|
53. Man comes to a true and full humanity only through culture,
that is through the cultivation of the goods and values of nature.
Wherever human life is involved, therefore, nature and culture are
quite intimately connected one with the other.
The word "culture" in its general sense indicates everything whereby
man develops and perfects his many bodily and spiritual qualities; he
strives by his knowledge and his labor, to bring the world itself under
his control. He renders social life more human both in the family and
the civic community, through improvement of customs and institutions.
Throughout the course of time he expresses, communicates and conserves
in his works, great spiritual experiences and desires, that they might
be of advantage to the progress of many, even of the whole human
family.
Thence it follows that human culture has necessarily a historical and
social aspect and the word "culture" also often assumes a sociological
and ethnological sense. According to this sense we speak of a
plurality of cultures. Different styles of life and multiple scales of
values arise from the diverse manner of using things, of laboring, of
expressing oneself, of practicing religion, of forming customs, of
establishing laws and juridic institutions of cultivating the sciences,
the arts and beauty. Thus the customs handed down to it form the
patrimony proper to each human community. It is also in this way that
there is formed the definite, historical milieu which enfolds the man
oś every nation and age and from which he draws the values which permit
him to promote civilization.
|
SECTION 1. THE CIRCUMSTANCES OF CULTURE IN THE WORLD TODAY
|
|
54. The circumstances of the life of modern man have been so
profoundly changed in their social and cultural aspects, that we can
speak of a new age of human history.[123] New ways are open,
therefore, for the perfection and the further extension of culture.
These ways have been prepared by the enormous growth of natural, human
and social sciences, by technical progress, and advances in developing
and organizing means whereby men can communicate with one another.
Hence the culture of today possesses particular characteristics:
sciences which are called exact greatly develop critical judgment; the
more recent psychological studies more profoundly explain human
activity; historical studies make it much easier to see things in their
mutable and evolutionary aspects, customs and usages are becoming more
and more uniform; industrialization, urbanization, and other causes
which promote community living create a mass-culture from which are
born new ways of thinking, acting and making use of leisure. The
increase of commerce between the various nations and human groups opens
more widely to all the treasures of different civilizations and thus
little by little, there develops a more universal form of human
culture, which better promotes and expresses the unity of the human
race to the degree that it preserves the particular aspects of the
different civilizations.
55. From day to day, in every group or nation, there is an
increase in the number of men and women who are conscious that they
themselves are the authors and the artisans of the culture of their
community. Throughout the whole world there is a mounting increase in
the sense of autonomy as well as of responsibility. This is of
paramount importance for the spiritual and moral maturity of the human
race. This becomes more clear if we consider the unification of the
world and the duty which is imposed upon us, that we build a better
world based upon truth and justice. Thus we are witnesses of the birth
of a new humanism, one in which man is defined first of all by this
responsibility to his brothers and to history.
56. In these conditions, it is no cause of wonder that man, who
senses his responsibility for the progress of culture, nourishes a high
hope but also looks with anxiety upon many contradictory things which he
must resolve:
What is to be done to prevent the increased exchanges between
cultures, which should lead to a true and fruitful dialogue between
groups and nations, from disturbing the life of communities, from
destroying the wisdom received from ancestors, or from placing in
danger the character proper to each people?
How is the dynamism and expansion of a new culture to be fostered
without losing a living fidelity to the heritage of tradition. This
question is of particular urgency when a culture which arises from the
enormous progress of science and technology must be harmonized with a
culture nourished by classical studies according to various traditions.
How can we quickly and progressively harmonize the proliferation of
particular branches of study with the necessity of forming a synthesis
of them, and of preserving among men the faculties of contemplation and
observation which lead to wisdom?
What can be done to make all men partakers of cultural values in the
world, when the human culture of those who are more competent is
constantly becoming more refined and more complex?
Finally how is the autonomy which culture claims for itself to be
recognized as legitimate without generating a notion of humanism which
is merely terrestrial, and even contrary to religion itself.
