1. Jesus Christ, Son of Man and God: this is the culminating theme of our catechesis on the identity of the Messiah. It is the fundamental truth of Christian revelation and faith: the humanity and divinity of Christ on which we shall have to reflect more fully later. For now, we would like to complete our analysis of the messianic titles already present in some way in the Old Testament and see in what sense Jesus attributes them to himself.

As for the title "Son of Man", it is significant that Jesus used it frequently when speaking of himself, while it is the others who call him "Son of God", as we shall see in the next catechesis. Instead, he called himself "Son of Man", whereas no one else called him that, except the deacon Stephen before the stoning (Acts 7:56) and the author of the Apocalypse in two texts (Acts 1:13; 14:14).

2. The title "Son of Man" comes from the Old Testament from the Book of the Prophet Daniel. Here is the text describing a night vision of the prophet: "Looking again in the night visions, behold, there appeared in the clouds of heaven one like a son of man; he came and was presented to him, who gave him power and glory and a kingdom; all peoples, nations and languages served him; his power is an everlasting power, which never fades, and his kingdom is such that it will never be destroyed" (Dan 7:13-14).

And when the prophet asks for an explanation of this vision, he receives the following answer: "The saints of the Most High shall receive the kingdom and possess it for ever and ever . . . then the kingdom and the power and the greatness of all the kingdoms that are under heaven shall be given to the people of the saints of the Most High" (Dan 7:18, 27). The text of Daniel is about an individual person and the people. We note immediately that what refers to the person of the Son of Man is found in the words of the angel in the annunciation to Mary: "he will reign forever . . . and his kingdom will have no end" (Lk 1:33).

3. When Jesus calls himself 'Son of Man' he uses an expression from the canonical tradition of the Old Testament and also found in the Jewish apocrypha. It should be noted, however, that the expression "Son of Man" (ben-adam) had become in the Aramaic of Jesus' time an expression simply indicating "man" ("bar-enas"). Jesus, therefore, by calling himself "son of man", almost succeeded in hiding behind the veil of common meaning the messianic significance the word had in prophetic teaching. It is no coincidence, however, that if utterances about the "Son of Man" appear especially in the context of Christ's earthly life and passion, there is also no lack of them in reference to his eschatological elevation.

4. In the context of the earthly life of Jesus of Nazareth, we find texts such as: "The foxes have their dens and the birds of the air their nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head" (Matthew 8: 20); or also: "The Son of Man has come, who eats and drinks, and they say, Behold, a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of publicans and sinners" (Matthew 11: 19). At other times the word of Jesus takes on a value more strongly indicative of his power. Thus when he says: 'The Son of Man is lord even of the Sabbath' (Mk 2:28). On the occasion of the healing of the paralytic lowered through an opening in the roof he states in an almost defiant tone: 'Now, so that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins, I command you,' he said to the paralytic, 'get up, take up your bed and go home' (Mk 2:10-11). Elsewhere Jesus declares: "For as Jonah was a sign to those in Nineveh, so also will the Son of Man be to this generation" (Lk 11:30). On another occasion it is a vision shrouded in mystery: "A time will come when you will long to see even one of the days of the Son of Man, but you will not see him" (Lk 17:22).

5. Some theologians note an interesting parallelism between the prophecy of Ezekiel and the utterances of Jesus. The prophet writes: "(God) said to me: 'Son of man, I am sending you to the Israelites . . . who have turned against me . . Thou shalt say to them, 'Says the Lord God'" (Ez 2:3-4). "Son of man, you dwell among a race of rebels, who have eyes to see and do not see, have ears to hear and do not hear . . ." (Ez 12:2) "You, son of man . . . keep your eyes fixed on it (Jerusalem) which will be besieged . . . and you will prophesy against it" (Ez 4:1-7). "Son of man, prophesy a riddle telling a parable to the Israelites" (Ez 17:2).

Echoing the words of the prophet, Jesus teaches: "For the Son of Man came to seek and to save that which was lost" (Lk 19:10). "For the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many" (Mk 10:45; cf. also Mt 20:28). The "Son of Man" . . . "when he comes in the glory of the Father", will be ashamed of those who were ashamed of him and his words before men (cf. Mk 8:38).

6. The identity of the Son of Man appears in the dual aspect of representative of God, herald of the kingdom of God, prophet calling to conversion. On the other hand, he is the "representative" of men, whose earthly condition and sufferings he shares in order to redeem and save them according to the Father's plan. As he himself says in his conversation with Nicodemus: "As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of man be lifted up that whoever believes in him may have eternal life" (Jn 3:14-15).

It is a clear proclamation of the passion, which Jesus repeats: "And he began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer greatly, and be reproved by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and then be killed, and after three days rise again" (Mk 8:31). Three times in Mark's Gospel (cf. Mk 9:31; 10:33-34) and in each of them Jesus speaks of himself as the "Son of Man".

7. By the same appellation Jesus defines himself before the tribunal of Caiaphas, when to the question: "Are you the Christ, the blessed Son of God?" he replies: "I am! And you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power and coming with the clouds of heaven" (Mk 14:62). In these few words echoes Daniel's prophecy about the "Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven" (Dan 7:13) and Psalm 110 that sees the Lord seated at the right hand of God (cf. Ps 110:1).

8. Repeatedly Jesus speaks of the elevation of the "Son of Man", but he does not hide from his listeners that it includes the humiliation of the cross. To the objections and incredulity of the people and disciples, who well understood the magic of his allusions and yet asked him: "How then do you say that the Son of Man must be elevated? Who is this Son of Man?" (Jn 12:34), Jesus asserts: "When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am and do nothing of myself, but as the Father has taught me" (Jn 8:28). Jesus states that his "elevation" by the cross will constitute his glorification. Shortly afterwards he will add: "The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified" (John 12: 23). It is significant that at Judas' departure from the Upper Room, Jesus says "now the Son of Man has been glorified, and God also has been glorified in him" (Jn 13:31).

9. This constitutes the content of life, passion, death and glory of which the prophet Daniel had offered a pale sketch. Jesus does not hesitate to also apply to himself the character of an eternal and everlasting kingdom that Daniel had assigned to the work of the Son of Man, when he proclaims to the world: "Then they will see the Son of Man coming in the clouds with great power and glory" (Mk 13:26; cf. Mt 24:30). It is in this eschatological perspective that the Church's work of evangelisation must take place. He warns: "You will not have finished going through the city of Israel before the Son of Man comes" (Mt 10:23). And he asks: "But will the Son of Man, when he comes, find faith on earth?" (Lk 18:8).

