lumen fidei: reflections

1 John 1:1

What was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what

we have looked at and touched with our hands,

concerning the Word of Life.

LUMEN FIDEI, POPE FRANCIS.

1. THE AUTHOR(S) OF THE ENCYCLICAL: BENEDICT AND FRANCIS

2. THE CONTEXT OF THE ENCYCLICAL

3. THE TRAJECTORY OF THE ENCYCLICAL

4. THE “BIG IDEAS” OF THE ENCYCLICAL

5. IMPLICATIONS OF THE ENCYCLICAL TO CATECHETICAL MINISTRY

THE AUTHOUR(S) OF THE ENCYCLICAL, LUMEN FIDEI

Pope Benedict XVIJoseph Aloisius Ratzinger

▪ Born: 16 April 1927; Age: 86▪ Entered the Seminary – 1939▪ Ordained – 1951▪ At the Second Vatican Council (1962-65), Ratzinger

served chief theologian expert to Cardinal Joseph Frings of Cologne, Germany.

▪ Elected Pope: 19 April 2005▪ Resigned: 28 February 2013

Marktl am Inn, Bavaria Germany

Pope FrancisJorge Mario Bergoglio

▪Archbishop of Buenos Aires

▪Born December 17, 1936. Age 76. Entered the Society of Jesus – March 11, 1958 (novitiate). Chemical technician. Jesuit Provincial July 31, 1973.

10 Things Pope Benedict Wants you to know

JOHN L. ALLEN, JR.JOHN L. ALLEN, JR.

1. God is Love

2. Jesus is Lord

3. Truth and

Freedom are Two Sides of

the Same Coin

4. Faith and 4. Faith and Reason Need Reason Need One AnotherOne Another

5. The Eucharist is the 5. The Eucharist is the Heart of the Christian Heart of the Christian

LifeLife

6. 6. Christianity Christianity is a Positive is a Positive MessageMessage

7. The Church forms Consciences but Stays out of Politics

8. The Importan

ce of Catholic Identity

9. Christ and the 9. Christ and the Church are Church are

InseparableInseparable

10. The 10. The Virtue Virtue of of PatiencPatiencee

10 Things 10 Things Pope Francis Pope Francis Wants You to KnowWants You to Know

JOHN L. ALLEN, JR.JOHN L. ALLEN, JR.

““A Poor Church for A Poor Church for the Poor”the Poor”

A Poor Church for the PoorA Poor Church for the Poor

““How I would like a poor Church for poor!”How I would like a poor Church for poor!”

A Poor Church for the PoorA Poor Church for the Poor

Humility Humility (humilitas)(humilitas)

““It is Christ who leads the Church through his Spirit!”It is Christ who leads the Church through his Spirit!”

Humility Humility (humilitas)(humilitas)

Three qualities for the Church of Three qualities for the Church of the 21the 21stst century: century:

1. Humility1. Humility

2. Simplicity2. Simplicity

3. Greater capacity for silence3. Greater capacity for silence

Stay Close to the PeopleStay Close to the People

““To evangelize means meeting people, where they are…”To evangelize means meeting people, where they are…”

Stay Close to the PeopleStay Close to the People

To evangelize means meeting To evangelize means meeting people where they are, being able to people where they are, being able to connect with their doubts and their connect with their doubts and their frustrations, understanding what frustrations, understanding what

they bring to the table. they bring to the table.

Never Give Up On God’s MercyNever Give Up On God’s Mercy

““Miserando atque eligendo” Miserando atque eligendo” (“Seeing through the eyes of mercy, he chose him.”)(“Seeing through the eyes of mercy, he chose him.”)

Never Give Up On God’s MercyNever Give Up On God’s Mercy

“The Lord never gets tired of forgiving. “Never,” Francis

said. We are the ones who get tired of asking him for

forgiveness.”

We’re All Franciscans NowWe’re All Franciscans Now

St. Francis of AssisiSt. Francis of Assisi

When they think about “the Church,” Catholics typically see two faces. There’s the face of the institution, which is about infrastructure and

resources, rules and regulations, and a hierarchical chain of command.

