Wednesday, September 23, 2009

Love, work, pray and suffer for the Church without ever abandoning or betraying it, Pope says

» 09/23/2009 16:36
VATICAN

In describing the personality of Saint Anselm in his address at the general audience, Benedict XVI stressed that theological research must be grounded in faith. No one who wants to do theology can rely on his intelligence alone.

Vatican City (AsiaNews) – Saint Anselm gave encouragement but also warned those who want to do theology that they must “love, work, pray and suffer for the Church without ever abandoning or betraying it.” Pope Benedict XVI made these remarks as he spoke to an 8,000-strong crowd in today’s general audience. For the Pontiff, the saint’s teachings are best exemplified by the following words: “I do not seek to understand that I may believe, but I believe in order to understand. For this also I believe,—that unless I believed, I should not understand.”

The Pope noted that the Benedictine Abbey of Saint Anselm stands on Rome’s Aventine Hill, a landmark known today as a “place of prayer, study and government, the three things that ruled the life of Anselm of Aosta”. This year is the 900th anniversary of the saint’s death.

The Aosta-born saint is also known as Anselm of Bec and Anselm of Canterbury, something that connects Italy, France and England to a “theologian, who had an extraordinary power of speculation,” who was “an educator” as well as “a defender of libertas Ecclesiae.”

He was “a mystical soul, founder of scholasticism, described as a magnificent scholar for nurturing a desire to get into the divine mysteries in greater depth knowing that the march of God’s knowledge is never achieved, at least on this earth.”

For the Pontiff, what Saint Anselm said, even today remains “useful for healthy theological research by anyone interested in deeper knowledge.”

“Anyone who wants to do theology must not count on intelligence alone, but on a deep experience of faith as well.” This activity unfolds in three phases: faith as God’s gift, experience (which incarnates the Word in life) and true knowledge (not by reasoning alone).

“I wish to understand, at least to a certain point, your truth [. . .]. Indeed, I do not seek to understand in order to believe, but I believe in order to understand. For this also I believe,—that unless I believed, I should not understand,” the saint wrote.

Anselm was born in Aosta in 1033 in noble family, the Pope said. His father was “harsh, dedicated to the pleasures of life, who squandered the family’s wealth.” His mother was very religious and took care of his education, which was later entrusted with the Benedictines of Aosta.
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See also:

From CNA, "Pope encourages Christians to love the truth and thirst for God"

VIS-Press release, "Anselm: Theologian and Defender of Church Freedom"

And from YouTube-Vatican's Channel:

Benedict XVI: Love the Church without ever betraying her
September 23, 2009

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