10. If, as the "Son of Man", Jesus realised by his life, passion, death and resurrection, the messianic plan outlined in the Old Testament, at the same time he assumes by that same name his place among men as a true man, as the son of a woman, Mary of Nazareth. Through this woman, his Mother, he, the 'Son of God', is at the same time the 'Son of man', a true man, as the Letter to the Hebrews attests: 'He became truly one of us, in all things like us except sin' (Heb 4:5; cf. Gaudium et Spes, 22).

[Pope John Paul II, General Audience 29 April 1987]

Making "the sign of the cross" distractedly and flaunting "the symbol of Christians" as if it were "the badge of a team" or "an ornament", perhaps with "precious stones, jewels and gold", has nothing to do with "the mystery" of Christ. So much so that Pope Francis suggested an examination of conscience precisely on the cross, to verify how each of us carries the only true "instrument of salvation" in our daily lives. Here are the lines of reflection that the Pontiff proposed in the Mass celebrated Tuesday morning, 4 April, at Santa Marta.

"It attracts attention," he immediately pointed out, referring to the passage from the evangelist John (8, 21-30), "that in this brief passage of the Gospel three times Jesus says to the doctors of the law, to the scribes, to some Pharisees: 'You will die in your sins'". He repeats this "three times". And "he says this," he added, "because they did not understand the mystery of Jesus, because their hearts were closed and they were not able to open a little, to try to understand that mystery that was the Lord". In fact, the Pope explained, 'to die in one's sin is an ugly thing: it means that everything ends there, in the filth of sin'.

But then "this dialogue - in which three times Jesus repeats 'you will die in your sins' - continues and, at the end, Jesus looks back at the history of salvation and reminds them of something: 'When you have raised up the son of man, then you will know that I am and that I do nothing of myself'". The Lord says precisely: "when you have lifted up the son of man".

With these words - said the Pontiff, referring to the passage from the book of Numbers (21, 4-9) - "Jesus brings to mind what happened in the desert and what we heard in the first reading". It is the moment when "the bored people, the people who cannot endure the journey, turn away from the Lord, spit on Moses and the Lord, and find those snakes that bite and cause death". Then "the Lord tells Moses to make a bronze serpent and raise it up, and the person who suffers a wound from the serpent, and who looks at the bronze one, will be healed".

"The serpent," the Pope continued, "is the symbol of the evil one, it is the symbol of the devil: it was the most cunning of animals in the earthly paradise. Because "the serpent is the one who is capable of seducing with lies", he is "the father of lies: this is the mystery". But then "must we look to the devil to save us? The serpent is the father of sin, the one who made mankind sin". In reality, "Jesus says: 'When I am lifted up on high, all will come to me'. Obviously this is the mystery of the cross".

"The bronze serpent healed," Francis said, "but the bronze serpent was a sign of two things: of the sin made by the serpent, of the serpent's seduction, of the serpent's cunning; and also it was a sign of the cross of Christ, it was a prophecy. And "for this reason the Lord says to them: 'When you have lifted up the son of man, then you will know that I am'". So we can say, said the Pope, that "Jesus 'became a serpent', Jesus 'became sin' and took upon himself the filth all of humanity, the filth all of sin. And he "became sin", he made himself lifted up so that all people could look upon him, people wounded by sin, us. This is the mystery of the cross and Paul says it: 'He became sin' and took on the appearance of the father of sin, the cunning serpent'.

"Whoever did not look upon the bronze serpent after being wounded by a serpent in the desert," the Pontiff explained, "died in sin, the sin of murmuring against God and against Moses". In the same way, 'whoever does not recognise in that uplifted man, like the serpent, the power of God who became sin in order to heal us, will die in his own sin'. Because 'salvation comes only from the cross, but from this cross that is God made flesh: there is no salvation in ideas, there is no salvation in good will, in the desire to be good'. In reality, the Pope insisted, "the only salvation is in Christ crucified, because only he, as the bronze serpent meant, was able to take all the poison of sin and healed us there".

"But what is the cross for us?" is the question posed by Francis. "Yes, it is the sign of Christians, it is the symbol of Christians, and we make the sign of the cross but we don't always do it well, sometimes we do it like this... because we don't have this faith to the cross," the Pope pointed out. The cross, then, he said, "for some people is a badge of belonging: 'Yes, I wear the cross to show that I am a Christian'". And 'it looks good', however, 'not only as a badge, as if it were a team, the badge of a team'; but, Francis said, 'as the memory of the one who became sin, who became the devil, the serpent, for us; he lowered himself to the point of total annihilation'.Moreover, it is true, 'others carry the cross as an ornament, they carry crosses with precious stones, to be seen'. But, the Pontiff pointed out, "God said to Moses: 'He who looks at the serpent will be healed'; Jesus says to his enemies: 'When you have lifted up the son of man, then you will know'". In essence, he explained, 'those who do not look upon the cross, thus, in faith, die in their sins, will not receive that salvation'.

"Today," the Pope relaunched, "the Church proposes to us a dialogue with this mystery of the cross, with this God who became sin, out of love for me". And "each of us can say: 'out of love for me'". So, he continued, it is appropriate to ask ourselves: 'How do I carry the cross: as a reminder? When I make the sign of the cross, am I aware of what I am doing? How do I carry the cross: only as a symbol of belonging to a religious group? How do I carry the cross: as an ornament, like a jewel with many golden precious stones?". Or "have I learnt to carry it on my shoulders, where it hurts?".

"Each one of us today," the Pontiff suggested at the conclusion of his meditation, "look at the crucifix, look at this God who became sin so that we might not die in our sins, and answer these questions that I have suggested to you.

[Pope Francis, St. Martha, in L'Osservatore Romano 4 April 2017]

Where and which Messiah? In the dilemma, the solution

(Lk 9:18-22)

People of God are no longer in the closed of a womb that protects and guarantees the believer, and sometimes we feel incapable of fielding the Risen One in our limits.

Indeed, the dream of a person who solves problems from the outside (like a shortcut) is still ingrained.

Chimaera fuelled by the bewilderment and anguish we feel in the face of a world marked by contradictions - today even by the bitter consequences of the global crisis.

The wish of a Messiah is kept alive by our trembling... in the waiting for intervention of Someone able to be [instead] inside ourselves and things.

That’s why God turns not to a brave captain, not to a powerful ruler, not to a hero, but to those who offer love. And each of us could be, though our works seem sloppy in themselves, or far inferior to desires.

But Christ himself pours into them.

He is the humble Son, yet he doesn’t play in defense: authentic Liberator.

