHURCH a hhaman hands. Understandably, atthe shout of “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!” Paul and his own were east out of the city "The Jows persecution of Christians stemmed from certain features of a particular religion linked to a people. The pagans persecuted them for local economic reasons. In Rome, the issue is different and ‘more complex because Rome and its government identified with the law. They identified, therefore, with motivations that, at least in principle, claimed to be universal and applied to all citizens without distinction. ‘They slander tou as evildoers After Jesus’ crucifixion and Stephen's stoning in 37 A.C., Rome removed Pilate and deposed Caiaphas: in his excessive Ienience towards the Jews, Pilate did not follow the law. Up until 62 A.C, though Christians enjoyed a time of relative peace, certain horrible calumnies were epretd about them. Tacitas was the only historian ‘who identified the cause behind the frst persecution as Nero's atzempt to blame others for his seting Rome on fre. But even he spoke of Chistanity as an eiiahiis pesto, he depicted Chaistians as those who hate mankind and recalled the scorn felt towards them because of their crimes (flit). ‘Why are Christians despised to the point of being called “those ‘who hate mankind”? Tn his Fit Letter, Peter identified the refusal to conform to widespread immorality as the cause for the accusations: “They are surprised that you no longer join them in the same excesses of issipation, and so they blaspheme.” The Book of Wisiom gives the same explanation for the persecution unleashed against the just: "Let tus le in wait for the sighteous man, because he is inconvenient to us and opposes our actions; he reproaches us for'sins against the law [.-J] He became to us a reproof of our thoughts; the very sight of him isa burden to us, because his manner of life is unlike that of others.” ‘After Nero died by committing suicide, in 66 an ant-roman rebellion spread throughout Palestine. Christians did not participate, ‘The rebellion warranted Rome's military intervention which pat a 28 Arg Pali decisive end to petiodic Jewish uprisings by destroying Jerusalem and the Temple in 70.A.C. (Chaistianity spread everywhere and took a fem hold even within the same imperial family. In fact, the second persecution unleashed by Domitian in 95, struck frst at the Christian components of the high adstocracy. These included the emperor's cousin, Flavius ‘Clement who was killed, his wife Flavia Domitlla who was deported and the consol Glabrio who was also killed. In this instance, the cause for this persecution is, at least apparently, incomprehensible: ‘Christians were accused of atheism. In what sense can people be viewed as atheists if thei faith was 90 firm that chey were willing 22 face torments and even death only to remain faithful to the Lord? "The bottom line is that Christians refused to worship the emperor and the pagan gods. The pagans would have liked them to offer incense o deities who were believed to have made Rome great. They refused to do so. They were deemed atheists and therefore also impious because they attracted divine wrath on the homeland. The accusation was of wimost gravity, the crime they were accused of was religious and targeted singular individuals, not the Church as 2 community; anti-Christian violence spread throughout the empire Domitian’s persecution fixed the main features for all Future persecutions, although the manner of their enactment, in over to hhandred years before the Edict of Milan was issued in 313, underwent significant variations. He went off to make war on the rest of her offspring By obeying the teachings of Jesus and the doctrine of the spostes, Christians are model citizens. They pay taxes, they respect the law, snd they obey the authorities. Why then were they persecuted? What were the aceutstions that brought death upon them? It was becoming increstingly clear over time, that the eximes they were accused of (Gacest, because they called each other brothers; and infanticide, ‘because they feasted on human flesh) were complecely false, So? What ‘were magistrates to do? Sentence them to death only for their nomen, simply because they were Christians and members of a eximinal sect, ‘or ty them only for crimes actualy committed? Should chey actively _AtBSTORY OF THE CHURCSE 29 Inunt them down as dangerous of should chey wat until someone actully fled an accusation? Should the accusers be granted anonymity, and so avoid private vendetsas from geting the upper hand on the principles of justice and it, o should they be required to come out into the open and beheld responsible for substantiating their accusations? ‘AntiChrstian pertecation was such an impious fswwe chat ragjstrate tried