Christian humanism needs social doctrine

Christian humanism is the Christian vision of man, of what he is and of what he ought to be. It is based on Christ's revelation of who we are, a revelation now being taught and elaborated in a living way by the Church.

To Christian believers, no one knows man better than Christ himself, perfect God and perfect man. "It is only in the mystery of the Word made flesh that the mystery of man becomes clear," the Catechism asserts. (359)

What man is, who we are, is really quite a puzzle. We are better off studying the seemingly infinite space of the universe than learning about us.

We may have been able to map the very complicated human genome, but I don't think we have lessened the mystery a bit. In man, every piece of knowledge will seem to push us to a deeper mystery about ourselves.

St. Augustine could only gasp: "Man is a great deep, Lord. You number his very hairs and they are not lost in your sight. But the hairs of his head are easier to number than his affections and the movements of his heart."

But more than a vision, Christian humanism is a way of life, very dynamic, never static and confined to ideas and concepts, theories and doctrines. It is a spirit that animates persons and peoples, cultures and societies.

While a product of grace, Christian humanism is also a result of human effort. It is attainable only when we have a vital union with Christ. And with that union, there is that vital acting out of Christian presents, all done with love.

Thus, it is nurtured in an atmosphere of prayer, recourse to the sacraments, assimilating the doctrines, developing the virtues and waging unrelenting ascetical struggle. It's never just a natural human life.

It's a life of grace, of freedom and responsibility, of truth and charity.

It is a life that blends well the temporal and the eternal, the material and spiritual, the personal and the social.

Right now, it is in the social aspect of man that needs to be developed.

This is agonizingly neglected. Christian humanism, we have to understand, is not possible without this indispensable component.

Thus, in the Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church, its first section talks about an integral and solidary humanism that the book tries to promote and pursue.

Let me just cite Point 16 of the Compendium to give us an idea of the enormous challenges we are facing today insofar as Christian humanism depends on the learning and the living of the Church's social doctrine.

"The first of the great challenges facing humanity today is that of the truth itself of the being who is man. The boundary and relation between nature, technology and morality are issues that decisively summon personal and collective responsibility with regard to the attitudes to adopt…

"A second challenge is found in the understanding and management of pluralism and differences at every level: In ways of thinking, moral choices, culture, religious affiliation, philosophy of human and social development.

"The third challenge is globalization, the significance of which is much wider and more profound than simple economic globalization, since history has witnessed the opening of a new era that concerns humanity's destiny."

Let's not forget this more important concern even as we try to sort out our present problems, personal or political. Developing a true Christian humanism with strong support from the social doctrine is a big responsibility of everyone.

* * *

Email: [email protected]