Divine Glory has an unexpected figure. The Eternal is not a controller, nor a promoter of models that defend order, or [old or fashionable] beliefs, nor fine manners.

The secluded place (v.18) is paraphrases of our risk of misunderstanding.

Even at that time everyone was waiting for the coming of the Anointed of the Lord, but each sect or school of thought in its own way.

Some awaited a sovereign, others a priest, or warrior commander; a judge, a prophet...

All "masters", clinging to some social privilege. No servant, intimate to ourselves: full understanding escaped.

Jesus explicitly imposes messianic silence (v.21) because he doesn’t follow expectations, hopes, intentions by the norm - all external.

In fact, he replaces the perspective of «”the” Messiah» ["that" awaited Messiah] with «the Son of Man» (vv.20-22): the true and full development of divine Plan for humanity.

«"The" Christ» according to the common mentality was a predictable figure, hard, too normal, fixed over time - who had no respect for personal processes - and overflowing with claims.

«Son of Man» is a Person without exaggeration: more intimate, true and profound; without too much method, nor typologies. Person who for this reason does not cease to grow.

In Lk all the important events of the story of Jesus are inserted in a moment of prayer.

It was not easy even for Him to be in tune with the idea that divine Glory could manifest itself in a totally unfavorable situation - only here and there pulsating of light.

And what do you say (cf. v.20)? To the great riddle, only God-man Crucified [the Different, and without reputation] is Judgment, and the Answer that frees from insecurity.

With our inner Friend who embraces, nourishes us and acts like a magnet, we will give everything to the Present - the better part. Closeness of Infinity and our eternal side.

[Friday 25th wk. in O.T.  September 27, 2024]

Lk 9:18-22 (18-25)

Judging question. In the dilemma, the solution

(Lk 9:18-22)

The people of God no longer find themselves in the enclosure of a womb that protects and guarantees the believer, and sometimes we feel as if we are incapable of bringing the Risen One into our limitation.

Indeed, the dream of a person who solves problems from outside (as a shortcut) is still rooted.

Chimera fuelled by the bewilderment and anguish we feel in the face of a world marked by contradictions - today even by the bitter consequences of the global crisis.

The wish for a Messiah is kept alive by our trepidation... waiting for the intervention of Someone capable of standing (instead) within ourselves and things.

We look for the One who can give life a shot in the arm, changing it immediately and radically. Only then can we give it substance - not from the outside.

We continue to wait for a Saviour even today, even though the conventionalist environment only offers less and less meaningful choices [even useless carousels] while impatience provokes resignation or insulting fanaticism.

That is why God turns not to a valiant captain, not to a powerful ruler, not to a hero, but to one who offers love. And each one of us could be one, although our works seem sloppy in themselves, or far inferior to our desires.

But it is Christ himself who pours himself into them.

He is the resigned Son, and yet He does not play defence: He is the authentic Deliverer.

Divine glory has an unexpected figure. The Eternal One is not a controller, nor a promoter of models defending order, or convictions [whether ancient or fashionable], nor fine manners.

The secluded place (v.18) is a paraphrase of our risk of equivocation.

At that time, too, all awaited the coming of the Lord's Anointed, but each sect or school of thought in its own way.

Some awaited a ruler, others a priest, or warrior commander; a judge, a vate....

All 'masters', grasping at some social privilege. No servant, intimate to ourselves: full understanding eluded us.

None had understood the Father's plan.

Not even the kings or prophets had understood it.

Each had set their own dreams of fame against God's plan. At best, they had justified intentions of purification, but also of the rectification of ancient practices; as well as greatness. For some, summary, provisional, unpleasantly exhibitionist.

From the Most High they only wanted a little help to reach their goals, not the Dream of God.

In this way Jesus explicitly imposes the messianic silence (v.21) precisely because it does not match (really nothing to match) the expectations, the hopes, the goals, the intentions in the norm - all external.

Indeed, it replaces the perspective of ""the" Messiah" ["that" expected Messiah] with "the Son of Man" (vv.20-22): the true and full development of the divine plan on humanity.

""The" Christ" according to common mentality was a predictable, harsh, too normal figure, fixed in time - who had no respect for personal processes - and overflowing with claims.

"The Son of Man" is Person without exaggeration: more intimate, true and profound; without too much method or typology. Person who for this reason does not cease to grow.

In Lk all the important events of Jesus' life are set in a moment of prayer.

It was not easy even for Him to be in tune with the idea that divine glory could be manifested in a totally unfavourable situation - only here and there pulsating light.

Well, the response to our shaky experience, so that it can leap from the ashes, is linked not to being recognised and liked by all, but to states of persecution, or disturbance and discomfort.

In fact, the soul speaks with wisdom: thus, it binds growth to a different mindset - not induced by others or conventional ways of being in the world.

They impose caesuras of purpose - if all formal, tame, socially condescending: real ruptures with goals that do not respect vocational instincts. Where we are ourselves, in the Calling by Name and in character.

For the Master and Lord, the only opportune mortifications concern painful cuts and separations from the conformism of roles: detachments that make us free and ready in the current moment.

They usher in an unpredictable and fruitful Vison, opposite to the conformistically dreamt of recovery. However archaic (even if à la page), because it would lose the activating nature proper to the development of life.

Problems are often like concrete figures, and contacts, that force us to other solutions, preventing us from re-entering the world of the habitual past or of even fashionable patterns - those that do not realise our innermost goals.

In short: it is not possible to 'believe' without speaking out in person, now.

And what do you say (cf. v.20)? To the great enigma, only God-man crucified [the different, and without reputation] is Judgement, and answer that frees from insecurities.

With our inner Friend who embraces, nourishes us and acts as a magnet, we give everything to the Present - best side - nearness of Infinity and our eternal side.

Reputation: crossroads of the Truth of Faith

(Lk 9:22-25)

Yesterday we pointed out how the worm of vanity in the pursuit of others' esteem drives one to hypocrisy and ostentation.

Today too, the Word - a solemn and pressing call to a decisive choice - invites to totality; to live Lent with uprightness, not exhibiting too much external ceremony.

We ask ourselves: What makes one intimate with the Father? Carrying the Cross (in the sense of being a devoted and obedient son)? Is it necessary to renounce living, accepting the various evils?

No, communion with God follows from a freely made commitment. That scaffold is not a requirement of the Father who would like to be at least compensated by someone.

And no fatalism: it is not a matter of enduring life's inevitable setbacks. It is not this that unites, it is not coping that binds the people of God who recognise themselves in the Crucified One.

There are not many paths to choose from, but only two: victory and revenge, or perception and gift - every moment is decision time. Models are no longer needed.

