God: The Supreme Good

“For good is attributed to God, as was said in the preceding article, inasmuch as all desired perfections flow from Him as from the first cause.” - Saint Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologiae, Iaq.6a.2 

How many times have you heard people say that they would not want to be in heaven if certain of their friends and loved ones were not there with them to enjoy the perfect bliss and happiness of God’s presence? Indeed, are we not all a bit uneasy with the fact that those whom we love so dearly and tenderly on this earth may not enjoy the rewards of eternity with God? 

These are all very legitimate concerns and the desire to be with our loved ones in heaven should spur us on to two things: greater sanctity in our life so that the fire of charity burning in our soul may lead others to union with God and, secondly, a greater courage to speak the truth in love. We must speak the truth to those who find themselves in dangerous situations vis-à-vis their salvation. E.g. Catholics who do not believe that Jesus Christ is truly, really and substantially present in the Most Holy Eucharist, Catholics who are sexually active with anyone except their spouse, Catholics who support practices such as abortion, contraception and euthanasia, etc... We need to speak with great clarity, truthfulness while being humble and gentle with the weaknesses of our brothers and sisters. 

Marriage and the Love of God: A Canonical View

ADDRESS OF JOHN PAUL II TO THE TRIBUNAL OF THE ROMAN ROTA 

January 28, 1982

1. Monsignor Dean, dear prelates, and officials. I am happy that the inauguration of the new judicial year of the Tribunal of the Sacred Roman Rota gives me the opportunity of once again meeting you who carry out your work in the service of the Apostolic See with such great care and with skilful competence. 

This traditional meeting takes on a special significance this year because, as is well known, the new norms (novæ normæ) come into force today. After a careful study of the amendments to the preceding regulations—I have approved them and I hope that they will make more fruitful the work you do with juridical competence and priestly spirit for the welfare of the Church. 

I greet you with affection and I express my great appreciation for all your work. In particular I cordially greet the retiring dean, Monsignor Heinrich Ewers and also his successor. I assure them that I remember them both before the Lord, that he may reward the first for his long service given with unselfish dedication and that he may assist the second in the task he begins today. 

2. I am pleased to draw your attention to the apostolic exhortation Familiaris consortio in which I have harvested the fruit of the bishops’ reflections during the 1980 Synod. In fact, if this recent document is addressed to the whole Church with a view to expounding in it the role of the Christian family in the modern world, it closely concerns your work which mainly takes place in the field of the family, of marriage, and of conjugal love. The importance of your role is measured by the important decisions you are called upon to take with a sense of truth and of justice in view of the spiritual welfare of souls—with reference to the supreme judgment of God—having God alone before your eyes.

Thomas Aquinas and the 5 Ways... of Gluttony

In a world which is literally saturated with an all consuming materialism, we are oft forgetful of the ancient Christian classification of the 7 deadly or capital sins. I would like to focus on the sin of gluttony which Saint Thomas treats in the Second Part of the Second Part of the Summa Theologiae, question 148. The biblical basis for gluttony is taken from Saint Paul's letter to the Philippians, “For many, of whom I have often told you and now tell you even with tears, live as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their end is destruction, their god is the belly, and they glory in their shame, with minds set on earthly things. (Phil 3:18-19)

Saint Thomas begins his small treatise on gluttony by quoting Pope Saint Gregory the Great, “On the contrary, Gregory says (Moral. xxx, 18) that 'unless we first tame the enemy dwelling within us, namely our gluttonous appetite, we have not even stood up to engage in the spiritual combat.' But man's inward enemy is sin. Therefore gluttony is a sin.”

We must know, however, whether gluttony is a venial or a mortal sin. For this question, Saint Thomas again quotes Saint Gregory the Great, “On the contrary, Gregory says (Moral. xxx, 18): 'As long as the vice of gluttony has a hold on a man, all that he has done valiantly is forfeited by him: and as long as the belly is unrestrained, all virtue comes to naught.' But virtue is not done away save by mortal sin. Therefore gluttony is a mortal sin.”

The Legacy of Pope Benedict: Governing

Continuing our celebration of Pope Benedict's fifth anniversary as Supreme Pontiff, we conclude our three-part reflection with some thoughts on Pope Benedict's exercise of the munus regendi. The task of the Bishop of Rome is to "confirm the brethren" in the Faith, building up the unity of the Body of Christ through fraternal and paternal charity. In this regard, the quest for ecclesial unity is of primary importance. Pope Benedict has made ecumenism a top priority of his pontificate, reaching out to the Lefebvrists with Summorum Pontificum and reaching out to the Anglicans with Anglicanorum coetibus. In these immense gestures of fraternal generosity, the Holy Father has made it very easy for these separated brethren to receive the gift of Catholic unity. Pope Benedict has also distinguished himself in his efforts to clean up the "filth" in the Church (as he put it) with regards to the clerical sexual-abuse scandals in Europe. His Letter to the Church in Ireland is particularly poignant in this regard, as is his disciplinary action towards the Legionaries of Christ. Despite attempts to besmirch his name, Pope Benedict remains above reproach in the fight against this contemporary scourge. These and all the efforts of the Holy Father in his governance of the Church are animated primarily by his personal holiness and love for the Church. In this, he is also a Pope who leads more by example than by fiat. It will be important going forward for Catholics, attuned to his governance of the Church, to pay close attention to that example, especially as regards the celebration of the Sacred Liturgy.