Monday, January 15, 2024

The Sanctity of Human Life

There are voices clamoring for the amendment of the 1987 Philippine Constitution that can overturn its pro-life and pro-family provisions, with a vision of "revolutionizing family structures, marriages and child-parent relationships." 

By Dr. Bernardo Villegas

Part 1

                           

              Once more there are voices clamoring for the amendment of the 1987 Constitution in the name of dramatic and unprecedented economic, social, technological and political changes occurring in recent times.  Some of the leaders in the House of Representatives are renewing calls to introduce amendments to the current Constitution to adapt it to the dramatic changes in both global and national developments over the last thirty years or so.  In a Conference organized by the National Historical Commission and the National Museum of the Philippines in tandem with the 1971 Constitutional Convention entitled “Constitution Framing and Nationhood Conference”,  there is an implicit move to introduce some important changes in the 1987 Constitution, purportedly only focusing on the restrictive provisions against Foreign Direct Investments.  In the wording of the announcements of the two-day conference scheduled for January 16 to 18, 2024,  however, it is clear that the speakers will have the freedom to discuss other provisions beyond the strictly economic ones. 

              There are very suggestive references to “the shadow of disruptive changes” looming large:  “The delicate equilibrium of our ecology is under threat from global warming, climate change and pollution, jeopardizing the very livability of our magnificent blue planet.”  There is also the very meaningful reference to the VUCA world:   volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous, calling for us to fully understand, moderate and embrace its complexities.  Even more ominous is the reference to the so-called brave new world which is leading every society to unchartered territories such as the very morally controversial in vitro technology which allows the creation of a three-parent superbaby: “By selecting the best embryo carrying the biological parents’ DNA and correcting any genetic mutations without destroying it, we stand at the cusp of revolutionizing family structures, marriages and child-parent relationships.” The Conference organizers could not have been more explicit in referring to issues which the large majority of drafters of the Philippine Constitution of 1987  held sacred and subsequently ratified by 80 percent of those who participated in the referendum.

              At the very beginning of this discourse, let me already go for the jugular and ask the question “Is in vitro fertilization  (IVF) consistent with the Constitution.  First, let us explain what is IVF?  The basic principle of IVF is the hormonal stimulation of female ovaries to create an optimum number of follicles, from which eggs are subsequently obtained.  The eggs thus removed are subsequently fertilized in the embryological laboratory by the sperm of the partner.  What is the intrinsic morality of this act? The answer given on the basis of natural law (regardless of religion) is the IVF is morally objectionable for a number of reasons:  the destruction of human embryos in the process of finding the “right” one; the danger to women and newborn infants, and the replacement of the marital act in procreation. Artificial insemination (which can ethically be applied to animals), in vitro fertilization and surrogate motherhood are immoral because they involve sexual acts among humans that are procreative, but not unitive.  IVF is morally objectionable because it leads to the massive destruction of embryonic life, an assault on the meaning of the conjugal act  and the treatment of the child as a product or commodity and not as a gift.

              Since the Philippine Constitution clearly states that life begins at conception, the embryo already has moral status as a human being.  Although this is also the traditional Christian view, it has already become a constitutional mandate since its incorporation into the Declaration of State Policies in the Philippine Constitution which provides that the State shall  equally protect the life of the mother and the life of the unborn from conception. Since life begins at conception according to the Philippine Constitution, modern techniques used in assisted reproduction like IVF, ET, surrogate mothers and embryo cryopreservation are all considered unconstitutional.  As long as that provision remains in our Constitution,  the Philippine State must offer its protection to the human being starting with its first seconds of existence.  The State (like the Catholic Church) considers the zygote as persons and is against research on any type of human embryos.

              If the ending of the life of an embryo outside the womb of the mother goes against the Philippine Constitution, how much more would it be unconstitutional to abort a fully formed fetus after the female egg is fertilized by the male sperm.  An entire Article on the Family (XIV), Section 2 of Article II (State Policies) clearly declares:  “The State recognizes the sanctity of family life and shall protect the family as a basic autonomous social institution.  It shall equally protect the life of the mother and the life of the unborn from conception.  The natural and primary duty  of parents in the rearing of the youth for civic efficiency and the development of moral character shall receive the support of the Government.”

              As a lesson to those few in the Philippines who may want to amend the Constitution to allow abortion in the future (once the amendment process begins, there is no telling what provisions in the Constitution will be subject to questioning!), let me quote from a famous American Bishop, Robert Baron, about what ending the life of an unborn is in its most lurid and gory reality.   Before the recent healthy trend in a good number of States in the U.S. to ban abortion,  the Roe vs. Wade decision to allow the killing of the fetus only at the very early stage of gestation eventually led to the legitimization of the murder of a baby at birth.  In an article published in 2019 entitled “Bishop Barron:  Seeing abortion”  taken from Catholic Voice,  we read the following:  “The legal protocols now in effect in New York, Delaware, and a number of other states allowing for the butchering of a child in the womb at any point in his or her nine-month gestation—and indeed, on the clinic of hospital table, should the child by some miracle survive the abortion—have sickened much of the country….”

