‘The Dictatorship of Relativism’

MADISON  More than 20 years ago, Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI — then Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger — was already warning against “the dictatorship of relativism.” This philosophy has laid the groundwork for ever-growing social movements that threaten the human life and the traditional family like never before in this modern age, such as sexual promiscuity, homosexuality, transgenderism and abortion.

That’s what Professor Deborah Savage of St. Paul Seminary School of Divinity at the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minn., declared on the third day of her presentation at the third annual Pope Benedict XVI Institute on “In the Image of God: The Genius of Human Sexuality” June 27-30 at St. Paul Inside the Walls; the Diocesan Center for Evangelization at Bayley-Ellard here. Savage, who teaches philosophy and theology at St. Paul’s, spoke about human sexuality through the lens of Pope Benedict’s criticisms of the “dictatorship of relativism”: a philosophy, he said, “that does not recognize anything as definitive and whose ultimate standard consists solely of one’s own ego and desires.” The Benedict Institute helps to educate and to form clergy, religious and laity in Benedict’s writings, teachings and thought on theology, philosophy on various topics.

“My aims are threefold in this seminar. First, I want to stimulate a truly rich and provocative discussion. Second, I want to introduce what I believe to be some of Cardinal Ratzinger’s finest work found in his analysis of relativism and the intolerance — in the name of tolerance — for truth. Third, I want to arm participants [with God’s truth]. The Church’s own teaching on sexuality is beautiful in its own right — with or without all the problems that we face. I hope that a picture forms to which the Church’s insights are a solution,” said Savage, who throughout the seminar, quoted the writings of Benedict and other theologians and philosophers and added her own reflections.

On the third day of the seminar, Savage spoke about the transgender issue in light of Cardinal Ratzinger’s “The Problem of Threats to Human Life,” which he delivered at The Vatican in 1991. He writes that all of humanity originates from Adam and Eve, which means that we all belong to the same human family, she told an enthusiastic audience of about that included clergy, religious and laity.

“We are made in God’s image and all share in the same human nature. The Church must proclaim that message,” said Savage, who added that the gender of our bodies helps to define our identity — and no person has the right to change that gender. “A person is the unity of body and spirit. People today say that my identity is up to me. But the body is essential to grasping the whole [of what is means to be human],” she said.

Decades ago, Cardinal Ratzinger laid the blame for this misguided thinking at the feet of the Enlightenment, which encourages people to free themselves from all authority and think for themselves. But freedom often becomes “indifferent to the true good,” Savage said.

“Cardinal Ratzinger was already seeing the effect [of the Enlightenment and relativism] on culture. They put God in the corner or away entirely and reduced humans to their animal nature — which set the universe adrift,” said Savage, who noted that St. John Paul II and Pope Francis have quoted Pope Benedict — who celebrated the 65th anniversary of his ordination in Rome last week — and have incorporated his ideas in their writings. “We must strengthen each other in [in countering] our culture, which has taken flight from reason”

Cardinal Ratzinger argues that evils, such as abortion, exist because many people believe that they get to decide life and death “based on conviction, not on universal truth” — the truth of God’s plan for us. In so-called “right-to-die” cases, the state mistakenly has the right to decide life or death for an incapacitated person, Savage said.

“But truth its own message. When you hear it, you are obligated to follow it,” Savage said.

Earlier in the seminar, Savage examined other writings by Cardinal Ratzinger’s, including a lecture that he gave in Italy in 2005 on the occasion of receiving the St. Benedict Award for the promotion of life and family in Europe. He argues that “Christianity is not a rejection of reason and rationality. Christianity has always been a religion of reason. It is a refusal [of Christianity] to accept the narrow definition of reason as offered by the culture,” she said.

On the seminar’s final day, Savage spoke about Benedict’s and her own ideas about complementarianism: the concept that men and women have different but complementary roles in married, family and faith life. She also suggested ways that participants can promote the “Genius of Human Sexuality” in their own lives.

After the third day of this year’s seminar, Annie Hu, formally of St. Joseph Parish, West Milford, and now of Our Lady of Grace Parish, Hoboken, said that the series gives Catholics “ammunition” to respond to society’s often misguided views on human sexuality.

“This educates us on reasons to believe. I have learned that the truth is on our side,” said Hu, who is married. “Pope Benedict is a profound person. He has a way of talking about all the problems, untangling the mess and assuring us that we will find a solution,” she said.

At the completion off the seminar, Allan Wright, St. Paul’s academic dean, said, “Dr. Savage did a wonderful job putting arguments in historical and philosophical contexts.”

“Pope Emeritus Benedict understands that we are in a battle for culture and the ideas that the Church bought forth for the past 2,000 years. It’s amazing that he saw these trends coming 20 years ago,” Wright said.