We are seeing in the Catholic news stories of a popular evangelist priest who has resigned due to accusations that he says cannot be cleared. His ministry on hold he resigned his priesthood claiming he did not often celebrate the sacraments anyway.
Many in response are bringing up Padre Pio and others who were falsely accused. Let me bring up another priest far more controversial than Padre Pio who was silenced by the Vatican but died a priest; that man was Fr. Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, S.J.
It was Fr. Teilhard a priest/scientist (paleontology) who had first discovered that Christianity and Evolution were not mutually exclusive. He began to write his theories and submitted them to the Vatican for approval. They were not approved. He was then allowed by the Vatican to teach, but not to publish. Imagine the heartbreak of the scientist who could not publish his research, but more importantly, imagine that scientist obeying. He did indeed. If you read any of Fr. Teilhard's materials you will see that a large majority of it was published after his death exactly for this reason.
Who was the mean ogre who would not allow this man to publish his works? Well, he was not a mean ogre at all, indeed, he used to spend two hours and forty minutes daily before the Blessed Sacrament. It was his tithe to God. His name: Cardinal Merry del Valle.
Cardinal Merry Del Valle's concern was that Fr. Teilhard could not give a good explanation between evolution and original sin. He tried but could not that is obvious in his work.
The prohibition to publish extended right to his death. However, it is one of the most graced moments in the Church.
Did Fr. Teilhard get things wrong. Absolutely, but don't all those who begin a whole school of thought? Many Psychiatrists today don't hold much weight for some of the teachings of Freud, but it was Freud who began the school of Psychiatry.
Fr. Teilhard got some things right. Indeed, because of his early teachings we can now adjust his ideas to see how original sin plays a powerful place in evolution and theology. Indeed, as a Catholic, I cannot imagine atheism, for evolution teaches me that the atheist must believe he can perceive all things in order to declare there is no god and evolution demonstrates that this is just not possible. Evolution does not disprove Christianity, indeed through evolution I can explain Christ's death and resurrection in a historically, theologically and scientifically accurate way that shows that yes, we are following the Way, the Truth and the Light.
Fr. Teilhard also demonstrated many things that affect us everyday. He taught that we define ourselves by our choices. You may say that is nice, but not realize how serious that teaching is. It especially affects us around November and December. Why? because that is the time we choose what to eat at Thanksgiving and Christmas? No, that is when we do a lot of Christmas shopping. One thing on shopping lists is video games. What video games do you buy your children? Remember we define ourselves by our choices. The action may be going on in the virtual world, but the player is in the real world where he his makes decisions. Remember that when you are looking for a video game for yourself or your children. What choices must they make when they are playing that game?
Fr. Teilhard suffered his silencing right to his death, but he obeyed. His submission taught much to us because others could come and fill the holes that he could not. He taught obedience to the Church and taught correctly. The Holy Spirit brought fruit to His actions.
Recently, Pope Benedict XVI taught that we as Catholics have never looked upon the early chapters of Genesis as mechanistic explanations of creation. He opened the door further to what those who know of Teilhard understood long ago. Evolution and Christianity are not mutually exclusive, indeed it is a natural process biologically, but spiritually and culturally requires our participation by our decisions. If we decide for Christ we grow in a process led by the Holy Spirit, if we decide against Christ spiritually we will devolve and culturally we will as well. Those who take evolution to be completely random cannot understand this, but those led by the Spirit do and see it happening everyday.
It all begins with a priest who recognized the need to obey Christ's church despite the pain and sacrifice it caused.
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