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La luz y las tinieblas
08.09.07 @ 11:30:59. Archivado en Religión
Transmito, por desgracia en inglés como me ha llegado, el texto que leyó ayer en Sibiou (Rumania) el metropolita ruso Kirill de Smolensk ante la conferencia ecuménica allí reunida. Roma está representada por el cardenal Kasper. La primera parte es una exposición en clave palamita sobre la Luz. Nada que objetar sino es un relente de escolasticismo ortodoxo. Las tinieblas son la conclusión, teñida de clericalismo antieuropeista. La cosa no podrá no agradar al Vaticano.
Metropolitan Kirill of Smolensk and Kaliningrad:
The Light of Christ and the Church
Address at the Third Ecumenical Assembly, Sibiu, Romania, 5 September 2007
Your Beatitudes, Eminences, and Graces, Honourable Fathers,
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
The theme of today's plenary session, "The Light of Christ and the
Church," is very dear to us, the Orthodox. The coming of the Lord
Jesus Christ is perceived by Christians first of all as a
manifestation of Light. This manifestation culminated on Mount Tabor
where the Lord was transfigured before His disciples: "There he was
transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his
clothes became as white as the light" (Mt. 17:2). The Orthodox
theology has developed the theme of Tabor's Light in a teaching on
uncreated divine energies or actions which manifest God. According to
the teaching of St. Gregory Palamas and his associates, the Divine
Light, which the apostle saw in Tabor, is God Himself communicating
Himself to His creation and primarily to those whose eyes of the
heart are pure and open to perceive the Light. We can see this Light
with both our physical eyes and the inner vision of our hearts. It is
a visible manifestation of divine grace, divine energy, "the true
light that gives light to every man coming into the world" (Jn. 1:9).
The human being as "the image of and likeness after God" (Gen.
1:26-27) is capable of perceiving and manifesting divine Light in his life.
To partake of the Light of Christ also means to learn to observe the
Lord's commandments and to accept the teaching of Christ. Christ is
Light and He is also the Logos. Therefore, the true Light is also the
Word addressed to human reason. He is also an intellectual challenge.
"The Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we
may know him who is true. And we are in him who is true-even in his
Son Jesus Christ", St. John says in his first epistle (1 Jn. 5:20).
The Word of God is the foundation of the Holy Tradition, a most
important category in the Orthodox theology and Orthodox life. The
Holy Tradition is not just a sum of texts and practices developed
through centuries, but the Light which illuminates the minds and
hearts of men and women. It is not only a way of thinking but also a
way of life. The Holy Tradition is not an archaism, but the very life
of the Church, and the Light of Christ is its source.
Although the Orthodox tradition makes a distinction between two
aspects of the Light - the Light as grace, through which God Himself
communicates Himself to the world, and the Light as the word of
truth, these are not two different Lights but one Light that acts in
multiple ways. The knowledge of truth is impossible without
participation in the divine life brought by Christ and described in
the Gospel of St. John: "In Him was life, and that life was the light
of men" (Jn. 1:4). The enlightenment of the human mind is impossible
without the illumination of the entire human being with the Light of
Christ. This is the true meaning of enlightenment. This enlightenment
which combines the knowledge of truth with participation in eternal
life is attained in the Church. It is in the Church that the Light as
grace and the Light as truth are united to exist inseparably, as a
single whole. The Church is a depository of the Light, but this Light
shines also f ar beyond her fold, enlightening "every man coming into
the world" (Jn. 1:9). It is this property of the Light as the grace
of the Holy Spirit, that St. John implied when he said that "the
Spirit blows wherever it pleases" (Jn. 3:8). We do not confine the
radiance of the Light of Christ to the Church fold, even though we
firmly believe that the source of this Light is in the Church which
is the Body of Christ (Col. 1:24).
This understanding of the Light makes us respectful of other
religious experiences and traditions, even though we do not forget
about the Gospel's words: "Whoever believes and is baptized will be
saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned" (Mk. 16:16).
In this spirit we conduct interreligious dialogues, which we consider
to be important not only for a better understanding of other
religious traditions but also for a fuller understanding of our own tradition.
The teaching of Christ is light because it makes visible and clear
what seems dark and dim without it. It helps people to form the true
knowledge of God, the human being and the world. Certainly, human
beings acquire essential knowledge through their own studies of their
nature and the world. Yet, this knowledge cannot reveal to them any
perspective which transcends the human being. Whatever transcends the
human nature cannot be cognized if not revealed to human beings. The
human being cannot see even his own self but in the light that comes
from above or aside. Many scholars nowadays support the idea that
scientific and religious knowledge are complimentary. This idea
eliminates tensions between science and religion. It means that the
human being needs both religion and science in order to build his
individual and social life. Christianity is interested today as never
before in supporting scientific knowledge and its implementations.
