Lecture 14: Our Time 1878-2005

Ann T. Orlando

26 April 2011

Introduction

Historical Review New Secular Nationalism in Nineteenth

Century Catholicism in America, 19th, 20th C Papacy in this period Theological movements Readings

18th C French and American Political Philosophy Based upon John Locke

Puritan sermons in 18th C America frequently referred to “the great Mr. Locke”

Voltaire considered Locke one of the most important men of the previous generation

One of Jefferson’s three heroes (the other two being Bacon and Newton)

John Adams thought John Locke one of most important men who ever lived

Emphasize individual liberty and rights over duty to society

American Revolution:New Political Structures American Revolution (1776-1781), based on

philosophy of John Locke (1632-1704) Champion of individual rights Religious toleration

Not clear (still isn’t) what is relation between religion and politics in America Most States had an official religion; see for instance John

Adams’ Constitution of Massachusetts First Amendment to Constitution says only that Congress

will not establish a religion; Thomas Jefferson extends this to separation of Church and

State (1802)

French Revolution (1789-1799):Extreme Enlightenment Impetus comes from group of 18th C French philosophers:

philosophes (Montesquieu, Voltaire, Rousseau, Diderot, Turgot, Condorcet)

Philosophes embraced John Locke and science; encouraged by American Revolution Franklin, Paine, Jefferson and Adams in France; Adams writes against Turgot and Condorcet and notion of progress

without sense of duty Jefferson supports the philosophes and the Terror

Use it as a weapon against ‘throne and altar’ Voltaire’s ‘Smile of Reason’ turns into glare of tyranny Individual rights and toleration get replaced by suspicion of ‘enemy

of people’ and a new ‘religion’; Active persecution of Church

Capitalism: New Economic and Social System Adam Smith author (1723-1790) of Founding

Document, Wealth of Nations Friend of French philosophes Voltaire, Turgot Close fried of fellow Scot David Hume

Encouraged economic individualism and natural liberty in economies

Encouraged division of labor in new industrial production plants

Lessaiz faire economics: no government intervention

‘Invisible hand’ of supply and demand Capitalism: derogatory term first used in 19th C

by those opposing this economic and social system

Communism: New Social and Economic System Karl Marx (1818-1883) coauthor with Frederic Engels the

founding document Communist Manifest Born in Germany, moved to England as young man Radical views forced him to flee to England

Opposed to economic slavery of working classes as more and more capital concentrated in hands of a few wealthy industrialists

Price of objects should be based on labor theory of value; that is the number of labor hours to produce, Not materials Not supply and demand Not management of production and distribution processes

In an ideal social and economic system, there should be a balance between production and consumption, no profits for corporations

Social (government) structure should control the economy From each according to his ability to each according to his need

Marx also wrote a great deal on morality; atheist opposed to role of religion in society

19th and 20th C New Nationalisms 19th and early 20th C period of violent revolutions in Europe (France,

Italy, Germany, Russia) Also a period of violent revolutions and wars of independence

throughout Western Hemisphere, Asia and Africa Growth of labor movements opposed to oppression of laissez faire

capitalism Under the pretense of ‘will of the people’ new secular totalitarian

regimes form in many countries Bismark in Germany tries to enforce uniform ‘German’ cultural and

social attitudes in Kulturkampf deeply opposed to CAtholicism Marxism develops a theory of history and society that portrays

religion as a phase that enlightened peoples will out grow Government takes over role of social, economic and moral

administrator No child of 20th C can think that Enlightenment has led to a golden

age: Shoah, gulags, racial wars, World Wars, etc., etc., etc.

