Tuesday, December 02, 2014

Reflection July 18, 1984

https://www.ewtn.com/library/PAPALDOC/jp2tb114.htm

In Humane Vitae, SJPII says that they point to what is normal in the marital act, what is reasonable. Underneath this, or indirectly, it points to the 2 separate meanings of the marital act, both physical and spiritual. SJPII says that what we have seen in our rereading and digging deeper in the Scriptures is exactly this “normal” and reasonably rational understanding of the marital act on all its levels. We have come to the same conclusions reached in Humane Vitae, which will of course be the case because we are talking about a Truth that will never change. This Theology of the Body, which the world will call radical or unachievable, is the “normal” and reasonable understanding when you look at the marital act on its 2 basic levels. Any other use of the marital act outside of this “normal” way is by definition abnormal and unhealthy. Yet the world preaches this abnormality, teaches the unhealthy, criticizes the normal, and we see the results.

SJPII talks about the Tradition teachings of the Church in regards to Humane Vitae and that what is put down on words in that document do not come directly from Scripture. We believe as Catholics that the Magisterium of the Church can and has developed teachings that are believed to be infallible. Not everything in Catholic tradition comes straight from Scripture. (There be a whole debate here on Sola Scriptura, but this is not really the time) But I would somewhat disagree with SJPII when he says that Humane Vitae is not Scripturally based. Yes, it comes from the Traditional teachings of the Catholic faith through the centuries, but it also lines up perfectly with all the we have seen in our look at Theology of the Body. And, up until the discussion of Humane Vitae, the look through Theology of the Body has been looking at Scripture and using it to define what we are as humans. The teachings of Humane Vitae, then, do have Scripture behind them in the fact that its teachings coincide with everything in Theology of the Body, which is based almost entirely on Scripture. I read this reflection as a defense against the ability for the Church to develop teachings apart from Scripture, which I believe is true, but I wanted him to tie it together saying that even though this teaching is not directly connected to Scripture, it lines up directly with the teachings of Scripture because both Scripture and Magisterium teaching are Truth and cannot conflict.

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