5/16/05

Benedict XVI and Galileo

Galileo was a brilliant and respected scientist who defended the idea that the earth goes around the sun. Because the Bible (Joshua 10:13) says that “the sun stood still” while Joshua fought the Amorites, people could not see how you could say that the earth goes around the sun and still respect revelation. Church authorities condemned Galileo and put him under house arrest. In 1994 Pope John Paul II formally apologized for the treatment that Galileo got from Church leaders.

Because Pope Benedict XVI was in charge of safeguarding Catholic doctrine before he was elected pope, we have become a little more aware of the tension that can exist between academic theory and spiritual experience. Catholic Church hierarchy have always seen themselves as guardians warding off dangers that threaten the relationship of ordinary people to God. For that matter, clergy of other denominations do the same--think of the death sentence imposed on Salmon Rushdie by Muslim clerics because of a novel that he published. Thankfully, nobody in the Catholic Church in recent years has talked about the death penalty for defending an idea.

We should remember two things about this issue. The first is that we all need to be aware of the effects of our words and actions on others. The traditional term for behavior that harmed another’s relations with God was “scandal.” There were two types of scandal: active scandal, where one sets out to harm another, and “scandal of the weak,” harm that occurred because of the unusual weakness of the one scandalized. The last kind of scandal is illustrated by Paul’s discussion (Romans 14:14 ff.) of whether the Christian should eat meat that had been offered to idols. Paul’s reasoning was this: we know that idols are nothing, and that meat offered to them is no different from ordinary meat. But if my brother or sister sees me eating meat offered to an idol, thinks that I am denying my faith, and thereby loses his or her own faith, then I will, out of charity, not eat the meat. The scandal is caused by the weakness of the sister or brother. I react to the situation by voluntarily surrendering some of my own freedom.

We need to think about how our words will affect others. Some things can be said in an academic setting that should not be said in church. This is not hypocrisy. In the academic setting, everyone is, or should be, aware of the tentative nature of theory, and everyone feels free to react to an idea with reasoned and charitable criticism. In church, not everyone appreciates the tentative nature of theory, and listeners cannot react critically because only the preacher has the microphone. The purpose of liturgy is not to discuss theories but to worship. Theory can get in the way of personal involvement with others and with God. But Catholic tradition has always believed that, while prayer and worship come first in the Christian life, academic theory has its place, and a very important place. Without it, the Church is in danger of mistaking fallible human ideas with God’s revelation.

The second thing to remember is that our view of what causes scandal changes over time. Today the ordinary Catholic does not find the idea that the earth revolves around the sun a threat to faith. For that matter, the ordinary Catholic does not find the theory of evolution threatening, in contrast to many present-day Protestant groups. In 1546 the Council of Trent declared that the Latin Vulgate translation of the Bible was the only version of the Scriptures to be trusted by Catholics. At that time, Church leaders thought it was necessary to defend the Vulgate because Protestant Reformers were using other versions of Scripture to propose things that the Council judged unacceptable. In 1943 Pope Pius XII reversed that judgment, declaring that respect for the Vulgate did not prevent Catholics from using the original Greek and Hebrew sources of the Bible. He encouraged such use, and the result was the New American Bible, which is based not only on the Vulgate, but on Hebrew and Greek versions as well as the Vulgate.

The teaching authority of the Church (the “magisterium”) is rightfully concerned with the spiritual welfare of the Catholic community at large. That is the merit of the “hard line” taken by bishops and the papacy in regard to theological theorizing. The individual Christian, on the other hand, has the right to ask questions and to discuss them charitably. That is the merit of sincere theological speculation.

Who gives the magisterium the right to determine what is and what is not dangerous to the faith of the Church community? The official answer is that Christ gave them that right, but such an answer raises suspicions of self-serving ideology. Suppose nobody gave the magisterium such a right; suppose the magisterium simply took that right unto itself. In that case, Church leaders were doing nothing more than what any good leader does: take the reins in hand and do what seems conducive to the good of the group. Some people won’t like it; too bad. The issue is political--who gets to call the shots?

The fact that the issue is political should not scandalize us. Thomas Aquinas reminds us that all human discourse is political, in the sense that all discourse should lead to the building up of the community, the polis.

We should relax. A “hard-line” bishop or pope is not going to stop Catholics from thinking or discussing, and Benedict knows this. He is an academic himself. Perhaps his idea of what will harm others is more restrictive than I think it should be. Respect for the pope’s judgment does not prevent me from coming back, again and again (Luke, 11:5). “Sorry, Your Holiness, it’s me again. I still think you are misjudging my idea. Can I try once more to change your mind?” I don’t have to believe that his judgment is right; I just have to respect his judgment. I can’t be sure my own judgment is right either. In time, truth will emerge. Like the Church after Galileo, we will eventually come to a consensus about what Catholic faith requires. In the meantime, each of us needs to approach God and one another with respect, vulnerability, passion, and faithfulness. That’s what we mean by love for one another.