In the midst of these conflicting requirements, human culture must
evolve today in such a way that it can both develop the whole human
person and aid man in those duties to whose fulfillment all are called,
especially Christians fraternally united in one human family.
|
SECTION 2.
SOME PRINCIPLES FOR THE PROPER DEVELOPMENT OF CULTURE
|
|
57. Christians, on pilgrimage toward the heavenly city, should
seek and think of these things which are above[124] This duty in no
way decreases, rather it increases, the importance of their obligation
to work with all men in the building of a more human world. Indeed,
the mystery of the Christian faith furnishes them with an excellent
stimulant and aid to fulfill this duty more courageously and especially
to uncover the full meaning of this activity, one which gives to human
culture its eminent place in the integral vocation of man.
When man develops the earth by the work of his hands or with the aid of
technology, in order that it might bear fruit and become a dwelling
worthy of the whole human family and when he consciously takes part in
the life of social groups, he carries out the design of God manifested
at the beginning of time, that he should subdue the earth[125], perfect
creation and develop himself. At the same time he obeys the
commandment of Christ that he place himself at the service of his
brethren.
Furthermore, when man gives himself to the various disciplines of
philosophy, history and of mathematical and natural science, and when
he cultivates the arts, he can do very much to elevate the human family
to a more sublime understanding of truth, goodness, and beauty, and
to the formation of considered opinions which have universal value.
Thus mankind may be more clearly enlightened by that marvelous Wisdom
which was with God from all eternity, composing all things with him,
rejoicing in the earth, delighting in the sons of men.[126]
In this way, the human spirit, being less subjected to material
things, can be more easily drawn to the worship and contemplation of
the Creator. Moreover, by the impulse of grace, he is disposed to
acknowledge the Word of God, Who before He became flesh in order to
save all and to sum up all in Himself was already "in the world" as
"the true light which enlightens every man" (John
1:9-10).[127]
Indeed today's progress in science and technology can foster a certain
exclusive emphasis on observable data, and an agnosticism about
everything else. For the methods of investigation which these sciences
use can be wrongly considered as the supreme rule of seeking the whole
truth. By virtue of their methods these sciences cannot penetrate to
the intimate notion of things. Indeed the danger is present that man,
confiding too much in the discoveries of today, may think that he is
sufficient unto himself and no longer seek the higher things.
Those unfortunate results, however, do not necessarily follow from
the culture of today, nor should they lead us into the temptation of
not acknowledging its positive values. Among these values are
included: scientific study and fidelity toward truth in scientific
inquiries, the necessity of working together with others in technical
groups, a sense of international solidarity, a clearer awareness of
the responsibility of experts to aid and even to protect men, the
desire to make the conditions of life more favorable for all,
especially for those who are poor in culture or who are deprived of the
opportunity to exercise responsibility. All of these provide some
preparation for the acceptance of the message of the Gospel a
preparation which can be animated by divine charity through Him Who
has come to save the world.
58. There are many ties between the message of salvation and human
culture. For God, revealing Himself to His people to the extent of
a full manifestation of Himself in His Incarnate Son, has spoken
according to the culture proper to each epoch.
Likewise the Church, living in various circumstances in the course of
time, has used the discoveries of different cultures so that in her
preaching she might spread and explain the message of Christ to all
nations, that she might examine it and more deeply understand it, that
she might give it better expression in liturgical celebration and in the
varied life of the community of the faithful.
But at the same time, the Church, sent to all peoples of every time
and place, is not bound exclusively and indissolubly to any race or
nation, any particular way of life or any customary way of life recent
or ancient. Faithful to her own tradition and at the same time
conscious of her universal mission, she can enter into communion with
the various civilizations, to their enrichment and the enrichment of
the Church herself.
The Gospel of Christ constantly renews the life and culture of fallen
man, it combats and removes the errors and evils resulting from the
permanent allurement of sin. It never eases to purify and elevate the
morality of peoples. By riches coming from above, it makes fruitful,
as it were from within, the spiritual qualities and traditions of every
people md of every age. It strengthens, perfects and restores[128]
them in Christ. Thus the Church, in the very fulfillment of her own
function,[129] stimulates and advances human and civic culture; by
her action, also by her liturgy, she leads them toward interior
liberty.
