Prof. Stewart Bate, Johannesburg

First Intervention

Introduction

Purpose of the Encyclical.

In his encyclical letter Dominum et Vivificantem, John Paul II remarks that there is, today, "a fresh discovery of God in his transcendent reality as infinite Spirit" (DeV 2). Yet this refreshment is rooted in a long tradition of faith in the Holy Spirit as "Lord and giver of life", a profession of faith made every time Christians say the Nicene creed. The encyclical draws from the heritage of the Council. "For the Conciliar texts, thanks to their teaching on the Church in herself and the Church in the world, move us to penetrate ever deeper into the Trinitarian mystery of God himself, through the Gospels, the Fathers and the liturgy: to the Father, through Christ, in the Holy Spirit" (DeV 2). The encyclical also acquires a particular significance as it prepares for the millennium Jubilee when "‘the words which will not pass away’ acquire a special eloquence" (DeV 2 cf Mt 24:35.).

The focus of the encyclical is pastoral illustrating the active presence of the Holy Spirit whose power compels the Church "to do her part towards the full realization of the will of God, who has established Christ as the source of salvation for the whole world" (DeV 2 citing LG17). The Spirit is a gift of the Father and the Son to the Church and to the world, a gift which helps people to discern between sin and righteousness bringing life in its fullness to the whole human family. In the activity of the Church "the Holy Spirit remains the transcendent principal agent of the accomplishment of this work in the human spirit and in the history of the world: the invisible and at the same time omnipresent Paraclete! The Spirit who ‘blows where he wills’" (DeV 42).

Jesus teaches that the Holy Spirit is "counsellor", "advocate" or "Paraclete", "the Spirit of truth", the one who will "continue in the world, through the Church, the work of the Good news of salvation" (DeV 3). He is teacher of "all things" and will remind you of "all that I said to you". (DeV 4) He will "continue to inspire the Gospel of salvation" and "help people to understand the correct meaning of the content of Christ’s message" (DeV 4). By guiding the Church "into all the truth" he ensures the Church’s continuing access to Jesus Christ "the supreme and most complete revelation of God to humanity" (DeV 5).

These phrases give a small indication of the pervasiveness of the Spirit’s presence in the life of the Church. They indicate aspects of the deep relationship between the Church and the Holy Spirit. The Spirit is not confined by the boundaries of the Church but the reverse is not true. Indeed the Church cannot exist without the Holy Spirit for as the Fathers continually pointed out, the Holy Spirit is the "Soul of the Church" (DeV 26 cf. fn. 96). This intimate bond permanently assures "the transmission and spreading of the Good News revealed by Jesus of Nazareth" (DeV 7).

The Spirit in the Trinity.

The early part of the encyclical concentrates on the place of the Holy Spirit in the Divine mystery both within the Holy Trinity and in the relationship between the Holy Spirit and the Word made flesh in the mission of Jesus The Trinity is revealed to us as love between persons who are one. The intimate life of God is a life of "the essential love shared by the three divine persons" (DeV 3). The Holy Spirit is identified as "personal love:" (DeV 10) who "searches even the depths of God as uncreated love gift" (DeV 10).

The divine logic is a self giving in love. We experience this love as the saving self giving of God to us. It is God as community ("Let us make man" Gen1:26) who creates humankind: "the first beginning of God's salvific self-giving commensurate with the ‘image and likeness’ of himself which he has granted to man" (DeV 12). In the death of Jesus on the cross we witness the self giving of Christ "which brings about the Redemption, in the power of the whole paschal mystery of Jesus Christ" (DeV 14). The Holy Spirit comes at the price of Christ’s departure to maintain an ongoing presence of God’s self giving as a "new beginning of the self-communication of the Triune God in the Holy Spirit through the work of Jesus Christ, the Redeemer of man and of the world" (DeV 14).

The love of the Holy Spirit is experienced by human beings as gift or grace (charis) for he is "love and uncreated gift from which derives as its source (fons vivus) all giving of gifts vis-a-vis creatures (created gift): the gift of existence to all things through creation; the gift of grace to human beings through the whole economy of salvation" (DeV 10). This powerful statement expresses the deep intimacy of gift in love to all people that is the presence of God’s Holy Spirit.