…Then there’s the Church of the spirit, a humble and simple community of

equals with a special love for the least of this world. Ideally the two go together, but in any case they’re

distinct.

By taking the name “Francis,” the pope has essentially said that the second face of the Church must shine through in a new way.

In other words, Francis has offered a whole program of governance, an entire

ecclesiastical vision, in a single word.”

The Faith Must be Proposed, The Faith Must be Proposed, Never ImposedNever Imposed

““The faith must always be proposed, but it must be never be imposed”The faith must always be proposed, but it must be never be imposed”

““I told you that I would give you I told you that I would give you my blessing from my heart. Since my blessing from my heart. Since

many of you don’t belong to the many of you don’t belong to the Catholic Church, and others [of Catholic Church, and others [of you] are nonbelievers, I impart you] are nonbelievers, I impart this blessing from my heart in this blessing from my heart in

silence, to each of you, respecting silence, to each of you, respecting the conscience of every one, but the conscience of every one, but

knowing that each of you is a knowing that each of you is a child of God. child of God.

May God bless you.”May God bless you.”

“We have to avoid the spiritual sickness of a self-referential church,”

he said in a 2012 interview. “When you get out into the street, as happens to every man and woman, there can be

accidents.”

…However, if the Church remains closed in on itself, self-referential, it gets old.

Between a Church that suffers accidents in the street and a Church that’s sick because it’s self-referential, I have no doubts about

preferring the former.”

One has the sense that this will be a pope relentless about proposing the

faith to the world, but deeply respectful of those who chose not to

take him up on the offer.

We’re Not an NGOWe’re Not an NGO

““If we do not profess Jesus Christ, things go wrong.”If we do not profess Jesus Christ, things go wrong.”

In an homily during a March 14 Mass with the cardinals who elected him, Francis pointedly said that “if

we do not profess Jesus Christ, things go wrong.”

We may become a charitable NGO (nongovernmental

organization),” he said, “but not the Church, the Bride of the

Lord.”

Never Give in to PessimismNever Give in to Pessimism

““the fruit of hope is, the fruit of hope is, apostolic courageapostolic courage, meaning the willingness to transmit the , meaning the willingness to transmit the Gospel everywhere and always.”Gospel everywhere and always.”

“Let us never yield to pessimism…let us not yield to pessimism or

discouragement,” he said.

“Let us be quite certain that the Holy Spirit bestow upon the Church, with his powerful breath, the courage to persevere and also to seek new methods of evangelization, so as to bring the gospel to the uttermost ends of

the earth.”

Have a Sense of HumorHave a Sense of Humor

““Let us pass on this wisdom to the young…”Let us pass on this wisdom to the young…”

In other words, Francis wants to be an evangelizing pope, someone who can reach out beyond the confines

of the already convinced and represent Christianity to the wider

world.

He knows that doing that with a smile rather than a frown is likely to be a more

winning missionary strategy, and he’s comfortable enough in his own skin to

break the formal mode of the papacy and come off the cuff with some humor.

The Importance of UnityThe Importance of Unity

““In order to dialogue, it is necessary to know how to lower the In order to dialogue, it is necessary to know how to lower the defenses, open the doors of the house, and offer human warmth.”defenses, open the doors of the house, and offer human warmth.”

The Holy Spirit is also the one “who creates unity from these differences, not in ‘equality,’ but in harmony. I remember the Father of the Church

who described him thus: Ipse harmonia est.

The Paraclete, who gives different charisms to each of us, unites us in

this community of the Church, which worships the Father, the Son,

and him, the Holy Spirit.”

Those words suggest that Francis is likely to be a pope who stresses the

value of unity, trying to push Catholics beyond their internal differences as

well as toward greater cooperation with other Christian denominations.

Article 7.

these considerations on faith – in continuity with all that the church’s magisterium has pronounced on

this theological virtue are meant to supplement what Benedict XVI had written in his encyclical letters on charity and hope.

his fine work and added a few contributions of my own…..