Man's authenticity is not his greatness, but fidelity in love that realises - and can place us on paths of persecution and mockery, instead of accommodating or blatant results (on the safe and immediate).

True humanity no longer needs to ascend to transcend the limits of matter (dualist mysticism).

Nor do we need to identify ourselves - almost sacramentally - with the forces of deep but depersonalising cosmic processes (mystery religions).

We are not called to perfect ourselves through the observance of a law or traditions down to the minutiae (Phariseeism).

Nor is our vocation to escape religiously from the abyss of the world's misery, in the hope of an approaching goal to solve everything (apocalypticism).

The Lord's Anointed was awaited as sovereign, priest, thaumaturge, warrior, judge, prophet... Jesus ascending Calvary is quite another paradigm: a different way of being and an entirely different Way.

To the title of Messiah, Luke prefers that of "Son of Man" (v.22): an expression with which the Master actually designated himself.

The Son of Man - the true and full development of the divine plan on humanity - is not hindered by the habitués of the sacred precincts.

In the Gospels, the growth and humanisation of the people is not thwarted by sinners, but by those who would have the ministry of making the Face of God known to all.

Therefore, the character of the apostle is not identified with celebrities and social figures, but with the life of Jesus of Nazareth - the public rebel against official authorities, and condemned.

Here, pushing down, we meet God.

That of the cross was in fact the torture imposed on marginalised criminals. In this lies the 'denial of self' (v.23), which unfortunately in the history of spirituality has suffered bad interpretations.

The believer is not recognised by heroic and magnificent deeds, or asceticism; nor by excellence and visibility of office, charisma and credit, weight and prestige - but by social choice, which brings discredit to one's reputation.

The missionary is not singled out because of extraordinary qualities, but because of smallness.

He who only appreciates great things - even astounding and blatant from a 'spiritual' point of view - loves strength and does not build the new kingdom.

A comparison of the parallel texts in the Greek language (e.g.) of Mk 8:34; Mt 10:38; Lk 9:23 and 14:27 (Jn 12:26) gives insight into the meaning of "taking up" or "lifting up the cross" for a disciple who relives Christ and expands Him in human history.

God does not give any cross, nor are children called to "bear" (or even "offer") it! The Cross is to be actively taken up, for the friend of Jesus stakes his honour on it.

The eminent and crystal-clear source of intimate life enables one to achieve total self-giving even in terms of public consideration.

After the court sentence, the condemned man had to carry the horizontal arm of the gallows on his shoulders.

It was the most harrowing moment, because it was one of utmost loneliness and perceived failure.

The wretched and already shamed man proceeded to the place of execution passing between two wings of the crowd who, out of religious duty, mocked and battered the wretch (deemed cursed by God).

Jesus does not propose the Cross in the corny sense of a necessary endurance of life's inevitable contrarieties, which then through asceticism chisels out souls more capable of being resilient.... (today we say: resilient).Compared to the usual tirades on healthy discipline - exterior and interior - the same for everyone (and useful only to keep the situation good, of privilege) Lk is on the contrary suggesting a much more radical behaviour.

The Lord proposes an asceticism totally different from that of the religions - even inverted.

The believer renounces reputation. This is the essential, diriment cue of the character of the Faith.

He who is tied to his good reputation, to the roles, to the character (to be played), to the task, to the level he has acquired, will never resemble the Lord - and neither will he who does not dilute the tribal dimension of the 'family' interest.

From the earliest times, the proclamation of the authentic Messiah created divisions: the sword of his Person separated each person's affair from the world of values of the clan to which he belonged or from the idea of respectability, even national respectability.

Today, the same thing happens where someone proclaims the Gospel as it is, and attempts to renew the jammed mechanisms of the habitual, outdated and faux-blue-blooded institution on the ground. Carrying the cross of consequent mockery.

A clean break and cut with the criteria of greatness and success, for the new unity: the unity that is the crossroads of Truth without duplicity. Try it to believe.

It sounds like a meaningless dream, but this is what unites the Church to its Lord: a crucifying path, where one gains what one loses - first and foremost in consideration.

To internalise and live the message:

What changes do you feel as your Calling? Does reputation and opinion in the community favour or block you? For what reason? Is your 'family' closed in on itself or does it facilitate the opening of horizons?

On this Sunday when the Gospel asks us about the true identity of Jesus, we find ourselves transported with the disciples to the road leading to the villages around Caesarea Philippi. Jesus asks them: “Who do you say that I am?” (Mk 8:29). The moment he chose to ask this question is not insignificant. Jesus was facing a decisive turning-point in his life. He was going up to Jerusalem, to the place where the central events of our salvation would take place: his crucifixion and resurrection. In Jerusalem too, following these events, the Church would be born. And at this decisive moment, Jesus first asks his disciples: “Who do men say that I am?” (Mk 8:27). They give very different answers: John the Baptist, Elijah, one of the prophets! Today, as down the centuries, those who encounter Jesus along their own way give their own answers. These are approaches which can be helpful in finding the way to truth. But while not necessarily false, they remain insufficient, for they do not go to the heart of who Jesus is. Only those willing to follow him on his path, to live in fellowship with him in the community of his disciples, can truly know who he is. Finally, Peter, who had dwelt with Jesus for some time, gives his answer: “You are the Christ” (Mk 8:29). It is the right answer, of course, but it is still not enough, since Jesus feels the need to clarify it. He realizes that people could use this answer to advance agendas which are not his, to raise false temporal hopes in his regard. He does not let himself be confined to the attributes of the human saviour which many were expecting.

By telling his disciples that he must suffer and be put to death, and then rise again, Jesus wants to make them understand his true identity. He is a Messiah who suffers, a Messiah who serves, and not some triumphant political saviour. He is the Servant who obeys his Father’s will, even to giving up his life. This had already been foretold by the prophet Isaiah in today’s first reading. Jesus thus contradicts the expectations of many. What he says is shocking and disturbing. We can understand the reaction of Peter who rebukes him, refusing to accept that his Master should suffer and die! Jesus is stern with Peter; he makes him realize that anyone who would be his disciple must become a servant, just as he became Servant.

Following Jesus means taking up one’s cross and walking in his footsteps, along a difficult path which leads not to earthly power or glory but, if necessary, to self-abandonment, to losing one’s life for Christ and the Gospel in order to save it. We are assured that this is the way to the resurrection, to true and definitive life with God. Choosing to walk in the footsteps of Jesus Christ, who made himself the Servant of all, requires drawing ever closer to him, attentively listening to his word and drawing from it the inspiration for all that we do.

