November 8: Bl. John Duns Scotus anticipates a Culture of Encounter 32nd Wk B; Wis 1:1-7; Lk 17:1-6;
Theme: Love justice, you who judge the earth;
seek the Lord in integrity of heart”
(Wis 1: 1);
Subtheme: “Be on your guard. If your brother sins, rebuke him;
and if he repents, forgive him.
If he wrongs you seven times and returns saying I am sorry, forgive him”
(Lk 17).
Love justice (Wis 1:1)! “Create processes of encounter, processes that build a people that can accept differences,” exhorts Pope Francis. “Even people who can be considered questionable on account of their errors have something to offer which must not be overlooked”. “Let us arm our children with the weapons of dialogue! Let us teach them to fight the good fight of the culture of encounter!”[1]
Hardly known is the Franciscan Bl. John Duns Scotus,[2] born in 1265, who anticipated the culture of encounter with his political thought centering on the importance of the community. The origin of government and obligation of members made an implicit agreement to cooperate together for social benefits. Protecting collective freedom and each other from harm requires a social agreement. Thomas Hobbes, John Locke and Jean Jacques Rousseau in the 16th 17th and 18th centuries offered theories of the social contract. Duns Scotus anticipated their versions in the early 14th century by centering on Christ.
Americans understand the Declaration of Independence in 1776 in perfect continuity. Recently, the Honorable Judge Clarence Thomas reminded students at the University of Notre Dame[3] that the word slave was never used in the Declaration. He believed the founders were ashamed of owning slaves. Rather, the Declaration said the equality of all men (and women) has always been present. “We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and to our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.” Who knew Duns Scotus would anticipate our founders? In 1803 the slave trade was outlawed in England and slavery in America in 1863. The echo of Duns Scotus is in the Declaration of Independence. Pope Francis’ call for the formation of a culture of encounter echoes Duns Scotus.
Pope Francis recognizes the need for regeneration by a culture of encounter that builds social peace. No turbulent seas, or truth appearing in freefall, or lies claiming headlines, dash Pope Francis’ aspiration for a world to be passionate about meeting others, building bridges and inclusive of everyone in a culture of encounter. He challenges the faithful to learn about, teach, and live by the principle of encounter, to let it become deeply imbedded by creating processes of encounter. His constant hope is that social peace come from a culture of encounter. Social peace is possible, fitting, and by the gift of grace, realizable. A rich resource is the thought of Bl. Duns Scotus who is true to the theological activity of love, forgiveness and solidarity generated by St. Bonaventure and rooted in St. Francis.
To build a culture of encounter cannot force the language of separate eras as pre-modern or modern or post-Christian which bear their own meaning. Reputable research makes the case for the claim to identify in truth what are unjust and narrow criticisms and accusations of error. Distinction of terms from an early age cannot be imposed upon a later age. Fr. Peter Damian Fehlner, O.F.M.Conv. is diagnostic and prophetic in balancing differences in language used in separate eras. He distinguishes terms[4] without loss that Christ is the measure and Spirit the power in every age.
One Scotistic term, for example, perplexes many teachers who dare to engage. Duns Scotus devised the concept, “univocity of being,” (as contrasted with “analogy of being”) to give a more exact teaching than Bonaventure on the theory of divine illumination.[5] All other concepts reflect this first concept but univocity itself does not reflect them. Univocity has a logical form but its content transcends the logical and provides a point of unity for all other concepts. Duns Scotus demonstrates that analogy cannot explain the differences of beings. Being is what is, not what is coming to be or experienced.
Univocity of being is more exact than divine illumination, natural and supernatural, which is divine enlightenment making possible a created intellect as a created nature. According to Bonaventure, this divine illumination is provided to every rational creature. The making possible of the knowledge of the supernatural or divine realities is a special supernatural gift of divine grace known as faith. Faith is given to those who desire it and not given to those who refuse or deny that faith.
