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Pope Benedict XVI- General Audiences |
General
Audience
On Christ, the New Adam
"God Himself Has Entered History As New Source of Goodness"
H.H. Benedict XVI
December 3, 2008
www.zenit.org
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
In today's catechesis we reflect on the relationship between Adam and
Christ, delineated by St. Paul in the well-known page of the Letter to
the Romans (5:12-21), in which he instructs the Church on the essential
lines of the doctrine of original sin. In fact, already in the First
Letter to the Corinthians, referring to faith in the resurrection, Paul
introduced the encounter between our forefather and Christ: "For as in
Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive ... The first
man Adam became a living being"; the last Adam became a life-giving
spirit" (1 Corinthians 15:22.45). With Romans 5:12-21, the encounter
between Christ and Adam is more articulated and illuminating: Paul
reviews the history of salvation from Adam to the Law and from the
latter to Christ. Adam is not at the center of the scene with the
consequences of sin on humanity, but Jesus Christ and grace that,
through him, was poured in abundance on humanity. The repetition of "all
the more" in regard to Christ underlines how the gift received in Him
surpasses by far Adam's sin and the consequences brought on mankind, so
that Paul can add at the end: "But where sin increased, grace abounded
all the more" (Romans 5:20). Hence, the encounter Paul traces between
Adam and Christ brings to light the inferiority of the first man
vis-à-vis the prevalence of the second.
On the other hand, it is appropriate to make evident the incommensurable
gift of grace in Christ that Paul attributes to Adam's sin: It could be
said that if it were not to demonstrate the centrality of grace, he
would not have hesitated to discuss sin that "came into the world
through one man and death through sin" (Romans 5:12). Because of this
if, in the faith of the Church the awareness matured of the dogma of
original sin it is because it is indissolubly connected with the other
dogma, that of salvation and freedom in Christ. The consequence of this
is that we must never treat the sin of Adam and of humanity in a way
that is detached from the salvific context, namely, without
understanding it on the horizon of justification in Christ.
However, as men of today we must ask ourselves: What is this original
sin? What does St. Paul teach, what does the Church teach? Is this
doctrine still tenable today? Many think that, in the light of the
history of evolution, there is no longer a place for the doctrine of a
first sin, which then spread to the whole history of humanity. And,
consequently, the question of the Resurrection and of the Redeemer would
also lose its foundation. So, does original sin exist or not? To be able
to respond we must distinguish two aspects of the doctrine on original
sin. There is an empirical aspect, namely, a concrete, visible, I would
say tangible reality for all, and a mysterious aspect, regarding the
ontological foundation of this fact. The empirical fact is that there is
a contradiction in our being. On one hand, every man knows that he must
do good and he profoundly wants to do so. However, at the same time, he
also feels the other impulse to do the contrary, to follow the path of
egoism, violence, of doing only what pleases him even while knowing that
he is acting against the good, against God and against his neighbor. In
his Letter to the Romans Saint Paul expressed this contradiction in our
being thus: "I can will what is right, but I cannot do it. For I do not
do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I do" (7:18-19).
This interior contradiction of our being is not a theory. Each one of us
experiences it every day. And above all we always see around us the
prevalence of this second will. Suffice it to think of the daily news on
injustice, violence, falsehood, lust. We see it every day: It is a fact.
As a consequence of this power of evil in our souls, a filthy river has
developed in history, which poisons the geography of human history. The
great French thinker Blaise Pascal spoke of a "second nature," which is
superimposed on our original good nature. This "second nature" makes
evil appear as normal for man. Thus even the usual expression: "this is
human" has a double meaning. "This is human" might mean: This man is
good, he really acts as a man should act. However, "this is human" might
also mean falsehood: Evil is normal, it is human. Evil seems to have
become a second nature. This contradiction of the human being, of our
history should provoke, and provokes even today, the desire for
redemption. And, in fact, the desire that the world be changed and the
promise that a world be created of justice, peace, goodness is present
everywhere: In politics, for example, all speak of this need to change
the world, to create a more just world. It is precisely this expression
of the desire that there be a liberation from the contradiction we
experience in ourselves.
Hence, the fact of the power of evil in the human heart and in human
history is undeniable. The question is: How is this evil explained? In
the history of thought, except for the Christian faith, there is a
principal model of explanation, with several variations. This model
says: being itself is contradictory, it bears within it good and evil.
In ancient times this idea implied the opinion that two equally original
principles existed: a good principle and an evil principle. This dualism
was insurmountable; the two principles are on the same level, hence
there will always be, from the origin of being, this contradiction. The
contradiction of our being, therefore, reflects only the contrariety of
two divine principles, so to speak. In the evolutionist, atheist version
of the world the same vision returns in a new way. Even if, in such a
concession, the vision of being is monistic, it is implied that being as
such from the beginning bears in itself evil and good. Being itself is
not simply good, but open to good and evil. Evil is equally original as
good, and human history would develop only the model already present in
the whole of the preceding evolution. That which we Christians call
original sin is in reality only the mixed character of being, a mixture
of good and evil, according to this theory, it belonged to the very
fabric of being. Deep down, it is a despairing vision: If it is so, evil
is invincible. In the end, only self-interest matters. And every
progress would necessarily have to be paid for with a river of evil and
whoever wishes to serve progress must accept to pay this price.
