Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Vatican City (Agenzia Fides) - Resuming his series of catecheses on the Fathers of the Church during the General Audience on May 14, the Holy Father Benedict XVI reflected on “very mysterious figure: a theologian from the sixth century, whose name is not known, and who wrote under the pseudonym of Dionysius the Areopagite.” In choosing this pseudonym, the theologian wished to refer to the account written by Saint Luke in Chapter 17 of the Acts of the Apostles, “where it speaks of Paul preaching in the Areopagus in Athens, for an elite of the great world of Greek intellectuals. At the end of the preaching, the majority of those listening appeared disinterested and they left making fun of him. Nevertheless, some, just a few, according to what St. Luke tells us, approached Paul and opened themselves to faith. The evangelist gives us two names: Dionysius, member of the Areopagus, and a woman named Damaris. If five centuries later, the author of these books chose the pseudonym of Dionysius the Areopagite,” the Pope explained, “this implies that he had the intention of placing Greek wisdom at the service of the Gospel, promoting an encounter between culture and Greek intelligence with the announcement of Christ; he wanted to do what that Dionysius aimed to do, that is, that Greek thought would meet with the proclamation of St. Paul. Being Greek, he wanted to be a disciple of St. Paul and in this way, a disciple of Christ.”
Among the various hypotheses regarding the reason for his desire to remain anonymous, the Pope said it was most likely that it was out of an act of humility: “He didn't want to give glory to his name...but instead, to really serve the Gospel, to create an ecclesial theology, not individual.” In his “7th Epistle,” he affirms that he does not like to cause polemics, that he only speaks the truth and seeks truth. “And the light of truth by itself makes error fade and makes what is good shine,” Benedict XVI said. “With this principle he purified Greek thought and related it to the Gospel. This principle, which he affirms in his seventh letter, is also the expression of a true spirit of dialogue: It is not about seeking the things that separate, one must seek the truth in Truth itself; this, then, shines and causes errors to fall.”
Contrasting the line of late Platonic thought, that had transformed the philosophy of Plato into a sort of religion, “whose final objective was to create a great apologetics for Greek polytheism and return, following the success of Christianity, to the ancient Greek religion,” Dionysius the Areopagite dared to avail precisely of this thought to show the truth of Christ, transforming “the polytheistic image into praise of the Creator and his creatures.” In his thought, therefore, “All of creation speaks of God and is a praise of God. Given that the creature is a praise of God, the theology of Pseudo-Dionysius becomes a liturgical theology: God is found above all praising him, not just reflecting. And liturgy is not something constructed by us, something invented so as to have a religious experience for a certain amount of time. It consists in singing with the choir of the creatures and entering into the cosmic reality itself.”
He began the first great mystic theology, the Pope said. “With him, the word "mystic" becomes more personal, more intimate: It expresses the path of the soul toward God... It is easier to say what God is not than to express what he really is. Only through these images can we grasp at his true face and, on the other hand, this face of God is very concrete: It is Jesus Christ.” Dionysius the Areopagite influenced medieval theology and the mystical theology of the East and the West, and was virtually rediscovered in the 13th century above all by St. Bonaventure, “who in this great mystical theology found the conceptual instrument for interpreting the heritage -- so simple and profound -- of St. Francis.”
Benedict XVI later spoke of the “new relevance” of Dionysius the Areopagite: “He is presented as a great mediator in the modern dialogue between Christianity and the mystical theologies of Asia, marked by the conviction that it is impossible to say who God is, that only negative expressions can be used to speak of him; that God can only be spoken of with "no," and that it is only possible to reach him by entering into this experience of "no"... Precisely when one enters into the depths of the encounter with Christ, an ample space for dialogue also opens. When one finds the light of truth, he realizes that it is a light for everyone; polemics disappear and it is possible to understand one another, or at least, speak to one another, draw closer together.”
At the close of the Audience, the Pope launched this appeal for China: “My thoughts now go towards the people of Sichuan and adjoining provinces in China, so harshly affected by the earthquake which has provoked serious loss of human life, left large numbers missing and caused incalculable damages. I invite you to join me in fervent prayer for those who have lost their lives. I remain spiritually close to the people suffering from such a devastating calamity; and we implore God to grant them relief in their suffering. I ask the Lord to give support to all those involved in meeting the immediate needs of the victims.” (S.L.) (Agenzia Fides 15/5/2008; righe 64, parole 912)
