St Paul (19): Theological Vision of Pastoral Letters
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
The last of the Pauline Letters, which I would like to talk about today, are known as "Pastoral Letters", because they were sent to individual Pastors of the Church: two to Timothy and one to Titus, both close collaborators of St Paul. In Timothy, the Apostle saw almost an "alter ego"; in fact he entrusted him with important missions (to Macedonia: cf. Acts 19:22; to Thessalonica: cf. 1 Thes 3:6-7; to Corinth: cf. 1 Cor 4:17; 16:10-11), and then wrote a flattering eulogy on him: "I have no one like him, who will be genuinely anxious for your welfare" (Phil 2:20). According to the Ecclesiastical History of Eusebius of Caesarea, a fourth century historian, Timothy was the first Bishop of Ephesus (cf. 3:4). Titus, too, must have been very dear to the Apostle, who explicitly describes him as "full of zeal... my partner and fellow worker" (2 Cor 8:17-23), and further "my true son in the common faith" (Ti 1:4). He had been assigned a few very delicate missions in the Church of Corinth, whose results heartened Paul (cf. 2 Cor 7:6-7, 13; 8:6). After this, according to the tradition handed down to us, Titus joined Paul in Nicopolis in Epirus, in Greece (cf. Ti 3:12), and was then sent by him to Dalmatia (cf. 2 Tm 4:10). The Letter sent to him suggests that he was later made Bishop of Crete (cf. Ti 1:5).
The Letters addressed to these two Pastors occupy a very particular place within the New Testament. Most exegetes today are of the opinion that these Letters would not have been written by Paul himself, but would have come from the "Pauline School", and that they reflect his legacy for a new generation, perhaps including some words or brief passages written by the Apostle himself. Some parts of the Second Letter to Timothy, for example, appear so authentic that they could have come only from the heart and mouth of the Apostle.
Without a doubt, the situation of the Church as it emerges from these Letters is very different from that of Paul's middle years. He now, in retrospect, defines himself as the "herald, apostle, and teacher" of faith and truth to the Gentiles (cf. 1 Tm 2:7; 2 Tm 1: 11); he presents himself as one who has received mercy he writes "so that in me, as an extreme case, Jesus Christ might display all his patience, and that I might become an example to those who would later have faith in him and gain everlasting life" (1 Tm 1:16). So it is of essential importance that in Paul, a persecutor converted by the presence of the Risen One, the Lord's magnanimity is really shown to encourage us, and lead us to hope and to have faith in the Lord's mercy who, notwithstanding our littleness, can do great things. The new cultural contexts that are assumed here go beyond the middle years of Paul's life. In fact reference is made to the appearance of teachings that must be considered quite erroneous and false (cf. 1 Tm 4:1-2; 2 Tm 3:1-5), such as those [teachings] which held that marriage was not a good thing (cf. 1 Tm 4:3a). We can see a modern equivalent of this worry, because today, too, the Scriptures are sometimes read as an object of historical curiosity and not as the word of the Holy Spirit, in which we can hear the voice of the Lord himself and recognize his presence in history. We could say that, with this brief list of errors presented in the three Letters, there are some precocious early traces of that later erroneous movement which goes by the name of Gnosticism (cf. 1 Tm 2:5-6; 2 Tm 3:6-8 ).
