Pope Benedict XVI Praises Hans Urs von Balthasar | IgnatiusInsight.com
Pope Benedict XVI Praises Hans Urs von Balthasar
MESSAGE OF HIS HOLINESS BENEDICT XVI
TO THE PARTICIPANTS IN THE INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION
ON THE OCCASION OF THE CENTENARY OF THE BIRTH
OF THE SWISS THEOLOGIAN HANS URS VON BALTHASAR
Lords Cardinals, venerable Brothers in the Episcopate and in the Priesthood,
distinguished ladies and gentlemen:
It is with great pleasure that I join you spiritually in celebrating the
centenary of the birth of Hans Urs
von Balthasar. I had the joy of knowing and associating with this renowned
Swiss theologian. I am convinced that his theological reflections preserve
their freshness and profound relevance undiminished to this day and that
they incite many others to penetrate ever further into the depths of the
mystery of the faith, with such an authoritative guide leading them by the
hand. On an occasion like this I could easily be tempted to dwell on personal
memories, based on the sincere friendship between us and on the numerous
projects that we undertook together, in response to the many challenges
of those years. The founding of the review Communio,
in the wake of the Second Vatican Council, remains the most evident sign
of our common commitment to theological research. Yet it is not memories
that I intend to speak about, but rather the richness of von Balthasar’s
theology.
He had made the mystery of the Incarnation the preferential object of his
studies, and he saw in the
Mysterium Paschale–as one of his works in significantly
entitled–the most expressive form of this descent of God into human
history. Indeed, in the death and resurrection of Jesus, the mystery of
God’s Trinitarian love is revealed in its fullness. The reality of
the faith finds here its unsurpassable beauty. In the drama
of the Paschal Mystery, God fully lives out his act of becoming man, but
at the same time he makes man’s action meaningful and gives concrete
form to the engagement of the Christian in the world. Von Balthasar saw
in this the logic of revelation. God becomes man so that man might
experience communion of life with God. In Christ is offered the ultimate
truth, the definitive answer to the question that everyone asks himself
about the meaning of life. Theological aesthetics, dramatics and logic make
up the trilogy in which these concepts find ample room [for development]
and principled application. I can testify that his life was a genuine search
for truth, which he understood as a search for the true Life. He looked
everywhere for signs of the presence of God and of his truth: in philosophy,
in literature, in religions, always managing to break through the circuitous
reasoning that often holds the mind a prisoner of itself, and opening it
up to the horizons of the infinite.
Hans Urs von Balthasar was a theologian who placed his research at the service
of the Church, because he was convinced that theology could be defined only
in terms of ecclesiality. Theology, as he conceived of it, must be joined
with spirituality; indeed, only in this way could it be profound and effective.
Reflecting on precisely this aspect, he wrote: "Or did scientific theology
only begin with Peter Lombard? Yet none dealt more adequately with matters
of theology than Cyril of Jerusalem, Origen in his homilies, Gregory of
Nazianzen and the Areopagite, the master whose works are so full of the
spirit of awe and wonder. Who would be so bold as to say of any of the Fathers
that his works are ‘full of unction’ in the modern sense? In those
days, men were clear as to how theology should be written: it should reflect
both the unity of faith and knowledge and an attitude of objectivity allied
with one of reverence and awe. Theology was, when pursued by men of sanctity,
a theology at prayer: which is why its fruitfulness for prayer, its power
to foster prayer, is so undeniable" (The
Word Made Flesh: Explorations in Theology vol. I, Ignatius Press
1989, pp. 207-208). These are words that prompt us to reconsider the true
position of research in theology. The demand for scientific method is not
sacrificed when theological research is carried on in a religious spirit
of listening to the Word of God, when it is alive with the life of the Church
and shares in the strength of her Magisterium. Spirituality does not attenuate
the work of scholarship, but rather supplies theological study with the
correct method so that it can arrive at a coherent interpretation.
This concept of theology led von Balthasar to a profound existential reading.
Accordingly, one of the central themes that he liked to dwell on was demonstrating
the necessity of conversion. The change of heart was a central point for
him; indeed, only in this way does the mind free itself from the limits
that prevent it from drawing near to the mystery, enabling the eyes to fix
their gaze upon the face of Christ. In a word, he had grasped profoundly
the fact that theology can develop only with prayer that recollects the
presence of God and relies upon him in obedience. This is a road that is
worth traveling to the very end. It allows us to avoid one-sided approaches
that can only lead away from the goal, and it safeguards against following
fashionable trends that fragment our interest in what is essential. The
example that von Balthasar has given us is, rather, that of a true theologian
who in contemplation had discovered a consistent course of action for giving
Christian witness in the world. We remember him on this important occasion
as a man of faith, a priest who, in obedience and in a hidden life, never
sought personal approval, but rather in the true Ignatian spirit always
desired the greater glory of God.
With these sentiments, I encourage all of you to continue, with interest
and enthusiasm, your study of the writings of von Balthasar and to find
ways of applying them practically and effectively. I implore the Lord to
send abundant gifts of understanding upon you and upon the work of the Convention,
and as a token of the same I impart to all of you a special Blessing.
Vatican City, October 6, 2005
POPE BENEDICT XVI
Related IgnatiusInsight.com links:
• Cardinal Ratzinger/Pope
Benedict XVI author page
• Hans Urs von Balthasar author
page
Visit
the Insight Scoop Blog and read the latest posts and comments by
IgnatiusInsight.com staff and readers about current events, controversies,
and news in the Church!