Beyond Babel: Eucharistic Solidarity in Magnifica Humanitas

 

Eucharist — Saint Patrick Catholic Church

Earlier this summer, Pope Leo XIV published a ground-breaking encyclical, Magnifica Humanitas, in which he spoke of the urgent need to rise to the challenge of artificial intelligence.  The encyclical is like a condensed story of the development of Catholic Social Teaching (CST) since the 1891 encyclical of Pope Leo XIII, Rerum Novarum. In my view CST is a great and unique treasure of the Roman Catholic church. Together with the mystery of the Eucharist, CST is among the principal reasons that I remain within Roman Catholicism. In saying this I am painfully aware of the collective as well as many individual failures to live according to CST principles in the light of the Gospel. At the heart of CST are the principles of:

The intrinsic, infinite and equal dignity of all humans;

The common good of human society;

A preferential option for the poor;

The universal destination of all goods;

Care of the Earth;

Solidarity with all members of the  human race;

Subsidiarity according to which authority is delegated to the greatest extent possible but in harmony with the common good;

These are lofty ideas but essential to the survival and flourishing of human beings. In Magnifica Humanitas, Pope Leo XIV writes (#88):

For the Christian community, solidarity finds its source in the mystery of Christ and is nourished by the Eucharist. Solidarity emerges from communion in faith and the Sacraments: Baptism and Confirmation unite us in Christ, so that we may become one Body and one Spirit, one heart and one soul (cf. Eph 4:4; Acts 4:32). The Eucharist, which is the sacrament of unity, nurtures our belonging to the Body of Christ and teaches us how to share. The diverse sensibilities present in the Church and the strong convictions that animate each person are a source of richness if they remain anchored in the certainty that unity is a gift received and a responsibility to be fulfilled.

As is the case throughout the entire document each sentence and each paragraph contains such a richness and clarity of meaning that we could spend much time in prayerful reflection on the text. More importantly, we could adjust and revise our approach and practices in the light of the Church’s wisdom.

Since unity is a gift we receive, above all, in the Eucharist we are responsible for bringing the mystery of what we receive and become to the world around us.  We are schooled by Word and Sacrament to share what we have received.

In a world disturbed by the cacophony of voices and opinions as represented by what Pope Leo refers to as the City of Babel, the Eucharist empowers us to go out and witness to a different language and a different culture – one founded on sharing that goes beyond individual, family or racial boundaries. I will explore the Eucharistic themes in Magnifica Humanitas in the coming days.