[Editor’s note: Continuing our effort to introduce Catholics to the teachings of Pope St. Paul VI, we are pleased to share the English translation of his October 1, 1966, address to an International Congress on the Theology of Vatican II. This speech has been cited before on Where Peter Is — most notably in 2019, when Stephen Walford drew extensively from it in his essay “A Warning from History.” Writing in the context of the attacks on Pope Francis’s exhortation Amoris Laetitia, Walford highlighted Paul VI’s insistence on the authority of the Magisterium against those who styled themselves as “orthodox” yet rejected papal teaching when it challenged their own positions. Sadly, that problem has not goneaway.

Resistance to Pope Francis’s teaching on pastoral accompaniment for Catholics in irregular relationships revealed how quickly some theologians abandoned trust in Christ’s promise to guide his Church. That is precisely why Paul VI’s address remains urgent for our own time. As Walford observed, “This very clear teaching of St Paul VI is in perfect harmony with the doctrine stating that through the centuries until Christ’s return, the Church will discover in an ever more mature and perfect way, the truth of its own teachings. That is the purpose of doctrinal development: to refine and prune, until the full beauty of the truth is made manifest in the way that God intends it. This is simply the final stage of what God has done throughout salvation history; he teaches us patiently, wanting us to search and yearn for the truth, so that we ultimately discover the full glory of his salvific plan. Mariology is one stellar example of this, the dignity of human life is another.”

Until now, this address has not been available online in English. As a service to the Church and to aid dialogue aimed at rebuilding ecclesial unity, Where Peter Is presents here a transcription of the exhortation as it appeared in The Pope Speaks, vol. 11, no. 4 (1966), pp. 348–355.]

 

Theology: A Bridge between Faith and Authority

Address of Pope Paul VI to an International Congress on the Theology of Vatican II

Libentissimo sane animo

October 1, 1966

Publisher’s Note

Reported in L’Osservatore Romano, October 2, 1966. Latin text. Translation prepared for The Pope Speaks by John Drury.

Almost 1400 theologians gathered in Rome in late September 1966 to participate in an International Congress on the Theology of Vatican II. In a letter read at the beginning of their week-long meeting, Pope Paul had asked them to attempt to reach “univocal” accord on theological interpretation of the essentials of the Council’s documents. On the final day of their meeting, the Pope spoke to the delegates on the connection between theology and the Church’s magisterium. Both, he said, have a common origin in Divine Revelation, and both seek to further the same purpose—to preserve, explain, teach, and defend the sacred deposit of Revelation.

Address of Pope Paul VI

We welcome you here most cordially, just after the close of your International Congress on the Theology of Vatican II. We now reiterate the sentiments that We expressed at the opening of your congress—Our delight and hopeful expectations over this meeting, where you joined together in fraternal friendliness to undertake deeper studies and to put forward new ideas.

Our profound thanks is due to the pontifical universities and ecclesiastical houses of study in Rome, for getting together to convoke this new and important meeting. Their aim was to tighten the bonds of friendship and unite their efforts with ecclesiastical institutes of higher learning devoted to theological studies, and also with students, professors, teachers, writers and scholars in the sacred disciplines. We must also thank all of you who contributed to the success of this distinguished congress by delivering speeches or attending the sessions. We greet you, thank you, and wish you well. You are worthy representatives of Catholic learning and doctrine.

Theology and the magisterium

In a letter which We had sent to the venerable Cardinal Joseph Pizzardo, We clearly stated how timely it would be for you to devote your efforts to examining, studying, interpreting and publicizing the documents of the Council. We also suggested the possible pathways and considerations, already known to you, to which your scholarly work might fittingly be directed. But this seems to be a perfect opportunity for Us to examine briefly the connection between Our task and yours (made all the more evident by your presence here); between Our mission to protect and interpret Divine Revelation and your duty to study and explain the teachings of faith; in short, between the ecclesiastical magisterium entrusted to Us by divine decree—unworthy though We be—and your task of studying and teaching sacred theology. These relationships between theology and the magisterium are not only of great importance in Our eyes and in actual fact, but also deserving of very close consideration today.

The modern mentality

We say this, first of all, because in certain circles there is a growing tendency right now to belittle or deny the relationship of theology to the Church’s magisterium. When we try to analyze the mentality and outlook of educated men of our day, we find it has this distinctive cast: they put excessive reliance on their own capabilities; they are of the opinion that authority in any form must be rejected; and they are convinced that a person can manage to acquire all types of knowledge on his own initiative and shape his life accordingly.