             "Unplanned, the story of Abby Johnson’s wrenching transition from director of a Planned Parenthood clinic to vocal opponent of abortion, has proven to be surprisingly a popular film, despite its rather grim theme and despite considerable institutional opposition….The film opens with the event that proved decisive to Abby Johnson herself.  As director and administrator of a Planned Parenthood clinic, she was certainly aware of what was happening on the premises, but she had rarely been involved in an actual abortion.  One afternoon, she was summoned to the operating room and asked to hold the device that allowed the doctor to see the ultrasound image of the child in the womb.  As the physician went about his work, Abby could clearly see the child resting comfortably and then reacting violently as a suctioning device was inserted into the womb.   To her horror, she then saw a tiny arm sucked off, only to reappear, moments later as a bloody soup in a catheter next to her.  As she watched, unable to take her eyes off of the horrific display, she saw the severely wounded baby continuing to evade the device, until a leg disappeared, then another arm, and finally the baby’s head.  And again, the remains of the living child surged like slush into the catheter.”

              Needless to say, Abby Johnson resolved to dissociate herself forever from Planned Parenthood.  The film, though gory it may be, made clear that Abby had heard arguments against abortion all of her life, for her parents  and husband were ardently and vocally pro-life, but she made the decision after she saw what it meant to end the life of an unborn child.  I hope that Filipino society does not have to go through the stage of first allowing such criminal murders of unborn babies before being once again converted to the pro-life cause upon experiencing what Abby saw on the operating table.    What bothers me is that the organization Planned Parenthood is very active in the Philippines in the so-called Reproductive Health movement.  


Part 2

              If the reader, like the former  Planned Parenthood Director Abby Johnson, feels like vomiting after reading the piece-by-piece killing of the baby being aborted in the account of Bishop Robert Baron, let me say that such a horrible scene was never contemplated even by the most heartless Americans when I was residing in the U.S. prior to the 1972 U.S. Supreme Court Roe vs. Wade decision allowing the aborting of the fetus in case of rape and limited to the first trimester of pregnancy.  Those who were vehemently against that decision already had enough common sense to predict that sooner or later, once you disregard the right to life of the fertilized ovum, there is no limit to what will be permitted in infanticide sooner or later. Their fears actually were confirmed by subsequent decisions of the courts that progressively allowed abortion at later stages of gestation until a baby about to be delivered by the mother could still be killed in such a horrible manner.  That is why, whatever our religion or no religion, Filipinos should never allow a constitutional amendment that will remove the provision that “the State shall equally protect the mother and the unborn.”  We should defend that provision literally with our lives if we don’t want to be a nation of murderers of infants in the way the U.S. has become because of the Roe Vs. Wade decision.  We should be wary about the presence of such international organizations like Planned Parenthood, the UN Population Commission and similar agencies pushing for what they euphemistically call “responsible parenthood” or “reproductive health.”   The worst kind of colonization in today’s circumstances is what has been called “ideological colonization” that can be surreptitiously introduced through so-called development aid programs.

              As one of the framers of the Philippine Constitution of 1987, I can authoritatively state that such a basic law of the land was written with the strong assumption that there are truths that are self-evident, that do not need to be supported by empirical evidence, whether from the physical or social sciences.  The sanctity of the family, the right to life, the right to the pursuit of happiness, the right to private property, the principle of subsidiarity, the principle of solidarity and the common good are all part of human nature. These truths are instilled in the mind of every human being, no matter how uneducated or illiterate.  They are part of what is commonly referred to as natural law.

              With very few exceptions (the leftist members of the Constitutional Commission of 1986 appointed by former President Corazon Aquino), the overwhelming majority of those who drafted the Constitution accepted the fact that there are truths that are based on human nature.  As fully explained by one of the most brilliant constitutionalists, the current Palawan Governor V. Dennis M. Socrates, in an article that appeared in the IBP Journal (April-September 2011), the sanctity of family and life proceeds from the natural-law thinking that is inherent to the Philippine Constitution of 1987. Let me summarize his lucid explanations.  He boils down the controversy to the pro-life vs. pro-choice debate, which in countries like the United States and practically all of Europe has been resolved in favor of the pro-choice proponents.  On one hand, according to Governor Socrates, pro-life thinking holds that the right to life demands respect and protection from pre-conception (marriage and the conjugal act)  through birth and education (family life), to its terminal stages (the aged and the dying).  The pro-choice proponents, however, take the opposite stand:  they argue that human life—and corollarily, the institutions of marriage and the family—may be subject to the free choices of individuals.  Pro-choice proponents assert the licitness of divorce, contraception, abortion, and so on.

