Humani Generis

[simple_soul]

Hi every one. I am wondering about this encyclical and if any one know anything about it or if they could tell me what exactly is an encyclical and how does it effect our walk in faith. Is it like a dogma or an infalible teaching on faith and morals that the current Pope is of the same mind and understandings. I am still having a hard time grasping what teachings apply to us today and what teachings applied to the time period that it was written in.
Not sure if this is the correct forum to put it in so my apologies to the moderators if it is not in the correct forum. Please move it to the correct forum if it does not belong in this one.

Here is the full document from the Vatican

vatican.va/holy_father/pius_xii/encyclicals/documents/hf_p-xii_enc_12081950_humani-generis_en.html

 

[simple_soul]

I was mainly wondering about this quote;

Finally, they reproach this philosophy taught in our schools for regarding only the intellect in the process of cognition, while neglecting the function of the will and the emotions. This is simply not true. Never has Christian philosophy denied the usefulness and efficacy of good dispositions of soul for perceiving and embracing moral and religious truths. In fact, it has always taught that the lack of these dispositions of good will can be the reason why the intellect, influenced by the passions and evil inclinations, can be so obscured that it cannot see clearly. Indeed St. Thomas holds that the intellect can in some way perceive higher goods of the moral order, whether natural or supernatural, inasmuch as it experiences a certain “connaturality” with these goods, whether this “connaturality” be purely natural, or the result of grace;[10] and it is clear how much even this somewhat obscure perception can help the reason in its investigations. However it is one thing to admit the power of the dispositions of the will in helping reason to gain a more certain and firm knowledge of moral truths; it is quite another thing to say, as these innovators do, indiscriminately mingling cognition and act of will, that the appetitive and affective faculties have a certain power of understanding, and that man, since he cannot by using his reason decide with certainty what is true and is to be accepted, turns to his will, by which he freely chooses among opposite opinions. – Humani Generis

I have always understood that it is only through the Grace of God that one would convert to the Catholic church. Is this part of Humani Generis saying other wise? In other words is it saying one can convert to the Catholic Faith through just reason with no Grace from God being involved?

 

[Ad_Orientem]

No, he’s not saying that. If you follow the footnote to the second reference, Summa Theologica IIb, Q45, a2, St. Thomas states:

. . . it belongs to the wisdom that is an intellectual virtue to pronounce right judgment about Divine things after reason has made its inquiry, but it belongs to wisdom as a gift of the Holy Ghost to judge aright about them on account of connaturality with them.
. . . Now this sympathy or connaturality for Divine things is the result of charity, which unites us to God, according to 1 Corinthians 6:17: “He who is joined to the Lord, is one spirit.” Consequently wisdom which is a gift, has its cause in the will, which cause is charity, but it has its essence in the intellect, whose act is to judge aright, as stated above (I-II, 14, 1).

To answer your more general question, encyclicals treat of various issues of the day, so in that sense they can become outdated, but they also generally contain teaching which is applicable beyond the time in which they were written.

They are not of themselves infallible, but they may contain infallible teaching. But even to the non-infallible parts we owe deference, and should abide by it until a document of equal or greater authority says otherwise.

 

[edwest2]

It all still applies. When the Pope is speaking about “innovators,” he is speaking about a common problem that still exists today, and which has been made worse with the internet where opinions sometimes turn into facts. He references the many years of study of the Bible by those far more educated and equipped than the average person. While he sternly points out the great need for prudence, he does this so that there is no doubt that the Teaching Authority of the Church rests with the Church, and that spreading certain ideas can cause harm to the faithful

The basic human being and a desire to “innovate” have not changed since it was written.

Peace,
Ed