G.C. DILSAVER, Karol Wojtyla and the Patriarchal Hierarchy of the Family

Karol Wojtyla and the Patriarchal Hierarchy of the Family

His Exegetical Comment on Ephesians 5:21-33 and Genesis 3:16

Wojtyla's "mutual submission" in orthodox context
To construe the interpretative concept of "mutual submission" as a development of doctrine (that is, as an integral growth from, and harmonious with, previous Church teachings and exegesis) requires an expanded understanding of the word "submission." It is true that a husband, in a certain sense, submits himself to his wife by giving his life for her; though this broadening of the term has never been employed by the Church in her exegesis of the Ephesians 5 or her teaching on marriage. By broadening the term "submission," the term acquires an analogous meaning. It cannot be applied exactly the same to both husband and wife, but only in a somewhat similar manner. This analogous broadening of the term is necessary to keep intact the previously understood meaning, i.e., that of a hierarchical order. If, on the other hand, Wojtyla's statement that a husband submits to his wife "just as" she submits to him, is construed to mean that this submission is identical, then the understanding of the term "submission" would not be analogous but rather univocal. But such an univocal understanding would necessarily contradict a hierarchical order as enunciated in previous magisterial pronouncements, and thus bar it from being incorporated into the corpus of authentic Church teachings. An orthodox construal, then, requires that Wojtyla’s "mutual submission of the spouses" be seen as an analogous submission, where the man paradoxically submits himself to a life of authority that entails both headship and sacrificial service.

Elsewhere in this exegesis of Ephesians 5, Wojtyla asserts that by the passage "'wives, be subject to your husbands, as to the Lord'... the author does not intend to say that the husband is the 'lord' of the wife...." For this statement to be construed as harmonious with previous Church teachings on the subject, "lord" must be understood in a strictly pejorative sense; that is, as a "lording over" abuse of authority or, as Wojtyla says in the same passage, an understanding of a husband's lordly position as "a one-sided domination."(4) But the other meaning of 'lord,' the positive meaning, must not thereby by seen as discarded, for the husband as "lord of the wife" is not only intrinsic to the Church’s teachings on familial hierarchy, but also in accord with the most fundamental principle of biblical exegesis. This first exegetical principle is to interpret scriptural passages in light of other similar writings of the day, most especially companion scriptural writings. In the epistle of St. Peter, Christian wives are exhorted to imitate the "holy women of the past..., like Sarah, who was obedient to Abraham, and called him her lord." [1 Peter 3:5-6] (N.B. Emphasis is that of the text.) So too, the rest of the Pauline letters continually stress patriarchal hierarchy.(5)

It is the clause "give way to one another in the Lord" at the beginning of the Ephesians' passage that Wojtyla uses as the cornerstone of his novel exegesis of Ephesians 5. Yet to construe "give way to one another in the Lord" as a universal prescription of mutual, univocal submission would, in effect, do away with all hierarchical order, including that of the parents and children, magisterium and faithful, and government and citizens. Instead, a reading of the entire passage in accord with simple grammatical logic clearly shows that "give way to one another in the Lord" indicates both the source of legitimate authority and the spirit of dutiful submission. The author of Ephesians goes on to delineate some specific domestic relationships of authority and submission that find their source and spirit in the Lord, beginning with that which is the model for the rest, the relation of man and wife. If Wojtyla's use of the term "mutual submission" were to be taken in a univocal sense, and hence isolated from previous Church exegesis of the passage, then it would follow that not only is a man to submit to his wife, but, as Ephesians goes on to delineate domestic relations, parents are to submit to their children as well.

If the term "submission" is construed in an implicit, secondary manner that includes a man's—or a parent's—giving of his life in sacrificial service of those under his authority, then the explicit, primary meaning which entails a hierarchical structure remains intact. Wojtyla's exegesis must be viewed as an implicit, secondary development of the passage in order to position it in the light of previous magisterial teachings and exegesis. The primary, explicit meaning, the meaning previously asserted by the Church, is that which is derived from a simple reading of the passage.