              Governor Socrates suggests focusing on the wording of the article mandating equal protection to be given to the life of the mother and the life of the unborn.  The article, as cited in the first of this series, starts with “The State recognizes the sanctity of family life….”  He is struck by the term “sanctity” which ordinarily means holiness or union with God, thus articulating a straightforward acknowledgment of the family as something directly related to God the Creator.  He then brings up the issue of separation of Church and State.  Is it possible still to use “sanctity” in a secular, non-religious sense.  His answer is affirmative.  Because men and women of reason, from diverse cultures agree on the existence and providence of the Divine, it is possible to discuss sanctity to some extent from a natural, human point of view, as in natural-law thinking.  Only by invoking the existence of a natural law that applies to all human beings, regardless of religious beliefs, can one understand the many declarations contained in the Philippine Constitution of 1987 concerning the rights to life, liberty, happiness, freedom, etc. etc.

              Natural-law thinking understands human law, in the well-known definition of St. Thomas Aquinas as “an ordinance of reason for the common good promulgated by one who is charged with the community.”  Natural law thinking in jurisprudence teaches the existence of a set of norms (the natural moral law) higher than the norms of the legal system  (human positive law) and to which these latter must conform.  Thus, the legal system is a participation (by society through political authority) in the natural moral law.  The norms of the natural moral law derive from the truths of unchanging human nature and are discernable, albeit with difficulty, by human reason. Let me interject here a comment provoked by the national consternation concerning the large number of illiterate Filipino youth as evidenced by their very poor performance in international academic achievement tests.  As an Indian head of an NGO providing illiterate people with employable skills quipped:  “An illiterate person may not know how to read or write; but he is not stupid.”  Indeed, numerous illiterate people from among the poorest of the poor in our country can be taught many useful technical skills that people with the highest academic degrees may never be able to cultivate.  In the same vein, illiterate people still have the power of reasoning for them to understand the difference between good and evil!

              Governor Socrates goes on to cite the truths that can be discerned even by illiterate people.  Among them are that man is essentially a spiritual soul (the “form” or “formal cause”, which gives man the “act” of being man) in a material body (the “matter” or “material cause” which gives man the capacity to become man); that man comes into existence by a direct act of the Creator with the cooperation of the parents—procreation—in the “marital act” and the rearing and education of offspring (the “efficient cause”); and that human existence is ordained towards the “end” of eternal happiness—union with God or sanctity—by knowing, loving and serving his Creator ( the “final cause”).  From the very beginning of human history, even the most primitive people recognized, no matter how dimly,  the existence of a deity.

              Because of the natural law imprinted in every human being, human life is considered sacred or “holy” because it directly belongs to God from beginning to end.  In the same vein, the sanctity of the family lies in the intimate relation to human life whose cradle is precisely the family, the most basic unit of society and prior to the State. These are some of the truths that are considered self-evident in the Philippine Constitution.  


Part 3

              Except for a few (no more than two or three who need not be identified), the original 50 members of the Constitution Commission of 1986 adhered to the existence of a natural law imprinted in the mind of every human being.  The overwhelming majority were not suffering from what has been called the “dictatorship of moral relativism.”  It was also far from our minds then to adhere to what is now termed the “wok” culture that has infested many Western societies.  Starting with the legitimate condemnation of racial discrimination in Black America, this “woke” culture has now been transformed into a mindset that justifies the moral acceptance of all sorts of evils such as same-sex acts, petty thefts, drug addictions,  contempt for parental authority, etc. in the name of non-discrimination. Although it was never brought to a vote, it was assumed that most of us did not believe that truth is determined by the human mind or that it is decided by majority. It was clear to us that there are truths about the nature of human beings and human society that are based on unchanging and absolute truths, regardless of time and space.

 As Governor Socrates explains in his article on “Natural-Law Thinking in the Constitution” any philosophy of the legal system must, as a matter of course, define ‘law” according to its ‘ultimate causes.’ To the school of Legal Positivism, law is simply ‘the command of the sovereign’; to the Historical School of Jurisprudence,  law is to be ‘found (not made)’ in historical tradition; to the Sociological school, it is simply the ‘balancing of social interests’ or ‘social engineering’’ and to the ‘Realist’ view of Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr., it is “what judges in fact do.’  In contrast with these views, the natural law thinking which is presupposed by the Philippine Constitution can be defined, as St. Thomas Aquinas did, as “an ordinance of reason for the common good promulgated by one who is charged with the community.”

              The Declaration of Principles and the Statement of Policies found in the Philippine Constitution of 1987 cannot be understood without having recourse to the concept of natural law.  In formulating the various articles under these headings, it was clear to the majority of us who framed the Philippine Constitution that there exist a set of norms (the natural moral law) higher than the norms of the legal system (human positive law) and to which these latter must conform.  Thus, the entire legal system prevailing in any society is just a participation (by society through its political authority) in the natural moral law.  The norms of this natural moral law derive from the truths of human nature and are discernible, albeit with some difficulty, by human reason.  This fact had been demonstrated centuries ago by the Greek philosophers like Socrates, Plato and Aristotle who by reason alone, independent of any religious belief, arrived at the truths based on natural law.  That is why, when we were drafting the articles on the Declaration of Principles or State Policies, it did not occur to anyone of us to present empirical evidence that every human being has the right to life, liberty and happiness; that the family is the basic unit and foundation of society; that the  State “shall equally protect the life of the mother and the life of the unborn from conception.”        

