Fr. Edmund Majewski
11/3/14
Faith and Truth
Unless you believe, you will not understand (Is 7:9). The Pope shows the close link between faith and truth, the reliable truth of God, his faithful presence throughout history. "Faith without truth does not save", writes the Pope; "It remains a beautiful story, the projection of our deep yearning for happiness". And nowadays, given "the crisis of truth in our age", it is more necessary than ever before to recall this link, as contemporary culture tends to accept only the truth of technology, what man manages to build and measure through science, truth that "works", or rather the single truths valid only for the individual and not in the service of the common good. Today we regard with suspicion the "Truth itself, the truth which would comprehensively explain our life as individuals and in society", as it is erroneously associated with the truths claimed by twentieth century forms of totalitarianism.
However, this leads to a "massive amnesia in our contemporary world" which to the advantage of relativism and in fear of fanaticism forgets this question of truth, of the origin of all the question of God. Lumen Fidei then underlines the link between faith and love, understood not as "an ephemeral emotion", but as God's great love which transforms us within and grants us new eyes with which we may see reality. If, therefore, faith is linked to truth and love, then "love and truth are inseparable", because only true love withstands the test of time and becomes the source of knowledge. And since the knowledge of faith is born of God's faithful love, "truth and fidelity go together". The truth that discloses faith is a truth centered on the encounter with Christ incarnate, Who, coming among us, has touched us...