in vain to find a clear and snivocal rule that would reconcile the punishments inflicted with the integrity of the great Roman legal triton. The real poi of the isue was not juridical but polcak: the state could not felingish its demands for absolute obedience above al else, even when i drafed religous norms. After Sil in Rome, also religion ws political in so far as it was needed 10 Secue the gods’ protection and therefore, the empire's good fortes Not by chance, he highest politcal and religious authori coincided in one person: the emperor, Pots Maxima ‘Under Trajan (08-117), one scrupulous governor from Bithyais, Pliny the Younger, asked th emperor for a furher explanation: what must I do with the Chisans? Pliny listed his misgivings: “I cannot fren understand the legal basis for ling an accusation,” T'do not lknow if young and old should be treated in the same way aoe ifthe name itself, Christians, is prosecutable as crtninal oi eximinal acts se required to warrant condemning Christians, "Ts ithe name tel “Cluisdan’ that sco be punished, even without criminal offenses, or the lwiessness is inevitably connected tothe name ite" "And farther: “An anonymous writing was circulated contsning the nares of many authoritative indvidals” and T equired inorder to dismiss the accusations against them, chat “they zccited after me an invocation to the gods and made offerings of wine and incense to your statue” Above all imposed on them that they should formally “eurse Christ, something which Ihave understood, a geal Chrinian cannot be forced to do,” In the lets, Pliny invited Trajan t0 not “nderestimate the problem because it regarded “numerous persons cof every age and every social class, men and women,” and also ‘because “the contagion of this superstition has spread not onl tothe cles but also to the villages and countryside.” ; “Trajan applauded the governors dligence and responded by clang: 20 Angle Pali -_ Itis not possible to construct a universal principle or specific formula for such «delicate issue; + Christians “are not to be hunted down”; = Anonymous accusations shall not be introduced into che legal ‘proceedings because they “set an awful precedent and are not in the spicit of our age.” “The lack of catty and of legal certain in his imperil resrpt and in all anti-Christian legislation is obvious. For example, if (Custis posed a danger so reat hate waraned their deth, why legal authorities were excused from having to hunt them down is traly puzzling. “Tran wrote the letter in 111\113, But about ten yeas later already there was need for a second impesial pronoancement ‘Advian's Resi established thatthe burden to submit substantiating cvidence fll on the accuser and that slanderers were subject to punishment. A. few decades later, with Marcus Ancelus) and ‘Commod, the decision was made to actively hunt down Christians. ‘Midway through the 3" ceatury, with Valerian, Rome did not limit itself to punishing single individuals, but forthe frst time i targeted ‘the Chutch as an organization and strack at its hierarchy. During the last wave of persecutions, that of Diolean, Galesus and Maximinus Dain, especialy in the Eau, the persecution aimed aot only oki, but mainly to induce Chuisians into commiting apostasy. In this way roman authoies hoped to increase the persecution’s effectiveness, "AL the clote of the 3 century, the greatest novelty was tha, in general, after so much rathless violence, the population sided with the Crnians. ‘Many Antichtists have appeared ‘Adam and Eve, made in the image and likeness of God, lived in, God's presence in a splendid garden, Yet, Eve heeded Satan who suggested that God, her creator, envied her. Something unimaginable, jncomprehensible! eis so incomprehensible, thatthe Church defines the problem of evil as a mystery: miserium inigntas, The tragedy of Jhuman history, including the suffering and death which accompany Amstoay oF raz cnurett 3 its deseibed in the book of Goer, butit comes back to repeat itself everyday in mankind's induwval and collective history. Sata invites us| to clumsily mimic God and decide by ourselves the difference between good and evil. “For God knows,” he said to Eve, “that when you eat of it [he is referring to the tree ofthe knowledge of good and evi the frit of which God had forbidden them to ext otherwise they ‘would die}, your eyes will be opened and you wil be like God, knowing good and evil” In che New Testament, all sacred authors repeatedly warn the brothers agsinst heeding tothe talet concocted by those whom Jesus in the gospel of Matthew defines as “ravenous wolves”: “Beware of false prophets who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves”; in the Adt of the Apastes, Paul warned the ‘Ephesians: “Some even from your own group