Bonaventure[6] is concise. “To be perfect, all intellectual activities have to be relinquished and the most profound affection inflamed and transported into God. No one knows this mystical secret, except the one who receives it and the one who desires it. No one desires it except the one who is penetrated to the marrow by the fire of the Holy Spirit, Whom Christ sent into the world. That is why the Apostle says that this mystical wisdom (or secret)[7] is revealed by the Holy Spirit (I Cor 2:10). God has revealed to us through the Spirit; for the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God.”
Peter Damian Fehlner’s contemporary theological method aligns with the culture of encounter which Pope Francis dreams. I find Fehlner’s studies of the Mariology of Duns Scotus and its implications for Catholic theology, thought, and forms of practice today, aligns with Pope Francis’ culture of encounter. Fehlner narrates the saving message of Christ and the Apostles with absolute fidelity to the mind of the One Teacher of all, Christ Jesus as it has been communicated to us in the living, uninterrupted Tradition of the Church. His genius is to explain how the Church’s Tradition was cultivated in the theology and philosophy which Franciscans identify as the Scotistic tradition.
To Pope St. Paul VI: “the intellectual treasury of (Bl.)[8] John Duns Scotus can be a source of effective instruments with which to combat the darkness of the pervading era. Paul VI saw the theoretical and practical denial of God are nothing but the fruit of idolatrous illusions arising out of arrogant boasting about merely human ways of thinking (n. 11). Sacred theology in Paul VI’s writings relies on the written Word of God, taken together with sacred Tradition, as on a permanent foundation (DV 24). He fostered the study of the sacred page as “the very soul of sacred theology” (DV 24).
Paul VI knew that from antiquity, Gnostics’ terminology is rooted in pride to make oneself naturally like God and obscures the love of God. Gnostics pit Tradition against Scripture. Irenaeus became a bishop in 178 C.E and hammered the Gnostics by defending Scripture as the instrument of Tradition, the ground and pillar of faith. The Second Vatican Council aligns with Irenaeus’ reply to the Gnostics of old and to the Gnostic return in modernity, a model of Gnosticism that is vastly more sophisticated theoretically. Duns Scotus aligns with Irenaeus and Vatican II. There is much to be studied.
Let us love justice, seek the Lord in integrity of heart and build social peace with a culture of encounter. May we learn solidarity with John Duns Scotus, pray he be counted among the Saints, and imitated. Join Franciscans who believe that Bl. Duns Scotus is a saint and will be a Doctor of the Church.
__________________________________________
In Celebration of My Golden Jubilee Year of Priesthood, Fr. Edward J. Ondrako, O.F.M.Conv. eondrako@alumni.nd.edu
[1] Pope Francis, Fratelli Tutti, (Assisi, October 3, 2020), 217.
[2] A political science professor at Columbia University fully agreed with my reference to Duns Scotus.
[3] Hon. Judge Clarence Thomas, Toqueville Lecture, University of Notre Dame (16 September 2021).
[4] P. D. Fehlner, Theologian of Auschwitz (Hobe Sound, FL: Lectio Publishing, LLC, 2020), Glossary, 320 and 326.
[5] Bonaventure, Disputed Questions on the Knowledge of Christ, volume 4. Fehlner employs analogy and univocity.
[6] Bonaventure, The Journey of the Mind to God, chapter 7, 4. Bonaventure wrote this mystical work at the place where St. Francis of Assisi had received the gift of the stigmata, the five wounds of Christ in September 1224.
[7] There is not a hint of Gnosticism in this Bonaventurian mystical secret.
[8] Paul VI, Alma Parens (14 July 1966), before Duns Scotus was beatified in 1993, is a Scotistic ecumenical vision.
