Last week we heard a splendid presentation by Fr. Richard Reidy. Fr. Reidy is the Vicar General for the Diocese of Worcester, and he holds degrees in both civil and canon law. His presentation was on Pope Francis's Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii Gaudium, "The Joy of the Gospel", and how the Pope has challenged us to both live a life of Christian joy and share that love with others.
Fr. Reidy began with a quote by G.K Chesterton about joy: "Joy...is the gigantic secret of the Christian." Chesterton's quote calls to mind the beginning of St. Augustine's Confessions, in which the Doctor of Grace tells us that "our hearts our restless until they rest in you [God] (inquietum est nostrum cor donec requiescat in te, 1.1.1). The cor inquietum is what drives us to find joy in life, we whose lives Thoreau called ones "of quiet desperation." The joy which we pursue in life, as Augustine observed, can only be found in Christ, and that is the central theme of Evangelii Gaudium. At the same time, however, this truth calls us to examine how well we live and speak of this joy in our own lives.
Evangelii Gaudium is an Apostolic Exhortation addressed to all Catholics, clergy, religious and laity. As the name would suggest, this document is not so much a doctrinal presentation as it is an exhortation on the joy of being a Christian. Some have said it can also provide a blueprint for what Pope Francis wants his papacy to accomplish.
The document outlines several challenges for both the Church and the world. The first line sums these challenges up as an indictment of present issues: "The great danger in today’s world, pervaded as it is by consumerism, is the desolation and anguish born of a complacent yet covetous heart, the feverish pursuit of frivolous pleasures, and a blunted conscience." Pope Francis challenges parts of our capitalist society, saying that unbridled market forces cannot be relied upon to solve problems. While the Church affirms we have a right to own private property, that private ownership must be used for the sake of others' well-being. He also criticized income inequality, globalization and consumerism.
At the same time, Evangelii Gaudium reaffirms many traditional teachings. Pope Francis described the family as the building block of society, and warned against the danger of changing marriage to just an expression of love. He also said that the Church's teaching on abortion would never change, and he affirmed the dignity of the human person. He likewise affirmed that the issue of women's ordination was closed, and that the priesthood would always be exclusively male. He praised the practice of traditional Catholic devotions, such as Adoration, and strongly criticized relativism, citing the USCCB's statement on objective truth.
On the subject of joy, Pope Francis is adamant that all joy finds its source in Christ. While advanced societies are good at providing pleasure, they are deficient at engendering joy. Rather, joy comes from a personal encounter with Jesus Christ. However, the busyness and distraction of living in the present often cloud the enjoyment of the moment. Our faith offers a remedy to this: we know that Christ is always with us, and that with him any trial can be overcome, and that all our fears will come to pass. This faith inspires us to serve the poor and to instruct others in the truth. Every human being, regardless of who they are, longs for Christ's love. That is the answer everyone is searching for.
Having been given the gift of faith, we Christians are called to share that gift with the whole world. The central message we must share is that Christ on the cross has saved the world; God's mercy comes first in evangelization, and the precepts of the law, while still of supreme importance, come after that mercy.
Evangelii Gaudium is also critical of spirituality confined to the self, and professionalism among the clergy. Rather, the Church is in need of witnesses, more so than teachers, to enter into the lives of others and to share Christ's love. Being confined is akin to a slow suicide. Instead, we are called to love others because everyone is made in God's image, and somehow reflects His glory. By helping someone else, true joy is fostered in the heart.
We sincerely thank Fr. Reidy for his informative and challenging explanation of this very important document. For the full text of Evangelii Gaudium, see here.
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