Reformation and Renewal: Catholicism in the Early 20th Century

1. Class 37: Catholicism in early 20th C Dr. Ann T. Orlando 24 April 2019

2. Introduction • Beginning of Liturgical Renewal • Biblical Scholarship • Church during WW I • Pius XII and Concordat with Hitler • World War II and Shoah • Pius XII after WWII

3. Liturgical Renewal in Church • The liturgy had been little changed since Trent • Need to reinvigorate liturgy in opposition to Enlightenment • Effort to rediscover older liturgical forms as core of liturgy (Romanticism) • Balance corporate and individual in worship • Benedictine Abbey at Maria Laach • Pope St. Pius X • Encouraged active participation of laity in Church music during liturgy • Special devotion to Mass • Romano Guardini (1885-1968) • Spirit of Liturgy 1918 • Corporate, Christological nature of liturgy • Relation between liturgy and call to do justice in world

4. 19th C Biblical Scholarship • Beginning of Historical Critical Method roots in the Enlightenment • Reimarus (1694-1768): Deist, roots of historical Jesus; resurrection a fraud; failure of eschaton led to Christian theology opposed to Jewish; Jesus as an apocalyptic Jewish prophet • Lessing (1729-1781): Published Reimarus’s work; tries to reconcile Reimarus with Christian faith; “teachings not true because book is sacred; book is sacred because teachings are true” • David Strauss (1808-1874) • Life of Jesus • Test historical accuracy of New Testament claims about Jesus • Much mythical material in New Testament • Developed rules of historical critical method • Albert Schweitzer Quest for Historical Jesus 1906

5. Catholic Biblical Controversy • Late 19th C controversy focused on relation of Biblical criticism to Catholic theology • Alfred Loisy (1857-1940) The Gospel and the Church (1902) • Very influential biblical Scholar • Questioned authorship of Old and New Testament works • Jesus as a radical eschatological Jewish prophet part of 1st C apocalypticism • Christian dogma develops to meet new challenges in each age; dogmatic definitions are always relative and variable • Eventually Loisy became very skeptical about Church as bearer of truth • Ecclesial Reaction • Pope Leo XIII, Providentissimus Deus, 1893, admitted some value to historical critical method, but not if weakened authority of Bible or Church • Pope Pius X, Pascendi Dominici Gregis, 1907, condemned historical method altogether • Alfred Loisy excommunicated 1907

6. Pope Pius X (1903-1914) • Opposed to Modernists (Historical Critical Method applied to Biblical studies) • Reform of Canon Law, 1917 (revised 1985) • Lay reception of daily Communion • Included children who had made First Communion • Not in a state of mortal sin • Willingness to accept God’s Will for them • Encouraged more lay participation in liturgy; but implied need to understand liturgy. • Roots of Catholic lay education

7. Benedict XV (1914-1922) and WWI • WWI was just starting when Benedict XV elected • Referred to WWI as ‘suicide of Europe’ • Deeply concerned that Europe had lost sight of its Christian roots and was returning to a new barbarism • Maintained strict neutrality and tried to negotiate a settlement • He was deeply concerned that the peace established in1917 would destroy the social and economic fabric of Germany • Reformed Church’s view of missionary methods in Maximum illud • Strong support for native clergy, especially bishops

8. Pius XI (1922-1939) • Deeply concerned about rise of Communism • Wrote Quadragessimo Anno (40th Year) to commemorate and endorse Rerum Novarum • In some sense saw Fascism as bulwark against Communists • Signed Lateran Accords, an agreement with Mussolini that Rome was Capital of Italy, Pope sovereign over Vatican City • But Pius XI clashed with Italian Fascists and rising German Nazis over political tactics and strong rhetoric • Supported Franco in Spain • Once Nazis came to power in Germany, 1933, recognized need to establish some relationship with them • Concordat with Hitler 1933 (negotiated by Pacelli) • But resulting concerns over Nazi rule led to Mit Brennender Sorge ; smuggled into Germany and read from every pulpit on Palm Sunday, 1937 • Also wrote Divini Redpmtoris, condemning Communism

9. Pius XII (1939-1958) and WWII • Pius XII did have a special love for Germany • Pius XII was opposed to Hitler, deplored Fascism almost as much as he deplored Communism • Opposed Italy’s invasion of Ethiopia • He was in contact with German Generals who tried to overthrow Hitler in 1940 • But felt he needed to be publicly neutral to be able to work for peace • Catholic relief supplies and efforts to reunite refugee families were substantial across Europe • Worked with anti-Mussolini forces near end of War to remove Mussolini from power and prevent Nazis from taking over; managed to have Rome declared a non-combat zone • Worked with Catholic US bishops to establish Catholic Relief Services in 1943

10. Pius XII and the Holocaust • Public Stance; it does seem that Pius XII knew what was happening to Jews. No public condemnation • Possible reasons • Concern about vicious Nazi retaliation against Church; example of Dutch bishops • Better able to help some Jews if Church was not threatened by Nazis • Unwillingness to jeopardize official neutrality • Private Activities • Over 400,000 Jews in Italy saved • Churches in France, Germany, Belgium part of ‘underground’ railroad to hide Jews

11. The U.S. Press’ Changing View of Pius XII • ”The voice of Pius XII is a lonely voice in the silence and darkness enveloping Europe this Christmas...He is about the only ruler left on the Continent of Europe who dares to raise his voice at all". (Editorial, the New York Times, Dec 25, 1941). • "A full explanation of Pope Pius' conduct is needed...It now falls to John Paul and his successors to take the next step toward full acceptance of the Vatican's failure to stand squarely against the evil that swept across Europe" (Editorial, the New York Times, Mar 18, 1998).

12. Pius XII after WWII • Holy Year Pilgrimage 1950 • Increased numbers of Catholics, increased prosperity for Church • Worked against Communism • Infallibly declared Assumption • Allowed historical critical method to be used by Catholic scholars • Encouraged growth of Catholic diocese in Asia and Africa; promoted diocese in Western Hemisphere

13. Epistemology and Pius XII: Humani Generis, 1950 • We know by the Teaching Authority of the Church • Theologians should work to support and promote the mind of the Church • Concerns about modern methods • Opposed to process theology

14. Mystici Corporis, 1943 • Written during the darkest days of WWII • Addressed to all people of good will • Church as a living body • Importance of family model as basic unit of society • Communion as participation in Body of Christ

15. Assignments (optional) • Pius XI, Quadragesimo Anno, available at http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/pius_xi/encyclicals/documents/hf_p- xi_enc_19310515_quadragesimo-anno_en.html • 2. Pius X Encyclical Against Modernism, available at http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/pius_x/encyclicals/documents/hf_p-x_enc_19070908_pascendi-dominici-gregis_en.html • 3. Romano Guardini. The Spirit of the Liturgy. Trans. Ada Lana. New York: Crossronds, 1998. p 17-42. • Pius XI Mit Brennender Sorge, www.vatican.va/holy_father/pius_xi/encyclicals/documents/hf_p-xi_enc_14031937_mit-brennender-sorge_en.html • Pius XII Mystici Corporis, www.vatican.va/holy_father/pius_xii/encyclicals/documents/hf_p-xii_enc_29061943_mystici-corporis-christi_en.html