DOES
ORTHODOXY EXIST?
(Esiste Ancora L'Ortodossia?)
By:
Joseph Cardinal Siri
originally
published in RENOVATIO XII (1977), fasc. 3, pp. 275-278
Red bold
print added for emphasis.
The discussion is born at
a distance and concludes at a distance. It is clear that our discussion
resides in the theological sphere: it obviously no longer goes there.
The gravest problem that presents itself today to the observer of theological
literature is the following question: does orthodoxy still exist? We
will consider this question, certainly not because we in any way participate
in this expressed doubt, but rather in order to place ourselves at the
same level as those who discuss it. It is not impossible, in fact it
is so real that, a Spanish Theologian has in fact written a book on
the subject of the impossibility of orthodoxy. Is it not
strange, because the word itself orthodoxy indicates a well
defined straight line, faithfully anchored to divine revelation and
because of this to the truth contained therein, as inalterable as God
is immutable, from whom it has its origin. Today, it seems that all
that is straight, defined, anchored to an irreversible divine fact,
is no longer to one's liking. In the midst of this crisis of rejection,
this question paradoxically emerges, does it not seem strange.
It is enough for us to list
a brief summary, and here it is.
In the sixties it began (he
that has, at hand, a schedule of days and wishes to grow old [in the
pursuit of this research] can study this well.) the separation of Theology
from tradition, which certainly is like saying that you separate the
lama from its line. Next metaphysics was discarded, that is the same
theological tradition solidly and extensively traveled, and it would
be the same, as if were, to separate vision from eyes.
Then one arrives at the placing in crisis of dogmatic formula, all of
which anchored unequivocally, and faithfully, in our language , the
truth of revelation. Shortly thereafter was initiated the language dance,
totally unnecessary, for which they substituted the plurality of languages
(security gates for those who wish to evade (break loose) from the unity
of the language, commanded by the unity of meaning. The first formulas
to succumb to this agile treatment were the Trinitarian and those Christology.
In the end they began to criticize the concept of infallibility and
it is not difficult to understand that this criticism is aimed directly
at closing the mouth of whatever authority, even that of Peter, it is
a hard lesson to believe but nonetheless it is a fact!
With this historical premise,
if it had even an iota of truth, nothing would remain to us, other than
the impractability of dogma and the impossibility of orthodoxy.
Therefore:
no more orthodoxy. No more heretics, no more condemnations of heresy
and no more heretics. The birth of a new heresy, possibly one hitherto
never thought of before: heresy that denies the existence of that self-same
orthodoxy.
For he
that wishes to be the innovator rather than Christian, not bad: you
have outdone even the strangest of all previous times.
Well,
here it is, the sense of our discussion. And so with this? We are in
the fullness of applied relativism: the ordinary all but dead.
But if Christ rose from the
dead, if he is the Son of God, if Revelation is true, then Orthodoxy
is also true. The opposite also exists: heresy. The affirmation of orthodoxy
carries with it the condemnation of heresy. Without this opposite the
system of the Faith could become lame. Silence does not work, if the
circumstances that it provokes or undoes not also work.
Is heresy a cultural fact?
Yes, so much so that it has
to do with the story of thought and human actions. Careful: heresy enters
into culture like a pathogen enters into medicine. Put into focus it
completes, isolates and poisons. For this reason you cannot push heresy
to enter into the culture because you will create risks to the Faith.
It is true that many in fact are much more with the culture than with
the Faith, it cannot be other so that you do not break yourself away
from the crowd. In fact heresy loves regrouping,
collectives, it is so; it tends to become a strange social fact. Even
if it is unstable and ascribes to an evolutionary right. Truth does
not evolve. Error must evolve, because it has within itself the germ
of its own invincible weariness.
Actually
heresy is in fact not an abstract concept, without subject; it exists
in, as much as heretics exist, that is people.
The
source of heresy is always personal; even if the garnished favors it
and even if it tends to extend itself like a stain of oil in many subjects.
Often heresy exists in an
unconscious state, in use and customs received from subjects who practice
these usages, but do not understand their origins. This is what is happening
in many abuses of every type, presented under the guise of openings
and creativity. In said cases, first you create the instinctive conviction
and only later do you arrive at the formulation of the heresy.
The
proof of this is that we have arrived at the new heresy: negating the
existence itself of orthodoxy.
The
truth of God requires defense, with your blood if need be!
We
can do it on a theological plane. When we arrive at the magisterial
plane, the word, obviously, is no longer up to us.
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