Dicourse of Pope Paul VI on occasion of the 7th centenary

of the passage of Saint Bonaventure to Eternal Glory

DISCORSO DEL SANTO PADRE PAOLO VI IN OCCASIONE DEL VII CENTENARIO DEL TRANSITO DI SAN BONAVENTURA ALLA GLORIA ETERNA

Giovedì, 2 agosto 1974



Dilectis filiis
Constantino Koser
Ministro Generali Ordinis Fratrum Minorum
Vitali Bonmarco
Ministro Generali Ordinis Fratrum Minorum Conventualium
Paschali Rywalski
Ministro Generali Ordinis Fratrum Minorum Capuccinorum

Dilecti filii, salutem et Apostolicam Benedictionem.

Scientia et virtute praeclarissimus, hodieque refulget Sanctus Bonaventura, qui Doctor Seraphicus solet cognominari cuiusque ab obitu septimum saeculum expletum hoc anno celebratur.

Qui quidem annus consimili memoria anniversaria Sancti Thomae Aquinatis est insignis, ita ut socia laude praedicentur hi duo viri, ornamenta Ecclesiae, in cuius ministerio eximio exsequendo mortem oppetiverunt: alter enim vita functus est, dum ad Concilium Oecumenicum Lugdunense II, Summi Pontificis iussu, se conferebat, alter, id est Sanctus Bonaventura, dum hoc ad exitum vergebat, die nempe xv mensis Iulii anno MCCLXXIV.

Hic ipse Caeles et aetatem nostram valet illuminare, qua in re verba libet iterare Sancti Pii X, Decessoris Nostri: «Etenim Bonaventuram, utpote non suo dumtaxat saeculo, sed omni posteritati, quemadmodum ceteros summos Ecclesiae Doctores, datum divinitus, egregie prodesse huic etiam aetati posse arbitramur» (Epist. Doctoris Seraphici sapientiam, 11 Apr. 1904: Pii X Pont. Max. Acta, I, p. 235). Nunc vero, ut notum est, id agitur, ut orbis catholicus ad sui renovationem nitatur, quatenus doctrina et normae salutares, a Concilio Vaticano II statutae, fideliter et incunctanter ad effectum deducantur, et sic in Ecclesia et per eam in mundo viva vox; Evangelii possit resonare (Cfr. Dei Verbum, 8). Quae renovatio etiam magis urgetur, universali Iubilaeo iam per Nos indicto, cui propositum est singulorum ad Deum conversionem promovere, quae cunctorum pariat reconciliationem. Omnes ergo Christifideles ad impensam vocantur navitatem, cuius Bonaventura praeco exstitit et magister et effector, ut in omnibus aedificetur fides, honorificetur Deus, componantur mores (Cfr. S. BONAV. De reduct. art. ad theol., 26: Opera omnia, Ad Claras Aquas, V, p. 325).

Seraphicus Doctor suo quidem modo officium implevit, quo ceterum quivis Ecclesiae fìlius astringitur quodque in eo positum est, ut «secundum propria dona et munera per viam fidei vivae, quae spem excitat et per caritatem operatur», incedat (Cfr. Lumen Gentium, 41). Theologicae vero inquisitioni, cui assidue studioseque incumbebat, ipse hunc constituit ordinem, «ut inchoetur a stabilitate fidei, et procedatur per serenitatem rationis, ut perveniatur ad suavitatem contemplationis» (De rebus theologicis, Serm. 4, 15: Opera orma, V, p. 571). Cum autem auctor fidei et consummator sit Iesus (Cfr. Hebr. 12, 2), «in quo summi Dei tota revelatio consummatur» (Dei Verbum, 7), illum potissimum aspexit ut «fundamentum totius fidei christianae . . . . totius doctrinae authenticae» )De rebus theologicis, Serm. 4, 5: Opera omnia, V, p. 568). Supremo enim sub magistro Filio Dei et hominis Filio, multa, quae soli rationi sunt impossibilia, possibilia fiunt rationi divinitus adiutae; quae ideo capax redditur «ad participanda bona divina, quae humanae mentis intelligentiam omnino superant» (Dei Filius, cap. 2: DENZ-SCHÖN. 3005), ac de iisdem etiam omnimodam certitudinem assequi valet. Nam licet intellectus humanus intrinsece, ut aiunt, arctioribus finibus sit circumscriptus, et falli possit, tamen ipsius Dei infallibilitate et immutabilitate quodam modo perfunditur.