The writer faces these doctrines with two basic reminders. The first consists in an exhortation to a spiritual reading of Sacred Scripture (cf. 2 Tm 3:14-17), that is to a reading which considers them truly "inspired" and coming from the Holy Spirit, so that one can be "instructed for salvation" by them. The correct way to read the Scriptures is to enter into dialogue with the Holy Spirit, in order to derive a light "for teaching for reproof, correction, and for training in righteousness" (2 Tm 3:16). This, the Letter adds: is "so that the man of God may be fully complete and equipped for every good work" (2 Tm 3:17). The other reminder is a reference to the good "deposit" (parathéke): a special word found in the Pastoral Letters and used to indicate the tradition of the apostolic faith which must be safeguarded with the help of the Holy Spirit who dwells in us. This "deposit" is therefore to be considered as the sum of the apostolic Tradition, and as a criterion of faithfulness to the Gospel message. And here we must bear in mind that the term "Scriptures", when used in the Pastoral Letters, as in all the rest of the New Testament, means explicitly the Old Testament, since the writings of the New Testament either had not yet been written or did not yet constitute part of the Scriptural canon. Therefore the Tradition of the apostolic proclamation, this "deposit", is the key to the reading of the Scriptures, the New Testament. In this sense, Scripture and Tradition, Scripture and the apostolic proclamation as a key, are set side by side, and almost merge to form together the "firm foundation laid by God" (cf. 2 Tm 2:19 ). The apostolic proclamation that is, Tradition is necessary in order to enter into an understanding of the Scriptures, and to hear the voice of Christ in them. We must, in fact, "hold firm to the sure word as taught" by the teaching received (Ti 1:9). Indeed, at the basis of everything is faith in the historical revelation of the goodness of God, who in Jesus Christ materially manifested his "love for men", a love which in the original Greek text is significantly expressed as filanthropìa (Ti 3:4; cf. 2 Tm 1:9-10); God loves humanity.
Altogether, it is clear that the Christian community is beginning to define itself in strict terms, according to an identity which not only stands aloof from incongruous interpretations, but above all affirms its ties to the essential points of faith, which here is synonymous with "truth" (1 Tm 2:4, 7; 4:3; 6:5; 2 Tm 2:15, 18, 25; 3:7-8; 4:4; Ti 1:1, 14). In faith the essential truth of who we are, who God is, and how we must live is made clear. And of this truth (the truth of faith), the Church is described as the "pillar and bulwark" (1 Tm 3:15). In any case, she remains an open community of universal breadth who prays for everyone of every rank and order, so that all may know the truth: God "wants all men to be saved, and to come to the knowledge of the truth", because Christ Jesus "gave himself as a ransom for all" (1 Tm 2:4-5). Therefore the sense of universality, even if the communities are still small, is strong and conclusive in these Letters. Furthermore, those in the Christian community "speak evil of no one", and "show perfect courtesy toward all men" (Ti 3:2). This is the first important component of these Letters: universality and faith as truth, as a key to the reading of Sacred Scripture, of the Old Testament, thereby defining a unified proclamation of Scripture, a living faith open to all and a witness to God's love for everyone.
Another component typical of these Letters is their reflection on the ministerial structure of the Church. They are the first to present the triple subdivision into Bishops, priests and deacons (cf. 1 Tm 3:1-13; 4:13; 2 Tm 1:6; Ti 1:5-9). We can observe in the Pastoral Letters the merging of two different ministerial structures, and thus the constitution of the definitive form of the ministry in the Church. In Paul's Letters from the middle period of his life, he speaks of "bishops" (Phil 1:1), and of "deacons": this is the typical structure of the Church formed during the time of the Gentile world.
However, as the figure of the Apostle himself remains dominant, the other ministries only slowly develop. If, as we have said, in the Churches formed in the ancient world we have Bishops and deacons, and not priests, in the Churches formed in the Judeo-Christian world, priests are the dominant structure. At the end of the Pastoral Letters, the two structures unite: now "the bishop" appears (cf. 1 Tm 3:2; Ti 1:7), used always in the singular with the definite article "the bishop". And beside "the bishop" we find priests and deacons. The figure of the Apostle is still prominent, but the three Letters, as I have said, are no longer addressed to communities but rather to individuals, to Timothy and Titus, who on the one hand appear as Bishops, and on the other begin to take the place of the Apostle.
