VATICAN - Positivism and materialism “have led to a boundless enthusiasm for progress” and the past appears “as a dark backdrop against which the present and future glitter with misleading promise,” Pope tells the Pontifical Committee for Historical Sciences.

Vatican City (Agenzia Fides) - The crisis of historiography, that must “fight for its very existence in a society ruled by positivism and materialism,” was denounced by the Holy Father Benedict XVI in an audience held with members of the Pontifical Committee for Historical Sciences, on March 7. “These two ideologies have led to a boundless enthusiasm for progress that, characterized by magnificent discoveries and technical advances, and despite the disastrous experiences of the last century, influences the view of life of large sectors of society. The past thus appears as a dark backdrop against which the present and future glitter with misleading promise.”
It becomes evident, the Pope said, that when these ideological forces come into play, they are accompanied by an attitude of indifference towards history and a marginalization of historical sciences. This leads to “a society which, heedless of its own past and hence lacking the criteria acquired through experience, is no longer capable of harmonious coexistence or joint commitment in realizing future goals. Such a society is particularly vulnerable to ideological manipulation. This danger is becoming ever greater because of an excessive emphasis given to modern history, especially when research in this field is conditioned by a methodology which draws inspiration from positivism and sociology, ignoring other important aspects of historical reality, even entire epochs.”
The Holy Father pointed out the serious consequences that await “a society that ignores its own past and therefore, deprives itself of historical memory,” in that, just as “the loss of memory causes the loss of an individual’s awareness of his identity, in a similar way, this occurs to society as a whole.” Benedict XVI also pointed out that “the Church, called by God the Creator to carry out the mission of defending man and his humanity, has an authentic historical culture, an effective progress of historical sciences.” “Historical analysis, nonetheless, contributes to describing the life context in which the Church has carried out and continues to carry out her mission throughout the centuries... The Church is not of this world, but she lives in it and for it.”
In conclusion, the Pope brought out another aspect of Church history, from a theological point of view, saying, “Its essential task is revealed in the complex mission of researching and clarifying this process of reception and transmission, of paralepsis and paradosis, through which, over the centuries, the Church’s reason for existence has been manifested. The Church can undoubtedly find inspiration in its decisions, drawing from its timeless treasure of experiences and memories.” (SL) (Agenzia Fides 10/3/2008; righe 33, parole 420)