59. For the above reasons, the Church recalls to the mind of all
that culture is to be subordinated to the integral perfection of the
human person, to the good of the community and of the whole society.
Therefore it is necessary to develop the human faculties in such a way
that there results a growth of the faculty of admiration, of
intuition, of contemplation, of making personal judgment, of
developing a religious, moral and social sense.
Culture, because it flows immediately from the spiritual and social
character of man, has constant need of a just liberty in order to
develop; it needs also the legitimate possibility of exercising its
autonomy according to its own principles. It therefore rightly demands
respect and enjoys a certain inviolability within the limits of the
common good, as long, of course, as it preserves the rights of the
individual and the community, whether particular or universal.
This Sacred Synod, therefore, recalling the teaching of the first
Vatican Council, declares that there are "two orders of knowledge"
which are distinct, namely faith and reason; and that the Church does
not forbid that "the human arts and disciplines use their own
principles and their proper method, each in its own domain";
therefore "acknowledging this just liberty," this Sacred Synod
affirms the legitimate autonomy of human culture and especially of the
sciences.[130]
All this supposes that, within the limits of morality and the common
utility, man can freely search for the truth, express his opinion and
publish it; that he can practice any art he chooses: that finally, he
can avail himself of true information concerning events of a public
nature.[131]
As for public authority, it is not its function to determine the
character of the civilization, but rather to establish the conditions
and to use the means which are capable of fostering the life of culture
among an even within the minorities of a nation.[132] It is
necessary to do everything possible to prevent culture from being turned
away from its proper end and made to serve as an instrument of political
or economic power.
|
SECTION 3.
SOME MORE URGENT DUTIES OF CHRISTIANS IN REGARD TO CULTURE
|
|
60. It is now possible to free most of humanity from the misery of
ignorance. Therefore the duty most consonant with our times,
especially for Christians, is that of working diligently for
fundamental decisions to be taken in economic and political affairs,
both on the national and international level which will everywhere
recognize and satisfy the right of all to a human and social culture in
conformity with the dignity of the human person without any
discrimination of race, sex, nation, religion or social condition.
Therefore it is necessary to provide all with a sufficient quantity of
cultural benefits, especially of those which constitute the so-called
fundamental culture lest very many be prevented from cooperating in the
promotion of the common good in a truly human manner because of
illiteracy and a lack of responsible activity.
We must strive to provide for those men who are gifted the possibility
of pursuing higher studies; and in such a way that, as far as
possible, they may occupy in society those duties, offices and
services which are in harmony with their natural aptitude and the
competence they have acquired.[133] Thus each man and the social
groups of every people will be able to attain the full development of
their culture in conformity with their qualities and traditions.
Everything must be done to make everyone conscious of the right to
culture and the duty he has of developing him self culturally and of
helping others. Sometimes there exist conditions of life and of work
which impede the cultural striving of men and destroy in them the
eagerness for culture. This is especially true of farmers and
workers. It is necessary to provide for them those working conditions
which will not impede their human culture but rather favor it. Women
now work in almost all spheres. It is fitting that they are able to
assume their proper role in accordance with their own nature. It will
belong to all to acknowledge and favor the proper and necessary
participation of women in the cultural life.
61. Today it is more difficult to form a synthesis of the various
disciplines of knowledge and the arts than it was formerly. For while
the mass and the diversity of cultural factors are increasing, there is
a decrease in each man's faculty of perceiving and unifying these
things, so that the image of "universal man" is being lost sight of
more and more. Nevertheless it remains each man's duty to retain an
understanding of the whole human person in which the values of
intellect, will, conscience and fraternity are preeminent. These
values are all rooted in God the Creator and have been wonderfully
restored and elevated in Christ.
The family is, as it were, the primary mother and nurse of this
education. There, the children, in an atmosphere of love, more
easily learn the correct order of things, while proper forms of human
culture impress themselves in an almost unconscious manner upon the mind
of the developing adolescent.
