archives

By JOHN L. ALLEN JR.
Rome

Looking ahead to next October’s Synod of Bishops on the Bible, a cardinal and one of the most noted experts on scripture in the Catholic hierarchy has launched what amounts to a “preemptive strike” – appealing to his brother bishops to concentrate on practical matters, rather than revisiting theological questions settled by the Second Vatican Council (1962-65).

As a conscience-check on fidelity to Covenant, I would propose for the Company of Jesus (to which all Christians belong), the consideration of divinity in the context of “ecological necessity”.

For a reflection on Communal Divinity (Trinity) one need look no further than the human person. The human person is the Earthly expression of transcendent spirit, symbiotically cast in cloth of Earth-necessity. The human person is an iteration of the cosmic weave of necessity (in-tension) and of open potential (intention).

By JOHN L. ALLEN JR.
Rome

Since the opening of their 35th General Congregation on January 7, the Jesuits gathered in Rome have been at pains to minimize perceptions of a rift with the Vatican or with Pope Benedict XVI. The new Jesuit General, Fr. Adolfo Nicolás, offered a memorable image, suggesting that the relationship between the Jesuits and the papacy is like a marriage – there may be occasional tensions, but they’re rooted in a deep bond of love.

With all the discussion about healthcare that will go on in the near future I want to encourage that our leadership [if such a thing exists] to always reject the idea that there is a distinction between physical and mental health. Most 'mental' illnesses are treated as physical illnesses by doctors who treat physical deficiencies in the brain using physical medication. I'm not a doctor but I can see the progress that has occurred in treatment over the years. We no longer have warehouses of people suffering from 'mental' ilness. Much of this is due to physical medications supplementing the physical deficiencies of the body. Progress is still being made.