Minime vero putandum est nos umquam irrationabiliter credere, «quia gratia et lux desuper infusa potius rationem dirigit, quam pervertat» (S. BQNAV. Quaest. disput. de mysterio Trinitatis, q. 1, a. 2, n. 3: Opera omnia, V, p. 57). Qua ro p pter, nedum in quodam fideismo, ut appellant, acquiescamus, ad ulterius inquirendum impellimur, ipsa etiam exempla atque vocabula usurpantes, quae ad omne genus doctrinae pertinent, cum fides nos doceat in quavis re, quae sentitur vel cognoscitur, interius latere ipsum Deum (Cfr. ID. De reduct. art. ad theol., 26: Opera omnia, V, p. 325).

Neque praepedienda est theologica inquisitio propter deceptiones, quae forte exinde oriantur et a quibus «vix aliquis tractator catholicus immunis fuit» (ID. In II Sent., dist. 15, dub. 3: Opera omnia, II, p. 390), dummodo omnes investigatores desiderio ducantur veritati serviendi eiusque vim, transcendentem qualiacumque sua ipsorum iudicia, agnoscant. Tota enim de Deo veritas vel ab eo proveniens voluntas, nulla humana comparatur industria, sed a Patre luminum descendit, qui «voluntarie genuit nos verbo veritatis, ut simus initium aliquod creaturae eius» (Iac. 1, 18). Hanc igitur veritatem numquam licet aspernari, sive certum proponendo ut dubium, sive dubium ut certum asserendo.

Quaevis igitur circa divina terminalis seu definitiva sententia ad magisterium spectat a Christo institutum, eo quod quandam cum ipso verbo Dei habet connaturalitatem, quam dicunt, scilicet ad Ecclesiae magisterium, cui uni munus authentice interpretandi est concreditum (Cfr. Dei Verbum, 10). Quo fit, ut nemo fidelis discipulus esse possit Salvatoris Iesu, nisi illi magisterio, quod ipsius nomine in Ecclesia exercetur, fidele praestet obsequium. Utraque autem fidelitas singularem tribuit theologicae inquisitioni praestantiam et efficit, ut eadem cum munere salvifico eiusdem Ecclesiae arcte coniungatur, quatenus per ipsam supernaturalis hominum vocatio et profundius cognoscitur et suasive adiuvatur (Cfr. S. BONAV. In I Sent., Prooem., q. 3, concl.: Opera omnia, I, p. 13).
Quemadmodum Christus, principalis magister noster (Cfr. ID. De rebus theologicis, Serm. 4, 20: Opera omnia, V, p. 572), docuit, oportet a nobis in omnibus honorificetur Deus.

Est autem honorandus Deus imprimis in natura sua, quae, utpote humanam prorsus absoluteque transcendens, postulat, ut illi plane simus obnoxii: tunc enim «Deus regnat in nobis, quando nos sumus omnino ei subiecti» (ID. In Evang. Luc., c. 11, 12: Opera omnia, VII, p. 280). Etsi Dei dominium et nostra subiectio in fine tantum temporum perficietur, tamen discipuli Domini ad utrumque debent cotidie sedulo attendere.