Regrettably, this liberty—or rather, license—is sometimes extended, to a greater or lesser degree, to knowledge of the faith and to the field of theology. According to this view, no external or transcendent guiding norm is to be accepted. It is as if the whole realm of truth could be circumscribed within the bounds of human reason, or even created by it; or as if nothing could be established so absolutely and so definitively that it does not allow for further progress or subsequent refutation; or as if a system would be of even more value if it corresponded more fully to subjective instincts and emotions. Hence an authoritative magisterium is rejected, or at best, its function is restricted to vigilance against errors. It is easy to see that these opinions not only detract from the reverence due to the Church but also subvert the true nature and concept of theology.

A common origin

However, there is a fact that is of the greatest importance. Theology and the magisterium have a common source, Divine Revelation, which has been given to the Catholic Church by the Holy Spirit and is preserved in it. And, as you well know, when the Church received its Founder’s mandate to proclaim the Gospel to every creature, it was set up as the absolutely trustworthy teacher of truth and endowed with the charism of indefectible truth, so that thus it might fulfill its mission properly. The Church is ever mindful of this fact, and it never ceases to proclaim that in the world it is the pillar and ground of truth.[1]

In accordance with Christ’s divine will, however, the proximate, universal norm of this indefectible truth is to be found only in the authentic magisterium of the Church, whose task it is to faithfully guard the deposit of faith and to proclaim it infallibly.[2]

Christ promised His Apostles the gift of the Holy Spirit, so that they might bear witness to the truth of the Gospel to the ends of the earth.[3] He gave them the power to teach with authority: “All power in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations… teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.”[4] And finally, He promised them the Spirit of truth,[5] vowing that He would always be present to them.[6] Thus they would be fortified against all error in their teaching mission.

A common mission

There is another very important fact to be considered, which also confirms the close connection between theology and the magisterium. It is this. Both theology and the magisterium seek to further the same purpose: to preserve the sacred deposit of Revelation; to look more deeply into it; to explain it, teach it and defend it. In short, they both seek to shed the light of divine truth on the life of the Church and mankind, so that all men might be led to eternal salvation. Indeed, it is a great and important task that is set for Us, for the Episcopal College, and for you, beloved sons and teachers.

The task of theology

But theology and the magisterium have different duties, and are endowed with different gifts. Sacred theology uses reason enlightened by faith; and it receives no little light from the Divine Paraclete, to which the theologian must pay heed.[7] Its duty is to examine and comprehend the truths of Revelation more thoroughly; to bring the fruits of its labor to the attention of the Christian community and, in particular, to the attention of the magisterium itself, so that the whole Christian people may be enlightened by the doctrine which the ecclesiastical hierarchy hands down; and finally, to lend its efforts to the task of spreading, clarifying, confirming, and defending the truth which the magisterium authoritatively propounds.

The magisterium’s function

The magisterium, on the other hand, has received authority from Jesus Christ, and the gift of the Holy Spirit, through which it teaches the People of God.[8] Its official task is, first and foremost, to bear witness to the teaching received from the Apostles and hand it on, so that it might become the possession of the universal Church and of the whole human family; to maintain this doctrine completely free from errors and distortions; in the light of Divine Revelation to pass authoritative judgment on new teachings, and on the considerations proposed by theology as solutions to new questions; and finally, to authoritatively propose new and deeper investigations into Divine Revelation, and new adaptations of this Revelation to our times—which it, with the enlightenment of the Holy Spirit, judges to be in full accordance with Christ’s teaching.

Theology’s contributions

Thus sacred theology has a twofold relationship with the Church’s magisterium and with the worldwide community of Christians. First, it holds a sort of midway position between the faith of the Church and the Church’s magisterium. It earnestly seeks to discover how the Christian community might translate its faith into practice, and it tries to grasp the truths, opinions, questions, and tendencies which the Holy Spirit stirs up in the People of God (“what the Spirit says to the churches”).[9]

Using the methods and principles proper to its field, sacred theology must evaluate the faith of God’s People as actually lived, and their aims, in order to bring them into harmony with the word of God and the doctrinal heritage faithfully handed down by the Church, and in order to propose resolutions to questions which arise when this faith is compared with actual life, with history and with human inquiry. In doing all this, theology will do its part to make the magisterium, in its turn, the enduring light and guiding norm of the Church—not above God’s word, of course, but serving it.