This is the first indication of the reality that later would be known as "apostolic succession". Paul says to Timothy in the most solemn tones: "Do not neglect the gift you received when, as a result of prophesy, the presbyters laid their hands on you (1 Tm 4: 14). We can say that in these words the sacramental character of the ministry is first made apparent. And so we have the essential Catholic structure: Scripture and Tradition, Scripture and proclamation, form a whole, but to this structure a doctrinal structure, so to speak must be added the personal structure, the successors of the Apostles as witnesses to the apostolic proclamation.
Lastly, it is important to note that in these Letters, the Church sees herself in very human terms, analogous to the home and the family. Particularly in 1 Tm 3:2-7 we read highly detailed instructions concerning the Bishop, like these: he must be "irreprehensible, the husband of one wife, temperate, sensible, dignified, hospitable, an apt teacher, no drunkard, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, and no lover of money. He must manage his own household well, keeping his children under control and respectful in every way, for if a man does not know how to manage his own household, how can he care for God's Church?.... Moreover he must be well thought of by outsiders". A special note should be made here of the importance of an aptitude for teaching (cf. also 1 Tm 5:17), which is echoed in other passages (cf. 1 Tm 6:2c; 2 Tm 3:10; Ti 2:1), and also of a special personal characteristic, that of "paternity". In fact the Bishop is considered the father of the Christian community (cf. also 1 Tm 3:15). For that matter, the idea of the Church as "the Household of God" is rooted in the Old Testament (cf. Nm 12:7) and is repeated in Heb 3:2, 6, while elsewhere we read that all Christians are no longer strangers or guests, but fellow citizens of the saints and members of the household of God (cf. Eph 2:19).
Let us ask the Lord and St Paul that we too, as Christians, may be ever more characterized, in relation to the society in which we live, as members of the "family of God". And we pray that the Pastors of the Church may increasingly acquire paternal sentiments tender and at the same time strong in the formation of the House of God, of the community, and of the Church.
To special groups
I am pleased to greet all the English-speaking pilgrims and visitors present at today’s Audience, including the groups from England and the United States of America. Upon you and your families I willingly invoke God’s blessings of peace and joy!
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Before greeting the Italian pilgrims, I have three more announcements to make.
The first: I have received with joy the news of the election of Metropolitan Kirill as the new Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia. I invoke the light of the Holy Spirit upon him for a generous service to the Russian Orthodox Church, entrusting him to the special protection of the Mother of God.
The second: in the Homily pronounced on the occasion of the solemn inauguration of my Pontificate, I said that an "explicit" duty of the Pastor is the "call to unity", and commenting on the Gospel passage about the miraculous catch, I said: "although the fish were so many, the net was not torn". I then followed with these Gospel words: "Alas, beloved Lord, with sorrow we must now acknowledge that it has been torn!". I continued, "But no we must not be sad! Let us rejoice because of your promise, which does not disappoint, and let us do all we can to pursue the path towards the unity you have promised.... Do not allow your net to be torn, and help us to be servants of unity!" (Installation Mass, 24 April 2005).
Precisely in fulfillment of this service to unity, which qualifies my ministry as Successor to Peter in a specific way, I decided several days ago to grant the remission of the excommunication to which the four Bishops, ordained in 1988 by Archbishop Lefebvre without a Papal mandate, were subject. I fulfilled this act of paternal compassion because these Bishops repeatedly manifested their active suffering for the situation in which they had found themselves. I hope that this gesture of mine will be followed by an earnest commitment on their behalf to complete the necessary further steps to achieve full communion with the Church, thus witnessing true fidelity to, and true recognition of, the Magisterium and the authority of the Pope and the Second Vatican Council.
The third statement: in these days when we remember the Shoah, images come to mind from my repeated visits to Auschwitz, one of the concentration camps in which the heinous slaughter of millions of Jews occurred, innocent victims of a blind racial and religious hatred. As I affectionately renew the expression of my full and unquestionable solidarity with our fellow receivers of the First Covenant, I hope that the memory of the Shoah will lead humanity to reflect upon the unfathomable power of evil when it conquers the heart of man.
