Benedict XVI, Critic of Culture

What brought Benedict XVI to the supreme pontificate was the fact that he was an eminent scholar, not a well-known pastor. He represents the typical academic German theologian, whose Faculty of Theology is located within the State university. It is the first among all the faculties, which allows a transversal discourse, in permanent dialogue with other fields of learning.  That fact confers on the German style of theology a high level of criticism, and even the discreet arrogance of being the most profound and philosophizing of any in the Church, to the point that already in Luther's time, he could say, « a Roman scholar is a German donkey. » As an academic theologian, Joseph Ratzinger was actively involved in the debates about European identity and the challenges of modernity.

It is in this field where the reach and limitations of his fecund intellectual works are revealed. This is usually how philosophers of knowledge teach us that « the head thinks from the ground where the feet stand » and that « each point of view is the view from one point. »  Where do the feet of the intellectual Ratzinger stand and what view does the point where he stands provide him?  Without a doubt, he stands on the cultural space of central Europe, of the group of hegemonic countries of the world, and, consequently, his view depends on that point, from which he views the world and the Church.  In fact, he does not see with the eyes of the poor and the oppressed.

What weighs in his thinking is the cultural burden formed in the school of Saint Augustine(+450) and of Saint Bonaventure (+1274), about whom he has written two brilliant theses.  They shared the common belief that the world is the arena of confrontation between God and devil, grace and nature, the City of God and the city of humans. Original sin produced a tragedy in the human condition, which was left in such a decadent state that humanity alone can neither redeem itself nor perform a work agreeable to God. It needs a Redeemer, Jesus, who is given continuity by the Church, endowed with all the means of salvation. Without the mediation of the Church, cultural values have worth, but not sufficient to save the human being and its history. This applies also to the « liberation » of our theology.

That type of theology leads to a pessimistic understanding of culture. This is seen in theologian Ratzinger's view of modernity. Before anything, he sees in it arrogance, relativism, materialism and atheism, a human effort seeking emancipation by its own means. The mission of the Church would be to unmask that pretension, offer it clear principles, security in the darkness and truths of absolute validity.  

That theology contains much truth, because in fact there is decadence within modernity. But that should not cause us to forget that the Church is also made up of saints and sinners. Moreover, it is important to enlarge the theological horizon: besides Jesus Christ, we must let the theology of the Holy Spirit lend a hand, which is practically absent in Saint Augustine and in theologian Ratzinger. A theology of the Holy Spirit would allow to see - as did the Vatican Council II (1965) - that there are great values in the modern world, such as human rights, democracy, work, science and technology. From viewing it as an anathema, the Church would proceed to dialogue. All people of good will would join in seeking a more complete truth, because the Word « illuminates every person who comes to this world », and the « Spirit fills the face of the Earth », as the Judeo-Christian Scriptures say.

As the pope is extremely intelligent, it could be that he will discover in our reality how much good is being done to save the persons from the consequences of a perverse modernity, that has denied to so many millions their rights, justice and life.