Epicurean Philosophy in Intellectual American Politics and Society Jefferson’s acceptance of Epicureanism has become

increasingly prevalent in American culture Ethics based on personal pleasure

although in contemporary society pleasure is often defined as momentary fleeting pleasure, rather than long term peace of mind

Utilitarianism (Bentham and Mill) explicitly reference Epicureanism

Importance of individual rights over common good (abortion) Self-sufficiency of individual is primary virtue, not harmony of

society Importance of science and technology; progress of human mind

God is not recognized as important in people’s lives

Catholicism in America Before the Irish Spanish settlers, 18th, early 19th C

Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, California Inter-married with Indians to create small Catholic

communities French settlers 18th C

Louisiana, along Mississippi River, parts of New England Directly from France or immigrated from French Canada

after French-Indian War English settlers 18th C

Maryland Founded by Lord Baltimore (Catholic convert) as a place

where English Catholics could settle

Catholics During the Revolutionary War Charles Carroll of Maryland, prominent Catholic

signed Declaration of Independence John Carroll, SJ, first Bishop in United States

Continental Army was especially welcoming to Catholics from Canada and Ireland Over 25% of Washington’s army (soldiers and officers)

were Irish Decisive role of French Navy against British at

Yorktown New country needed colonists who did not have

loyalist sympathies

19th C: The Irish in America

Why so prominent in Catholic Church in America Immigrated to 19th C power centers in Northeast U.S. (i.e.,

Boston and New York) So many of them

Several major waves of Irish immigrants Between 1830 – 1860, 3 M Irish immigrated to US

Total US population in 1860 ~ 30M (including all territories and 4 M slaves)

Irish potato famine 1845-1850 Suppressed economic and political opportunities for

Catholics in Ireland during British rule Irish quickly became leaders in American Church

Protestant American Reaction As numbers of Catholic immigrants increase,

reaction and prejudice increases Ghettos of poor in large cities Civil unrest Resentment over jobs lost

Ursuline convent burned in Charlestown 1834 Know-nothing party

Secret Order of Star Spangled Banner Millard Fillmore ran as their candidate for president

in 1856 and lost

After American Civil War

Immigration continues Germans 1880 Italians 1907 Polish 1921

Immigrants (predominantly Catholic and Jewish) become cheap labor source in American factories Church develops close ties to labor unions Ethnic Churches developed to minister to immigrant

communities in their own language and their own customs

Development of American Catholic Institutions Education

Parochial schools, 40% of parishes had schools as early as 1880

Colleges and Universities; Jesuits play a major role Georgetown 1789 Holy Cross founded 1843; BC founded 1863

Hospitals and orphanages Catholic societies

Ancient Order of Hibernians 1836 Knights of Columbus 1882

Catholic Schools Controversy

Thomas Nast, 1875 www.harpweek.com/09Cartoon/

BrowseByDateCartoon.asp?Year=2003&Month=May&Date=8

After war, Catholicism seen as threat to unity of nation, especially by Republicans Supported Bismark’s

Kulturkampf Many laws passed with

support of Presidents Grant, Garfield, Hayes, denying any public support to Catholic schools

Syllabus of Errors used to show that Catholics were opposed to individual freedom, progress and the American way

Growth of Importance of Church in 20th C American Society Catholic Institutions grow in stature and recognition

after WWII Catholic politicians become increasingly prominent in

Democratic Party John Kennedy election in 1960

Catholics aligned with ‘liberals’ on many social causes Economic justice Civil rights War in Vietnam Prominence of women in education, medicine, media, social

activism

Catholicism’s Response

Syllabus of Errors, 1864 Series of anathemas of Enlightenment views Crude and ineffectual

Vatican I (1866-1870) Reaffirmed that we can have sure knowledge in

faith and morals (infallibility of Pope, Thomism as official theology)

Reaffirmed that religion is important to society’s well being

Reaffirmed the importance of natural law Increased spiritual devotion: La Salette 1846;

Lourdes 1858, Fatima 1917

Pope Leo XIII (1878-1903)

Countered Bismark’s anti-Catholic movement, Kulturkampf

Made Henry Newman a Cardinal

Created Pontifical Biblical Commission

Known as the encyclical pontiff

Modernist “Americanist Heresy” Controversy The issue: the ‘Americanization’ of religion, especially

