Loving the Church

Christoph Schonborn, an eminent theological scholar and the Archbishop of Vienna, demonstrates that he is an excellent role model for students of theology in Loving the Church: Spiritual Exercises Preached in the Presence of Pope John Paul II (Ignatius 1998). The book is organized in five Parts, one part for each of the five days of the retreat Schonborn presented to Pope John Paul II February 25-30, 1996. Schnonborn's command of the development of Biblical doctrine is brilliant and humbling. He identifies the statement that "God is the Creator of heaven and earth" as the first Logical step of belief (p. 26). He shows how logical beliefs lead to a healthy environmental Ethics, since "the loss of friendship with God brings with it the loss of intimacy with the earth" (p. 73). From a Political point of view Schonborn highlights the strong desire to unify people without God as the cause of totalitarian states "which we have seen [in the 20th centurs] in all its naked ugliness" (p. 86). And describes the Church as an Artist and says that "she is a sign and also that what the sign signifies" (p. 25). For a reader who is struggling with personal relationships Schonborn offers Psychological advice and accurately observes that the relationship between men and women "takes patience and the power of grace to heal the wounds" that we inflict on each other (p. 77). And when we have tragedy in our lives the Archbishop of Vienna recommends that we acknowledge Metaphysics and get tough: "Nowadays we have too often forgotten that human life is a battle" (p. 78).For students of theology and Catholics hoping to clarify and increase their faith, I recommend most highly Schonborn's Loving the Church.

Knowledge makes love fruitful in service. God calls us to be the instruments of salvation for others(evangelization). That is the work of the Church. Far too many of us find ourselves involved in church work and not in the work of the Church. This little book will help straighten out the misunderstanding."Loving the Church" is a series of meditations on the Church given as a Lenten retreat(1966) to the Holy Father and his staff. The aim of the book(retreat) is to instill a more profound sense of Church(that's our reason for reading the book). I can imagine the difficulty of retaining a sense of mystery in the Church when such as a papal staff is unceasingly confronted with the practical, day to day, sometimes mundane requirements of a visibile and functioning organization. Yet the Church is fundamentally a mystery, founded in the mystery of Christ himself, human and divine. We are put into communion with this mystery through communion with Christ. I believe this to be a fundamental point for our author, Christoph Cardinal Schonborn.Although the whole is always the sum of all its parts, two "chapters" alone are worth the price of the book. In "The Mysteries of the Life of Christ," Schonborn anchors us in God's plan for us; to be united to himself in the Son's humanity. That humanity, in Schonborn's view is "radically filial" not "sevile". By God's design we are to become "sons(daughters) in the Son". In the words of the Fathers of the Church, "divinized". For Schonborn becoming Church means, at its deepest level, this very participation in the Sonship of Jesus.The other "chapter" which excels is "The Communion of Saints". Its key understanding is that "the Church does not come to an end at the threshold of death." In Christoph Schonborn's words, "She(the Church) is the communion of ALL who live in Christ." A more compelling explanation on the communion of saints than in this meditation will be hard to find anywhere.A repeated emphasis found in "Loving the Church" is that our participation in the Mystery of the Church is reality and not theological theory. It is based on fact, the fact of the Incarnation of the very Son of God in the real womb of a very real woman approximately two thousand years ago, Mary.Though I found the first part of the book a little slow. That may just be me or the fact that the Cardinal was preparing the ground, tilling the soil as it were. However, no one will come away from this book without having been abundantly enriched.A must read!

This is a man who talks about the Catechism and Scared Scripture in such a way that the reader almost hears a kind of heavenly music in which the heart wants to sing! Beautifully written, the book offers insight to scripture par excellance! The author sees all of creation and salvation history as a prefiguring of the "Church" as only Catholics can understand that term. Compelling, I could not put the book down until I finished it and then couldn't wait to give it to my parish priest. A true treasure to read for Lent! Cardinal Schonborn may indeed be our next Pope.

One delightful tip is to read these exercises and then read the catechism sections they refer to. Christoph Cardinal Schonborn is the general editor of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, and might possibly become our next Pope. These reflections were actually preached for Pope John Paul II; you can't get more orthodox or reliable than that. The Catechism of the Catholic Church can be a heady book, very long, a bit technical for the layman. But it will spring to life for you in reading these spiritual exercises. This book taught me not just how to read the Catechism, but how to pray it.Cardinal Schonborn's great gift is the intense spirituality of his writing, which is deeply rooted in traditional Catholic theology and ancient Catholic scriptural exigesis. Christoph Schonborn will teach you to see the Church as she sees herself, as Bride, as victim, as the great cloud of witnesses which is the mystical Body of her Divine Spouse; in short you will see the Church as the communion of saints in Holy communion with the Lord. You will see the Church as Christ sees her--and if you're a convert, as I am, you will fall in love with her all over again.