              In fact, I was personally involved in making sure that the very concept of the common good was not defined in the Philippine Constitution the way it was in previous versions of our basic law, following the jurisprudence of the American Constitution up to the 1987 Philippine Constitution which referred to “general welfare”, instead of the common good. The general welfare jurisprudence prevailing till then conceived of the common good as the “greatest good for the greatest number” in society.  Through a series of interpolations by a defender of this prevailing jurisprudence, I was able to convince the majority of the Commissioners that this pragmatic definition taken from U.S. jurisprudence could lead in certain occasions to crimes against  humanity.  The one who interpolated me was a distinguished Muslim lawyer who will remain unnamed.    He was very zealous in defending “general welfare” jurisprudence because, according to him, if we changed the definition, numerous lawyers would be disoriented precisely because there was already an existing jurisprudence.  I refused to accept this shallow excuse and insisted on a different definition of the common good that does not involve the “greatest good for the greatest number” which allows moral or ethical truth to be determined by majority rule.

              Although I admitted that most debatable issues in human discourse may be legitimately determined by majority rule (e.g. form of government, election of political leaders, tax legislation, etc.), there are moral issues that cannot be left to majority voting.  At that time (1986), the Italians had a referendum in which the majority voted that it was permissible for a mother to kill the baby in her womb. I asked, the  interpolator if that majority vote justified the killing even of one baby.  He replied that it was an irrelevant issue. I, then, gave other hypothetical examples illustrating the danger of majority vote on ethical or moral issues.  I  told the honorable lawyer to imagine that during the time of Hitler’s Germany there was an equivalent of our polling institutions such as the Social Weather Station.  Suppose Hitler had a poll conducted asking the Germans if it was legitimate to exterminate the Jews from their midst.  Since the majority of the Germans were non-Jews, I asked the question that if the majority actually voted to support Hitler in his persecution of the Jews, would that majority opinion have  justified  the killing of even one Jew?  Since even this hypothetical case did not seem to move him to change his mind about the untenability of the majority vote in some specific moral cases, I decided to go for the jugular.  With all the finesse I could gather, I reminded him that he and his fellow Muslims were a small minority in the Philippine population.  I reminded him that we, the Christian majority do not always practise what we preach.  I then postulated the possibility that we go to a referendum and arrive at the horrible majority opinion that it was about time we remove our Muslim brothers from the face of the earth.  That finally convinced him to support my motion to define the common good as a “social order in which every individual is able to attain his or her fullest integral human development: economically, politically, culturally, socially, morally and spiritually.” An alternative definition, taken from the Social Doctrine of the Catholic Church, is “the sum total of social conditions which allow people, either as groups or individuals, to reach their fulfillment more fully and more easily.”

              To complete this discourse on the “Sanctity of Life” as protected by the Philippine Constitution, let me quote extensively from a Letter to the Editor of the Inquirer by another legal luminary and President of the Alliance for the Family Foundation Philippines, Inc. Maria Concepcion Noche:  “Abortion is illegal under any and all circumstances under the Philippine Constitution and statutes.  Abortion is not allowed even when the life of the mother is in danger, and for that matter, even when the life of the unborn is threatened.  Under the law, the life of the unborn and the life of the mother shall be equally protected because they are equally valuable…In a conflict situation between the life of the mother, the doctor is professionally and morally obliged to try to save both lives because both are his patients.  However, he can act in favor of one (not necessarily the mother) when it is medically impossible to save both, provided that no direct harm is intended to the other.  The intentional harm on the life of either is never justified to bring about the “good” effect.  If these principles are observed, the loss of the life of either the mother or the unborn that may result is not intentional and, therefore, unavoidable, and the doctor would not be guilty of abortion or murder.  This is what you call the double-effect principle which our Supreme Court has recognized.”  For comments, my email address is bernardo.villegas@uap.asia

 

             

             

 

                            

 

 

Tuesday, November 28, 2023

RETREAT GUIDE

A one-page leaflet that can easily be reproduced and distributed. Download the PDF here.



WHAT IS A RETREAT?


A retreat is an out-of-the-ordinary break we all need, like an annual medical check-up. We stop all activity to be alone with God, so we can calmly look at the single most important thing in our life: our personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Since he wants to be our close friend, we will be spending time in conversation with him, asking for his light and help to convert our life—to begin again to live our Christian life to the full and so attain the greatest possible happiness that it brings.  


Listen to Jesus’ advice to busy Martha: “You are anxious and troubled about many things. But only one thing is necessary—loving Jesus: being with him and listening to him. He is the only Master—not mammon!—that we serve.  

 

WHAT IS THE BEST APPROACH TO A RETREAT?