Praeterea Deo honor est adhibendus operanti per ministros suos (Cfr. ID. Quaest. disp. de perfect. evang., q. 4, a. 1, 9: Opera omnia, V, p. 182), maxime quidem per ministros, i n quibus «adest in medio credentium Dominus Iesu Christus» (Lumen Gentium, 21). Peculiari modo honorandi sunt Ecclesiae «Pastores, quos qui audit, Christum audit, qui vero spernit, Christum spernit et Eum qui Christum misit» (Ibid. 20). Quamvis enim et ipsi idem habeant caput Christum, nihilominus ut medii interpretes inter ceteros fideles ac Deum sunt constituti, «ut eis referant divina responsa», quae verbo Dei exprimuntur quaeque omnia complectuntur ad salutem hominis necessaria: quid credendum, quid exspectandum, quid operandum (Cfr. S. BONAV. Sermones de B. Virgine Maria, De Annunt. Serm. 4, 2: Opera omnia, IX, p. 674 b: In Exaëm., Coll. 11, 13: Opera omnia, V, p. 338).

Quoniam vero inter sacros Pastores in ministerio salutis primum obtinet locum Summus Pontifex, honorem Deo denegat, qui reverentiam et oboedientiam eidem Romano Pontifici debitam recusat. Quare Sanctus Bonaventura, vir pius et miserens, haec gravia verba proferre non dubitavit: «Non potest ergo intra unitatem ecclesiasticam esse qui ab oboedientia recedit illius qui sedet in Cathedra Petri» (ID. Quaest. dìsp. de perfect. evang., q. 4, a. 3, 14: Opera omnia, V, p. 191).
Deus denique honorificetur oportet in imagine sua, nempe in homine, quia, in Verbo aeterno homine facto, divinam quodam mod assecutus est dignitatem. Quoniam Christus, ut ait Sanctus Bonaventura, «simul est proximus et Deus, simul frater et dominus, simul etiam rex et amicus» (ID. Itiner. ment. in Deum, c. 4, 5: Opera omnia, VIII, p. 307), postulatur, ut amor noster in universos feratur homines, neque ullis eorum peculiaribus contineatur condicionibus. Nam, cum caritas nostra a Christo originem trahat atque finem accipiat, eandem universalitatem habeat oportet ac dilectio, qua Christus dilexit nos (Cfr. Io. 15, 9).

Pariter ergo honorandi sunt varii in Ecclesia status, nam «humani generis Recreator diversa largitur charismatum dona, diversa dat graduum et praelationum officia, diversa tandem praebet exempla» (S. BONAV. Apologia pauperum, c. 6, 4: Opera omnia, VIII, p. 267).

Quodsi peccata defectionesque hic illic reperiuntur, tamen germina bonitatis, in quemvis hominem a Deo immissa, nedum penitus exstinguantur, talem efficaciam servant, ut, divina gratia adiuvante, ex malo etiam bonum valeant excitare. Nullus ergo, tot inter difficultates, quibus fit, ut humana vita interdum nec cum fide concordet nec cum honore Deo debito componatur, est desperandi locus: est enim maior misericordia Dei quam miseria nostra possumusque nos ad Deum trahere ipso pondere beneficiorum eius (Cfr. ID. In Ioan., Coll. XXVIII, 5: Opera omnia, VI, p. 567). Cum vero summum beneficium, hominum generi impertitum, sit ipsius Dei Incarnatio, per Christum et in Christo iidem homines consecuti sunt facultatem, qua, per bona temporalia transeuntes, non omittant aeterna. Propter hanc supremam divini amoris effusionem, tota creatura, licet ei inesse pergat periculum ne a Deo avertat, data Incarnatione, excellentiore modo ad Deum conducere valet.

Est autem creatura ipsa quasi liber legendus luce afIulgente sacrarum Scripturarum, quae ad Deum cognoscendum, laudandum, amandum alliciunt. Quoniam autem nemo ad plenum intellectum earundem divinarum Litterarum possit pervenire, nisi per crucem Christi, qui omnem Scripturam implevit fundendo Dei veritatem (Cfr. ID. In Exaem., Coll. XIII, 12: Opera omnia, V, p. 390; In Evang. Luc., c. 4, 45 et c. 16, 33: Opera omnia, VII, pp. 99 e t 4 1 5 ; Sermones de tempore, Fer. VI in Parasc., Serm. 2: Opera omnia, IX, p. 28 b.), Christum crucihxum omnes imitentur oportet, quippe qui venerit, ut hominem ab amore terrenorum revocaret et ad amorem Dei provocaret (Cfr. S. BONAV. Sermones de tempore, Domin. I Advent., Serm. 3: Opera omnia, IX, p. 28 b), atque pro nobis sit passus, nobis relinquens exemplum, ut sequamur vestigia eius (Cfr. 1 Petr. 2, 21).

