In the next stage of examining the transformation of Christian faith-hope in the modern age, paragraph 18, the Holy Father highlights Progress, Freedom, Reason, Faith, and Church. Modern man has the view that in order to have progress you must have complete and perfect freedom. This is determined with the aid of reason, which tends to drop off some of the key elements that appear to be obstacles. When the examination is done purely by the intellect without the aid and completion of the heart and soul, the tendency is to see Faith and Church directly an opposition to progress. That break in the connection of our intended completeness lacks the true freedom that we have been given. The influence of the one that created us is not present in our conclusion.
Excerpt from Saved In Hope:
18. At the same time, two categories become increasingly central to the idea of progress: reason and freedom. Progress is primarily associated with the growing dominion of reason, and this reason is obviously considered to be a force of good and a force for good. Progress is the overcoming of all forms of dependency—it is progress towards perfect freedom. Likewise freedom is seen purely as a promise, in which man becomes more and more fully himself. In both concepts—freedom and reason—there is a political aspect. The kingdom of reason, in fact, is expected as the new condition of the human race once it has attained total freedom. The political conditions of such a kingdom of reason and freedom, however, appear at first sight somewhat ill defined. Reason and freedom seem to guarantee by themselves, by virtue of their intrinsic goodness, a new and perfect human community. The two key concepts of “reason” and “freedom”, however, were tacitly interpreted as being in conflict with the shackles of faith and of the Church as well as those of the political structures of the period. Both concepts therefore contain a revolutionary potential of enormous explosive force.
ENCYCLICAL LETTER
SPE SALVI
OF THE SUPREME PONTIFF
BENEDICT XVI
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