Opportunities for the same education are to be found also in the
societies of today, due especially to the increased circulation of
books and to the new means of cultural and social communication which
can foster a universal culture. With the more or less generalized
reduction of working hours, the leisure time of most men has
increased. May this leisure be used properly to relax, to fortify the
health of soul and body through spontaneous study and activity, through
tourism which refines man's character and enriches him with
understanding of others, through sports activity which helps to
preserve equilibrium of spirit even in the community, and to establish
fraternal relations among men of all conditions, nations and races.
Let Christians cooperate so that the cultural manifestations and
collective activity characteristic of our time may be imbued with a
human and a Christian spirit.
All these leisure activities however are not able to bring man to a
full cultural development unless there is at the same time a profound
inquiry into the meaning of culture and science for the human person.
62. Although the Church has contributed much to the development of
culture, experience shows that, for circumstantial reasons, it is
sometimes difficult to harmonize culture with Christian teaching.
These difficulties do not necessarily harm the life of faith, rather
they can stimulate the mind to a deeper and more accurate understanding
of the faith. The recent studies and findings of science, history and
philosophy raise new questions which effect life and which demand new
theological investigations. Furthermore, theologians, within the
requirements and methods proper to theology, are invited to seek
continually for more suitable ways of communicating doctrine to the men
of their times; for the deposit of Faith or the truths are one thing
and the manner in which they are enunciated, in the same meaning and
understanding, is another.[134] In pastoral care, sufficient use
must be made not only of theological principles, but also of the
findings of the secular sciences, especially of psychology and
sociology, so that the faithful may be brought to a more adequate and
mature life of faith.
Literature and the arts are also, in their own way, of great
importance to the life of the Church. They strive to make known the
proper nature of man, his problems and his experiences in trying to
know and perfect both himself and the world. They have much to do with
revealing mans place in history and in the world; with illustrating the
miseries and joys, the needs and strengths of man and with
foreshadowing 1 better life for him. The they are able to elevate
human life, expressed in multifold forms according to various times and
regions.
Efforts must be made so that those who foster these arts feel that the
Church recognizes their activity and so that, enjoying orderly
liberty, they may initiate more friendly relations with the Christian
community. The Church acknowledges also new forms of art which are
adapted to our age and are in keeping with the characteristics of
various nations and regions. They may be brought into the sanctuary
since they raise the mind to God, once the manner of expression is
adapted and they are conformed to liturgical requirements[135]
Thus the knowledge of God is better manifested and the preaching of
the Gospel becomes clearer to human intelligence and shows itself to be
relevant to man's actual conditions of life.
May the faithful, therefore, live in very close union with the other
men of their time and may they strive to understand perfectly their way
of thinking and judging, as expressed in their culture. Let them
blend new sciences and theories and the understanding of the most recent
discoveries with Christian morality and the teaching of Christian
doctrine, so that their religious culture and morality may keep pace
with scientific knowledge and with the constantly progressing
technology. Thus they will be able to interpret and evaluate all
things in a truly Christian spirit.
Let those who teach theology in seminaries and universities strive to
collaborate with men versed in the other sciences through a sharing of
their resources and points of view. Theological inquiry should pursue
a profound understanding of revealed truth; at the same time it should
not neglect close contact with its own time that it may be able to help
these men skilled in various disciplines to attain to a better
understanding of the faith. This common effort will greatly aid the
formation of priests, who will be able to present to our contemporaries
the doctrine of the Church concerning God, man and the world, in a
manner more adapted to them so that they may receive it more
willingly.[136] Furthermore, it is to be hoped that many of the
laity will receive a sufficient formation in the sacred sciences and
that some will dedicate themselves professionally to these studies,
developing and deepening them by their own labors. In order that they
may fulfill their function, let it be recognized that all the
faithful, whether clerics or laity, possess a lawful freedom of
inquiry, freedom of thought and of expressing their mind with humility
and fortitude in those matters on which they enjoy competence.[137]
|
|