I am delighted by Benedict XVI’s insistence on the light of truth. De veritate nunquam satis… (concerning truth one can never say enough)…

VATICAN CITY, 7 FEB 2011 (VIS) – At midday today the Holy Father received participants in the plenary assembly of the Congregation for Catholic Education.

In his address to the group the Pope noted that “the common denominator of the topics you are examining over these days is education and formation, which today represent one of the most urgent challenges the Church and her institutions are called to face. Educational work seems to be becoming ever more arduous because, in a culture which all too often makes relativism its creed, the light of truth is lacking. Indeed, it is considered dangerous even to speak about truth, thus instilling doubt about the basic values of individual and community life“.

This is related to his June 11th, 2007, address in which he proclaimed that

“It is up to us to seek to respond to the question of truth, fearlessly juxtaposing the proposal of faith with the reason of our time. […] Thus, it is very important to develop what last year we called “the pastoral care of intelligence“. […] In a society and in a culture which all too often make relativism their creed – relativism has become a kind of dogma – the light of truth is lacking. Indeed, it is considered dangerous even to speak about truth…”

Those lucid words could be applied to the concrete case examined by the CDF Commission presided by Cardinal Ruini concerning the Medjugorje events.

Since the establishment of the first Commission until today, it seems that the Bishops from the Diocese of Mostar and former Yugoslavia have comprehended the historical facts by pronouncing a verdict of non constat de supernaturalitate.

However, since the Zadar Declaration (1991) that confirmed the non constat, the pastoral care of intelligence has given way to the pastoral care of alleged “good fruits” promoted by the parish pastoral personnel and some foreign dignitaries. One even read from a propagandist blogger that the inventors of a possible fraud should be given a hug because the fruits of the manipulation are amazingly impressive. The end would justify the means, relativism would have “become a kind of dogma”.

Thus the “intelligence of pastoral care” is sorely lacking and it is no wonder that Benedict XVI, in mutual agreement with the Bishops of Bosnia-Herzegovina, solicits the expertise of the members of the Fourth Commission to meet the demand of truth wished for not only by the Holy Father but also by the faithful who discuss and even argue fiercely about an important issue concerning private revelations.

Let us hope that the “pending case” will be resolved in accordance with Benedict XVI’s aspirations and that the light of truth will prevail.

Louis Bélanger