worth noting . . .

MARRIAGE OF MARY TO JOSEPH . . . In the past many spiritual writers have claimed that Mary and Joseph planned to enter into a celibate marriage. In this issue Dom Bernard Orchard, O.S.B., a noted English scripture scholar, disagrees with that view and argues that Mary and Joseph both intended to enter into a traditional Jewish marriage. Since he was of the house of David, their son might be the expected Messiah. God had prepared both of them by his grace for their vocation to be the mother and foster father of the Messiah and Son of God. Fr. Orchard argues that the angel Gabriel appeared to Mary shortly before the home-taking ceremony. This is an article for reflection and meditation. Part II follows in November.

THE AUTONOMOUS MODERN MAN . . . The word “modern” is like soft wax — you can mold it any way you want. The modern way of looking at reality probably started in the 16th and 17th centuries. One important aspect of modernity is that it is man-centered rather than reality-centered or God-centered. In this issue Fr. James V. Schall, S.J., well-known to our readers, thoughtfully examines the notion of modernity and points out that it is reason defining reality on the basis of what can be known by reason alone, thus excluding even the possibility of a revelation from God about why man and the world exist. Fr. Schall sees the modern world dominated by will.

CHILDREN ARE THE PURPOSE OF MARRIAGE . . . Many Americans look upon children as a right or an option that they can either choose or reject, depending on whether or not they fit into their “lifestyle.” In this issue Kenneth L. Davison, Jr., shows that, according to Church teaching, children are the primary purpose of marriage. In particular, he refutes the modern assumption that marriage is primarily for the personal “fulfillment” of the spouses and that children are only an added luxury if they choose to have one or at the most two. The modern view flatly rejects the teaching of Church and Bible that God established marriage for the purpose of filling earth and heaven with new immortal persons.

CARDINAL RATZINGER UNDER FIRE . . . There is no doubt that Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger is one of the most powerful men in the Church at the present time. A recent biography attempts to portray him in a dark light — as a power-hungry Cardinal who was formed in totalitarian methods in the Nazi regime under which he grew up. In this issue Fr. Vincent Twomey, S.V.D., a theologian and former student of Ratzinger when he was a professor at the University of Regensburg, offers us a calm and objective analysis of the book by John L. Allen (Continuum, 2000). Granting that there is some valuable information in the book, at the same time Fr. Twomey shows that the author distorts the Cardinal’s views on many points and omits much pertinent material. — K.B.