[Pope Benedict, homily in Beirut, 16 September 2012]

"And who do you say that I am?" (Mt 16:15).

1. As we begin the cycle of catechesis on Jesus Christ, of fundamental importance for Christian faith and life, we feel challenged by the same question that almost two thousand years ago the Master asked Peter and the disciples who were with him. At that decisive moment of his life, as Matthew, who witnessed it, recounts in his Gospel, "When Jesus had come to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, 'People, who do they say that the Son of Man is?' They answered, 'Some say John the Baptist, others Elijah, others Jeremiah or any of the prophets.' He said to them, 'Who do you say that I am?'" (Mt 16:13-15).

We know Peter's blunt and impetuous reply: "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God" (Mt 16:16). In order for us too to formulate it, not so much in abstract terms, but as an expression of a vital experience, the fruit of the Father's gift (cf. Mt 16:17), each of us must allow ourselves to be personally touched by the question: "And you, who say, who am I? You who hear of me, answer: what am I really to you?". For Peter, divine illumination and the answer of faith came after a long period of being close to Jesus, listening to his word and observing his life and ministry (cf. Mt 16:21-24).

In order to come to a more conscious confession of Jesus Christ, we too must walk, like Peter, a path of attentive, caring listening. We must put ourselves in the school of the first disciples, who became his witnesses and our teachers, and at the same time absorb the experience and testimony of twenty centuries of history marked by the Master's question and enriched by the immense chorus of responses from the faithful of all times and places. Today, as the "Lord and Life-giving" Spirit pushes us towards the threshold of the third Christian millennium, we are called to give with renewed joy the response that God inspires and expects from us, almost as if for a new birth of Jesus Christ in our history.

2. Jesus' question about his identity shows the pedagogical subtlety of one who does not trust in hasty answers, but wants an answer matured through a time, sometimes a long time, of reflection and prayer, in attentive and intense listening to the truth of the Christian faith professed and preached by the Church.

Indeed, we recognise that in the face of Jesus we cannot be content with a merely human sympathy, however legitimate and precious, nor is it sufficient to consider him merely as a character worthy of historical, theological, spiritual or social interest, or as a source of artistic inspiration. Around Christ we often see hovering, even among Christians, the shadows of ignorance, or the even more distressing ones of misunderstanding or even infidelity. There is always the risk of appealing to the 'Gospel of Jesus', without really knowing its greatness and radicality, and without living out what is claimed in words. How many are those who reduce the Gospel to their own measure and make themselves a more comfortable Jesus, denying his transcendent divinity, or nullifying his real, historical humanity, or manipulating the integrity of his message, in particular by not taking into account the sacrifice of the cross that dominates his life and doctrine, nor the Church that he instituted as his 'sacrament' in history.

Even these shadows stimulate us to search for the full truth about Jesus, taking advantage of the many lights that, as once with Peter, the Father has lit up over the centuries around Jesus in the hearts of so many men with the power of the Holy Spirit: the lights of faithful witnesses even to martyrdom; the lights of so many passionate scholars, committed to fathoming the mystery of Jesus with the instrument of intelligence sustained by faith; the lights that above all the Magisterium of the Church, guided by the charisma of the Holy Spirit, has lit up in the dogmatic definitions of Jesus Christ.

We recognise that a stimulus to discover who Jesus really is is present in the uncertain and anxious search of many of our contemporaries so similar to Nicodemus who went "by night to find Jesus" (Jn 3:2) or Zacchaeus who climbed a tree to "see Jesus" (Lk 19:4). The desire to help every man to discover Jesus, who came as a doctor for the sick and as a saviour for sinners (cf. Mk 2:17), urges me to perform the demanding and exciting task of presenting the figure of Jesus to the children of the Church and to every man of good will.

You may remember that, at the beginning of my pontificate, I addressed an invitation to the people of today to "open wide the doors to Christ" (Insegnamenti di Giovanni Paolo II, I [1978] 38). Later, in the exhortation Catechesi Tradendae (Ioannis Pauli PP. II, Catechesi Tradendae, 5), dedicated to catechesis, making myself the spokesman for the thinking of the bishops gathered in the Fourth Synod, I affirmed that "the essential and primordial object of catechesis is . . the 'mystery of Christ'. To catechise is in a certain way to lead one to scrutinise this mystery in all its dimensions . . .; to unveil in the person of Christ the whole eternal plan of God, which is fulfilled in him . . . He alone can lead us to the love of the Father in the Holy Spirit and can make us participate in the life of the Holy Trinity' (Eiusdem, Catechesi Tradendae, 5).

We will follow this catechetical itinerary together, ordering our considerations around four focal points: 1) Jesus in his historical reality and in his transcendent messianic quality, son of Abraham, son of man and son of God; 2) Jesus in his identity as true God and true man, in profound communion with the Father and animated by the power of the Holy Spirit, as presented to us in the Gospel; 3) Jesus in the eyes of the Church, which with the assistance of the Holy Spirit has clarified and deepened the revealed data giving us, especially with the Ecumenical Councils, precise formulations of the Christological faith; 4) finally, Jesus in his life and works, Jesus in his redemptive passion and glorification, Jesus among us and in us, in history and in his Church until the end of the world (cf. Mt 28, 20).

3. It is true that in the Church there are many ways of catechising God's people about Jesus. Each one, however, to be authentic must draw its content from the perennial source of holy Tradition and sacred Scripture, interpreted in the light of the teachings of the Fathers and Doctors of the Church, the liturgy, popular faith and piety, in a word of the Tradition living and working in the Church under the action of the Holy Spirit, who - according to the Master's promise - "will lead you into all truth, for he will not speak of himself, but will say all that he has heard and will proclaim to you the things to come" (Jn 16:13). This Tradition we recognise expressed and synthesised particularly in the doctrine of the sacrosanct Councils, gathered in the symbols of faith and deepened by theological reflection faithful to Revelation and the Magisterium of the Church.

What would a catechesis on Jesus be worth if it did not have the genuineness and completeness of the gaze with which the Church contemplates, prays and proclaims his mystery? On the other hand, a pedagogical wisdom is required that, in addressing the recipients of catechesis, knows how to take into account their conditions and needs. As I wrote in the exhortation now cited, Catechesi Tradendae: 'The constant concern of every catechist - whatever the level of his or her responsibilities in the Church - must be to pass on the doctrine and life of Jesus through his or her teaching and behaviour' (John Paul II, Catechesi Tradendae, 6).