In the first place, however, the Christian Churches are concerned to
preserve their special message revealed to human beings by the Lord
Jesus Christ, and to incorporate it in the life of modern man. We
know from history that it has never been an easy task. Human
weaknesses led to divisions, confrontations, and wars. In the first
millennium of the Christian era, the faithful sought to express as
clearly as it was possible for human language, the truths about God
which were revealed to them in the message of Christ. We have a
concise exposition of these truths in the Nicene Creed. It is true
though that the Christian community is still divided as to the
understanding of the basic dogmas of the faith. It can be stated with
certainty however that until recently all the Christians had
unanimous views at least on man and the moral norms of his life.
Today this unity has been broken as well. Some Christian communities
have unilaterally reviewed or are reviewing the norms of life defined
by the Word of God.
Why is it happening precisely today, in the beginning of the 21st
century? Why have some Christian circles come to favour so much the
idea of evolving moral norms? On the one hand, there are
prerequisites for it in the theology which interprets the principle
of salvation by faith alone. This underestimates the moral condition
of a person. But the greatest impact on this position has been made,
in my view, by the non-religious spirit of this world. There is a
suspicious coincidence between the new attitude to morality current
in Christian circles and the spreading of the post-modern paradigm in
the secular society. Post-modernism in a broad sense implies a
compatibility of incompatible views and positions. Perhaps this
attitude is justified in some spheres of society but it cannot be
justified for Christians in the realm of morality. Believers cannot
recognize at the same time the value of life and the right to death,
the value of family and val idity of same-sex relations, the
protection of child's rights and the deliberate destruction of human
embryos for medical purposes.
This attitude does not simply exist in the worldview of some people,
in their private life, but it gradually becomes obligatory for all
citizens through adoption of respective legal norms in some European
countries and international organizations. Orthodox Christians in
Eastern Europe, who have experience of life in totalitarian state,
can detect today some dangerous tendencies in the development of
political power. Christians know very well the principle expressed by
St. Augustine: "In essentials, unity; in nonessentials, diversity; in
all things, charity". There is a gap today in what Christians and
secularized people understand respectively as essential and
nonessential. The Christians insist that only one morality is
possible. If the authorities force Christians to participate in
observing or promoting the moral norms which run contrary to their
faith, these authorities will become for them unacceptable and even hostile.
What is the reason then that makes Christianity so unyielding to
ethical relativism? This is a belief that in Christ the divine truth
of the human being and the human nature has been revealed and that
the rejection of this view means death of the human being and the
world. The Church does not promote some partisan opinion of God and
the human being, but she preaches the truth communicated through the
divine revelation. If a scientist who has discovered a new
terrestrial law has the right to defend the truth he has discovered,
the more so the Church has the right to defend the eternal truth.
At least for us as Christians it should be clear that Christ has
revealed to the world the true divinity and the true humanity. In
Christ the fullness of the human nature has been revealed. Even
Pilate, a heathen, recognized it, exclaiming, "Ecce homo!" (Jn.
19:5). The human nature revealed in Christ does not have to develop
or evolve: it can be only accepted by human beings as their ideal.
Thus, all that we can say of the human being has been revealed in
Christ. The discussion on what the human being is ended 2000 thousand
years ago. Therefore the idea of evolving moral norms, popular among
some Christians, is actually an enthusiasm for the spirit of this
world, which develops this idea today in the form of a post-modern
paradigm. As a matter of fact, there are changeable customs in the
Church life, since cultural, geographical, and historical conditions
change, but the core notions of the human nature are unchangeable.
A struggle for a single public morality and for Christian values in
today's Europe is impossible without joint actions, first of all
among Christians of major confessions, regardless of their doctrinal
differences. The old term "ecumenism' however is little suitable for
fulfilling this task. In our view, to build a system of Christian
solidarity in Europe today on the basis of the one and indivisible
Gospel's morality and common witness to Christian values stemming
from this solidarity, may be the last resort for Christians in their
common efforts to give back a soul to Europe. For precisely this
reason Christian communities should support one another, maintain
friendly relations, realise exchanges, act together in face of the
external world, and carry out joint public projects. The Russian
Church with her experience of life under totalitarianism is well
aware of the significance of the Christian solidarity in Europe. This
solidarity is manifes ted today too. We received warm fraternal
congratulations from many Christian Churches on the occasion of the
reunification of the Moscow Patriarchate and the Russian Church
Outside Russia. We are also in solidarity with other Christians in
face of numerous challenges of secularism, lack of spirituality,
poverty and radicalism. Sharing the same Christian heritage, we can
find a common understanding of these challenges easier than we can do
it with people of other faiths or other worldviews. It is my
conviction that solidarity in face of these common challenges will
give a new dynamic to the inter-Christian relations in Europe,
reviving the now lost interest of many communities in theological
dialogue and search for God-commanded unity.
