Veritatis Splendor
(This is an attempt to explore the three chapters of the encyclical from the detailed exposition made by William E. May which he made based on the commentary of Dionigi Tettamanzi, formerly a professor of moral theology in Italy and now Cardinal Archbishop of Genoa.)
Introduction:Reasons of Pope John Paul II in writing this encyclical:
a.) to exercise his teaching authority by confronting the crisis that has developed in theological-moral reflection during the postconciliar period; b.) to set forth clearly "certain aspects of doctrine which are of crucial importance in facing what is certainly a genuine crisis, since the difficulties which it engenders have most serious implications for the moral life of the faithful and for communion in the Church, as well as for a just and fraternal social life" (n. 5); c.) to reflect on the whole of the Church's moral teaching, with the precise goal of recalling certain fundamental truths of Catholic doctrine, which risk being distorted or denied; d.) In order to confront this crisis head-on, the pope proposes "to set forth, with regard to the problems being discussed, the principles of a moral teaching based upon Sacred Scripture and the living Apostolic Tradition, and at the same time to shed light on the presuppositions and consequences of the dissent which that teaching has met" (n. 5). The Encyclical is divided according to the following: 1. Introduction 2. Chapter 1: "Christ and the Answer to the Question About Morality." 3. Chapter 2: "The Church and the Discernment of Certain Tendencies in Present-Day Moral Theology." 4. Chapter 3: "Moral Good for the Life of the Church and of the World" 5. Conclusion The whole encyclical is a constant 'listening' to the word of our Lord, a loving and courageous 'meditation' on the meaning and requirements of this word, a 'proposal' and an 'appeal' to follow Christ in order to find in him the full answer to our hunger and thirst for truth and freedom" (D. Tettamanzi, "Introduzione e guida alla lettura," in Lettera Enciclica di S.S. Papa Giovanni Paolo II Veritatis Splendor: I fondamenti dell'insegnamento morale della Chiesa. Testo integrale con introduzione e guida alla lettura di S.E. Mons. Dionigi Tettamanzi [Casalle Monferrato: Edizioni Piemme, 1993], p. 13). |
Ioannes Paulus PP. II
Veritatis splendor (Splendor of Truth) 1993.08.06 Detailed Exposition of Veritatis Splendor |