4. Let us conclude this introductory catechesis by recalling that Jesus, at a particularly difficult moment in the life of the first disciples, when the cross loomed close and many were abandoning him, addressed to those who had remained with him another of those questions of his that were so strong, so penetrating and inescapable: "Do you perhaps also wish to leave?" It was Peter again who, as the interpreter of his brothers, answered: "Lord, to whom shall we go? You alone have words of eternal life. We have believed and known that you are the Holy One of God" (Jn 6:66-69). May these catechetical appointments of ours make us ever more willing to allow ourselves to be questioned by Jesus, able to have the right answer to his questions, ready to share his life to the full.

[Pope John Paul II, General Audience 7 January 1987]

The Gospel passage this Sunday (Lk 9:18-24) calls us to once again confront Jesus “face to face”, so to speak. In one of the rare quiet moments when he is alone with his disciples, he asks them: “Who do the people say that I am?” (v. 18). They responded to him, saying: “John the Baptist; others say Elijah; others say one of the ancient prophets who has risen” (v. 19). Therefore, people esteemed Jesus and considered him to be a great prophet, but they were not yet aware of his true identity, that is, that He was the Messiah, the Son of God sent by the Father for the salvation of everyone.

Then Jesus directly addresses the Apostles — because this is what most interests him — asking: “But who do you say that I am?”. Immediately, on behalf of everyone, Peter responds, “The Christ of God” (v. 20), that is to say: You are the Messiah, the Anointed of God, sent by Him to save his people according to the Covenant and the promise. Therefore Jesus realizes that the Twelve, and Peter in particular, have received the gift of faith from the Father; and for this reason he begins to speak with them openly — this is how the Gospel puts it: “openly” — of what awaits him in Jerusalem. “The Son of Man must suffer many things”, he says, “and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests and the scribes, and be killed, and rise on the third day” (cf. v. 22).

These same questions are proposed to each of us today: “Who is Jesus for the people of our time?”, and more importantly: “Who is Jesus for each of us?”, for me, for you, for you, for you, and for you ...? Who is Jesus for each one of us? We are called to make Peter’s answer our own response, joyfully professing that Jesus is the Son of God, the Eternal Word of the Father, who became man to redeem mankind, pouring out the abundance of divine mercy upon it. The world needs Christ more than ever: his salvation, his merciful love. Many people feel an empty void around and within themselves — perhaps, at certain times, we do too —; others live in restlessness and insecurity due to uncertainty and conflict. We all need adequate answers to our questions, to our concrete questions. Only in Him, in Christ, is it possible to find true peace and the fulfillment of every human aspiration. Jesus knows the human heart better than anyone. This is why he can heal, giving life and consolation.

After concluding the dialogue with the Apostles, Jesus addressed everyone, saying: “If anyone wants to come after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross daily and follow me” (v. 23). This is not an ornamental cross or an ideological cross, but it is the cross of life, the cross of one’s duty, the cross of making sacrifices for others with love — for parents, for children, for the family, for friends, and even for enemies — the cross of being ready to be in solidarity with the poor, to strive for justice and peace. In assuming this attitude, these crosses, we always lose something. We must never forget that “whoever loses his life [for Christ] will save it” (v. 24). It is losing in order to win. Let us remember all of our brothers and sisters who still put these words of Jesus into practice today, offering their time, their work, their efforts and even their lives so as to never deny their faith in Christ. Jesus, through His Holy Spirit, gives us the strength to move forward along the path of faith and of witness: doing exactly what we believe; not saying one thing and doing another. On this path Our Lady is always near to us: let us allow her to hold our hand when we are going through the darkest and most difficult moments.

[Pope Francis, Angelus 19 June 2016]

In the riddle, the solution

(Lk 9:7-9)

Jesus, who is he? You can’t give an answer except in the light of his story and his condemnation: nothing to do with one of the spiritualists or miracle-makers who arouses curiosity, as Herod expected.

The contrast between the extraordinary figure expected and the obtuseness of (elusive) judgment ends up leaving things as they are. Worse: it encloses the Mystery and loses its "where" today.

One does not understand the Person of Christ starting from the things we know.

He intends to wipe out all attractive but false idols; however, he doesn’t like the axe of the Baptizer, nor the violent zeal of Elijah.

The new Rabbi wants to value the intuition of consciences, rather than the duties or the desire to analyze behaviors. This is the incredible.

Jesus is not some sort of ‘ghost’ that emerges from the past.

He turns history to completion according to innate and spontaneous impulses, which will let emerge the simple personal and the obvious unheard of.

Each religious group closed the Messiah in its interpretative model, consonant with an environment veined with ancient hopes: defense of goods and customs, "cultural" identity, well-being at the expense of others, expansion, wonders.

The sons’ revolution poses a theme that seeks the authentic Way, near and Elsewhere. The humanity of God.

In short, questioning the Person of Jesus already means beginning to overcome conformist codes and small habitual interpretations; to embrace the irruption of the Eternal.

It’s the very question about the Person dimension that invites us to broaden the horizon and begin an Exodus. It will guide to authentic understanding, and measure; to the reason why we are in the world.

Christ reverses the destiny of the man’s kingdom, and his claims.

Any external combination with even eminent figures of the gallery of the greats of history remains static, partial, too predictable.

Not infrequently deviant, due to the inevitable brain limitations it provides, caging the soul [and immobilizing life].

On the Way, the growth of knowledge of his story, adherence to his depth, and Action of the Spirit, will not allow to persist in fixed thoughts, attachments, commonplaces.

Interpretations, preconceptions or showcases that then permeate all of life and dampen it, depriving it of intoxication.

Completely personal Presence, new Sense, innate Wisdom of ‘nature’; not a specific particularism that does not offer regenerated life - that winks only at itself.

Jesus: he is the Engine, the Way and the Reason for the Journey in the Spirit that is leading us.

His Person in us finds in us a “point” within from which he pours forth the courage to be ourselves, and to no longer seek external approval.

This frees the soul from common or prodigious expectations; from the regrets of conformity. To make us advance from primordial states and beliefs to new Dreams of the being that corresponds and tinkles, that emerges and wants to express itself - humanizing.

To internalize and live the message:

When did you realize that in the enigma about the Person of Christ there is already a cut with the obvious expectation, and a cue - the energy of the solution?

[Thursday 25th wk. in O.T.  September 26, 2024]

Who is Jesus: a question that judges

(Lk 9:7-9)

Jesus, who is he? No answer can be given except in the light of his story and his condemnation: nothing to do with one of the spirits or miracle-makers who arouses curiosity, as Herod expected.