A major theme of the encyclical is an examination of the Spirit in the life of Jesus Christ. In DeV 15-18 the Pope recalls the Old Testament prophesies of the Messiah as they relate to the Holy Spirit. The very title Christ means the anointed one. Peter recalls the Jewish prophetic tradition as he speaks of God anointing Jesus with the Holy Spirit (Acts 10:37). This is a reference back to Isaiah who prophesied the coming of the Messiah on whom the "spirit of the Lord" will rest. (DeV 15-17 cf. Is 11:2; 61:1f). Jesus uses this latter text to articulate his own ministry (Lk 4:16). In DeV 18-24 we discover the manifold presence of the Spirit in the life and mission of Jesus. Jesus is conceived by the Holy Spirit (Lk 1:35). John the Baptist prophesies his coming as the one who will baptise with the Holy Spirit and with fire (Lk 3:16). In the theophany in the Jordan it is the Holy Spirit who comes upon Jesus in the form of a dove (3:22). And the same Spirit leads him into the desert to do battle with the devil in preparation for his ministry (4:1ff).

"On the threshold of the paschal events...[a] new, definitive revelation of the Holy Spirit as a Person who is the gift is accomplished" (DeV 23). In the upper room Jesus reveals the reality of the Holy Spirit as a person who will be given to the Apostles in order that the salvific work rooted in the sacrifice of the cross might continue as they serve the mission of God (DeV 23 cf 42). The coming of the Holy Spirit is enabled through the Resurrection when Jesus is revealed as "Son of God, ‘full of power’" (DeV 24). In this power the risen Lord opens the way for the sending of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost so that fear becomes courage "and this redemption is, at the same time constantly carried out in human hearts and minds - in the history of the world- by the Holy Spirit, who is the ‘other Counsellor’" (DeV 24).

Dominum et Vivificantem no. 44 provides a summary of the relationship between the Holy Spirit and the human conscience in the development of Christian morality. It makes four important points in developing this summary. These are:

All quotes come from this paragraph unless otherwise noted.

In a world of cultural diversity and secular modernity, the notion of sin and its existence is increasingly relegated to the private domain of personal choice and psychological disposition. The psychologising of human ontology is particularly problematic in this regard since sin and evil are dealt with in terms of psychological states such as psychosis and neurosis. There are obvious values in the knowledge provided by psychology but like any scientific discipline it only provides a partial window to the truth. The richness of the human spirit is also manifest in cultural and religious diversity but this richness can carry with it attitudes of privatisation which relativize truth. Then notions of sin and evil run the risk of becoming relegated to the world of personal and cultural opinion.

Pope John Paul makes a very clear statement about sin and evil. They are realities found within the world and not illusions or creations of the human psyche. "Jesus Christ spoke of the Holy Spirit as the one who bears witness that in human history sin continues to exist". This ontological affirmation impels us to seek the origin of sin if we are to understand its place and function. Sin is a reality which it is rooted in "man’s inmost being". In other words its origin can be traced to the origins of the human race. "The Holy Spirit reminds us, at the same time, of the hereditary sinfulness of human nature" a sinfulness which can be understood in terms of a "monumental struggle against the powers of darkness" which "pervades the whole history of man. The battle was joined from the very origins of the world and will continue until the last day, as the Lord has attested" (cf. GS 37).

Sin is a factor in human alienation. We are created in the image of God as "good" but we have rebelled against God’s will choosing death over life. Consequently, our humanity has become infected and we fall short of what human beings were originally created to be. Part of our human nature now is the participation in a conflict between desires for the higher life and the limitations of human weakness. Part of the work of the Holy Spirit is to connect us to the reality of our present condition so that we might not be duped into the illusion of an unreal world and thus be lost.

The Holy Spirit helps us to remain real by convincing us about sin not so that it might overwhelm us but so that we can be aware of the clear and present danger. In this the Holy Spirit brings us good news for awareness of the danger allows us to begin to deal with it. In this the Holy Spirit acts as principal agent of the good news of salvation (cf. R Mi 21) for he also reminds us of the power of the saving remedy won for us in the victory of the paschal mystery. For "the Holy Spirit the Counsellor ‘convinces concerning sin’ always in relation to the Cross of Christ". The Spirit who continually bears witness to Christ counsels us that "the Lord himself came to free and strengthen man." (GS 13). It is this process of relationship between the Holy Spirit and human persons which opens us to an ongoing conversion of the human heart. This is a relationship which grows and deepens within the human conscience.