 

Do it as if it were your first retreat, your last retreat, and your only retreat. This means resolve to make it your best retreat. The Catechism teaches: “We live as we pray.” If you want to live the best life, then offer the best prayer during the retreat. 

 

It is always good to begin with the end in mind: the ultimate aim of a retreat is the same singular aim of all formation and Christian life: to be one with Jesus through love.


 

WHAT HAPPENS DURING A RETREAT?

 

Since a retreat is basically a time of prayer and examination of conscience, the activities guide you to engage in a heart-to-heart talk with God our loving Father and with Jesus Christ, God made man—like us! For this, retreats are held in silence that allows us to easily relate with Jesus: to listen to him and speak with him. All the activities help you encounter God: both the organized common activities and the free time you spend alone with him in silence.


 

WHAT ARE THE COMMON ACTIVITIES?

 

Meditation. Meditation is guided prayer. It is a traditional and widespread Catholic practice during which a priest reflects prayerfully on a Christian mystery to help you converse with Jesus Christ and examine your own life in his light.

 

Try to fix your eyes on Jesus who is alive and present in the Eucharist. Open your heart to him and show yourself as you are.

 

Spiritual Reading and Talk.  This is led by a layman and covers different topics relevant to your life as an ordinary Christian: work, loving the world, family, social action, etc.  

 

Holy Mass and Communion. This Holy Sacrifice is the most important activity because it is the greatest prayer and the greatest source of graces we need. Why? Because the Mass makes present the one center of history that brings salvation: Jesus’ fiercely agonizing sacrifice on the cross. Respond to this infinite love of God—and to his words of love in the readings and prayers—with utmost attention and devotion.

Around ten minutes are allotted for Holy Communion: the most precious time with Jesus, our only Savior. If you are not ready, go to Confession as soon as possible, so you will live in grace (divine life) and so benefit much more from the retreat.  

Visit to the Blessed Sacrament. Given that Jesus visits us during Holy Communion, we in turn make a visit to our dear Friend. We pray the basic vocal prayers (Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be) and a Spiritual Communion, a desire to receive Jesus again.


Way of the Cross. Since the center of Jesus’ life is his redeeming suffering, it is ours too: we recall his love and passion often. St. Josemaria advised: Enter the event and feel each one of the pains Jesus felt due to our sins.



Holy Rosary and Angelus. St. Josemaria teaches: “To Jesus we always go, and to him we always return, through Mary.” Our mother Mary is “the shortcut to Jesus.”

During these prayers, we stay close to Mary like her little children to get to know Jesus best. Contemplate how God behaves as Love, and his Mother, too: joyfully accepting God’s will; detachment from things; offering our family; fidelity to one’s calling; zeal to evangelize; effort to pray; humble service; total self-giving; persevering to the end; victorious obedience; and great joy.

 

Examination of Conscience. A series of questions are read to help you look at key aspects of your life. It is a time to be brave and honest with God, and also with yourself. The truth shall set you free, Jesus assures us. He also urges: Repent, and you will make the whole of heaven—and yourself—very happy. Trust in God's limitless Mercy, be sorry and decide to begin anew.


 

WHAT DO I DO DURING THE BREAKS?

 

Confession. Since a retreat is all about a new conversion and spiritual healing, receive God's mercy and grace in the Sacrament of Mercy. Prepare for it thoroughly, using Confession guides.

 

Prayerful reading of spiritual books. Choose well the readings that can help you know God more and inspire you to talk with Jesus. Don’t just read for information, learn to love God with all your heart, and serve others with deeds.


Photo: Filip Chudoba in Flickr

Personal prayer. The retreat is a privileged time to learn to “pray always” as Jesus commanded. Prayer is raising our hearts to God. Use your own words to talk with the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. And use the three “major” ways of prayer: vocal prayer, meditation (reflecting on the mysteries of Christ), and contemplation (a loving gaze at Jesus and his infinite love for you; a mutual look that transforms us deeply). The best place for prayer is being near Jesus in the Eucharist.

 

Spiritual direction with the priest and layperson. We all need guidance, so we open up about our key struggles and identify two or three resolutions to forge ahead in following Christ.  


By Parents for Education Foundation (PAREF) and Dr. Raul Nidoy, author of Jesus-Centered: Guide to the Happiest Life, a guide to prayer centered on Christ, highly recommended by scholars such as Dr. Scott Hahn Fr. Mariano Fazio, Dr. Bernie Villegas, Dr. Jesus Estanislao, Hal Urban, Dr. Andrew Mullins, Fr. John Portavella, etc.


Dr. Thomas Lickona: “I know of no richer resource for growing in prayer at any age than Jesus-Centered.” Scott Hahn: "This book is life-changing and world-changing...Start praying this book today." Available online here at the Jesus-Centered Life website. URL: https://tinyurl.com/2deypauw


Friday, September 15, 2023

Nothing to fear: new law on personal prelatures includes the laity as the old law does

Is there a possibility that lay members of Opus Dei might no longer be included within the prelature? 