will teach perverse doctrines in order to entice disciples to follow them”; in his Send Later, Peter castions: “there will be false teachers among you, who ‘will secrely introduce pernicious heresies. They will deny the Lord ‘their redeemer and bring a swift destruction upon themselves, Even, 0, many will follow their Hicentious ways and because of these teachers the way of truth will be maligned.” “You do the works of your father”, Jesus said in the Gospel of, Jon to thote trying to kill him. You carinot hext the truth that Iams because “You ste from your father the devi and you choose to follow ‘your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning and did ‘ot persevere inthe tu, because there is no truth in him. When he lis, he speaks from himself, for he salar and the father of lies.” ‘The father ofall heresies in history is the devil, murderer and line since the very beginning, Satan hates man: he wants man enslaved and dead, And yet, Satan, deceit personified, deceives him in the name of bert. The Gnostics do the same. Gnotties ~ which according to the word's etymology means, “those who know” — believe they are able to define what is good and what is evil on their own. This presumption is the source of boundless violence, suffering and injustice. In the Book of Relation, John wrote that Satan, after ying, in vain to devout the newly born child and to swallow up the woman ‘who had just given birth, “went off to make war on the rest of her children, against those who keep the commandments of God and hold the testimony of Jesus.” 2 Arg Pali It could seem strange that the Church, from its very beginning, ‘when it was stil very small, fescely persecuted and powerless, attracted people who lead a double life and who followed false doctrine, Peter referred to this in his Fit Ltr when he invited the brothers to be watchful: “Like a roaring lion, your enemy, the devil, prowl around, looking for someone to devout.” The facts that Jesus Christ is in the Church. The fact is that Satan hates Christ and therefore, no matter how big or small, Satan can never stop petsecuting che Church. Reatin continues: “Then the dragon took his stand on the sand of the seashore.” Satan bates the Church on ‘vo fronts: he intimidates her withthe ghost of persecution ~ this is ‘what the dragon does; he stands firm on the seashore, tying to ‘prevent Christians from confronting the waters of death lke Jesus, ‘with the certainty of his vietory ~ and attacks Peter’s magistesium taying to commupt true doctrine. ‘Historians believe that at the beginning of the 3* century, the Church had, already won the battle against Gnosticism. But Gnosticism advances in tandem withthe history of the Church and contingent with the times assumes greater ot lesser visibility, different forms and expressions. In 1907, in an exemplary clear and precise encyclical, dhe Pastendé Domini’ Gr, Pius X condemned modernism as the “synthesis of all heresies.” Modernism is simply edistilation of Gnosticism. ‘They will forbid marriage “Wat some call the deep things of Satan”: with these words, the Book of Rerelation describes the key features of gnostic belief. John, Peter and Paul, invited the faithful to be watchful against the deceits of the devil: the brothers must not go “beyond” the teachings of (Chis transmitted by the apostes; they must not follow doctrines that ‘supposedly have been revealed to some and hidden to the many, they ‘must not give in tothe deceit of the antichrist. In his Send Leder John says: for “Many deceivers have appeared inthe world, those who do ‘not recognize that Jesus has come in the flesh. Behold, such is the deceiver and the antichrist! Be on guard over yourself”; “Everyone ‘who does not hold to the tsaching of Christ, bt goes beyond it, does Aumsrory ov rennet 2 sot have God" Ia his Fit Later Joba had aleady wren a waning Be careful because “as you have heard that che antichrist is coming, 0 now many enicists have already come”: “They went out from 8 bur they did nor belong eo us.” Ta his two leters to Timothy, Paul prophesied the coming of ise teachers. Inthe Ser: "Now che Spict expressly declares that in the las days some will renounce the fit by heeding wo deccealspicis snd diabolie octincs, seduced by the hypocrisy of imposters whose consciences are seared with a hot ion, These wil forbid mariage”; in the second he emphasized: the day will eome “when people will fot pat up with sound doctrine, but having itching ears to heat someching, they will surround themselves with teaches to sit thelr own desires, refusing «0 hear the tuth so as to wander avay to myths.” “Justin, renaeus, Hippolytus and with them also Euschins of ‘Caesarea (263-339), the st historian ofthe Chusc, identified Simon the magician asthe first follower of