Politics, deep down, is based precisely on these premises: And we see
the effects. This modern thought can, in the end, only create sadness
and cynicism.
And so we ask again: What does faith say, as witnessed by St. Paul? As a
first point, it confirms the fact of the competition between the two
natures, the fact of this evil whose shadow weighs on the whole of
creation. We heard Chapter 7 of the Letter to the Romans, we can add
Chapter 8. Evil simply exists. As explanation, in contrast with the
dualisms and monisms that we considered briefly and found desolating,
faith tells us: There are two mysteries of light and one mystery of
night, which is, however, shrouded by the mysteries of light. The first
mystery of light is this: Faith tells us that there are not two
principles, one good and one evil, but only one principle, the creator
God, and this principle is good, only good, without a shadow of evil. As
well, being is not a mixture of good and evil; being as such is good and
because of this it is good to be, it is good to live. This is the happy
proclamation of faith: there is only one good source, the Creator. And
because of this, to live is good, it is a good thing to be a man, a
woman, life is good. Then a mystery of darkness, of night follows. Evil
does not come from the source of being itself, it is not equally
original. Evil comes from a created liberty, from an abused liberty.
How was this possible, how did it happen? This remains obscure. Evil is
not logical. Only God and the good are logical, are light. Evil remains
mysterious. It has been presented in great images, as does chapter 3 of
Genesis, with the vision of two trees, of the serpent, of sinful man. A
great image that makes us guess, but it cannot explain how much in
itself is illogical. We can guess, not explain; nor can we recount it as
a fact next to another, because it is a more profound reality. It
remains a mystery of darkness, of night. However, a mystery of light is
immediately added. Evil comes from a subordinate source. With his light,
God is stronger and, because of this, evil can be overcome. Therefore,
the creature, man, is curable.; but if evil comes only from a
subordinate source, it remains true that man is curable. And the Book of
Wisdom says: "the creatures of the world are wholesome" (1:14).
And finally, the last point, man is not only curable, he is in fact
cured. God has introduced healing. He entered in person into history. To
the permanent source of evil he has opposed a source of pure good.
Christ crucified and risen, the new Adam, opposed the filthy river of
evil with a river of light. And this river is present in history: We see
the saints, the great saints but also the humble saints, the simple
faithful. We see that the river of light that comes from Christ is
present, is strong.
Brothers and sisters, it is the time of Advent. In the language of the
Church the word Advent has two meanings: presence and expectation.
Presence: The light is present, Christ is the new Adam, he is with us
and in our midst. The light already shines and we must open the eyes of
the heart to see the light and to enter the river of light. Above all to
be grateful for the fact that God himself has entered history as new
source of goodness. But Advent also means expectation. The dark night of
evil is still strong. And that is why we pray in Advent with the ancient
people of God: "Rorate caeli desuper." And we pray with insistence: Come
Jesus; come, give force to light and goodness; come where falsehood,
ignorance of God, violence and injustice dominate; come, Lord Jesus,
give force to the good of the world and help us to be bearers of your
light, agents of peace, witnesses of truth. Come Lord Jesus!
[The Holy Father then greeted pilgrims in several languages. In English,
he said:]
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
In our continuing catechesis on Saint Paul, we now consider the
Apostle's teaching on the relation between Adam, the first man, and
Christ, the second Adam (cf. 1 Corinthians 15:22.45; Romans 5:12-21).
Paul's teaching on the sin of Adam and its disastrous consequences for
the human family is meant to emphasize the surpassing gift of grace
bestowed on humanity by Jesus Christ. Seen in this light, the doctrine
of original sin explains the misery of our human condition, yet Paul
also underlines the moral responsibility of each man and woman for this
tragic reality. "All have sinned," the Apostle tells us, "and all fall
short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23). Yet now, by faith in Christ,
we have been justified and are at peace with God (cf. Romans 5:1).
Christ, the new Adam, by his obedience to the Father's will, has set
mankind free from the ancient burden of sin and death. In Baptism, he
has given us a share in his saving death and resurrection, and made us
adoptive children of the Father.
The new life and freedom which we have received by the grace of Christ
impels us to bear witness to the sure hope that all creation will be
freed from its bondage to corruption, and share in the glorious freedom
of the children of God (cf. Romans 8:19ff.).
I am pleased to greet all the English-speaking pilgrims and visitors
present in today's Audience, especially those from Malta, Australia,
South Korea and the United States of America. Upon you and your families
I cordially invoke an abundance of joy and peace in our Lord Jesus
Christ.
[In Italian, he said:]
Finally I direct an affectionate thought to young people, the sick and
newlyweds. Dear young people, I invite you to rediscover, in the
spiritual climate of Advent, intimacy with Christ, placing yourselves in
the school of the Virgin Mary. I recommend to you, dear sick people, to
spend this period of waiting and incessant prayer, offering to the Lord
who is coming your sufferings for the salvation of the world. Finally, I
exhort you, dear newlyweds, to be builders of genuine Christian
families, being inspired in the model of the Holy Family of Nazareth,
whom you should look to particularly in this time of preparation for
Christmas.
© Copyright 2008 -- Libreria Editrice Vaticana
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