In my opinion, there is nothing to fear that this will happen due to the new legislation, since the old canon which mentions the inclusion of the laity in the prelature is kept in the new one as is. 

The new canon only adds a reminder that the place where a member lives determines his or her Ordinary (or bishop), but the essence of the old stipulationeven its wordingis totally intact within the new law. The new canon says, as the old canon does: "the laity can dedicate themselves to the apostolic works of the personal prelature; but the manner of this organic cooperation and the main duties and rights connected with it, shall be determined appropriately in the statutes." 

And so the key to the type of lay inclusion is the statutes. This is why the prelate is asking for prayers for the work of revising them while at the same time serenely obeying the legal changes and asking Opus Dei people to unite with this obedience. 

The serene, unqualified acceptance by the government of Opus Dei is a sign that the figure of the personal prelature continues to fit the reality of Opus Dei. 

For many decades, Opus Dei peacefully and happily embraced the legal canons establishing personal prelatures, considering it as its "definitive configuration", since this ensured that the laity were equally members as the clerics. As I have shown, the new canons continue to stipulate lay inclusion in terms of "organic cooperation" as the old canon did, suiting itself thus to Opus Dei's nature. This means, like before, the lay members continue to be essential to the entire organism of the prelature, and are not mere external helpers. The clergy and laity are interdependent components of the organic whole: no clergy without laity, and no laity without a clergy. 

As I explained in a previous post, where I clarified that the key word "similar" is defined in the dictionary as "resembling without being identical", and therefore implies that Opus Dei is really different from clerical associations:

1. The resemblance of personal prelatures to "clerical associations of pontifical right with capacity to incardinate priests" lies only in the latter part: pontifical right with capacity to incardinate priests. 

2. The difference, aside from the canon on lay inclusion, is that a personal prelature is, by its very name, a hierarchical reality, established by church authority, while associations are established by its members. 

Lastly, there should be no fear that personal prelatures are under the Dicastery for the Clergy, because the head of Opus Dei must be a cleric (not a bishop), since its founder, St. Josemaria, became a cleric (not a bishop) in order to dispose himself to receive the Opus Dei charism as its founder and become its head. And if we are to add the insight of Joseph Ratzinger: priestly hierarchy in its original sense essentially means being a sacred principle, a channel by which the lay people can receive God's graces. Because Opus Dei is a work of God and not of men, then this connection with the clergy, the channels of grace, to bolster Christian life in the middle of the world further emphasizes this divine aspect of its charism. 

I think the word "similar" has upset so many people, but it is crucial to understand (a) its true meaningthe word implies difference, even radical difference!and (b) the specific points for comparison that similarity implies, so as to comprehend the intent of the Vatican, and keep the serenity that the Prelate of Opus Dei keeps. 

Monday, September 4, 2023

Family Catechesis: What can families do to teach the Catholic faith to their children


First, follow the directives given by Pope John Paul II in Catechesi Tradendae, the most fundamental papal document on catechesis. I have added some headings to facilitate reading of the text:

1. SPECIAL CHARACTER. The family's catechetical activity has a special character, which is in a sense irreplaceable. This special character has been rightly stressed by the Church, particularly by the Second Vatican Council.
2. THROUGH PERSONAL WITNESS. Education in the faith by parents, which should begin from the children's tenderest age, is already being given when the members of a family help each other to grow in faith through the witness of their Christian lives, a witness that is often without words but which perseveres throughout a day-to-day life lived in accordance with the Gospel.
3. EXPLANATION OF FAMILY EVENTS. This catechesis is more incisive when, in the course of family events (such as the reception of the sacraments, the celebration of great liturgical feasts, the birth of a child, a bereavement) care is taken to explain in the home the Christian or religious content of these events.
4. REPEAT THE METHODICAL TEACHING GIVEN IN CHURCH AND SCHOOL. But that is not enough: Christian parents must strive to follow and repeat, within the setting of family life, the more methodical teaching received elsewhere. The fact that these truths about the main questions of faith and Christian living are thus repeated within a family setting impregnated with love and respect will often make it possible to influence the children in a decisive way for life. The parents themselves profit from the effort that this demands of them, for in a catechetical dialogue of this sort each individual both receives and gives.
5. KEY IMPORTANCE OF FAMILY CATECHESIS. Family catechesis therefore precedes, accompanies and enriches all other forms of catechesis. Furthermore, in places where anti- religious legislation endeavors even to prevent education in the faith, and in places where widespread unbelief or invasive secularism makes real religious growth practically impossible, "the church of the home" remains the one place where children and young people can receive an authentic catechesis.
6. HELPING PARENTS IN FAMILY CATECHESIS IS PRICELESS. Thus there cannot be too great an effort on the part of Christian parents to prepare for this ministry of being their own children's catechists and to carry it out with tireless zeal. Encouragement must also be given to the individuals or institutions that, through person-to-person contacts, through meetings, and through all kinds of pedagogical means, help parents to perform their task: The service they are doing to catechesis is beyond price.