The contrast between the extraordinary figure expected and misunderstood, and the obtuseness of the elusive judgement ends up leaving things as they are. Worse: it encloses the Mystery - the most normal one in the world, but one that remains forever [God's humanity] - and loses its 'whereabouts' today.

One does not understand the Person of Christ from the things we know or try to frame him in the customary criteria of the First Testament; with the common feeling, with the magical models of the time...

He is not one of the ancient prophets, come back to purify the filthiness of the opportunist strings of the Temple, and to mend the practices of ancient religion. He comes to supplant them.

By political exigencies, Herod Antipas is forced to be constantly on the alert for the security of his small kingdom [Galilee and Perea] so the success of the Baptist frightens him.

As Josephus Flavius reports, the king preferred to do away with him for fear of a popular uprising, for which he would have to account to Rome.

But - it is the stupidity of power - once a prophet is beheaded, someone more incisive takes his place.

While the blood of the Baptist was still fresh, news came of a young Rabbi who shocked the minds of the subjects of those lands.

The subversive nightmare returns, more subtle than before: the Son of God does not merely call for an improvement of the situation; he wants to replace it.

He proclaims the Truth of the Father and of authentic man, proposing a germ of an alternative world to the ruthless, pyramidal society of the time.

He intends to sweep away the attractive but false idols; however, he does not like the axe of the Baptizer, nor the violent zeal of Elijah - who had sent down a portentous and unstoppable fire from heaven on his enemies.

Jesus wants to value the intuition of consciences, rather than duties or the eagerness to analyse behaviour. This is the incredible.

The Lord is not some kind of 'ghost' who emerges from the past to make the 'ultimate', in an atmosphere [also of group] that oppresses and expects enhanced or even outsized results.

He turns history to fulfilment according to innate and spontaneous impulses, which will allow the simply personal and the blatantly unprecedented to emerge.

Each religious group enclosed the Messiah in its own interpretative model, consonant with an environment tinged with ancient hopes: defence of goods and customs, 'cultural' identity, well-being at the expense of others, expansion, prodigies.

The revolution of the sons poses a theme that seeks the authentic, proximate Way and Elsewhere - precisely, the humanity of God. In the background, around the corner, but not relegated inside a corner.

In short, to question the Person of Jesus is already to begin to move beyond conformist codes and petty habitual interpretations... to embrace the irruption of the Eternal.

It is the very question about the prominence of Person that invites us not to look at a single banal solution [that of everyone or of some lover of paroxysm].

Rather, to broaden the horizon and begin an Exodus, which will lead us to the authentic understanding and measure; to the reason why we are in the world.

Christ reverses the fate and destiny of the kingdom of man.

Any outward juxtaposition to even eminent figures in the gallery of history's greats remains static, partial, too predictable.

Not infrequently deviant, because of the inevitable cerebral limitations it causes, caging the soul [and immobilising life].

By Way, the growth of knowledge of its story, the adherence to its depth, the Action of the Spirit, will not allow fixed thoughts, attachments, commonplaces to persist in our minds.

Interpretations, preconceptions or window dressing that then impregnate the whole of life and dull it, depriving it of intoxication.

Entirely personal presence, new insight, innate Wisdom of 'nature'; not a specific particularism that does not offer regenerated life - that only winks at itself.

Jesus: he is the Engine, the Way and the Motive of the Way in the Spirit that is leading us.

His Person in us finds a "point" within from which He pours forth the courage to be ourselves, and to no longer seek external approval.

This frees the soul from common, or prodigious expectations; from the regrets of conformity. To advance from primordial states and beliefs to new Dreams of being that corresponds and tinkles, that emerges and wants to express itself - humanising.

To internalise and live the message:

In your opinion, what interpretations and preconceptions dampen the exercise of personal intuition in one's growth, and Evangelisation?When did you realise that in the enigma about the Person of Christ there is already a cut with the obvious of expectations, and a cue - the energy of the solution, even for revival from the global emergency?

As we follow him

To truly know Jesus we must talk to him, dialogue with him as we follow him on his path. Pope Francis focused his homily at the mass celebrated on 26 September 2013 in the chapel of Santa Marta precisely on getting to know Jesus.

The Pontiff took as his starting point the passage from Luke's Gospel (9:7-9) in which Herod wonders who the Jesus he hears so much about is. The person of Jesus, the Pontiff recalled, often provoked questions such as: "Who is this? Where does he come from? Let us think, for example, in the synagogue in Nazareth, when he left for the first time: but where did he learn these things? We know him well: he is the carpenter's son. We think of Peter and the apostles after that storm, that wind that Jesus silenced. But who is he to whom heaven and earth, the wind, the rain, the storm obey? But who is he?"

Questions, the Pope explained, that one can ask out of curiosity or to be sure of how to behave before him. The fact remains, however, that anyone who knows Jesus asks these questions. Indeed, "some", continued the Pope, returning to the Gospel episode, "begin to feel afraid of this man, because he can lead them into a political conflict with the Romans"; and so they think they do not take into greater consideration "this man who creates so many problems".

And why, the Pontiff asked, does Jesus create problems? "One cannot know Jesus," was his answer, "without having problems". Paradoxically, he added, 'if you want to have a problem, go down the road that leads you to know Jesus' and then many problems will arise. In any case, Jesus cannot be known 'in first class' or 'in tranquillity', let alone 'in the library'. Jesus can only be known in the daily journey of life.

And one can get to know him, said the Holy Father, "even in the catechism. It is true! The catechism,' he specified, 'teaches us many things about Jesus and we must study him, we must learn him. In this way we learn that the Son of God came to save us and we understand from the beauty of salvation history the love of the Father'. The fact remains, however, that even knowledge of Jesus through the catechism "is not enough": knowing him with the mind is already a step forward, but "Jesus must be known in dialogue with him. Speaking with him, in prayer, on your knees. If you do not pray, if you do not speak with Jesus,' he said, 'you do not know him'.

Finally, there is a third way to know Jesus: "It is following him, going with him, walking with him, walking his ways. And as you walk with him, you know "Jesus with the language of action. If you know Jesus with these three languages: of the mind, of the heart, of action, then you can say that you know Jesus". Making this kind of knowledge involves personal involvement. "One cannot know Jesus," the Pontiff reiterated, "without involving oneself with him, without staking one's life for him. Therefore, to really know him it is necessary to read "what the Church tells you about him, to speak with him in prayer and to walk the road with him". This is the way and "each one - he concluded - must make his own choice".

[Pope Francis, St. Martha, in L'Osservatore Romano 27/09/2013]

My dear Professor Odifreddi, (...) I would like to thank you for having tried in great detail to engage with my book and thus with my faith; this is largely what I had intended in my speech to the Roman Curia at Christmas 2009. I must also thank you for the fair manner in which you treated my text, sincerely trying to do it justice.