May the Shoah be a warning for all against forgetfulness, denial or reductionism, because violence committed against one single human being is violence against all. No man is an island, as a famous poet wrote. May the Shoah teach both old and new generations that only the arduous path of listening and dialogue, of love and forgiveness leads peoples, cultures and religions of the world to the desired goal of fraternity and peace in truth. May violence no longer degrade the dignity of man!
© Copyright 2009 - Libreria Editrice Vaticana
Autograph Letter of Pope Pius XII on the Ignatian Year To Our Beloved Son John Baptist Banssens General of the Society of Jesus POPE PIUS XII 31 July 1955 Beloved Son, Grace and Apostolic Blessing. We have heard with great joy that the Society of Jesus, which you, beloved Son, have governed worthily for the past nine years, is beginning solemn celebrations in memory of its Holy Founder, the fourth centenary of whose death is approaching. In this way all your members will increase and be strengthened in the love of your Father and Founder and in a more perfect devotion to his Institute. We praise and encourage the centenary celebrations all the more because of the rich fruits that are expected to come from them, not only in the Ignatian family, but also in the souls of the faithful. For just as we said, for Our own comfort and for yours, in most cordial Apostolic Letters on the occasion of the fourth centenary of the Society: “With a grateful heart we recall the illustrious deeds that the Most Provident God hag wrought through your forebears and through you during these past four hundred years,” so at present it is pleasing to bring this to mind again and to exhort you with fatherly affection to continue with most earnest endeavor, in spiritual matters especially, all the undertakings, the labors, the safeguards, which will, provide a suitable remedy for the unchanged arid increasing necessities of this our age. We have been informed that all your Provinces through¬out the world have spontaneously proposed to celebrate this centenary year particularly in a more thorough and faithful study, and in a wider promotion, of the Spiritual Exercises of your Father and Founder. Indeed, St. Ignatius has left nothing more precious, nor more useful, nor of more lasting worth, as a heritage to his sons, than that golden book which, has constantly received the highest praise from Sovereign Pontiffs since Paul III, and from very many saints in the Church. If it is true, as Father La Palma says, that the Book of the Spiritual Exercises was the firstborn of St. Ignatius, it can equally be said that the saintly author was himself the first child of the Exercises. For it was those Exercises that enlivened his spirit, directed his first steps in the way of perfection, and gave him strength to choose a Divine King Who was worn out with labor, Who was loaded with insults, and Who suffered torments and death in the service of His Father. They enabled him to follow this King to the greatest heights of charity, so that burning with the flames of Divine Love, he wished to bring not only himself but the whole world to the feet of Christ Our Savior. Ignatius having experienced the tremendous force of the Exercises once testified that they contain “all the best means that I can think of, and feel, and understand, whereby a man may make progress himself, and bear fruit so that lie may be a help to the progress of others.” No wonder that your Holy Founder wished that all those should be tried in these Exercises who desired “to fight under the standard of the Cross, and to serve the Lord alone and the Church His Spouse, under the Roman Pontiff, Christ’s Vicar on earth.” From the Exercises he himself had drawn new life. From them he wished his sons to imbibe the spirit that gave birth to the Society. That wonderful and holy fire of spirit, aroused by God’s grace working in the Exercises, would render them not only desirous, but eager and prompt to serve the divine glory and to take up strenuous labors to that end. Thus, forgetful of their own comfort, fleeing leisure, devoted to the practice of prayer that is fortified by the mortification of self, they would strive to attain the end proposed to them by the Society. When Ignatius, by the faculty given him by Our Pre¬decessor of happy memory, Paul III, later drew up Con¬stitutions and gave them to his companions to observe, it was not his intention that dead laws should take the place of the living and life-giving law of interior love. After the foundation of the Society it was no secret what that statement meant: “to serve the Apostolic See in a special way” under the standard of the Cross. It was that Cross to which Jesus