By CatholicVote | Created at 2024-11-22 01:11:04 | Updated at 2024-11-22 07:24:04
6 hours ago
CV NEWS FEED // In a letter addressed to seminarians, priests, and pastoral workers, Pope Francis urged a revitalized approach to the study of Church history. Presented at a Vatican press conference, the letter calls for developing a deeper historical awareness to understand the Church’s past, especially the witness of the martyrs.
Pope Francis emphasized that studying Church history is not merely academic but vital for grasping the Church’s mission and identity.
“No one can truly know their deepest identity, or what they wish to be in the future, without attending to the bonds that link them to preceding generations,” he wrote, stressing that “the study and writing of history helps to keep ‘the flame of collective conscience’ alive.”
The Pope highlighted the dangers of disregarding history, warning against a growing “deconstructionism” that prioritizes individualism and consumerism over collective memory.
“A present without a past,” he wrote, “leads to the destruction of human and ecclesial connections, raising false problems and inadequate solutions.”
A major focus of the letter was the need to recover the memory of the martyrs. “There is no history of the Church without martyrdom, and we should never lose this precious memory,” Francis noted, “Precisely where the Church has not triumphed in the eyes of the world is when she has attained her greatest beauty.”
The Pope criticized approaches to Church history that he characterized as a reduction to apologetics or chronological lists of events. Instead, he said the study of history should be “not neutral or sterile, but rooted in love for the Church as a mother, accepting her as she truly is.”
He criticized what he called “triumphalism,” saying, “The Church, like our own mothers, must be loved as she is; otherwise, we do not love her at all, or what we love is only a figment of our imagination.”
Pope Francis called for practical changes in how Church history is taught, urging that seminarians be trained in original sources, such as the Acts of the Martyrs, rather than relying solely on later interpretations or manuals.
Highlighting the broader societal implications, the Pope warned against revisionist histories used to justify modern conflicts or promote ideologies.
“The work of historians can act as a curb on misrepresentations, partisan revisionism, and their use to justify wars, persecutions, and other evils,” he wrote.
Historical knowledge, he added, allows for reconciliation and dialogue, helping to “build a more fair and fraternal future.”
