Catholic Replies
Editor’s Note: R.H.T. of Florida writes to say that “this week’s question [The Wanderer dated October 16, 2014] about Doctors Without Borders caught my attention. If R.B. from Michigan is interested in supporting an organization like Doctors Without Borders, but one that is absolutely committed to strict adherence to the Catholic Church’s rules on things like abortion, contraception, etc., I strongly suggest you contact Light of the World Charities in Palm City, Fla.
“LOTWC was started about 15 years ago by an operating room nurse named Theresa Banks, a fabulous conservative Catholic (to most of us a living saint), to serve at that time the needy and destitute in Honduras. They joined forces with the Franciscan Friars in Honduras and built a small hospital. Since then, they have added Guatemala, Haiti, and Tanzania. They also serve the needy in Florida with surgical and dental clinics in Palm City. For more information, you may contact Theresa Banks at 772-223-9781.”
Q. When John the Baptist saw Jesus coming toward him at the Jordan River, he said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29). But later, when John was in prison and had heard about the miracles of Jesus, he sent his disciples to ask Jesus, “Are you he who is to come, or shall we look for another?” (Matt. 11:3). How could John have known who Jesus was at the Jordan, but not be sure who He was a few months later? — H.M., Massachusetts.
A. After referring to Jesus as “the Lamb of God,” John the Baptist goes on to say, “I saw the Spirit descend as a dove from heaven and remain on him. I myself did not know him; but he who sent me to baptize with water said to me, ‘He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain, this is he who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’ And I have seen and have borne witness that this is the Son of God” (John 1:32-34).
If John did not recognize Jesus when He first approached him at the Jordan River, that is not surprising since there is no evidence that the two cousins knew each other growing up. It wasn’t until he saw the Holy Spirit descend on Jesus in the form of a dove that John realized who He was.
Now several months have gone by and John has been arrested by Herod Antipas and is languishing in prison. He knows his role as the precursor of the Messiah, but he is not aware of Jesus proclaiming Himself as the Messiah. We know of course that Jesus has tried to conceal His Messianic identity because the people are looking for a warrior-king to overthrow the Romans, and not a suffering servant, and He doesn’t want to mislead them. So perhaps John is wondering if he has failed in his mission to point out the Messiah.
When some of John’s disciples come to visit him in prison, and report on the wondrous deeds performed by Jesus, he asks them to ask Jesus if He is the long-awaited Messiah, or should they look for someone else. This does not mean that John was not sure whether Jesus was the Messiah, but rather John may have been expecting a fire-breathing Messiah, so he is puzzled by the reserved demeanor of Jesus.
But instead of answering John’s question directly, Jesus says:
“Go and tell John what you hear and see: the blind receive their sight and the lame walk, lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised up, and the poor have the good news preached to them. And blessed is he who takes no offense at me” (Matt. 11:4-6).
In that reply, Jesus was recalling the words of Isaiah, who had predicted that the Messiah would perform those very same actions for which Jesus has become famous. John would be familiar with the prophecies of Isaiah and would understand that Jesus was implicitly — but not yet explicitly — confirming His Messianic identity. The Lord then tells the crowd that John was “more than a prophet,” and that “among those born of women there has arisen no one greater than John the Baptist; yet he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he” (Matt. 11:9-11).
Q. Regarding the Magisterium, is there not a hierarchy of teachings? My recollection is that part of the reason for the rejection of Humanae Vitae was that it was not pronounced ex cathedra. How many ex cathedra pronouncements have there been? The Immaculate Conception in 1854 and the Assumption of the Blessed Mother in 1950 come to mind. In other words, few and pertaining to dogma. — T.M., California.
A. First of all, “there is a certain hierarchy of truths, which the Church has always recognized when it composed creeds or summaries of the truths of faith,” said the 1971 General Catechetical Directory. “This hierarchy does not mean that some truths pertain to faith less than others, but rather that some truths are based on others, as to a higher priority, and are illumined by them.” The Directory went on to explain this further:
“These truths may be grouped under four basic heads: the mystery of God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, Creator of all things; the mystery of Christ the Incarnate Word, who was born of the Virgin Mary, and who suffered, died, and rose for our salvation; the mystery of the Holy Spirit, who is present in the Church, sanctifying it and guiding it until the glorious coming of Christ, our Savior and Judge; and the mystery of the Church, which is Christ’s Mystical Body, and in which the Virgin Mary holds a preeminent place.”
Second, the number of truths proclaimed ex cathedra (from the Chair of Peter) has been few — you mentioned the Immaculate Conception and the Assumption, but also included is Pope John Paul’s 1994 pronunciation that women could not be ordained to the priesthood.
On November 18, 1995, 18 months after John Paul had declared that he had “no authority whatsoever to confer priestly ordination on women,” the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith said that this pronouncement had been “set forth infallibly by the ordinary and universal Magisterium. Thus, in the present circumstances, the Roman Pontiff, exercising his proper office of confirming the brethren [cf. Luke 22:32], has handed on this same teaching by a formal declaration, explicitly stating what is to be held always, everywhere, and by all, as belonging to the Deposit of the Faith.”
Third, as we have mentioned in the past, the document known as Humanae Vitae may not have been officially proclaimed as infallible, but the doctrine it reaffirmed — the intrinsic evil of contraception — has been taught by the Church from the beginning of Christianity. In a 1997 reference document (Vade Mecum) for priests hearing the Confessions of those engaged in contraceptive behavior, the Pontifical Council for the Family issued this clear statement:
“The Church has always taught the intrinsic evil of contraception, that is, of every marital act intentionally rendered unfruitful. This teaching is to be held as definitive and irreformable. Contraception is gravely opposed to marital chastity; it is contrary to the good of the transmission of life (the procreative aspect of matrimony) and to the reciprocal self-giving of the spouses (the unitive aspect of matrimony); it harms true love and denies the sovereign role of God in the transmission of life” (n. 2.4).
Q. After having taught high school classes for 15 years, using your books Catholicism & Reason and Catholicism & Life, I have been told by our new parish coordinator not to use the books any more because they are “old theology.” How can I respond? — F.R., Massachusetts.
A. By pointing out that there is no such thing as “old theology,” or “new theology” either. There is only one theology — Catholic theology. The two books you mentioned are filled with the teachings of the Church — from the Bible, Church fathers, ecumenical councils, papal encyclicals — all neatly summarized in the Catechism of the Catholic Church. Our books have been found to be in conformity with the Catechism, which is the most authoritative compilation of the Church’s teachings in existence. Any religion program that does not pass on what the Catechism teaches is a bad program that does a disservice to the students in the classroom. If you would like to see the revised editions of these books, please visit our web site at www.crpublications.com.