To help parents to perform no. 5, to repeat and discuss the methodical teaching in the Church, here are sites where parents can find materials that discuss the Scriptural readings of the day.

Readings of the Day


Reflections and Homilies on the Readings

 
The rationale behind these resources are explained in these two articles: Resources for Praying the Scripture of the Day and Meditating on the Bible.

Parents can also use the Vatican's listing of Catechism points that are relevant to the Sunday liturgical readings: Sunday Liturgical Readings and Catechism Doctrine.

Since personal witness is important, according to the Popes, a key to Family Catechesis is Family Prayer, which is explained and taught in

Wednesday, August 23, 2023

Opus Dei is similar to, and thus different from, clerical associations of pontifical right


A recent article did an excellent service of clarifying the decree of Pope Francis in which he made personal prelatures, such as Opus Dei, "similar to public clerical associations of pontifical right with the right to incardinate clergy".  

Written by a professor at the University of Navarre, the article points out:

  • To assimilate [to make similar] in law is not to identify, but to search for a primum analogatum, a primary concept that serves as a reference for whoever interprets and applies the law. 
  • A biological child and an adoptive child can and should be assimilated, for legal purposes, but they are not identifiable. Assimilation is a legislative technique that avoids unnecessary repetition, facilitates interpretation, and allows for the orderly development of nascent institutions.
  • To say that the prelatures can be assimilated to certain clerical associations shows, in the end, that they are not constitutively clerical associations, but rather something else. 
Some people have criticized this article and continue to complain about the assimilation.

Here are my thoughts about this issue.

Similarity implies difference, because it is not identification. Google the word "similar" and you will get this definition from Oxford Languages: "resembling without being identical." Similar means some things are the same, and some things are different. 

The similarity in the decree is at the level of legal frameworks (the externals, the “shirt”) which does not determine the nature of the things inside. To use the analogy of the article, a biological child can have a "shirt" similar to his adoptive sibling's. They have totally different genetic codes, but they are treated in a similar way at the level of the law, from the point of view of the legislator or organizer. And here, remember “similar” implies difference. 

Take note of the actual words of the Motu Proprio: “similar to public clerical associations of pontifical law with the ability to incardinate clerics”. The latter part is not always emphasized in commentaries but the legal similarity points to this aspect. (St. Josemaria said that clerics are necessary for Opus Dei because of "the sacramental wall", the laity cannot give grace to themselves.) 

The differences are:

1) The canon on the organic cooperation of the laity: “the laity can dedicate themselves to the apostolic works of the personal prelature” with “organic cooperation.” This canon is not there for public clerical associations.

What does organic cooperation mean? This means the cooperation of the laity is not of an external or auxiliary nature, but they carry out the mission as members of the body or organism of the prelature. The Statutes of each prelature define the precise manner of this cooperation. 

Both the priests and the laity form an organic whole, each one  being an essential component and giving an essential contribution to the mission of the prelature. The priest and laity presuppose each other and complement each other. They are united by the same vocation under one governance.  

2) The name and nature of the two things that are made similar: prelature vs association. A prelature is established"erected" in ecclesiastical termsby the Holy See.  It comes from the top, while "association" comes from the ground. 

A prelature has a hierarchical nature, while an association does not have this nature. 

Legal frameworks and classifications will evolve, but among the many possibilities, the Pope has chosen a specific legal understanding for the Work today. I think the key is to put ourselves in the shoes of the organizer who is in charge of many organizations in the Church, and also know that they have in fact collaborated with expert Opus Dei canonists, and some like this one in the article, fully support its rationale. 

The Prelate of Opus Dei has in fact asked all the people of Opus Dei "that we all remain closely united" in his "sincere filial obedience" to the "provisions of the Holy Father." "Since the Work belongs to both God and the Church, the Holy Spirit is guiding us at all times."  

This reaction is in accord with St. Josemaria's faith in the Church, a faith we recite in the Creed whenever we go to Mass on Sundays and pray the Rosary: I believe in the Catholic Church. Faith, he teaches, is a serious word that we cannot say lightly. Faith means "absolute trust in God and total surrender of our lives to God" which we apply here to the mystery of the Church of God. 

Related articles: 






 

Wednesday, August 9, 2023

St. Josemaria on never doubting the Church: filial trust and joy over news from the Church

 

Pope Francis recently made changes to church law on personal prelatures that affect Opus Dei, provoking all sorts of reactions on the web. 

Opus Dei itself reacted by saying that it will study the changes "in a spirit of communion with the Holy Father." 

This reaction is in accord with the teachings of St. Josemaria, its founder. In one of his letters, recently published by Scepter, St. Josemaria writes: 


"You know how the Ordinaries of the dioceses in which we work, generally understand us and love us; and - whatever juridical form the Work may eventually have - the Church, which is our Mother, will respect the way of being of her children, because she knows that, with it, we only intend to serve her and to please God.

