"Reason always stands in need of being purified by faith..."

[MariaChristi]

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Continuing Pope Benedict XVI’s Encyclical, “Caritas in veritate”:

1. The Christian religion and other religions can offer their contribution to development only if God has a place in the public realm, specifically in regard to its cultural, social, economic, and particularly its political dimensions. The Church’s social doctrine came into being in order to claim “citizenship status” for the Christian religion. Denying the right to profess one’s religion in public and the right to bring the truths of faith to bear upon public life has negative consequences for true development. The exclusion of religion from the public square — and, at the other extreme, religious fundamentalism — hinders an encounter between persons and their collaboration for the progress of humanity. Public life is sapped of its motivation and politics takes on a domineering and aggressive character. Human rights risk being ignored either because they are robbed of their transcendent foundation or because personal freedom is not acknowledged. Secularism and fundamentalism exclude the possibility of fruitful dialogue and effective cooperation between reason and religious faith. Reason always stands in need of being purified by faith: this also holds true for political reason, which must not consider itself omnipotent. For its part, religion always needs to be purified by reason in order to show its authentically human face. Any breach in this dialogue comes only at an enormous price to human development.

The above brief paragraph says much, yet it is good to continue with this next paragraph to better amplify and better understand the depth of Pope Benedict’s words:

1. Fruitful dialogue between faith and reason cannot but render the work of charity more effective within society, and it constitutes the most appropriate framework for promoting fraternal collaboration between believers and non-believers in their shared commitment to working for justice and the peace of the human family…

Let us, please continue to pray the Rosary for Peace in our world. October begins the Month of the Holy Rosary and if you have never begun the habit of praying a daily Rosary, please consider it, as we come near the end of this 100th Anniversary Year of Mary’s Apparitions at Fatima.

During the 6th and last appariton at Fatima, when the child Lucia asked, “Will you tell me your name?” Mary answered “I am the Lady of the Rosary”.