{"id":4377,"date":"2013-09-27T08:06:00","date_gmt":"2013-09-27T08:06:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.catholicnewsagency.com\/news\/benedict-xvi-assures-atheist-of-need-for-frank-dialogue\/"},"modified":"2013-09-27T08:06:00","modified_gmt":"2013-09-27T08:06:00","slug":"benedict-xvi-assures-atheist-of-need-for-frank-dialogue","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/2013\/09\/benedict-xvi-assures-atheist-of-need-for-frank-dialogue\/","title":{"rendered":"Benedict XVI assures atheist of need for frank dialogue"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

Vatican City, Sep 27, 2013 \/ 02:06 am (CNA\/EWTN News<\/a>).- In a letter to Italian mathematician Piergiorgio Odifreddi, who is an atheist, the former Pope, Benedict XVI, affirmed the professor's desire for open and honest dialogue as the path to truth.<\/p>\n

\t\u201cFrankness is a part of dialogue; only in this way can knowledge increase,\u201d the emeritus Pope reflected in his 11-page letter, portions of which were published Sept. 24 in Italian daily \u201cla Repubblica.\u201d<\/p>\n

\tOdifreddi received the letter Sept. 3, and publicized portions of it with Benedict's permission. He explained that the letter is an engagement with his 2011 work, \u201cDear Pope, I'm writing to you.\u201d The book, which is an introduction to atheism and a refutation of Benedict's 1968 work \u201cIntroduction to Christianity,\u201d was given to Benedict by a mutual friend of Odifreddi and Archbishop Georg Ganswein.<\/p>\n

\t\u201cBut that he could respond, and also comment on it profoundly, was beyond reasonable hope,\u201d Odifreddi said in his blog post introducing Benedict's letter. He described receiving the former Pope's letter as surprising and quite emotional for him, particularly since \u201catheism regards reason, while personalities and symbols of power act on feelings.\u201d<\/p>\n

\tHe described Benedict XVI as having taken seriously his arguments and not ignoring them, for which he is thankful. He read Benedict's \u201cIntroduction to Christianity\u201d and realized that his \u201cfaith and teaching \u2026 in contrast to those of others, were sufficiently cohesive\u201d to engage with serious dialogue.<\/p>\n

\tOdifreddi said his book was \u201cobviously, not meant 'to convert the Pope,' but to honestly explain the perplexities\u201d he has regarding faith. He noted that the result has been \u201ca dialogue between faith and reason\u201d that has \u201callowed both to frankly confront\u201d the other, as Benedict had called for in his 2009 Christmas address to the Roman Curia, when he called for dialogue with \u201cthose to whom religion is something foreign \u2026 who nevertheless do not want to be left merely Godless, but rather to draw near to him, albeit as the Unknown.\u201d<\/p>\n

\tThe atheist mathematician noted that while he and Benedict are \u201cdivided on nearly everything,\u201d they are \u201cunited at least on one objective: the search for Truth, with a capital T.\u201d<\/p>\n

\tBenedict began his letter by thanking Odifreddi for his sincere and just engagement with \u201cIntroduction to Christianity\u201d and with his faith, which he said was \u201cprecisely and in great part what I had intended\u201d by his 2009 Christmas address to his curia.<\/p>\n

\tThe emeritus Pope's own frankness was displayed by his \u201cmixed\u201d opinion of Odifreddi's book, which he called at points enjoyable and profitable, but also at times \u201caggressive\u201d and \u201creckless.\u201d<\/p>\n

\tBenedict took issue with Odifreddi's characterization of theology as \u201cscience fiction.\u201d He defended theology as a field of genuine knowledge and truth by noting that different fields have different criteria of knowledge, and that mathematics cannot be the standard for other sciences; that theology has produced lasting results; and that science itself has had its own strains of \u201cscience fiction.\u201d<\/p>\n

\tHe also pointed out that an important function of theology is \u201cto maintain a link between religion and reason\u201d and vice versa. \u201cBoth functions are of essential importance for humanity,\u201d he noted, because \u201cthere exist pathologies of religion and \u2013 no less perilous \u2013 pathologies of reason. Each needs the other, and to keep them continually connected is an importance competence of theology.\u201d<\/p>\n

\tBenedict also took issue with Odifreddi's \u201costentatious\u201d presentation of clerical sex abuse as \u201ca filth peculiar to Catholicism.\u201d Agreeing that the scandal is of \u201cdeep concern\u201d and that it is a \u201csuffering \u2026 that the power of evil should penetrate to such an extent in the inner world of faith,\u201d he pointed out that such abuse is not specific to priests.<\/p>\n

\tHe added that while there are gravely immoral acts committed by Church members, the \u201cgreat shining path of goodness and purity\u201d also found in the Church cannot be forgotten. He pointed out the examples of Saints Benedict, Francis and Clare of Assisi, Teresa of Avila, John of the Cross, Vincent de Paul, and Mother Teresa, saying that \u201cit is true today also that the faith leads many persons to selfless love, at the service of others, to sincerity and to justice.\u201d<\/p>\n

\tNext, Benedict defended the historicity of Jesus Christ, and added that while the historical-critical method of exegesis can be abused, as was stressed by 19th century Russian theologian Vladimir Soloviev, it is \u201cnecessary for a faith which does not propose myths by using historical images, but calls for a true history and therefore must present the historical reality of its claims in a scientific way.\u201d<\/p>\n

\tThe former Pope then found more common ground with Odifreddi in their treatment of the prologue to John's Gospel \u2013 while still finding shortcomings in the atheist's interpretations.<\/p>\n

\t\u201cIn your religion of mathematics,\u201d Benedict wrote, \u201cthree fundamental themes of human existence are not considered: freedom, love, and evil.\u201d<\/p>\n

\t\u201cWhatever neurobiology may say or not say about freedom, in the real drama of our history it is present as a determining reality and must be taken into consideration. Yet your mathematical religion knows nothing about evil.\u201d<\/p>\n

\t\u201cA religion that ignores these fundamental questions remains hollow.\u201d<\/p>\n

\tBenedict concluded by saying his criticism of Odifreddi's book was \u201ctough in part,\u201d but went on to say that only this frank attitude to dialogue can lead to a mutual discovery of Truth.<\/p>\n

\t\u201cIn any case, however, I value very highly the fact that you, through your engagement with my 'Introduction to Christianity', have sought such an open dialogue with the faith of the Catholic Church and that, notwithstanding all the contrasts, at the central part, there is no lack of convergences.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n<\/a>\n<\/div>\n

<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Vatican City, Sep 27, 2013 \/ 02:06 am (CNA\/EWTN News).- In a letter to Italian mathematician Piergiorgio Odifreddi, who is an atheist, the former Pope, Benedict XVI, affirmed the professor's desire for open and honest dialogue as the path to truth….<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1031,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4377","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-vatican"],"yoast_head":"\nBenedict XVI assures atheist of need for frank dialogue<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Vatican City, Sep 27, 2013 \/ 02:06 am (CNA\/EWTN News).- In a letter to Italian mathematician Piergiorgio Odifreddi, who is an atheist, the former Pope, Benedict XVI, affirmed the professor's desire for open and honest dialogue as the path to truth....\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, 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