This is the reason why we do not admit, about the Church, neither a doubt nor a suspicion: nor do we tolerate it, in others, without protest. We do not look for the vulnerable sides of the Church - because of the action of men in Her - to criticize her, as some who do not seem to have faith or love are wont to do. I cannot conceive that one can love one's mother and speak of her with detachment.

And we will never be sufficiently satisfied with our work, no matter how many services, with the grace of God, we render to the Church and to the Pope, because love will demand more of us every day, and our labors will always seem modest, because the time at our disposal is short: tempus breve est (1 Cor 7:29). 

Together with selfless love, we must have great confidence: I am sure that confidence will grow in your souls, with God's help, in spite of the misunderstandings that the Lord will allow, which, I insist, will never be misunderstandings of the Church.

In this spirit of filial trust, we will always receive with joy and happiness any news that comes to us from the Bride of Jesus Christ, even when it may be painful or may seem so in the eyes of people outside the Work, since we know that nothing bad can come to us from the Church: diligentibus Deum omnia cooperantur in bonum (Rom 8:28); for those who love God, all things work together for good. 

And I dare to assure you that this joy of ours, no matter what happens, will not fail to cause astonishment and surprise, and above all edification, in those who without reason, because there can be none, expect a different reaction from us". (Letter n. 8 of St. Josemaria, 53 y 54, 1943)

***

Relevant articles:

Motu proprio "Ad charisma tuendum": Some reflections

What has changed in personal prelatures

Opus Dei and the German Way: the meaning of filial obedience

Wednesday, May 17, 2023

Bp Barron on What Makes a Catholic University

 Some notes from Bp Barron's talk at the Notre Dame University on What Makes a Catholic University which you can find here on YouTube


A Catholic university is where Jesus Christ holds the central, integrating and organizing place among all the circles of influence and activities of the university.

·       Where the relationship of Christ, the Logos, with all the academic disciplines is celebrated and explored with enthusiasm

·       But this not theological imperialism – where theology pushes out the disciplines from their place

o   God makes luminous and beautiful and opens up the depth dimension of all the academic disciplines. Because God is noncompetitive transcendence. God is everywhere, sustaining all things, most intimately so.

·       Applied to disciplines:

·       Math

o   Origin of our idea of the eternal is found in mathematics (B Russel). When we grasp a mathematical concept (e.g. circle), we have stepped out of our world, because it is true everywhere, at any time, i.e. eternally.

o   Math introduces us to a properly invisible world. It touches the absolutely, pure intelligibility of God.

·       Science

o   All the sciences assume intelligible patterns that the mind can know

o   Einstein – the most incomprehensible thing of the universe is its comprehensibility. We can understand it only because it was created by an Intelligence, like a Mathematician.

·       History

o   Modern secularity thinks that the center of history is 17th century enlightenment that has escaped from the obscurantism of medieval faith. There is also the Marxist and Hegelian interpretation.

o   Christianity believes the center of history is death and rising of Christ. Christ is the real king in history. This is the Christian interpretation of history

·       Literature

o   all literature points to a hunger or thirst for God, properly or improperly directed

o   Flannery O’Connor – story of man is wrestling with this.

·       Law

o   Modernity is shaped by lawyers; modern society tends to be litigious

o   But law in reality opens up to morality and morality opens up to religion

o   Aquinas – positive law rests on natural moral law

 

JPII – universities emerged ex corde ecclesiae, from the heart of the Church. Tragedy of our time has forgotten this. The more we recover this idea, the more the university is more authentically itself.

 

Q and A

What are concrete steps to enrich Catholic identity?  More integration of theology and disciplines. Theology professors discussing with academic disciplines.

·       How to balance being Catholic voice and being open to all perspectives? A Catholic is not open to atheism and communism. We argue against it. Openness is overrated. If you are open to all perspectives, your brain falls out. Your mind is meant to clamp down on something nourishing.

·       What is the Catholic approach to inclusivity of LGBTQ? I prefer the term justice and love rather than inclusivity, which is psychologizing and relative term. But we are supposed to be just and to love all the time. Diversity and inclusivity are not absolute values. Not all student applicants were admitted in your school, but you were still just.

·       What does the Church give? Everything. The mental health issues, anxiety, internet negativity shows the hunger for God. People are going to the wrong place to seek satisfaction.

·       What is the greatest challenge for young adults today? Finding your mission. Balthazar – you don’t know who you are until you’ve found your mission. Every Catholic school and every Catholic is supposed to evangelize.

·       Role of religious groups that organize universities or schools. It is your school, give it your heart and soul. Seize the day!

·       Academic freedom and Catholic identity. Church is not an external aggressor against academic freedom. This is a faulty modern understanding of freedom. John Paul II – there is harmony of freedom and truth. Modernity – freedom is self-creation; no one tells me what to do, I invent things. But I am only free to speak English because I have internalized the true rules of English.

·       How to discern your vocation? Use Galatians 5. What path makes you more peaceful?