He himself had almost completed a first draft of an encyclical on faith. For this I am deeply grateful to him and as his brother in Christ I have taken up

CONTEXT OF THE ENCYCLICAL

WHAT IS SECULARISM?WHAT IS SECULARISM?

"Secular" "Secular" today stands in today stands in

opposition to opposition to "religious". "religious".

According to this usage, something is secular when it can be categorized withthe worldly, civil, non-religious sphere of human life.

According to this usage, something is secular when it is not worshipped,

when it is not venerated, and when it is open for critique, judgment, and replacement.

In English, the term

“secularism” was coined by George Jacob

Holyoake in 1841.

Three essential principles

(1) The improvement of this life by material

means.

(2) That science is the available Providence of

(3) That it is good to do good. Whether there be other good or not, the good of the present life is good, and it is good to seek

that good.”

Characteristics of Secularism:

1. It can indicate the autonomy of earthly realities and the

separation between the Kingdom of God and the

kingdom of Caesar.

2. Secularism supports the individual against the pressure of

the group and the individual conscience against the dogma of

the group. In this sense it promotes individualism.

3. According to Virgilius Ferm in his Encyclopedia of Religion secularism is

“a variety of utilitarian social ethic which seeks human improvement without reference to religion and

exclusively by means of human reason, science and social organization.

…It has developed into a positive and widely adopted outlook which

aims to direct all activities and institutions by a non-religious concern for the goods of the

present life and for social well-being.”

…Secularism brings in its train relativism. Nothing is absolute. No truth or morality is valid for

all and for all time.

4. It is a morality that is based on rational considerations regarding

human well-being in this world, to the exclusion of considerations relating to God or the afterlife.

5. Indifference to religion is presupposed. Religion is not

seen necessary or even useful.

Secularism brings along with it individualism,

relativism, materialism and agnosticism.

Fundamentalism as found in all religious persuasion is characterized by:

1. Extreme conservatism in doctrine, deriving from

literalist interpretations of their holy books or/and

sacred customs.

2. Intolerance of others, both co-religionists not belonging

to their group and much more of other religions.

3. Inability to see any good from others outside of their

group, therefore very inward looking.

4. There is no openness to dialogue and working

together.

5. There is great effort to proselytize.

We can view the rise of We can view the rise of fundamentalism as a reaction fundamentalism as a reaction of groups who are threatened of groups who are threatened

by the rapid changes by the rapid changes happening around them. It is happening around them. It is the refusal to understand and the refusal to understand and

adjust to new reality.adjust to new reality.

TRAJECTORY OF THE ENCYCLICAL

The first encyclical

sets the tone of the

papacy.

Lumen Fidei is to be understood in the church’s mission of the new evangelization. New evangelization startedwith John XXIII and the Second Vatican Council – “aggiornamento”

Lumen Fidei is part of the Lumen Fidei is part of the renewal brought about by the renewal brought about by the papacy of Benedict. 50papacy of Benedict. 50thth anniversary of Vatican II.anniversary of Vatican II.

Benedict XVI underlines Benedict XVI underlines the renewal of Vatican II – the renewal of Vatican II – Deus Caritas EstDeus Caritas Est, , Spe Spe

SalviSalvi and now and now Lumen Lumen FideiFidei. Two documents . Two documents

were produced: were produced: Sacramentum Caritatis Sacramentum Caritatis

and and Verbum Domini.Verbum Domini. And a social encyclical – And a social encyclical –

Caritas in VeritateCaritas in Veritate..

The first chapter first chapter (Salvation History)(Salvation History) takes the reader on a whirlwind tour of the Old and

New Testaments, from Abraham, who first hears God’s call, through the Israelites

traveling towards the light of the Promised Land, to Jesus’ death on the Cross, the

ultimate act of God’s love for humanity.