Catholicism Progressive American Catholics; embraced separation of Church

and State; American democracy Isaac Hecker, founder of Paulists, emphasis on social action less

on evangelization; French translation of his biography was modernist

Opposition, ‘traditionalists’: American governmental system may be best for America, but

not necessarily universally; Catholics in America should not see themselves as part of a

national church Leo XIII Testem Benevolentiae Nostrae, 1899; encyclical

addressed to American bishops Importance of religion in social and polical life of a country

Rerum Novarum

Foundational document of modern Catholic social teaching

Written in response to abuses of both capitalism and communism

Uphold rights of laborers to a fair wage Concern about poor Emphasis on common good and dignity of

individual

Papacy 1870-2005

Leo XIII 1878-1903 Pius X 1903-1922 Benedict XV 1914-1922 Pius XI 1922-1939 Pius XII 1939-1958 John XXIII 1958-1963 Paul IV 1963-1978 John Paul I 1978 John Paul II 1978-2005 Benedict XVI 2005-

Pope Pius XII (1939-1958)

Vatican diplomat assigned to Germany before WWII Thought he could negotiate with Nazis, but also thought that direct confrontation

would irreparably harm the Church WWII and the Shoah

Encourage quiet protection of Jews by Church, but did not speak out forcefully "The voice of Pius XII is a lonely voice in the silence and darkness enveloping

Europe this Christmas. He is about the only ruler left on the Continent of Europe who dares to raise his voice at all". (Editorial, the New York Times, Dec 25, 1941).

"A full explanation of Pope Pius' conduct is needed..It now falls to John Paul and his successors to take the next step toward full acceptance of the Vatican's failure to stand squarely against the evil that swept across Europe" (Editorial, the New York Times, Mar 18, 1998).

See We Remember, A Reflection on the Shoah, 1998 http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/pontifical_councils/chrstuni/documents/rc_pc_chrstuni_doc_16031998_shoah_en.html

Pontifical Biblical Commission: return to study of ancient languages and support for historical critical method

Declared Assumption of Mary to be infallibly true

Theological Developments in 20th C Liturgical reforms started in early 20th C

Romano Guardini Continued by VII

Hermeneutics; Historical Critical Method Deconstruction

New Theology and Transcendental Thomism Thomism that returns to critical evaluation of Thomas Aquinas and his sources,

especially Augustine; Expands Thomism, does not merely study and codify Thomas; emphasis on

philosophical methods Key figures: Henri de Lubac, Karl Rahner, Bernard Lonergan, Edward

Schillebeeckx Liberation Theology

Driven by WWII (Moltmann, Metz) and Third World economic and social poverty (Gutierez, Boff, Sorvino)

Encourages political and social activism as part of Christian witness and Church’s mission

Opposed to natural law; rather only literal application of Gospel message

Vatican II

Called by John XXIII in 1962; closed by Paul VI in 1965 Liturgical changes; use of vernacular; RCIA Renewed emphasis on importance of actions of Catholic laity in

world No change in doctrine Gaudium et Spes: Final document of Council

Addresses how the Church should be in the World as part of ‘the whole human family’

Part I on the dignity of man and his role in the universe Part II on modern problems (Marriage, Culture, Economics, Arms

Race, Peace) Note: there were documents written after official close of Council

that are considered VII documents

Some Critical Issues

Aquinas was worried about ‘Dead Faith’ meaning everyone believed (or said they did), but very few acted with charity. This, according to Aquinas was faith that was not a virtue; IIa IIae Q4 a4

I think the problem now is ‘Dead Love’; many people say they are peaceful loving caring people but try to do this without faith. This is love that is not a virtue

Relation between Church and Individual Catholic Radical individualism, subjectivism, relativism Need to understand what it means to form conscience Pascal was right: many people live in present moment without considering

end of life Relation between Church and Society

Proper model for Church in world Religious pluralism Ethical use of science Ethics in law; what is basis of justice?

Readings

Read Vidmar 289-341 Skim McManners Ch 11 Read Leo XIII Rerum Novarum Skim VII Gaudium et Spes