Fr. Edward J. Ondrako, OFM Conventual
Research Fellow Pontifical Faculty of St. Bonaventure, Rome
Visiting Scholar, McGrath Institute for Church Life
University of Notre Dame
November 8, 2021
”These young people are really steadfast in their pursuit for justice,” said Franciscan Br. Cristofer Fernández, a conservation ecologist and volunteer climate justice coordinator for Catholic Climate Covenant, who visited the hunger strikers.
On October 28, 2021, the Minister General and his Definitory nominated Friar Michael LASKY as the new Delegate General for Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation (GPIC). He will take over for Friar Joseph BLAY who has been appointed the Co-Secretary for Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation for the International Union of Men’s and Women’s Superiors General (UISG and USG) in Rome.
Consistent with our Franciscan charism and tradition of devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary, our province is promoting opportunities to more fully tap into a devotion from our Kolbean heritage, through the example of St. Maximilian M. Kolbe, OFM Conv., and the continued efforts of his Militia of the Immaculata’s (M.I.) unconditional Consecration to the Immaculate. In order to better promote M.I. among the faithful served through the ministries of our friars of Our Lady of the Angels Province, Fr. Jobe Abbass, OFM Conv., our Province MI Assistant, has completed the 30th successful and rewarding stop on our Province M.I Initiative Tour of our pastoral ministries. Friar Jobe’s revised scheduled stops on this tour will continue through February of 2022. Keep him and all those he greets in your prayers, as he continues to preach at the Masses to encourage the faithful to consecrate themselves to the Immaculate, and to enroll in the M.I.
Now in the home stretch, on the weekend of October 30-31, 2021, the 30th Tour Stop of the M.I. Initiative came to the Archdiocese of Baltimore Pastorate of St. Casimir at Canton and Patterson Park, in Baltimore, MD. One of the most glorious churches of the Our Lady of the Angels Province, St. Casimir Church (sanctuary space pictured above) has not yet seen the return of the pre-pandemic crowds. Still, the faithful present at both St. Casimir and St. Elizabeth of Hungary churches welcomed the initiative promoting entrustment to the Immaculate Conception and membership in the M.I. In the photo are some of the parishioners with the pastor – Fr. Dennis Grumsey, OFM Conv. (center), associate pastor – Fr. Andy Santamauro, OFM Conv. (center right), friar in residence – Br. Ed Handy, OFM Conv. (top row center left), and Friar Jobe (center left). Also residing in the St. Casimir Friary, with Friars Dennis, Andy and Ed is Br. Dan Lutolf, OFM Conv., who serves in education ministry in a Washington Diocese High School.
The long, hot summer days spent planting, weeding, and harvesting (so many tomatoes!) feel like a distant memory as the air chills and leaves fall. We are so grateful to our dozens of volunteers and all those who support the mission of Little Portion Farm from afar. Thank you for being a part of this journey with us.
In an October 21, 2021 letter from Rome, Our Lady of the Angels Province friar, Provincial Delegate of our Province Delegation of St. Francis of Assisi (Canada), and Provincial Delegate to the M.I., the Very Reverend Fr. Jobe Abbass, OFM Conv. has been appointed National Assistant of the Militia of the Immaculata M.I. Canada, by the Minister General of our Order, the Most Reverend Fr. Carlos Trovarelli, OFM Conv.
Since May of 2019, Friar Jobe has been traveling throughout our province, promoting Personal Consecration to the Immaculate via our province’s M.I. Initiative Tour. On Saturday, April 30, 2022, he will lead our 1st Annual Franciscan Pilgrimage to the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C.
October 12-17, 2021: The Conventual Franciscan Federation (CFF) gathered at the Mexican American Catholic College Center (MACC) in San Antonio, TX. Included at the meeting were several Our Lady of the Angels Province friars: our Minister Provincial – the Very Reverend Fr. James McCurry, OFM Conv., our Province Delegation of St. Francis of Assisi (Canada) Provincial Delegate & Delegate to the M.I. – Fr. Jobe Abbass, OFM Conv., Assistant General CFF – Fr. Jude Winkler, OFM Conv., and our Province JPIC Province Commission Chairman & pastor in two of our PA pastoral ministries – Fr. Michael Lasky, OFM Conv. Curia’s Newspost
October 16-18, 2021: Friar James, joined several of our friars in celebrating the 50th Jubilee of Ordination for Fr. Conrad Salach, OFM Conv., at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish, New Bedford, MA, where Friar Conrad serves as pastor.
