First of a Series

Readers of this column may recall my enthusiasm for Pope Benedict XVI’s first encyclical “God Is Love” or “Deus Est Caritas.” I devoted several columns to it. I was both delighted and inspired by the Holy Father’s comments on the mystery of love.

I was delighted that he had chosen the topic of love for his first letter. I believed that he was saying that this is what it means to be a Catholic. Being a Catholic is all about love. I was inspired by both the beauty and depth of Benedict’s insights.

Also it pleased me a great deal that some on the insights that Benedict offered I had discussed in a philosophy course that I teach at St. John’s University titled “Personalism.” At the time that the encyclical appeared, I joked with the students that Benedict must have seen the notes for my lectures.

The Holy Father’s second encyclical is “Spe Salvi” or “In Hope We Were Saved.” There are several reasons that I am glad that Pope Benedict turned his attention toward the virtue of hope. One is that most of my adult life I have been trying to deepen the virtue of hope in my life.

St. John of the Cross claimed that in the evening of our life we will be judged by how we have loved. I agree with the great saint but I think that we should remember that finally we are called to trust in the mercy and love of God.''

There was a time when all my non-academic reading was focused on the virtue of hope. I was a seminarian and my spiritual director believed that I should flood my consciousness with ideas about trusting in God. He believed correctly that at that time in my life I needed to trust in God, that I needed to see that God was worthy of my hope and trust. Any text that would nourish my hope and encourage me to trust in God, I read. I believe that I still need that type of nourishment. Perhaps many do.

On the first page of his encyclical Benedict writes the following:

“According to the Christian faith, ‘redemption’ – salvation – is not simply a given. Redemption is offered to us in the sense that we have been given hope, trustworthy hope, by virtue of which we can face our present: the present, even if it is arduous, can be lived and accepted if we can be sure of this goal, and if this goal is great enough to justify the effort of the journey. Now the question immediately arises: what sort of hope could ever justify the statement that, on the basis of that hope and simply because it exists, we are redeemed? And what sort of certainty is involved here?”

Even as I re-read the pope’s thoughts, my mind immediately conjures up all the voices in the contemporary world expressing lack of hope, especially in the arts. Contemporary literature, theater and film often depict human life as going nowhere, as basically sound and fury signifying nothing. I think of Albert Camus’ novel “The Fall.” A man spends his life telling of his own fall, his own failure to be courageous and to care about others, trying to move others to face their failure and sinfulness.

But in Camus’ world there is no saviour. The main character in Camus’ novel is named Jean-Baptiste, but unlike the original John the Baptist, this prophet has no Messiah to proclaim. His message is that there is failure but no redeemer.

I also think of the plays of Eugene O’Neill, plays that are deeply moving but at times seem to be cries from someone who sees no hope for any salvation. I would say the same about the films of Ingmar Bergman or Woody Allen. In their films there is no love that is more powerful than death.

All these artists are very talented people but they seem to have relinquished any hope for survival after death. None of them can see any blessing that is more powerful than death. All of them are brilliant but they seem to have given up any hope for a life that transcends earthly existence.

This vision of earthly existence that seems so prevalent in the arts is one reason why Pope Benedict’s encyclical seems so timely. I do not know how many people have lost faith in a life beyond death but I think that a powerful statement about such a life is most welcome. Pope Benedict has made such a statement. The Risen Christ is the sign that God is trustworthy and we can hope.