Gnosticism He tried to inflate the Church by “simulating fd in Chis,” beeause he was atacted by the minicles the disciples worked. ln fac, as a magician, he had succeeded in making others adore him lke God. Pete launched an anathema aguinst Simon. In later centuries, Popes and bishops will do the same wo defend the flock entrusted to them from the greed for porwer, money and lst of ravenous wolves. "The world of Gaosicism is extremely diverse, Fach group, each founder is certain to be staster than the others and therefore 10 pomess the truth thatthe others do not know. Puting aside the Infinite amy of differences, gnostic sects have various points in common dualism (ere exist two principles, «wo dies, one good and one evi), contempt for matte (followed often by anomie, and the consequent orgase practices and stl homicides), contempe for the common people, esotrsm, magi, faith in the divine vimues of those who founded the different schocs. “The anschrst does not acknowledge Jesus coe inthe fesh end forbids mariage. Despite dhe explicit aseron in the book of Gene shout the goodness of eration and about the increasing goodaess oF tan, contempe for creation, the exaltation ofthe spirit at the expense of and agains mater, ae the most typical features of the Gnostic stack on Christ, son of God incarnate and son ofthe Vega. Man's Po Angle Palit reason which lays down laws without and against God, without and against revelation, is unable to accept that God took flesh. Likewise, itcannot accept the goodness of mater and ofthe body because their features seem to limit the free world of the spisit. The free world of those perverse fantasies which they call spisit. Followers of Gnosticism condemn the flesh and often, in opposition and asa sign of tumph over it, abuse the flesh and its pleasures, culminating in a condemnation of both marsiage and reproduction. ‘Revealed doctrine is the exact contraty of the gnostic creed: “Be ‘rutful and multiply”, God said to Adam and Eve ight after creating them, Marriage is a sacrament. Sexual life outside the sacrament blessed by God and open to life is a practice which alters man. Created to be temple of the Holy Spit it transforms him into the ‘temple of Satan The Church blesses matrage but also exalts virginity. Hence the endless ranks of men and women consecrated to God ‘who, within one of the infinite number of charisms inspired by the Holy Spiri in every age, lived a life here on earth which anticipated that of the heavenly Jerusalem. ‘Truth is in Rome ‘Time passing and! the progressive branching out of gnostic temprations, the Church, besides leaning on the help of preaching and Scripture, equipped herself ro confute point by point the presence of heresy within. Christians of all epochs cannot neglect to fight this battle for tuth, In fact, though their substance is always the same, new insidious attacks always besiege the brothers, The frst champion in the battle aguinst Gnosticism and heresy was Irenaeus of Lyon (135-2039), disciple of Polyearp, who in turn was a disciple of John: (On the Desecton and Overthrow of the Fale Guots, this is the tte of his key work, How to shield onescé against false lambs, false saints, and Ihaughty men who threaten the Church? What to do in order to discern teue from false, catholic from gnostic doctrine? What todo in ‘order to be perfect anc not become, as Paul wrote to the Ephesians, “children, tssed to and fo by the waves and blown about by every wind of doctrine, according to people's deceit, with that shrewdness ‘which leads to error”? Anmsrory oF ri cHumea 35 Irenaeus fixed the distinguishing criteria: one must not heed those who afe on the bunt for novelties which turn their followers into leaves blown by the wind; rather one must follow the apostolic tradition wansmitted by bishops, successors of the apostles, and not ‘uum aside either to the right ot to the eft. The apostolic tredition is, ‘public, preumati, and unique. Iis public, meaning itis not secre. It {snot esoteric. Itis not destined to the few; its for everyone. Ie was ‘not revealed by Jesus only to some disciples in particular, something the followers of Gnosticism claimed because they wanted to justify their own thitst for power and the supposed superiority of their knowledge. Tradition is pneumatic and therefore guided by the Holy Spit: it nether depends on culture nor on human ability. Tradition is unique because it does not vary from place to place. In fact, it conforms to will of Jesus who established unity as the distinctive feature of the Church, Irenacus'wrote: “The churches founded is, Germany have nether received nor do they transmit a different faith; neither do the churches founded in Spain, or among the Celts, or in the easter regions, or in Egypt or in Libya, or