Haec igitur sequela Christi ad continuam impellit reformationem eamque in rectam convertit animi propensionem, quae in eo est posita, ut per Verbum incarnatum, quatenus est humani generis reformativum, cuncta ad primigeniam reducantur formam, quam a Verbo increato acceperunt (Cfr. S. BONAV. Breviloqu., p. 6, C. 13: Opera omnia, V, p. 279 b.). Christus enim, utpote «simul perfectus viator et comprehensor» (ID. De rebus theologicis, Serm. 4, 19: Opera omnia, V, p. 572), dum omnium terrestre iter comitatur, omnes simul ad se, in caelestibus constitutum, invitat. Unde efficitur, ut vita hominis in terris ipsa natura sua sit peregrinatio eschatologica, videlicet itinerarium seu reditus cum Christo ad Christum «a quo procedimus, per quem vivimus, ad quem tendimus» (Lumen Gentium, 3).

Huiusmodi itinerarii exemplum Sanctum Bonaventura in patre suo Francisco laudibus praedicat, qui, in monte Alvernae Christo truci affixo singularem in modum conformis effectus, cum Domino «pascha» celebravit, transitum ad Deum quasi consummans. Quo exemplo fulgente, ad eundem transitum cuncti homines invitantur (Cfr. S. BONAV. Itinerar. menf. in Deum, c. 7, 2-2: Opera omnia, V, p. 312).

Quod quidem itinerarium mentis in Deum componens, Sanctus Bonaventura, maxime ardua speculationis culmina supergrediens, de mystica theologia ita exponit, ut in ea «habeatur facile princeps» (Cfr. LEONE XIII Alloc. ad professores Collegii S. Antonii de Urbe abita 11 Nov. 1890: Acta Ord. Min. 1890, p. 177).

Ipse sane arbitratur contemplationem Dei cuilibet viro iusto esse quaerendam et ad bonum infinitum esse pertingendum, quo anima, quamvis capacitatem habeat finitam, compleatur (Cfr. S. BONAV. In II Sent., dist. 23, 2, a. q. 3, 6: Opera omnia, II, p. 546 a; In I Sent., dist. 1, a. 3, q. 2, 2: Opera omnia, I, p. 41 b.).

Simul vero persuasum sibi habet eos reprehensibiles esse «qui, dum volunt arcem contemplationis ascendere, volunt quiescere et ad laborem actionis recusant descendere» (Cfr. S. BONAV. In Evang. Luc., c. 1, 62: Opera omnia, VII, p. 236). Cum enim perfectio ad caritatem ducat, homo, quo magis Deo adhaeret, eo magis Regni Dei incremento incumbat oportet.

Utrumque autem vivendi modum, ad beatitudinem promerendam necessarium, Sanctus Bonaventura ipse coluit, contemplationem in actionem quodammodo transfundens. Siquidem ministerium Moderatoris Generalis sui Ordinis ita implevit, ut in commisso sibi grege meritum virtutis accresceret, clauderetur via vitiis et daretur moribus disciplina (Cfr. ID. Epistolae Officiales, II, 1: Opera omnia, III, p. 712). Ad patris cardinalis dignitatem evectus, exspectationi Summi Pontificis ita respondit, ut cum eodem divinis obsequiis et universalis Ecclesiae servitiis vacaret (Cfr. GREGORII I Epist. Fr. Bonaventurae Ord. Min. Gen. Min., in Bullarium Franciscanum, III, p. 206 a.).

