On Sunday evening, when the sky above the center of the Eternal City was illuminated by the traditional fireworks show on the holiday of Epiphany, at the Polish Church of St. Stanislaus a meeting devoted to the subject: I believe in Christ the Redeemer was held. This meeting was dedicated to the Christological catechesis of blessed Pope John Paul II. A lecture was given by Fr. Tomasz Trafny PhD, of the Pontifical Council for Culture. It was a meeting to conclude the cycle of Power and Beauty of Faith, organized jointly by the Centre for Research and Documentation of the Pontificate of John Paul II and the Polish Chaplaincy at the church of St. Stanislaus in Rome.
At the beginning Fr. Trafny pointed out that it is very difficult to synthesize the catechesis on Christology by John Paul II due to the fact that the material is very broad. The cycle of catechesis about Christ lasted for almost three years, from the end of August 1986 to mid-April 1988. The structure of Catechesis has the form of a triptych. The first part is devoted to the mystery of Redemption, and the reality of sin. The second concerns the person of Jesus Christ and reveals His character and work on the basis of the Holy Bible and the doctrine of the Church. The third part deals with the saving mission of Christ and takes into account the particular events of the Paschal Mystery.
To a great extent, John Paul II connected the teaching about Christ with anthropological issues. His contemplation of fundamental meaning concerning the original sin and its consequences in the form of universal inclination towards evil. This painful injury to human nature is a call for the redemption of man and for the grace of salvation and mercy. To illustrate these truths, the speaker used the figure of King David, called to carry out a great task and failing under the weight of his own sin. The essential belief that the man wounded by sin, needs a Redeemer is included in the meaning of the first part of catechesis. In Christ we learn the entire truth about ourselves, we are called to a life of grace, that is possible with the support of Christ and His guidelines – said Fr Tomasz.
The second part of catechesis is divided into five thematic sections, in which John Paul II introduced the questions: Who is Jesus? What is His role in the economy of salvation? The Pope presented the others topics as well: Discussion about the importance of miracles, the theological issues concerning the humanity of Christ and the basic dogmatic teachings of the Church. The scene from Caesarea Philippi, when Jesus asked the disciples the question „Who do you say I am?” (Mt 16:15), points to the messianic consciousness of Christ and is a call to faith in Him and understanding his person. „He has the words of eternal life – the Pope said – and so we have to deeply understand His person, His work, His mystery, to enter the path of eternal life and stay on it” (01.07.1987). Fr. Tomasz also discussed other Gospel passages showing the maturation of the messianic consciousness and the development of the disciples’ belief in His divinity. Pope John Paul II in his catechesis somehow „provoked” the reader – the speaker said – to give a personal answer to the question who Christ is for him. The answer – explained the Pope – will have enormous implications for our humanity and everyday life. It is an invitation to go from the „proto-Gospel”, the announcement of salvation, to the Gospel with the realization that I am not living in the powers of darkness, but I am loved and redeemed by Christ – said Fr. Tomasz.
In the third part of the catechesis, among others, the historical and beyond-historical dimensions of the resurrection and its importance in shaping the faith of students is heavily accented. The speaker presented the process of the formation of the paschal faith, talking on the experience where Mary Magdalene, Peter and John saw the empty tomb (John 20,1-8). John Paul II used the episode of the risen Christ walking with the disciples to Emmaus (Lc 24,13-31) to emphasize that in the Church, we recognize the presence of the Lord and His action.
Fr Tomasz at the end of his talk emphasized that all John Paul II’s catechesis on Christ reveal the truth that God saves people in Him and through Him, drawing us to Himself. With the redemption of man the renewal of all creation takes place.
During the discussion Fr. Kijas asked whether John Paul II discussed the issue of the faith of Christ himself (in relation to the Father). Fr Tomasz replied that the Pope focused on Christ’s messianic self-consciousness, emphasizing His true humanity, His similarity to us in all things except sin, the existential anxiety He experienced before His Passion, His humility, but essentially the subject of faith of Christ is not discussed. Fr. Dobrzyński asked how do we proclaim Christ to people today, when they are not looking for redemption? The conclusions like these, for example: Christ „knows what man carries inside, He alone knows it!” (John Paul II), or „Christ takes nothing and gives you everything” (Benedict XVI) are endearing, but understood only by people who have religious experience and spiritual need. Fr Trafny identified three models of modern man: „the God’s household members” – they live their faith deeply and truly; „the travelers” who have religious curiosity, but they exclude the living faith from their lives, „the nomads” who live without any reference to religious values. They are modern hedonists. One has to look for suitable language for each of the categories of today’s people. We need to use images, but with a suitable explanation to kindle curiosity of the divine word, so that faith is not reduced to a declaration or emotion. The faith needs rational justification. Participants of the meeting conducted a long conversation about how to preach Christ, and to share Him with others and talk about Him with youth. After the meeting one had the impression that the fireworks bring light to the eyes for a short while, but the light of Christ stimulates the hearts and minds of many people throughout their lives.