Light of the World - Final Section

Light of the World  - Pope Benedict XVl, Published by CTS

Part lll: Where do we go from here?

As I hinted in my last post, I am reviewing the final section of the Holy Father's book in one go, rather than chapter by chapter.  There are various reasons for this: but the principle one is that I felt that what I was writing was a lot less interesting than what the Holy Father had written, and I was concerned that if I went on and on, I might put people off, rather than encourage them to read it.

So this will be a brief skim of the final five chapters and will draw more heavily on the Holy Father's words than mine, in the hope of conveying more accurately how excellent this book is.

Chapter 13 is on Church, Faith and Society, and discusses the problems of modern society, including rampant capitalism and a belief in science that displaces faith, and how the Church engages with them. "Science alone, in its self-isolating search for autonomy, does not do justice to the whole range of our life.  It is a sector that gives great gifts, but it depends in turn on man's remaining man.  We have seen it ourselves: progress has increased our capabilities, but not our moral and human stature and capacity.  We have to regain an internal balance, and we also need spiritual growth."  The Holy  Father also reflects on the Church as the Body of Christ: "St Paul understood the Church precisely not as an institution, as an organisation, but as a living organism, in which all the members work with and in relation to each other, in which they are all united because of Christ.  This is an image, but it is an image that leads deep below the surface and that is very realistic, if for no other reason than because we believe  that in the Eucharist we really receive Christ, the Risen One."

Chapter 14 is Overdue Reforms?  Here the Holy Father considers the various demands for change that modernity makes of the Church with regard to celibacy, Women's ordination and homosexuality, for example.  Each time his answer combines faith and charity, intellect and orthodoxy, holiness and compassion.  On 'remarried' people receiving the Eucharist, he acknowledges the cultural difficulty of people even understanding what is truly meant by marriage in modern society, but concludes: "But that is no reason to give up monogamous marriage or to cease struggling to preserve this form.  That would contradict the Gospel."  Similarly on contraception, whilst acknowledging the problems modern society has with grasping the truth of the Church's teaching, he is nonetheless clear: "we should not take the failure to live up to this high moral standard as an authoritative objection to the truth."

On Celibacy: "Celibacy is an affront to what man normally thinks.  It is something that can only be done, and is only credible if there is a God and if celibacy is my doorway into the Kingdom of God.  In this sense, celibacy is a special kind of sign."  And on calls for the ordination of women: "The point is not that we are saying we don't want to, but that we can't."  And on homosexuality: "The issue at stake here is the intrinsic truth of sexuality's significance in the constitution of man's being.  If someone has deep-seated homosexual inclinations - and it is still an open question whether these inclinations are really innate, or whether they arise in early childhood - if, in any case, they have power over him, this is a great trial for him, just as other trials can afflict other people as well.  But this does not mean that homosexuality thereby becomes morally right.  Rather,it remains contrary to the essence of what God originally willed."

Chapter 15 is called How is the Church renewed?  Here the Holy Father gives pride of place to liturgy.  'If it is true - as we believe it is - that Christ is really present in the Eucharist, then this is the event that is at the centre of absolutely everything;"  and referring to his practice of distributing Holy Communion only on the tongue and only to kneeling communicants, he explains: "I wanted to send a clear signal.  I wanted it to be clear: Something quite special is going on here!  He is here, the One before whom we fall on our knees!  Pay attention!  This is not just some social ritual in which we can take part if we want to."

Chapter 16 is Mary and the Message of Fatima. The Holy Father describes himself as growing up with a Christocentric piety.  His predecessor is well known to have had a strong Marian devotion, but Pope Benedict makes clear that a Christocentric approach inevitably leads to Marian devotion too: "it goes without saying that the Mother of God, the Mother of the Lord, is an essential part of the picture too." He resists over-literal interpretations of the Fatima message: "The point was rather that the power of evil is restrained again and again, and that again and again  the power of God himself is shown in the Mother's power and keeps it alive."

Chapter 17 is The Return of Jesus Christ.  This is a wide-ranging and fascinating chapter, including much discussion of the historicity of the Jesus of the Gospel, as elucidated in the Pope's book Jesus of Nazareth - which he points out he published under his name, Ratzinger, as it is not a work of the Magisterium but a scholar's contribution to the debate.    Finally, however, "the really crucial thing is that the Church offers Him.  That she opens wide the doors to God and so gives people what they are must waiting for and what can most help them.  The Church does this mainly through the great miracle of love, which never stops happening afresh."

The final chapter is On the Last Things.  "That is a very serious question.  Our preaching, our proclamation, really is one-sided, in that it is largely directed toward the creation of a better world, while hardly anyone talks any more about the other, truly better, world.  We need to examine our consciences on this point."  He continues on the reality of traditional eschatology: "A real Last Judgement takes place."  He concludes the interview and the book: "That is the important thing: that we become capable of God and so are enabled to enter into eternal life. Yes, he came so that we might come to know the truth.  So that we might touch God.  So that the door might be open.  So that we might find life, real life, that is no longer subject to death."

There follow a number of useful appendices: extracts form important sermons and talks, and a chronology of his pontificate.  I hope that in these reviews I have managed to convey something of the humanity and humour, as well as the intellectual rigour and steadfast faith of the Holy Father: but my real intention was to introduce you to a book that you will want to read for yourself: his words say it so much better than mine!