In helping people to become aware of the existence of sin, the Holy Spirit witnesses to the good news of salvation from sin. "The Holy Spirit remains the transcendent principal agent of the accomplishment of this work in the human spirit and in the history of the world" (DeV 42). This is why the Holy Spirit "makes man realize his own evil and at the same time directs him toward what is good" (DeV 42). Now this process occurs within the human conscience which is the privileged place where the Spirit of God counsels and convinces the moral person. "The Spirit of truth comes into contact with the voice of human consciences". One could speak of being bathed in a kind of spiritual illumination which helps the vision of the truth of things to emerge. "In fidelity to conscience, Christians are joined with the rest of men in the search for truth, and for the genuine solution to the numerous problems which arise in the life of individuals from social relationships." (GS 16 cf DeV 42).

This is an affirmation that the Christian life is not an escape from the world but an attempt to live in the world according to the truth of the world, giving the world and all within it the dignity acquired from creation. That is why it is conscience which determines human dignity for "man has in his heart a law written by God; to obey it is the very dignity of man; according to it he will be judged. Conscience is the most secret core and sanctuary of a man. There he is alone with God, Whose voice echoes in his depths." (GS 16 cf DeV 43). Because the Holy Spirit is a person, our response to him must be both interpersonal and relational. In other words, the Spirit who speaks in our hearts evokes a response in us as we attempt to deepen our relationship with God. This is often referred to as the process of spiritual discernment and a necessary part of the Christian life. Discernment of God's will is a primary response of both individuals and communities to the prompting of the Spirit. Discernment of the presence of the Spirit (cf. DeV. 26) is our acknowledgment that we are guided by the Spirit (DeV. 25).

As counsellor and advocate the Holy Spirit helps us to a clearer vision and understanding of the reality of sin in our lives. But he also provides strength in power and grace for us to overcome sin. A person does not struggle alone. "Nor can he achieve his own interior integrity without valiant efforts and the help of God’s grace" (DeV 44 citing LG 37). The Holy Spirit is a healing remedy for sin. This is why Jesus breathes on the apostles saying receive the Holy Spirit, those whose sins you forgive are forgiven (cf Jn 20:22-23). The healing ministry that the Holy Spirit inspires in us gives a remedy for sin both in grace to help us fight and overcome our own sins and in power to minister to those who wish to be healed from the effects of sin. This is why the Vatican Council in commenting on the spiritual battle being waged within the history of human kind "never tires of reminding us of the possibility of victory" (DeV 44).

Flesh and Spirit

The spiritual battle between good and evil which is decisively won by Christ in the paschal mystery is played out within the depth of each person and in human communities from age to age ( DeV 44). In DeV 55, the Holy Father makes use of the Pauline terms "flesh" and "spirit" to describe the inner conflict which goes on in the struggle to live a moral life. It is important to realise that these are theological and anthropological terms whose technical meanings are somewhat different to the common understanding of the words. "Flesh", for example, does not refer to the soft substance between skin and bones in the body but rather describes a human tendency or inclination. This is the inclination which moves us towards sin and evil because of perceived advantages in that behaviour. Similarly, "Spirit", does not mean the same as the "spirit" of a person understood as the a non-material part of a person but once more refers to a tendency or inclination within the whole person, body and soul, to move towards the things of God and moral good. In other words this anthropology is concerned with the motivations behind human behaviour. The Holy Father clarifies this difference when he says: "There already exists in man, as a being made up of body and spirit, a certain tension, a certain struggle of tendencies between the ‘spirit’ and the ‘flesh’" (DeV 55).