Idem prorsus sensit Angelicus Doctor, illud opus vitae activae extollens, «quod ex plenitudine contemplationis derivatur» (S. TH. Summa theol., II-IIæ, q. 188, a. 6); ideoque cum eo sociatur Bonaventura, sicut ad trahendum iugum Domini Dominica est iunctus Franciscus (Cfr. S. BONAV. Sermones de Sanctis, De Sancto Dominico: Opera omnia, IX, p. 565 b.).a Quam ob rem haec duo Ecclesiae lumina ad tempora usque nostra tamquam «sacrae theologiae principes» (PII XII Litt. Enc. Sacra virginitas: AAS 46, 1954, p. 165), quasi geminato fulgore in cuncto splendescunt Populo sancta Dei.

His, quae attigimus, Sancti Bonaventurae cogitatis et hortamentis manifesto comprobatur hunc ipsum doctrinae vitaeque magistrum adhuc loqui, quamvis abhinc septem saecula mortuum. Cui adhuc loquenti Nos vocem addimus Nostram, omnes Ecclesiae filios monentes, ut eum, qui ita ambulavit, observant (Cfr. Phil. 3, 17). Ad Deum autem iuvat orationem dirigere, quae in Seraphici Doctoris memoria recolenda rite adhibetur, ut «ipsius profìciamus eruditione praeclara et caritatis ardorem iugiter aemulemur» (Missale Romanum, Typ. Polygl. Vat. 1970, p. 578).

Quae vota Benedictio Apostolica confirmet, quam vobis, dilecti filii, et universis, quibus praeestis, Familiis Franciscalibus, ex animo impertimus.

Datum Romae, apud Sanctum Petrum, die xv mensis Iulii, anno MCMLXXIV, Pontificatus Nostri duodecimo.

CATHOLIC ENCYCLOPEDIA: St. Bonaventure
The Internet Guide to St. Bonaventure of Bagnoregio
Saint Bonaventure (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy
St. Bonaventure University

Ontogeny and Human Life conference

source

Ateneo Pontificio Regina Apostolorum
Master in Scienza e Fede
STOQ’07 – THE STOQ INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE

Ontogeny and Human Life
Pontifical Athenaeum ´Regina Apostolorum´
In collaboration with the
Pontifical Academy for Life
Rome, Italy
November 15-17, 2007

PRESENTATION

The STOQ’07 Conference will be focused on the topic of the ontogeny and development of human life.

It is well known that in the last decades this topic, and in particular the question of the identity and status of the human embryo, has stirred hot and endless bioethical debates, with notable repercussions on the social and political life of many countries.

Obviously, such an item must be tackled from various and variously intermingling viewpoints, from biology to law, or from medicine to anthropology, dealing with questions like: is human ontogenesis a continuous process, or is it marked by biological and ontological discontinuities? If so, when and where to place such discontinuities, and what ethical and juridical conclusions to draw? Is there a clear cut between embryos and pseudo-embryos, or there is a continuum between perfect normality and total abnormality? How to deal with situations challenging the concepts of individual and organism, as with conjoined twins or developmental chimaeras?
In a more general framework, the concept of ontogenesis also reminds us of a bio-philosophical theme that seems today largely underestimated, that is biological genesis, from epigenesis to the origin of life, or from genetics to phylogeny.

Thus, the next STOQ Conference will provide a unique opportunity to rigorously deal with, and serenely discuss, the numerous aspects of human development and ontogenesis, in the context of a high-level academic board and in the beautiful setting of the town of Rome.
The Conference will be accordingly divided in four Sections: a) Biological Aspectsb) Biomedical Aspectsc) Philosophical and Theological Aspectsd) Bioethical and Juridical Aspects
Concluding each day of the Conference, Panel Sessions will give all the participants an opportunity to intervene in open debate on these topics.

PROGRAM (pdf)

Per informazioni:Guido Traversatel 06 66527872 - convegnontogenesi@libero.it
Luigi Sammarco tel 06 66527854 - mastersf@upra.org
Ateneo Pontificio Regina Apostolorum
Via degli Aldobrandeschi, 19000163 Roma - Tel 06 66527800
www.upra.org - www.stoqnet.org
e-mail: mastersf@upra.org