Humani generis

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Coat of arms of Pope Pius XII.

The encyclical Humani generis was written by Pope Pius XII. published on August 12, 1950 . It is considered the last of the four important theological encyclicals of his pontificate, after Mystici corporis on the Church, Divino afflante Spiritu on the Bible (both 1943) and Mediator Dei on the liturgy (1947), which are frequently cited by Vatican II . The four most important constitutions of the council reflect the teachings of Pius XII. and continue them: Lumen Gentium , Dei Verbum , Sacrosanctum Concilium and also Gaudium et SpesThe latter, the pastoral constitution of 1965, attempted a change of style away from the warning statement (as in Humani generis ) towards a positive position determination. In the opinion of many, this attempt had become necessary because the warning doctrinal statements of the papacy appeared as a voice for the endangered present of too little scope.

history

The encyclical Humani generis is sometimes seen in the context of the modernism dispute within the Catholic Church. The Pope Pius XII. The challenged teachings, insofar as they are linked to modernism, have essentially already been condemned by Pope Pius X in his encyclical Pascendi and in the instruction of the Holy Office Lamentabili , both of 1907. However, Pius XII speaks. no more explicit teaching condemnations. In this respect, Humani generis also marks a turning point: doctrinal condemnations by the papal office have only been rare since the Second Vatican Council (1962–1965). The encyclical does not use the term “modernism”, since the Church Magisterium uses it to refer exclusively to the crisis of 1907. Also of Pius XII. 1954 canonized predecessor Pius X is nowhere explicitly quoted. With this, the author of Humani generis made it clear that he was dealing with new phenomena that cannot simply be assigned the term “modernism”.

content

Humani generis deals with modern philosophical theses and rejects, for example, the doctrine of the origin of species ( evolution ) insofar as it leaves the soil of exact science and is elevated to a worldview. Existentialism , historicism (this means historicism ), rationalism , irenism , immanentism , idealism and relativism are used as forms of expression of a basic attitude that is hostile to revelation and therefore as a danger for the Catholic. Dogmatics assessed. Pius XII. defends the General Councils and affirms the Catholic claim to proclaim the truth of Jesus Christ. He contrasts the above-mentioned teachings with ' divine revelation ' as the origin of faith , also as the origin of the church's teaching office .

The encyclical does not judge the scientific aspects of evolution, but deals with the monistic and pantheistic tendencies of an evolutionary ideology. Against existentialism , Humani generis , like the Second Vatican Council and the subsequent Popes, holds fast to the fact that eternal truths can be safely recognized for man with reason. Against systematic idealism , church teaching asserts that knowledge is more receiving than producing. The Pope also criticizes contemporary ethical pragmatism .

rating

The encyclical was not unexpected and is directed “not primarily against individual deviations, but against basic attitudes”; Humani generis offers much that is positive about nature and the supernatural, revelation, the relationship between speculative and positive theology, the value of reason and Christian philosophy, the nature of the magisterium, exegesis. “ Humani generis is still relevant today, ” wrote the dogmatist and Jesuit Sebastian Tromp in the 1960s. A final classification of the encyclical, which from today's perspective marked the final point of the modernism dispute of the first half of the 20th century, is still pending.

All in all, the markings that Humani generis set remained decisive for the subsequent teaching activities of the Church (Council and Popes). With regard to the relationship between faith and reason, Pope John Paul II refers to the encyclical Fides et ratio et al. a. to Humani generis .

literature

  • David Berger (ed.): The encyclical "Humani generis" Pope Pius' XII. , History, Doctrine and Actuality of a Prophetic Textbook. With a foreword by Leo Scheffcyzk, Editiones Una Voce, Cologne 2000.
  • Karl Heinz Neufeld : Fundamental theology in the changed world , in: Journal for Catholic Theology 100 (1978), pp. 417-440.

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Accedit falsus quidam "historicism", qui solis humanae vitae eventibus inhaerens, cuiusvis veritatis legisque absolutae fundamenta subvertit, cum ad res philosophicas tum ad christiana etiam dogmata quod attinet.