Now the source of these conflictual tendencies is sin and the remedy for them is found in the power of the Spirit. Sin causes an ongoing struggle within the depths of the human souls because sin has come into the world. "This struggle in fact belongs to the heritage of sin, is a consequence of sin and at the same time a confirmation of it. This is part of everyday experience" (DeV 55). Sin understood in this sense has a kind life of its own outside of human beings which results in forces and structures entering the human condition. In Sollicitudo rei socialis the Holy Father uses the term "structures of sin" to indicate how the effects of sin can lead on to further sinful behaviour. "If the present situation can be attributed to difficulties of various kinds, it is not out of place to speak of ‘structures of sin,’ which, as I stated in my Apostolic Exhortation Reconciliatio et Paenitentia, are rooted in personal sin, and thus always linked to the concrete acts of individuals who introduce these structures, consolidate them and make them difficult to remove. And thus they grow stronger, spread, and become the source of other sins, and so influence people's behaviour" (SRSoc 36).

This external manifestation of the presence of sin in the world exists in each generation taking root within human cultures, societies, beliefs and values. Each generation sets up its own particular systems of belief and behaviour founded on selfishness and rebellion against the Spirit of God. In the present age, John Paul sees "its clearest expression in materialism, both in its theoretical form: as a system of thought, and in its practical form: as a method of interpreting and evaluating facts, and likewise as a program of corresponding conduct" (DeV 56). Materialism denies spiritual truths and posits reality as "matter". Consequently, the goal of human life is grounded in the acquisition and control of all that is material. Whilst the Holy Father pays particular attention to the Marxist expression of materialism with its antagonism to the religious, it is clear that many Western societies are infected with other forms based on indifference or dismissiveness to the world of the Spirit.

The world of sin attracts that tendency in us which Paul calls the "flesh". These are "the desires of the flesh" (DeV 56) and they gradually create in us a way of life "in the flesh" so that "those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh" (Rm 8:5). It is as though minds, hearts and desires expressed in beliefs and values gradually become organised to this particular lifestyle. Such a lifestyle generates its own consequences called the works of the flesh by St Paul and "‘are plain: fornication, impurity, licentiousness... drunkenness, carousing and the like.’ These are the sins that could be called ‘carnal.’ But he also adds others: ‘enmity, strife, jealousy, anger, selfishness, dissension, party spirit, envy.’(Gal 5:19-21). All of this constitutes the ‘works of the flesh.’" (De V 55).

But their final consequence is in death. Death here is more than just physical death. It is a death which occurs in us before that point and continues beyond it. As we begin to live a life which is in conflict with the reality of how we were created in the image of God and recreated in the new life won by Christ so we become alienated from the "really" real of life. This is a death which turns us away from creation and salvation and imprisons us in a tomb which is the lifestyle of the flesh. "To set the mind on the flesh is death..."; hence the warning: "For if you live according to the flesh you will die..." (DeV 55 ;cf. Rom 8: 6, 13)

A lifestyle lived according to the flesh leads to morally evil choices and an attitude of closure towards the Spirit. The Holy Father clarifies this when he remarks that the Pauline terminology "is concerned with the morally good or bad works, or better the permanent dispositions-virtues and vices-which are the fruit of submission to (in the first case) or of resistance to (in the second case) the saving action of the Holy Spirit. Consequently the Apostle writes: ‘If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit.’" (DeV 55).

In the end, a good moral life is based upon openness to the Spirit so that the human spirit is able to participate in a life giving relationship with the Spirit of God. Such a relationship creates an aspiration of the spirit in our humanity which attracts us to the structures of life which come from God in creation and salvation. Such a life is a participation in creation as we become ever more conformed to the image of God within us. It is a participation in redemption as we continue to live the reality of being a new creation in Christ (Cf 2 Cor 5). The basis of our motivations and actions is the "law of the Spirit, which gives life in Christ Jesus" (Rom 8:2 cf DeV 60). "Consequently the Apostle writes: ‘If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit.’ (DeV 55). Now the effects of this kind of behaviour are manifest as "‘the fruits of the Spirit’, such as ‘love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self control’" (DeV 55 cf Gal 5: 19-21). And the final consequence of this is expressed as "life": the fulness of life which the Gospel promises. Here the Holy Father once more cites St Paul: "if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body you will live" (Rom 8:13 cf DeV 55 ). "Properly understood, this is an exhortation to live in the truth, that is, according to the dictates of an upright conscience, and at the same time it is a profession of faith in the Spirit of truth as the one who gives life" (DeV 55).