October 21, 2021: Mass and Reception in Chancellor’s Residence at Syracuse University, where Our Lady of the Angels province friar – Fr. Gerry Waterman, OFM Conv. serves as Campus Minister. Each year, Chancellor/President Kent Syverud and his wife Dr. Ruth Chen host this university community event.
October 24, 2021: Many friars, parishioners, Oblate Sisters of Providence, and family members gathered at our pastoral ministry of St. Casimir Church, in Baltimore, MD to celebrate Brother Ed Handy, OFM Conv., and his 2021 60th Jubilee of Profession of Vows.
Fr. James has a few more friar visits in the Carolina’s to close out the month before he heads over to visit with our Province Custody in Great Britain/Ireland – The Greyfriars of Blessed Agnellus of Pisa Custody.
Consistent with our Franciscan charism and tradition of devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary, our province is promoting opportunities to more fully tap into a devotion from our Kolbean heritage, through the example of St. Maximilian M. Kolbe, OFM Conv., and the continued efforts of his Militia of the Immaculata’s (M.I.) unconditional Consecration to the Immaculate. In order to better promote M.I. among the faithful served through the ministries of our friars of Our Lady of the Angels Province, Fr. Jobe Abbass, OFM Conv., our Province MI Assistant, has completed the 29th successful and rewarding stop on our Province M.I Initiative Tour of our pastoral ministries. Friar Jobe’s revised scheduled stops on this tour will continue through February of 2022. Keep him and all those he greets in your prayers, as he continues to preach at the Masses to encourage the faithful to consecrate themselves to the Immaculate, and to enroll in the M.I.
On the weekend of October 23-24, 2021, the M.I. Initiative made its 29th stop at our province pastoral ministry of St. John Catholic Church, in Cromwell, CT. Friar Jobe was warmly received by the pastor, his Our Lady of the Angels province confrère, Fr. Mark Curesky, OFM Conv., and the parishioners joyfully responded to the invitation to consecrate themselves to the Immaculate and to become members of the M.I. In the photo above are Friars Jobe and Mark surrounded by the biggest group we have seen since resuming the M.I. Initiative despite the ongoing pandemic.
“Rebuild My Church” by Friar Ed Ondrako, OFM Conv.: August 2nd, the Feast of Our Lady of the Angels of Portiuncula, was the publication date for Ed’s newest book which features two detailed chapters each on the life of the late Fr. Peter Damian Fehlner, OFM Conv.; on Bonaventure; on Duns Scotus; on Newman, and on Fr. Peter’s theological vision and why it matters.
My name is Cyril O’Regan, Huisking Professor of Theology, here at the University of Notre Dame. It is my pleasure to introduce Fr. Edward Ondrako, who will shortly have the stage to himself, and to say a few words about his new book, which Fr. Ondrako will speak to more fully. Rebuild my Church is the reworking and expansion of a dissertation that Fr. Ed. Ondrako completed under my supervision at Notre Dame. Intentionally, it constitutes a homage to his teacher and mentor Fr. Peter Fehlner, or Fr. Peter Damian Mary Fehlner, which probably captures just about all the aspects of Fehlner’s writing and teaching on the Church, its substance, office, and mission. In particular, Rebuild my Church wishes on the basis of a diagnosis of the erosion, drift, and assimilation of the Church in and into a secular modernity, to propose with and after Fehlner the retrieval of the Franciscan School whose lynchpins in the medieval period are Bonaventure and Duns Scotus, are developed in the modern period by Franciscan scholastics, and outside a direct causal line echoed by Newman, who in turn is echoed by Benedict XVI, though in his case he has direct access to the Franciscan tradition in his deep study of Bonaventure that constitutes his Habilitation (1958). But in line with the Franciscan genius that Christianity is first a form of life and only secondarily a form of thought, again after Fehlner Fr. Ondrako wants to insist upon the pivotal importance of the witness, and especially the witness of Saint Maximillian Kolbe who died at Auschwitz.
