Rome, Italy, Jul 3, 2008 / 20:05 pm
The secretary for the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, Archbishop Angelo Amato, explained this week that “Christian truth is not only for experts but for everyone, it is not only a theoretical truth but also a practical one. It’s not a truth only for academia but also for daily life.”
In an article published by “L’Osservatore Romano” entitled, “The truth is shown by putting it into practice,” Bishop Amato said this truth has to do with “Christian simplicity, far from Gnostic fables. Not only wise men but also simple people have contributed to the spread of Christianity.”
Often times, the archbishop wrote, the Fathers of the Church “call Christians ‘true philosophers’(…) ‘Who reads Aristotle? How many people are familiar with Plato or his books, or at least his name? On the other hand, the whole world knows about our simple people and our fishermen, the fame resounds throughout the world. Therefore we need to present their simple words with simple language as well,” he said.
Archbishop Amato went on to stress that “Christian simplicity is not simplistic or superficial. It points to a higher knowledge that surpasses the dialectic of philosophers and rectors and is successful by reaching all.”
With regards to the question of truth in other religions, the archbishop stressed that inter-religious dialogue must be carried out carefully and without improvisation, lest “we run the risk of banalizing or even betraying our convictions and those of others.”
Christianity’s claim upon the truth is found at the heart of its identity, he said, as evidenced by not only sound reasoning but also by the exemplary lives of its believers.
“Such truth was spread not by coercion but by persuasion,” he added, because “at the foundation of the Christian’s proclamation is the principle of freedom.”