Benefits to the magisterium

Thus the Church’s magisterium derives great advantages and benefits from the zealous and industrious work of theologians, and from their collaborative efforts. It benefits when theologians examine Divine Revelation—handed down orally or in written form—to explore its hidden, subtle meanings and to explain its major, unifying themes. It also benefits when theologians interpret the general mental outlook of our age and the experiences of men in order to understand and resolve their questions in the light of salvation history.

To be sure, the magisterium could preserve and teach the faith without the help of theology. But it would experience great difficulty in acquiring that full measure of knowledge which it needs to perform its task thoroughly; for it considers itself to be endowed with the helping hand of the Holy Spirit, but not with the charism of revelation or inspiration.

If we consider theology’s relationship with the magisterium, we find that it performs another function. It steps in to help the magisterium, so that the Christian people might be properly instructed in faith and morals through the teachings of the magisterium. For it is in the continuity of theological disciplines that the Church’s doctrine takes on well-defined shape and becomes a system of knowledge; and thus it may be able to answer the questions put forward by all the faithful.

Furthermore, theology furnishes the magisterium with arguments and other aids which may enable it to show that the doctrine of faith is consonant with human reason. It also correctly shapes the outlook of sacred pastors at every level of authority, and it trains them to be proper teachers of Christian conduct and of the faith.

Deprived of theology’s efforts, the magisterium would lack the tools it needs to weld the Christian community into a unified concert of thought and action, a community thinking and living according to Christ’s precepts and norms.

Service to the Church

Theology’s twofold relationship with the magisterium and the Christian community gives rise to another area of consideration: the attitude and outlook which a theologian should have in fulfilling his specific task in the Church—delving deeper into divine realities—the attitude and outlook which will make his work beneficent and productive of lasting results.

The first consideration is this: theologians should render service to others with a ready heart. Their source of joy is, and should be, the fact that they have dedicated themselves to the Christian community and the magisterium. Their work is intertwined with the great task of the Church aimed at bringing salvation to men’s souls. Hence their greatest source of pride resides, not so much in proposing new opinions or teachings, as in assiduously speaking the words of eternal life—in such a way that these words take deep root in men’s souls, leading them to faith in the one Savior, Jesus Christ, or confirming them in that faith.

Thus theologians will devote more effort and study to topics and questions which have a more direct bearing on the salvation of souls. And they will share the magisterium’s concern to inform the faithful, not of something invented by themselves, but of the truth handed down by Jesus Christ, the truth which is believed by the universal Church, under the guidance of its magisterium.

Service to truth

Theologians also render service to the truth. For every time ecclesiastical authority assigns them to some teaching office in the Church, they also, to a certain extent, become teachers of the truth. Hence they will zealously strive to remain faithful to the truths of faith and the Church’s doctrine. They will take care not to be won over by the desire for ready applause and easy popularity, to the detriment of the safe doctrine handed down by the magisterium; for in the Church, the magisterium stands in the place of Christ the Teacher.

They will also take the greatest pride in being obedient and judicious interpreters of the magisterium. For they should realize full well that nothing is of more benefit to the Christian people and to the human race than being well informed on the truths of salvation, and that these truths are only preserved by those to whom Jesus Christ said: “He who hears you, hears me.”[10]

The spirit of communion

The second consideration deals with the spirit of communion which should prevail between you and the whole People of God, between you and the sacred hierarchy, and among yourselves. Cultivating the spirit of communion is part of the very essence of the Christian vocation, as the Apostle John teaches.[11] But in a particular way it is an essential part of a sound theological outlook and approach.

Divine truth is preserved in the whole Christian community by the Holy Spirit. Hence within this community you will find truth more easily, if you cultivate closer ties of communion with the entire community of the faithful; if you emulate the humility of the little ones, to whom our heavenly Father more readily reveals His mysterious nature and His hidden designs.

The Holy Spirit proclaims and clarifies divine truth within the Church, especially through the assistance of the magisterium. Hence you will possess that truth all the more surely, if you develop more heartfelt communion with the Church’s magisterium.

