Forging Traditions
Isn’t He Divine? : The Divinity of Christ, the Heresy of Americanism and the Catholic Church in America (1880-1920)
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Alfonso Gómez-Rossi
In the 1890s, conservative members of the American hierarchy denounced certain principles of liberalism that were condemned by Pius IX in his Syllabus of Errors, identifying them as pervasive issues within the American public sphere. Among the criticisms leveled against American ideals were those conflicting with post-1848 Catholic teachings, particularly political ideals upheld by the American and French Republics. Of particular concern to the Papacy was the notion of individual agency in selecting rulers and information through democratic processes. The Magisterium perceived this as potentially heretical, asserting that the responsibility for selecting what to believe should not rest with the laity, as implied by the American democratic system. Rather, it emphasized the Magisterium's role in guiding the faithful towards salvation through curated information. A focal point of contention for the clergy was the questioning of Christ's divinity, with a segment of American thought in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries positing Christ as a mere human teacher. Such assertions were declared blasphemous by Catholic doctrine, representing a dangerous departure from orthodox belief that required intervention to safeguard the souls of the faithful. This paper examines the press's response to Americanism and its associated belief in individualism, both of which were condemned by the Catholic Church during this period
Reward and Punishment: The Idea of Judgement
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Bina Nir
Western Judeo-Christian culture recognizes a God who devises laws, judgements, and punishments. This approach holds that man’s actions are evaluated by an external judge according to the doctrine of retribution, and in this culture, it is one of the sources of the drive to succeed, of fear of failure, of guilt and shame, and more. Humans fear the results of this judgement, especially if it involves punishment. The present research assumes that the idea of judgement remains a deeply embedded construct in Western culture and that its religious roots lie in the culture’s Jewish and Christian origins. Although religious ideas of retribution are undergoing secularization in the West, the worldviews that underlie and are embedded in the religious experience, as described by Jung (1987), are covertly preserved in the secular experience. This study will examine judgement using the genealogical method. Genealogy studies the past but its objective is to understand and assess the present. Genealogy will facilitate a comparative examination of Judaic judgement, as depicted in the biblical doctrine of retribution, Catholic judgement, and judgement in Calvinism.
An Oxonian Thriller on which Philosophy Could Replace Religion
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Franco Manni
Norberto Bobbio wrote in 1944, La Filosofia del Decadentismo. He identified in the existentialist philosophy a great regression (brought about by totalitarianism and war) with respect to the traditional values of Western society, and regretted that if a new fundamental philosophy was sought to replace the rapidly declining Christian religion, according to Bobbio, it had unfortunately not been Benedetto Croce's Historicism, but Existentialism itself. Now the crucial passage in which Bobbio makes this point explicit was omitted from the English translation made in 1948 by Basil Blackwell while it was retained in the Spanish translation of 1949). In this study, we explore why.
Palliative Sedation: A Catholic Answer to Unbearable Suffering?
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Jonathan Lambaerts
Euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide are increasingly seen as appropriate medical responses to the unbearable suffering of the terminally ill. These treatments have been strongly condemned by the Roman Catholic Church, most notably by John Paul II in Evangelium Vitae. This condemnation, however, does not negate the challenge of the suffering of the terminally ill. This leaves the question unanswered: what treatment to alleviate the suffering of such patients can count on the Church’s approval? Palliative sedation has emerged as one possibility. An extensive literature study was undertaken to determine the position of the Roman Catholic Church on palliative sedation. An in-depth analysis of the results (based on the principles of grounded theory) provided an insight into the arguments supporting this position. A general conclusion is that the Church considers palliative sedation to be a morally legitimate way to alleviate the suffering of the terminally ill. However, this approval does not come without its reservations. Church officials stress that palliative sedation should always be part of a holistic approach, with due attention to the spiritual dimension of medical care and that of suffering. This way, the Church’s response to the question of how best to deal with the unbearable suffering of the terminally ill broadens the debate on and in medical practice at the end of life.