My judgement of your book as a whole is, however, rather mixed in itself. I read some parts of it with enjoyment and profit. In other parts, however, I marvelled at a certain aggressiveness and recklessness of the argumentation. (...)

Several times, she points out to me that theology would be science fiction. In this regard, I am amazed that you nevertheless consider my book worthy of such detailed discussion. Allow me to propose four points on this matter:

1. Is it correct to say that 'science' in the strictest sense of the word is only mathematics, whereas I learnt from you that here too a distinction should be made between arithmetic and geometry. In all specific subjects, scientificity has its own form each time, depending on the particularity of its object. The essential thing is that it applies a verifiable method, excludes arbitrariness and guarantees rationality in the respective modes.

2. At the very least, it should recognise that, in the historical sphere and in that of philosophical thought, theology has produced lasting results.

3. An important function of theology is to keep religion bound to reason and reason to religion. Both functions are of essential importance to humanity. In my dialogue with Habermas, I showed that there are pathologies of religion and - no less dangerous - pathologies of reason. Both need each other, and keeping them continuously connected is an important task of theology.

4. Science fiction exists, on the other hand, within many sciences. What you expound on the theories about the beginning and end of the world in Heisenberg, Schrödinger, etc., I would designate as science fiction in the good sense: they are visions and anticipations, in order to arrive at true knowledge, but they are, in fact, only imaginations with which we try to approach reality. There is, after all, science fiction in a big way even within the theory of evolution. Richard Dawkins' The Selfish Gene is a classic example of science fiction. The great Jacques Monod wrote some sentences that he himself will surely have included in his work only as science fiction. I quote: 'The appearance of tetrapod vertebrates ... originates precisely from the fact that a primitive fish 'chose' to go and explore the earth, on which it was, however, unable to move except by jumping awkwardly and thus creating, as a consequence of a change in behaviour, the selective pressure thanks to which the robust limbs of the tetrapods would develop. Among the descendants of this daring explorer, this Magellan of evolution, some can run at speeds in excess of 70 kilometres per hour..." (quoted in the Italian edition Il caso e la necessità, Milan 2001, p. 117 ff.). 

In all the issues discussed so far this is a serious dialogue, for which I - as I have already said repeatedly - am grateful. Things are different in the chapter on the priest and Catholic morality, and still differently in the chapters on Jesus. As for what you say about the moral abuse of minors by priests, I can - as you know - only take note of this with deep consternation. I have never tried to disguise these things. That the power of evil should penetrate to such an extent into the inner world of faith is for us a suffering that, on the one hand, we must endure, while, on the other hand, we must at the same time do everything possible to ensure that such cases do not happen again. Nor is it any comfort to know that, according to research by sociologists, the percentage of priests guilty of these crimes is no higher than in other comparable professional categories. In any case, one should not ostentatiously present this deviation as if it were a filth specific to Catholicism.

If it is not permissible to remain silent about evil in the Church, one must not, however, remain silent either about the great luminous wake of goodness and purity that the Christian faith has traced down the centuries. We must remember the great and pure figures that the faith has produced - from Benedict of Norcia and his sister Scholastica, to Francis and Clare of Assisi, to Teresa of Avila and John of the Cross, to the great Saints of charity such as Vincent de Paul and Camillus de Lellis, to Mother Teresa of Calcutta and the great and noble figures of 19th century Turin. It is also true today that faith drives many people to selfless love, service for others, sincerity and justice. (...)

What you say about the figure of Jesus is not worthy of your scientific rank. If you pose the question as if nothing is known about Jesus and nothing can be ascertained about him as a historical figure, then I can only strongly urge you to become a little more historically competent. I recommend to you for this especially the four volumes that Martin Hengel (an exegete from the Protestant Theological Faculty in Tübingen) has published together with Maria Schwemer: it is an excellent example of historical accuracy and extensive historical information. In the face of this, what you say about Jesus is rash talk that you should not repeat. That much has also been written in exegesis that is not very serious is, unfortunately, an indisputable fact. The American seminar on Jesus that you cite on pages 105 ff. only confirms once again what Albert Schweitzer had noted about Leben-Jesu-Forschung (Research on the Life of Jesus), namely that the so-called 'historical Jesus' is mostly a mirror of the ideas of the authors. Such unsuccessful forms of historical work, however, in no way undermine the importance of serious historical research, which has brought us true and reliable knowledge about the proclamation and the figure of Jesus. 

(...) Furthermore, I must emphatically reject your claim (p. 126) that I have presented historical-critical exegesis as a tool of the antichrist. In dealing with the account of Jesus' temptations, I have only taken up Soloviev's thesis that historical-critical exegesis can also be used by the antichrist - which is an indisputable fact. At the same time, however, I have always - and in particular in the preface to the first volume of my book on Jesus of Nazareth - made it abundantly clear that historical-critical exegesis is necessary for a faith that does not propose myths with historical images, but claims true historicity and must therefore also present the historical reality of its claims in a scientific manner. That is why it is not even correct for you to say that I would only be interested in meta-history: on the contrary, all my efforts are aimed at showing that the Jesus described in the Gospels is also the real historical Jesus; that it is history that really happened. (...)

With the 19th chapter of your book we return to the positive aspects of your dialogue with my thinking. (...) Although your interpretation of John 1: 1 is far removed from what the evangelist intended, there is nevertheless a convergence that is important. If you, however, want to replace God with 'Nature', the question remains, who or what this nature is. Nowhere do you define it and it therefore appears as an irrational deity that explains nothing. Above all, however, I would still like to point out that in your religion of mathematics three fundamental themes of human existence remain unconsidered: freedom, love and evil. I am astonished that you with a single mention dismiss freedom, which has been and is the core value of the modern age. Love does not appear in your book and there is no information about evil either. Whatever neurobiology may or may not say about freedom, in the real drama of our history it is present as a determining reality and must be taken into account. But your mathematical religion knows no information about evil. A religion that leaves out these fundamental questions remains empty.

My dear Professor, my criticism of your book is harsh in parts. But frankness is part of dialogue; only in this way can knowledge grow. You have been very frank and so you will accept that I am too. In any case, however, I very much welcome the fact that you, through your confrontation with my Introduction to Christianity, have sought such an open dialogue with the faith of the Catholic Church and that, despite all the contrasts, there is no lack of convergence in the core area.

With cordial greetings and all good wishes for your work.

[Pope Benedict, article in La Repubblica 24/09/2013]