On the other hand, if you depart from the magisterium in your search for truth and try to blaze your own personal trail, you will be in danger of becoming teachers without disciples, cut off from everyone else; of expending effort in vain, without bringing any benefits to the faithful; or even of moving off the right road, deciding to make your own judgment the norm of truth instead of respecting the sensus Ecclesiae.[12] Such a decision would be ill-advised indeed, possibly giving rise to a sort of heresy or paving the way for heresy.

Diversity among theologians

We would particularly like to emphasize your obligation to foster the spirit of communion among yourselves. You come from different parts of the world and you were raised in different spiritual and cultural traditions. Moreover, you have had to confront different needs and difficulties. It is not surprising, then, that you devote your attention to different topics, and that your training, your methods of inquiry and your opinions may vary.

In matters so difficult and so removed from the realm of common experience, some reasonable differences of opinion are perfectly compatible with the unity of faith and with fidelity toward the teachings and guidelines of the magisterium. These differences of opinion should cause no surprise. In fact, they should be considered quite useful. For they serve as an impetus to deeper and more accurate analysis of one’s line of reasoning; and sincere, well-grounded discussions bring the full truth to light at last.

Unity among theologians

However, these discussions will achieve the desired result only if they are motivated and nurtured by the spirit of communion. This spirit should foster mutual respect and reverence for each other. It should enable us to see our colleague as our brother—someone who is sincerely and avidly looking for the very same truth. And finally, it should prompt us to examine our colleague’s reasons and arguments before we form a judgment about him. In a word, we should be motivated by the spirit of charity, treating others as we would have them treat us and sharing the hope of joyfully possessing the full truth of Jesus Christ. The more earnestly you seek truth with the spirit of genuine charity, the more you will grow in knowledge of this truth and the greater will be your service to the Church.

The importance of faith

The points which we have touched upon together here clearly indicate that theology has its own methodology. This methodology is obviously different from that of the secular disciplines, but it is no less rigorous or well reasoned for all that. Why? Because the instrument it uses is not the reasoning intellect pure and simple, but the believing intellect—reason enlightened and fortified by faith.

Theological thought is analogous to, and, as it were, partakes of divine thought. The latter comprehends all truths in its supremely simple truth, while the theologian, relying on Revelation, gradually and laboriously works to uncover these same truths. As one distinguished theologian noted, “Faith is more necessary to the theologian than intellectual acumen.”[13] Yes, faith in the God who reveals Himself; faith in the Church which, with the help of the Holy Spirit, preserves God’s Revelation intact; faith in the Church’s magisterium which, as Christ’s representative and instrument, authoritatively expounds and interprets this Revelation.

The Spirit of truth and charity enlightens the Church at every level, so that each member fulfills his proper task. May that same Holy Spirit enlighten and sanctify your work, so that it benefits the whole community and your own souls.

But before We bring this talk to a close, beloved sons in Christ, We have something to ask of you. Do not begrudge Us your help in preserving and defending Catholic truth and in bearing witness to it publicly. Lend your fraternal and heartfelt assistance to Us, and to Our brothers in the episcopate. We rely heavily on your help, because We are convinced that it will lighten and further the task divinely entrusted to Us and to the entire college of bishops—the task of faithfully preserving the deposit of Catholic doctrine, of bearing witness to the faith, of spreading Christ’s name farther with each passing day.

Your congress has brought Us great joy and hope. Before you leave Us, We ask that you confirm your filial loyalty to Us, and that you accept Our apostolic blessing as a token of praise and a source of strength.

Footnotes

[1] Cf. 1 Tm 3, 15.

[2] Cf. First Vatican Council, Sess. III, c. 4: Denz.-B, 1798.

[3] Cf. Acts 1, 8.

[4] Cf. Mt 28, 18-19.

[5] Cf. Jn 14, 16-17.

[6] Cf. Mt 28, 20.

[7] Cf. Pius XII, Encyclical Letter Humani Generis: AAS 42 (1950), 561–578.

[8] Cf. Second Vatican Council, Dogmatic Constitution on the Church, nos. 21-25 [cf. TPS X, 372–376].

[9] Cf. Ap 2, 7.

[10] Lk 10, 16.

[11] Cf. 1 Jn 1, 2-3.

[12] Sensus Ecclesiae = “the mind of the Church.”

[13] A. Stolz, Introductio in Sacram Theologiam.

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Image: Pope St. Paul VI, official portrait, Public Domain.