Schall On Benedict

The Papal Visit

Fr. James V. Schall, S.J.

April 8, 2008

Ignatius Insight

"Revolution and utopia—the nostalgia for a perfect world—are connected; they are the concrete form of this new political, secularized messianism. The idol of the future devours the present; the idol of revolution is the adversary of reasonable political action aimed at making concrete improvement to the world." -- Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger, "Political Visions and Practical Politics." "As a theologian, I do not regard philosophy as being, ultimately, a study which we pursue for philosophy's sake. Yet...the integrity of the faith depends on rigor of philosophic thinking such that careful philosophizing is an irreplaceable part of theological work!" -- Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger, "Afterword to the English Edition of Eschatology. Several of my friends have wondered if Schall could provide tickets for them to attend events of the upcoming papal visit. My reply is that "Alas, Schall is still waiting for the call himself."

Contrary to unfounded rumors, Schall does not communicate with Rome on a daily basis about high level policies. But I have read enough of the works of the present pope to be certain that he has already pretty well charted out just what he intends to say, to whom, where, why, and when.

Every papal visit, certainly since John Paul II, is a major happening in the country visited by the reigning pontiff. Often it is a world event of major and lasting significance, as were John Paul II's visits to Poland and Benedict's "Regensburg Lecture." No one quite knows what to do with a pope, of course, except to follow proper diplomatic protocol. He is a religious figure who speaks comfortably about Greek, not to mention German, philosophy to those who have either forgotten it or never knew it.

Benedict, in the few years since he became pope, has talked with most major political, religious, and cultural figures in the world, as well as with diplomats, artists, sports figures, and many ordinary people.

We know that a visiting pontiff will meet with the head of state, along with leading political figures. He will visit the local and national hierarchy. He will address the priests and religious in nearby parishes, monasteries, and convents. He will greet members of the laity. Talks to and often prayers with members of other Christian churches and members of other religions will be on the agenda.

I would not be surprised, depending on security as most things do, if there were not a concert of classical music presented for this pope who himself plays Mozart.

I did see an article in the Washington Times about the choral music being practiced for the musically adept pope. The pope will lecture to academic representatives and students. He will make some effort to visit "unimportant" people, the poor, and those who work for them. A number of addresses will be presented on many topics.

A pope is unavoidably a very visible man. He is charged, by his office, with "strengthening" the brethren, which is usually understood to mean the bishops, who usually need it and want it.

Above all, this pope explains things, if we are listening.Hopefully, the visit will pass without security incident. Wherever he goes, there will be heavy protection. As is also the case with presidents and prime ministers, he is no longer free to wander about looking at the sights. Yet, he will see and be shown many sights that few of us will ever see. I have been a subscriber to L'Osservatore Romano, English, ever since it first came out. In each edition, we always find a charming photo of the pope with people, young, old, and in-between, visiting Rome, in an audience, or in some other occasion. The papacy is like no other office in the world. It is urbi et orbe, to the city and, through that city, the eternal city, to the world. In some sense, it is already everyone's home.

With Benedict XVI, moreover, we have a man who is undoubtedly the most learned man in public life anywhere in the world. He is easily the equal of any academic on any campus anywhere. The passage I cited in the beginning about the relation of theology to philosophy is meant to remind us that the Catholic Church is also an enterprise of intelligence, perhaps never more so than now.

It knows no "unexamined" philosophies, including its own. A pope has to speak of profound things to learned people and, lest we forget, the same profound things to ordinary people. But to everyone, he has to speak of why he, in his office, exists. The pope is technically also a "Head of State." He basically stands before the world for what is the core of revelation to our kind. He relates this revelation to those who hear it, even to those who don't or won't.

Though he will speak of peace and love and justice, he will also speak, as he has been of late as in Spe Salvi, of the four last things.

He talks of eternal life, of how modern thought, as a deviation from its Christian origins, seeks to accomplish the core of revelational promises by inner-worldly political or scientific means, something that is, when spelled out, impossible, impractical, and, indeed, immoral.

Link to the whole Ignatius Insight post (here)