in the center of the worl.” The Church is one and universal. The Church has nothing 10 do with nationalisms. The Church is Roman. The canon, tradition sand apostolic succession, are the most reliable guarantees against heresy. "The word “heresy” is derived from a Greek verb which means t0 select, t0 choose, to privilege one single aspect over others within a doctrinal body, in the attempt to make the overall edifice more acceptable from a rational point of view: less scandalous to reason; more eaily adaptable o our ability to comprehend and to our desires; in two words, lee divine, A few decades after Ireaneus, the efforts spent to confute heresies were gathered by Hippolytus and then by san uninterrupted series of Popes, bishops, monks and lay people. In the moder age, the papal magisterium played a providential role: it enlightened the dangers and highlighted the contradictions and grave errors hidden in gnostic thought, which underlie the order of Freemasons and the Enlightenment. In our days and age, the _magistrium of Pope Wojtyla and Pope Ratzinger warned against che totalitarian implications of nihiist relativism. 36 Ang Pai ‘Come over to Macedonia and help us From the moment Paulina dream, recived a Macedonians pea to come by his region to help them (“Come over to Macedonia and ‘help us) from the moment when a the Aeropagus he responded to the Athenian philosophers who ezowded about him and asked htm for explanations about his faith by announcing Jesus” resurrection starting from rational considerations, Cheisanity, sated cardinal Ratzinger in 1999 during conference held at the Sorbonne, introduced itself purporting to be the tue regi. This implies that “Chistian ft is neler based on poety nor politics, these two great sources of religion; its based of knowledge.” Cristianity found "both ts forerunner and its preparation in philosophic rationality, not in religions” Te has nothing to do with myth or the poliial exploitation tis normaly subject to. Rationality “became religion and teased to be ts adversary” beeause Christianity ia universal religion Tikewise, the rational arguments it puts forth ae also universal Formed by studying Sant Augustine, Ratinger quotes his teacher ‘who placed Chiisanitywichin the scope of pulosophial rational. By s0 doing Augustine was “in perfect consinlty with the very Sst, theologians of Chistian, the apologists ofthe 2" century” ‘Dring the 2" century, the Church made a great effort aot only to defend herself fom her intemal enemies, tha is, heretics, but also to reply to false and wiifjing accusations which were used as pretexts to unleash persecution, The frst apologist whose work was preserved ‘was Justin (100-162), philosopher and mary. While searching in ‘ain various plilosophea schools forthe truth, Jasin understood {hat the only way to tlve the unsolvable problems of philosophical speculation is through revealed reljon, Therefore, he believed Ghristians have al the right to call dhemselvespalosophers. To filly {gis how credible Justin's considerations ac, iis enough to think that no Greck, no matte how great a genius he may have been, neither Plato nor Aristo, ever arived to formulate the concept of ‘teation ~ fundamental notion to grasp the reality we are part of = instead, dhe very first verse of Scripta starts there: “In he beginning God excited the heavens and the earth Ta the fist centres the Church waged abate without quarter, aginst the Molarous and magie word of myth, the word of _AvwsrorY oF i CHURCH 7 ‘paganism, It found an all in philosophical reason: on the one hand, the Old Testament; on the other, Greek philosophy. They were lke the ewo roads that both lead to the Lage, both lad to Christ aimed Justi, This belief was pronounced in Rome where Justin taught. The prestigious school of Alesandsia moved along the same wavelength. ‘Midway through the 2 century, Clement of Alexandia (159-2157), ‘who directed the school, taught that there was only one New Testament while there were two old: Jewish law and Greck philosophy. He believed that philosophy was to pagans che equivalent ‘of what the law was to Jews. In Fides et Rat John Paul I eminds us ‘hat, according to Clement, philosophy “is a teaching which prepares the Christian faith” The’ Church always started from the same assumption: before studying theology, one must first study philosophy, defined by Thomas axle tela Tn the las few decades, both the philosopher Pope, Wola, and the theologian Pope, Ratzinger, standing before a world east ito a \whiehwin of scientific isationalism, with rigor and strength defended ‘human dignicy, defended man made in the image and likeness of God, and defended the power of man's reason to attain the truth, In 2006,

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