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Easter 2007

Pastoral Letter of Bishop Séamus Hegarty, Bishop of Derry

The Harmony of Faith and Reason

Pope Benedict's lecture in the University of Regensburg on 12 September last year generated much discussion in the media. At first, his lecture was regarded as a veiled criticism of Islam. The Holy Father himself clarified matters, when he gave a further address on 22 December 2006, "The meeting with the University was dedicated - as befitted the place - to the dialogue between faith and reason" ….. "Faith in that God, who is in person the creative Reason of the universe, must be accepted by science in a new way" ….. "Faith, for its part, needs the conversation with modern reason to take stock of its own greatness and to correspond with its responsibilities. Reason needs the Logos which was at the beginning and is our light." The Holy Father's real intention was to show the essential link between faith and reason.

As human beings, we are the only creatures in God's creation that possess the capacity to reason. God also offers us the gift of faith. Faith builds on reason and enriches it to the extent that we are brought into a more intense knowledge and love of God. Jesus, in his person, brought together reason and faith.

When reason and faith are in harmony this leads us to God. When reason and faith are separated, confusion or loss of direction is the result. We can see evidence of this in the world around us: in the confusion, disillusionment and chaos which often reigns. Human life presents many challenges, both personal and societal. At the personal level there may be experiences of relationship and family problems, illness, addictions, financial strains and the like. For some there is the experience of being let down by Church. As a society there is the tendency to disregard the common good of all for the sake of the individual, which can result in the alienation and isolation which many experience in modern life. These challenges to personal peace and well-being are difficult to meet. The often unspoken hope of so many who have lost their peace of mind is to discover a way which will remove the anxiety that they experience. This is a great pastoral concern for all in the Church.

Practical Atheism

In his Regensburg lecture, Pope Benedict referred to the essential link between faith and reason. He reminds us of the need to apply reason to our Christian faith. If we discard the assurance of Jesus, who said, "I am the Way, the Truth and the Life" (Jn 14:6), or if we take our bearings for life from less authentic sources, we lose our spiritual sense of direction. Pope John Paul II, in his Encyclical Letter Fides et Ratio, 1998, explains the link between faith and reason. "The truth comes initially to the human being as a question: Does life have a meaning? Where is it going?…..Whether we admit it or not, there comes for everyone the moment when personal existence must be anchored to a truth recognised as final, a truth which confers a certitude no longer open to doubt."

The reality is that professed belief in the existence of God is not always supported by actions or by personal witness. Where prayer is absent, where there is an absence of Christian charity, then justice, tolerance and forgiveness may be replaced by a culture of power-seeking, exploitation, discrimination, and injustice.

Atheists deny the assistance of God. Practical atheists do not deny the existence of God; they may profess to believe in God but, in their daily lives, live as if God did not matter. This phenomenon of practical atheism developed during the twentieth century and continues in the present one. "When….man reduces himself to thinking of material objects or those that can be proven, he closes himself to the great questions about life, himself and God and is impoverished."

Practical atheism is often not a life choice; it happens over time. A person may find himself or herself drifting from Christian practice, until the moment arrives, almost without noticing, when whether God exists or not makes no difference to life. The measure of such practical atheism might be whether professed belief in God makes any difference to our day. There are so many influences which lead to this; perhaps most important is the excessive reliance on material goods, pleasures, entertainments and the 'worship' given to material wealth and the power it generates. If the thirst for God is absent, as it is too often nowadays, worship is given to created things. The result is a spiritual desert. Applying reason to faith helps to re-establishes the link between profession of faith and living faith.

The call of Lent

As we begin the Season of Lent, we are invited on Ash Wednesday to, "Repent and believe in the Gospel." Faith and reason must be activated if we are to understand the meaning and the impact of these words. It is only when both faith and reason combine that we can choose to make the decision whether or not we will respond to this call. If we do so, we will arrive at a new perspective on the opportunity Lent offers. "Reason cannot eliminate the mystery of love which the Cross represents, while the Cross can give to reason the ultimate answer which it seeks.

Clearly, if we understand Lent from the perspective of reason alone, we will merely conclude that Lent is a period of forty days in early Spring, when the days get longer and the Easter holidays loom ahead. When we bring together reason and faith, we arrive at a very different conclusion: we are invited to unite with Jesus in prayer, in penance, in works of charity, as Jesus did throughout his life. Jesus' life was a preparation for his passion, death and Resurrection. Our faith tells us that, by entering into the spirit of Lent, we unite ourselves with the sufferings Jesus endured during the final days of his earthly life. To do this, we must decide to do so - to use our reason in the light of faith.

Lent is a time of opportunity for all Christians. In particular, this Lent I reach out to all who have drifted from the practice of their faith. It was Jesus who said "Come to me all you who labour and are overburdened and I will give you rest." (Mt 11:28). Lent is a time to make changes to life. It is a time for penance, prayer and repentance. Lent is also a time of healing, of joy and of victory. In his life Jesus moved from the suffering of his passion and death, to the joy of his resurrection. The Christian journey offers this hope.

If we have become lukewarm in our relationship with God, if each day is lived as if God did not exist, even if belief in God is still professed, this Lent may be a time of great importance. Through Lent, we are all invited to take control of our lives, to give new meaning and focus to life. Let us decide to make a new beginning during this special time of Lent. Grasp the opportunity which Lent offers.

May Mary, the Mother of Jesus and our Mother too, be our guide on our journey of reconciliation with Jesus during this Lenten Season.

Séamus Hegarty
Bishop of Derry