Christ fixed the decree against us which had been blotted out so that all men, freed from the power of the devil, might walk enlightened by faith and inflamed with charity. A clear precept sounded from Mount Olivet: “and you will be witnesses to Me … to the ends of the earth.” Afterwards St. Augustine wrote: “Spread charity throughout the world if you wish to love Christ because the members of Christ lie throughout the world.” Ignatius himself was to see over a thousand of his companions fighting under the standard of the Cross, even in distant parts of Europe, America, the Indies and Ethiopia. This was indeed the beginning of that apostolate which will call his sons into the vast vineyard of the Lord: some to Missions among the infidels, which Sovereign Pontiffs, as years pass, will entrust to them, to be tended with arduous labor, with true knowledge, and even with the blood of martyrdom; others to work among the leaders of states, or among those who are forced to endure the hardships of slavery; others to schools for boys or to the chairs of Universities; others, finally, to give the Exercises to every class of men, or to enrich and enlighten the world of letters by their writings. It will be for the Constitutions to point the way by which, according to the Institute of St. Ignatius, the whole body and the individual members, dispersed indeed in every part of the world yet united among themselves and with their head by the same love of the eternal King, may reach that perfect form of life which is the most excellent fruit of the Exercises. Beloved son, which of you during this centenary year will not hear that statement, once made by Paul, now by Ignatius: “Be ye imitators of me, brethren, and observe them who walk so you have our model.” With God’s help there have never been wanting in the Society men of outstanding sanctity, who by their accurate observance of the Ignatian Exercises have preserved that model untarnished, and have derived the motive and the strength of will to live in exact accordance with the Constitutions, so that they reflect that more perfect model in themselves, and work as effectively as possible for the glory of God and the saving of souls. Pius VII, of immortal memory, sought men of this kind when he wished to provide the bark of Peter, tossed by continuous storms, with skilled and strong oarsmen. Holy Mother Church asks the Society for workers of the same kind in these troubled times. Let present-day sons of Ignatius strive therefore to follow in their footsteps. Let them stand firm under the standard of the Cross to repel all the attacks of the rulers of this world of darkness. Let them always show exact and prompt obedience to superiors, and especially to the Sovereign Pontiff; this will be their most honored characteristic. Let love of poverty be opposed to worldly desires; a certain, austerity of life and unremitting labor to pleasure and ease. Let kindly and peace-making brotherly love towards one another and towards all men be opposed to the dissensions and. discords of the world. To “materialism” let there be opposed that most sincere and zealous faith that always recognizes, always reveres, God present in the world. If this should happily come about, the dead Ignatius will live again in his sons. While We greet you with fatherly affection through these letters, beloved son, Our mind turns to those fathers and brothers who have suffered or who are suffering most bitter exile and extreme torments under the heavy hand of persecution. They are indeed most worthy sons, since they accord with the most illustrious memories and glories of the Society of Jesus. They are confessors of the Catholic faith, who bring the highest honors to their other brethren, and are an example to them. We pray that God may give them, strength, and We embrace them with loving solicitude. We also greet with fatherly affection all the sons of Ignatius, praying God that through the patronage of their Holy Founder and Lawgiver, under the protection of the Most Blessed Virgin Mary, they may increase day by day in that virtue which will make them a strong instrument whereby all things will be rightly ordered, by the divine hand and will lead, happily to the greater glory of God. As a testimony of Our special love for your illustrious Society of Jesus, We impart to you most lovingly in our Lord, beloved son, and to all the members entrusted to your care in whatsoever part of the world they may be, Our Apostolic Blessing. Given at Rome, at St. Peter’s, on the thirty-first day of July, in the year nineteen-hundred and fifty-five, the seventeenth of Our Pontificate. Irish Jesuit Directory (1956), pp 7-11.This item 8741 digitally provided courtesy of CatholicCulture.org
