Flights Into Evolutionary Cosmic Myths...The Infection"The Church is evolving into a higher form...the Church is seeking self-knowledge..."
--Paul VI,
Dialogues, Apostle for Our Time Pope Paul VI
Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger: "In Catholic milieus, the Second Vatican Council encouraged the accord with that general tendency [optimism toward the world]. Prior to it, the awakening of theology and an entire new understanding of Scriptures, the Fathers, Liturgy, and an openness in relations among divided Christians had raised a new enthusiasm for science. It had even set back the traditonal pragmatism of a great part of theology students. Such theological knowledge appeared to them as a promise of new possibilities for the faith, new roads for the Church."
The signal sent by Teilhard went further. In a bold vision, he included the historical movement of Christianity within the cosmic process of evolution from Alpha to Omega. This process was conceived as the Noogenesis, that is to say, the development of consciousness in the evolution of men, to form a Noosphere above the Biosphere.
"This means that evolution is henceforth understood as a type of technical and scientific development in which Matter and Spirit, the individual and the society constitute a global ensemble, a divine world. The conciliar constitution on the Church and the Modern World [Gaudium et spes] followed the same train of thinking. The Telhardian maxim: "Christianity means more progress, more of the technical"
was what encouraged the Conciliar fathers from both wealthy and poor countries to feel a more facile and concrete hope to translate and spread this notion rather than the complicated discussions about collegiality of Bishops, primacy of the Pope, Scriptures and Tradition, priests and lay people. (Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger, Les Principes de la Theologie Catholique - Esquisse et Materiaux, Paris: Tequi, 1982, pp. 374-375).
Of Teilhard de Chardin, Sean Hyland writes:
"The French Jesuit Pere Teilhard de Chardin (1881-1955) was one of the most well-known theologians of the 20th century. However, his writings were condemned several times by the Holy See...[the final time in 1962--SH] Teilhard denies the immutability of God:"
As a direct consequence of the unitive process by which God is revealed to us, he in some way 'transforms himself' as he incorporates us." (The Heart of Matter, p. 52-3; in Smith, op. cit.p. 104)"I see in the World a mysterious product of completion and fulfillment for the Absolute Being himself" ( The Heart of Matter, p. 54; in Smith, op. cit.p. 104)
"De Chardin.. attempted to create a fusion of Christianity and evolutionary theory, taught not so much Catholicism as New Age Hinduism, as his teachings were to all in intents and purposes, pantheism (the belief that God is everything). De Chardin was a New Ager, possibly one of the first Catholic clerics to fall into this error, and certainly the most influential. Clearly this view is in no way compatible with Catholic doctrine, and the history of his disputes with Rome bears this out."--
Teilhard de Chardin: Rogue Theologian Teilhard writes: “
"I can be saved only by becoming one with the universe. Thereby, too, my deepest pantheist’ aspirations are satisfied, guided, and reassured. The world around me becomes divine, And yet the flames do not consume me, nor do the floods dissolve me. For, unlike the false monisms which urge one through passivity into unconsciousness, the 'pan-Christism' I am discovering places union at the term of an arduous process of differentiation. I shall become the other only by being utterly myself. I shall attain spirit by bringing out the complete range of the forces of matter. The total Christ is consummated and may be attained only at the term of universal evolution.”
(Christianity and Evolution P. 128, How I believe; Teilhard de Chardin, p.81-82)
In his book, Global Responsibility: In Search of a New World Ethic (1991),
Hans Kung writes that "participation in this new “ethic” (religion) will not be optional. He states, Any form of... church conservatism is to be rejected ... To put it bluntly: no regressive repressive religion - whether Christian, Islamic, Jewish or of whatever provenance has a long-term future ... Its ethics is to function for the wellbeing of all, it must be indivisible. The undivided world (sic) increasingly needs an undivided ethic. Post modern men and women need common values, goals, ideals, visions. But the great question in dispute is: does not all this presuppose a religious faith?... What we need is an ecumenical world order!”
[SH: read world government acting also as arbiter of religions in the new pantheon]---(emphasis added throughout above)Note: It is unseemly for a pope (as with JPII and Benedict XVI) to say they "believe in" the theory of evolution. A theory is not part of a Creed, and personal opinions are of no useful purpose to the Faithful. Moreover as Cardinal Ratzinger (today Benedict XVI) suggested (approvingly?) above, such theories can infect approaches to theology and metaphysics in general. And to speak of an "awakening in theology" in an evolutionary context which led to Vatican II seems a presumptuous assertion, to be sure. A theory should be bracketed as a theory, not entertained as a world view, especially in this case where these theories are under increasing multi-level critical scrutiny by many scientists with all the requisite bona fides, today, even if the philosophical / metaphysical presuppositions of much of the "science" establishment is threatened by such inquiry into their dogmas.
Photo is of de Charin in the field
Hat Tip MDV
1 comment:
No future for conservative/orthodox religions, eh? I read just a few months back a Sobran article where he mentioned that those religions which "attract" followers nowadays are the ones that refuse to bend to the times (and the Catholic Church has suffered because of this). I wonder what Mr. Kung would say about that?
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