Truth and Freedom Under Siege, Says Boston Prelate
MINNEAPOLIS, Minnesota, JAN. 22, 2004 (Zenit.org).- Truth and freedom are threatened in "our very hostile culture today," says Archbishop Sean O'Malley of Boston.
The archbishop made this point in a speech he delivered to about 500 faithful at the Communion and Liberation national conference here Monday.
He told his audience that without truth, there can be no freedom, and without freedom, there can be no love.
"That is why the Church is very concerned about freedom," Archbishop O'Malley said. "Our mission in the Church is to lead people to the truth so that they can be free, so that together we can salvage a civilization of love. Truth and freedom are threatened in our very hostile culture today."
The archbishop's talk was part of a panel discussion with theologian Monsignor Lorenzo Albacete on "The Church's Contribution to the Quest for Freedom," based on the book, "Why the Church?" by Monsignor Luigi Giussani. The latter founded the ecclesial movement Communion and Liberation in 1954.
In the discussion of the book, Archbishop O'Malley pointed to possible sources of relativism in society.
"Perhaps the idolatry of freedom has led to the belief that we can choose our own truth because the truth as absolute is rejected as too confining, too demanding of the autonomous self," he said. "But the traditional Catholic approach is faith seeking understanding."
Archbishop O'Malley looked to Church history for role models for today's Catholics.
"In past centuries the very ideal of the Catholic faith was martyrdom," he said. "The martyrs, who were witnesses to truth, had such great freedom in their lives that they could lay their lives down in a supreme act of love."
The prelate outlined the modern response necessary to combat the relativistic culture.
"Only in a contemplative framework can the Church achieve all of these things and lead us to that authentic love that will allow us to make a gift of ourselves," Archbishop O'Malley said.
"In so doing," he added, "we become martyrs, witnesses that will invite others to embark on the same path that leads to Christ. In this irrational age, we will only be able to convince people by the martyrdom of self-giving."
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I'm not sure, but some of his comments sound suspiciously close to the ideals of liberation theology which brought the church too much heartache, esp. when combined with other liberal fantasies. No love w/o freedom? How does the Archbishop explain Karol Wojtyla's love of Poland, life and simple human dignity in the face of communist oppression? For that matter, how does he explain Mary's selfless devotion to her son during The Passion? Weren't the Romans equally oppressive in their time? Please understand I'm not condemning the good father, merely questioning his judgment based on limited information and even more limited knowledge about Communion and Liberation on my part. Do you happen to know where I can find out more info on C & L? He's right on about moral relativism. Thanks.
I think the truth he is speaking about here is the truth of the natural law, derived from reason and revelation about what it means to be authentically human. This doesn't point toward abuse of freedom in licentiousness (e.g. I can use myself however i choose) but to authentic freedom to be who we were created to be by the Author of life, our designer, who imprinted on our nature the moral law (or as C.S. Lewis referred to it, the Tao) and also revealed this Law to us through Divine revelation (since our nature is fallen and has difficulty seeing the truth about the moral law through reason alone).
So the knowledge or truth about who we are, allows us to act with true freedom which leads ultimately to our end or purpose - the life of communion with God who is Love and with neighbor out of love for God.
Archbishop O'Malley says"In past centuries the very ideal of the Catholic faith was martydom" If this is true then perhaps the truely conservative Catholic response is not to ignore places in the world where Catholics are being murdered for their faith- even if this society teaches that the places it is happening are uninportant, marginal, not worth thinking about--to the point that. He says the modern response to this culture of relitivism is to "In this irrational age we will olny be able to convience people by the Martyrdom of self giving"????? it sounds like he's making a catholic lite. Self giving with blinders on that blinds itself to the reality of Catholics being opressed for their faith-and our society's complicency in it will convince onnoe because it is not conviencing--only the true teachings of Christ and The Church applied to this modern world will convience people. To be intellectually honest as to where that leads where will it does it? i dont know-- but the Catholic Highschool i went to now costs over $10,000 per year to be giving of one's self for the elite olny is absurd.
Archbishop O'Malley says"In past centuries the very ideal of the Catholic faith was martydom" If this is true then perhaps the truely conservative Catholic response is not to ignore places in the world where Catholics are being murdered for their faith- even if this society teaches that the places it is happening are uninportant, marginal, not worth thinking about--to the point that. He says the modern response to this culture of relitivism is to "In this irrational age we will olny be able to convience people by the Martyrdom of self giving"????? it sounds like he's making a catholic lite. Self giving with blinders on that blinds itself to the reality of Catholics being opressed for their faith-and our society's complicency in it will convince onnoe because it is not conviencing--only the true teachings of Christ and The Church applied to this modern world will convience people. To be intellectually honest as to where that leads where will it does it? i dont know-- but the Catholic Highschool i went to now costs over $10,000 per year to be giving of one's self for the elite olny is absurd.