BIG IDEAS OF THE ENCYCLICAL

▪Abraham's Faith▪Israel's Faith▪The Fullness of Christian Faith▪Salvation of Faith▪The Ecclesial of Faith

Chapter two Chapter two (Faith & Truth)(Faith & Truth) insists on the link between Faith insists on the link between Faith and Truth, without love in our and Truth, without love in our

hearts, truth becomes cold, hearts, truth becomes cold, impersonal, oppressive, unable impersonal, oppressive, unable to transform the lives of other. to transform the lives of other.

But by listening, seeing and But by listening, seeing and believing in Christ’s presence believing in Christ’s presence

in our lives today, we can in our lives today, we can broaden our horizons and find broaden our horizons and find

better ways of serving the better ways of serving the common good.common good.

▪Faith and Truth

▪Knowledge of the Truth and Love

▪Faith as Hearing and Sight

▪The Dialogue between Faith and Reason

▪Faith and the Search for God

▪Faith and Theology

TheThe third chapter third chapter (Church) (Church) of the encyclical centers of the encyclical centers on the Church as the place where the light on the Church as the place where the light

of faith is safeguarded and transmitted of faith is safeguarded and transmitted from one generation to the next.from one generation to the next.

I delivered to you what I also received (1 Cor 15:3).

The The final chapter final chapter focuses on focuses on

Faith and the common Faith and the common goodgood and shows how the light and shows how the light of faith can promote peace and of faith can promote peace and

reconciliation, and teach respect reconciliation, and teach respect for God’s creation.for God’s creation.

# 55 Faith by revealing the love of God the Creator, enables us to respect nature all the more, and

to discern in it a gram mar written by the hand of God and a dwelling place entrusted to our

protection and care.

Suffering reminds us that faith’s service to the

common good is always one of hope

IMPLICATIONS OF THE ENCYCLICAL

i. i. (Fides Quae) (Fides Quae) Faith is Faith is knowing the truth knowing the truth (Chapter2) (Chapter2) “Faith without truth does not “Faith without truth does not

grow” grow”

Meaning:-A catechist must have a personal relationship with God- “Contemplation and Action well united”- Great devotion to the Blessed Sacrament (Holy Hour)- Love of the Eucharistic Celebration-Must be close to the people- Bearers of joy

A Catechist must be solidly grounded on the truths of our

faith, in touch with the teachings of the magisterium and faithful to

the Church and our God.

Meaning:-Mastery of Content-Know the Sources of the Faith- must not get weary of On Going Formation (updating)

A Catechist is one who has a good memory. It’s not that one must have a great mind and

photographic memory. We mean here, is someone who has a sense of gratitude, a

grateful heart. Someone who never forgets what the Lord has done and is continuously

doing in his life.

A Catechist believes with the heart. This blending of faith and love we come to see the kind of knowledge which faith entails, its power to

convince and its ability to illumine our steps. Faith knows because it is tied to love, because

love itself brings enlightenment. (Art. 26)

Meaning:

-Love is a verb not a noun

- Faith is a gift that we need to share

- Faith is performative not informative

- witnessing: “simple living”

As a Catechist, s/he is called to be faithful to the one who called him

and see in all God's presence. Someone who is very much in love

with the Lord and radiates and illumines this love experience to

others.

Meaning:-Fidelity to God-Fidelity to the Human Person and Creation- Fidelity to the Church “Fidelity to the Gospel… Fidelity to Christ.”

ii. ii. (Confessio et caritas) (Confessio et caritas) Faith is Faith is personal and Lovingpersonal and Loving (# 20)(# 20)

A Catechist is one who has a personal relationship with the

Lord, leading others to the encounter of this loving God.

A Catechist realizes that s/he is nothing without God and that everything that s/he has and is comes from God our Father.

Meaning:

- Catechist must be humble, simple, and has a greater capacity for silence…

A Catechist believes that God is a living God making himself available for all and that each one is being called by him to a

relationship.

A Catechist realizes that he is nothing without God and that everything that s/he has and is comes from God our Father.

A Catechist is one who journeys with people entrusted

to him/her is willing to sacrifice and give time to lead

others to God.