In defending the common ethical norms, Christians should seek allies
in other religions who share moral positions similar to the Christian
attitudes. To this end it is necessary to develop interreligious
relations in Europe and the world. For all their differences,
traditional world religions do share the common awareness that
eternal values have priority over temporal ones. This helps to stand
together against the threats to the moral order of human life. The
Summit of Religious Leaders, which took place in July 2006 in Moscow
and became a major interreligious event in Europe, has shown that
representatives of major world religions have similar views of
morality. They all have expressed concern over moral relativism that
has often gained the upper hand today.
Christians can also find some support with regard to morality among
secular people who uphold a non-religious worldview but advocate
moral norms similar to Christian ones. This is not surprising because
already St. Paul wrote in his epistle to Romans that if heathens
listen to the voice of consciousness, they do by nature the law of
God (cf. Rom. 2:14-15). In other words, Christians should act
together with all people of good will to find and preserve harmony in
society with regard to the moral norms. To achieve this goal,
Christian communities should work with the public opinion and
maintain dialogue with national and international structures. While
demanding that public life be governed by a single morality,
Christians should leave it lying on the conscience of an individual
to live his private life in accordance with his own values. In this
they can follow another consideration of St. Paul: "Who are you to
judge someone else's servant? To his own master he stands or falls.
And he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand" (Rom.
14:4). Let other views alternative to common morality remain confined
to private life. They should not be subjected to persecution, nor
should they be supported or propagated as norms in public sphere.
Many in Europe today, including non-believers, are aware of
Christianity as a powerful source of support for the European
civilization. This awareness has begun to come to Europe after it
encountered the challenges of other civilizations in the global
world. To survive in today's world, Europe has to remain a Christian
continent. It does not mean that there is no room in it for people of
other faiths and world outlooks. It only means the recognition of the
eminent role played by the Christian faith in the past, present and
future of our continent. This recognition will depend in many ways on
the ability of Christians themselves to preserve their Christian
identity in a rapidly changing multicultural world and their ability
to stay faithful to Christ.
"Let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds
and praise your Father in heaven" (Mt. 5:16). The world can see,
accept and glorify the Heavenly Father only if the light coming from
those who believe in Him is the light of His Son.
Comentarios:
Messori es es el intelectual de cámara católico en Italia, (opusino, como juan manuel Prada)
El vaticanista Di Giacomo: "Quizá Raztinger lamentee el golpe en la nuca a su magisterio social, pero, si este es el fruto del catolicismo practicado por Messori, mejor ser ateos"
Silvio Berlusconi tiene en este nuevo escándalo, en el que se le acusa de prostitución de menores, dos aliados fieles y sin pelos en la lengua: los movimientos conservadores eclesiales Comunión y Liberación y el Opus Dei.
Comentario por gabi 16.02.11 @ 17:10
Comentario por gabi 13.02.11 @ 22:00
Comentario por gabi 07.02.11 @ 15:16
Se pone fin a las barbaridades de los acuerdos con la Santa Sede.Yo aún estoy pagando las consecuencias económicas de la ley 23.9.39, reconociendo efectos civiles a las sentencias de tribunales de curas, gente de ninguna cultura, enriquecidos brutalmente, inquisidores movidos por el sadismo y el odio a la sociedad.
Comentario por gabi 22.01.11 @ 18:53
Comentario por gabi 31.12.10 @ 13:02
El Islam no tiene iglesia que te manipule. Internet acabó con la influencia de las madrasas. No importa la religión. Donde vaya el amor, allí estarán mi religión y mi fe.
La doctrina social de la iglesia ha sido basura en manos del Movimiento.
Los archivos eclesiásticos bien guardan las masacres de los curas pistoleros y las monjas delatoras tras la guerra civil. Arrastran por el fango a los mártires de su fe.
Comentario por gabi 28.12.10 @ 16:44
Quedan los países de Africa cristianizados, Kenia, Ruanda, Uganda, donde se practica la mutilacion femenina.
Comentario por gabi 28.12.10 @ 16:27
De chiste, las pintorescas anulaciones de la Rota. Siempre lejos de Europa. Donde divorcio, aborto, eutanasia son las raices.
Comentario por gabi 28.12.10 @ 16:20
En el polo opuesto, el lema en el diario El Debate de la Acción Católica del cardenal Herrera Oria y Gil Robles: "Religión, Familia, Propiedad"
Comentario por gabi 08.09.07 @ 22:36
Comentario por gabi 08.09.07 @ 18:15
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