Above when speaking of Fr. Ondrako’s relation to Fr. Fehlner I used two prepositions for the price of one, that is, “with” as well as “after.” Fr. Ondrako knows as well as anyone that one does not do honor to a teacher by rote repetition. Rather, you honor the teacher by carrying forward what was opened up but not fully articulated. To speak in the language of tradition as tradio, the gift that is handed on exceeds what the hander-on offered on and sets the one who is gifted a task of developing as well as elucidating what is intended in what has been said. This is precisely what is happening in this rich text. If Fehlner’s major contribution lies in his ressourcement of Franciscan sources and the prophetic claim of their relevance for the renewal of the modern age and in the rebuilding of the Church, perhaps Fr. Ondrako has the keener sense of the evacuation of doctrines and practices effected by secular modern age and the drift of the Church towards the secular that makes retrieval so necessary. Without challenging Fehlner as the ultimate source of Fr. Ondrako’s inspiration, it might be said that Ondrako has plumbed deeper into Newman and Benedict XVI, for him the two prophets of both lamentation and jubilation in the modern period. This is a serious and learned book, but I also dare to suggest itself a prophetic one.
Congratulations to Fr. Ed for producing such a treasure. Since his energy is indefatigable and his passion without bounds, I suspect that we will be repeating today’s event of celebration and appreciation any number of times in the future. Cyril O’Regan
Catherine F. Huisking Professor of Theology
University of Notre Dame College of Arts and Letters
Throughout the Month of November, we are all called to continue to remember all those who have gone before us. Our varied Province ministries hold special Masses, prayer services, memorials and other events to remember the faithful served by the ministries, as well those who have been served through them. Photos and articles from many of our ministries, will be shared on our Province Facebook Page throughout the month, starting with the November 1st celebration of the Solemnity of All Saints and the November 2nd Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed (All Souls).
Two more uniquely Franciscan memorial days will also be celebrated in November. November 5th is the Commemoration of All the Deceased of the Seraphic Order – Franciscan All Souls Day, when we pray for all Franciscans who have died, our family, friends, and benefactors. On November 29th we end the month in celebration of the Commemoration of All Saints of the Seraphic Order– Franciscan All Saints Day. Join us in prayer, entrusting cares and concerns to God. “The souls of the just are in peace.” “The one who believes in the Son of God has life everlasting.”
Five friars of our province met Sister Death over this past year:
Friar Augustine Pilatowski, OFM Conv. ~ January 24, 2021
Friar Vincent Lachendro, OFM Conv. ~ March 27, 2021
Friar Kenneth Lucas, OFM Conv. ~ April 6, 2021
Friar Michael Taylor, OFM Conv. ~ August 29, 2021
Friar Conrad Salach, OFM Conv. ~ October 30, 2021
Let us pray. Lord God, You are the glory of believers and the life of the just.
Your Son redeemed us by dying and rising to life again.
Since our departed brothers, sisters, relatives, friends and benefactors
of our Order believed in the mystery of Your resurrection,
let them share the joys and blessings of the life to come.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ,
Your Son, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Deceased Friars since Our Lady of the Angels Province was erected:
Friar Augustine Pilatowski, OFM Conv. ~ January 24, 2021
Friar Vincent Lachendro, OFM Conv. ~ March 27, 2021
Friar Kenneth Lucas, OFM Conv. ~ April 6, 2021
Friar Michael Taylor, OFM Conv. ~ August 29, 2021