A Catechist is mindful of God’s manifestation at all

iii. iii. Faith is Communal Faith is Communal (Chapter 1 #22)(Chapter 1 #22)

A catechist is called to be a man or woman of the church. His/her love for the church is “unquestioned”.

He/she brings people to an understanding and appreciation of

the church – universal, local, diocesan and even parish.

Meaning:

-Faithful to the teachings of the Church… (for we are the “echoes of Christ”)

- would not engage or involve oneself to gossips and intrigues destroying the Church

Church involvement is a most important program of the

catechetical office. As an active member of the diocese and the

parish, he promotes the programs and activities of the parish

among the faith communities.

iv. iv. Faith is developmentalFaith is developmental

Meaning:A Catechist grows in faith – matures in faith. Faith is a gift to be nurtured..“Catechist for Life”- “Katekistas Oradores”

iv. iv. Faith is developmentalFaith is developmental

A catechist is able to create developmentally appropriate programs for children and

young people. A good articulation of the

religious education/catechetical

program with the campus ministry can weave a

“seamless garment” of Christian formation in the

school.

Big Challenge: Catechists should come together and

review the K – 10 Catechetical Program with a

view to: a. articulate Grs. 11 – 12 and and Tertiary level

RelEd/Theology

Big Challenge: Catechists should come together and review the K – 10 Catechetical Program with a

view to: b. integration of programs and structures of catechetical

instruction, campus ministry and extension program/pastoral

program in a Catholic school

OrthodoxyOrthopraxis

Scripture/TraditionHuman Experience

Ideological Activism (No prayer)

WORSHIP (Sacraments)[Ritualism]

MORALS

[Activism]DOCT

Idealistic A

ctivism

(No doctr

inal base)Pious Dogmatism

(No Praxis)

DIAGRAM OF CATHOLIC FAITH (NCDP 200)

Catechesis/ Religious Education

Pastoral Ministry/Extension Ministry

Campus Ministry

v. v. Faith is Missionary Faith is Missionary (reaches out to others) (reaches out to others)

(Chapter 3)(Chapter 3)

A catechist is aware that missio “ad gentes, ad extra, ad vitam” is the church’s pastoral priority. He/she helps create a “sense of

mission” through involvement in the Pontifical Mission Societies.

October is highlighted as “Mission Month” – the

school is called to awareness and assistance of foreign missions, especially

in Asia and Africa.

vi. vi. Faith is Inculturation Faith is Inculturation ((Chapter 4)Chapter 4)

A catechist is called to help “de – privatize” the faith. That faith has

social and cultural implications is a concern of the catechetical ministry.

Conscious of Catholic Social Teachings, a catechist works in

coordination with the social services and social development office of the diocese and works in the BECs/MSK

Meaning:

- Is Involved in the concerns of society

-Able to articulate the “burning issues” of the day and integrate them in catechesis

-Knows how to integrate faith and culture: “faith shapes culture”

lumen fidei: reflections

poor church fora poor

poora poor church

church arechurch

ofcatholic church

church ofthree qualities

poorthe poor

church forms consciences

franciscans nowwere

Spiritual

porta fidei

carta encíclica lumen fidei papa francisco

defensio fidei (cap1)

carta encÍclica lumen fidei del sumo pontÍfice … ·...

lumen fidei

À luz da fé - lumen fidei

lumen fidei cap 4

sensus fidei: faith “making sense” of...

lumen fidei del sumo pontÍfice francisco a los...

para leer la lumen fidei

lumen fidei francis

lumen fidei, papa francesco (italiano)

signum fidei news

lumen fidei the light of faith - rc spiritualitythe...

carta encÍclica “laudato si” del santo padre francisco...

to explore important themes of our faith. to reflect on the...

lumen fidei francisco - w2.vatican.va · carta encÍclica...

lumen fidei francis - holy ghost catholic churchencyclical...

encountering the light of faith lumen fidei online retreat...

lumen fidei cap 3