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worth noting . . .
worth noting . . .
RESURRECTION AND TRUTH . . . During this month of April 2000 we celebrate the feast of Easter which commemorates the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. Jesus was born, he lived, he died on the cross on Calvary, but he rose again on the third day with his human body intact and alive. As Christians we believe that this really happened and we base our way of living on this truth. In this issue Professor Eduardo J. Echeverria, who teaches seminarians in Missouri, presents the arguments that prove the reality of the resurrection. It is not a myth or a fable or a clever story. This is good reading for Easter Sunday (p. 6).
POPE PIUS XII AND THE JEWS . . . Ever since the appearance of Rolf Hochuth’s play
The Deputy in the early 1960s enemies of the Church have been spreading lies and
distortions about the conduct of Pope Pius XII vis-a-vis Hitler and the Nazi persecution
of the Jews and others. The lies have been refuted by great scholars such as Fr. Robert
Graham, S.J., but they keep popping up again in various forms. In this issue I am happy to
bring you an article by Sr. Margherita Marchione, Ph.D. on this very material. In
particular, she points out the lies and errors about Pope Pius XII in John Cornwell’s
recent book entitled, Hitler’s Pope: The Secret History of Pius XII. Sr. Margherita
does not fit the secular stereotype of the traditional nun
(p. 13).
ONE HIGH PRIEST AND MANY PRIESTS . . . What is the identity of the Catholic priest? That is an important question not only today, but for all time. In this issue Dr. Peter A. Kwasniewski, a young Catholic scholar now teaching in Austria, answers the question by showing that the ordained priest shares in, or participates in the priesthood of Jesus Christ, who is our High Priest and Mediator between God and men. The fact that Jesus was a male is not something that can be ignored; it is an essential part of his basic makeup. Kwasniewski then argues that it is theologically impossible for a woman to be ordained to the Catholic priesthood (p. 21).
SCIENCE AND RELIGION . . . There is a huge difference between natural science and “scientism” or scientistic belief. One has to do with establishing facts about the material world around us. The other has to do with the philosophical interpretation of those facts. A common ploy today is to peddle false philosophy under the guise of true science. This is a serious matter for the Church because false ideas about the world lead to false ideas about the Catholic faith. In this issue you will find a profound article on this matter by a scientist who is a believing Catholic, Dr. Wolfgang Smith. This one will tax your brain power but you will find it rewarding (p. 30).—K.B.
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