On Thursday 21 November Pope Francis published a letter simply addressed to, “brothers and sisters.”
In its opening paragraph the Holy Father indicates that he would like to, “share some thoughts on the importance of the study of church history.” He then spells out the purpose, “in order to help priests better interpret the world in which we live.”
In a summary for Vatican News, Francesca Merlo says that Pope Francis “emphasises collective memory, reconciliation, and a deeper engagement with primary sources to navigate the present with wisdom and faith.”
The Second Vatican Council Pastoral Constitution on the church in the Modern World, (Gaudium et spes) begins with a reference to the, “joy and hope, the grief and anguish of the men and women of our times.”
Telling this story is the business of history.
What the Holy Father refers to as, “communal inheritance” is the lived experience of Christ’s faithful, through the centuries, across nations and cultures. This experience includes all that is good and to be praised, as well as moments that are flawed and reflect the imperfections of a pilgrim church always in need of reform.
He stresses the church is, “capable of understanding the imperfect and wounded world in which she lives.” Understanding the church’s historical failures provides an opportunity to learn and grow.
Pope Francis writes, “the church is not blind to the discrepancy between the message she proclaims and the human weakness of those to whom the Gospel has been entrusted. Whatever is history’s judgement on these shortcomings, we cannot ignore them, and we must combat them assiduously, lest they hinder the spread of the Gospel.”
If the church is to relate to the world, as set out in Gaudium et Spes, “she needs the maturing influence of centuries of past experience in order to work out her relationship to the world.”
He insists on preserving memory; “We must not ask people to forget, indeed ‘we cannot allow present and future generations to lose the memory of what happened… It is a memory that ensures and encourages the building of a more fair and fraternal future.”
For this reason, I insist that, “The Shoah should not be forgotten… Nor must we forget the atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki… Neither must we forget the persecutions, the slave trade and the ethnic killings that continue in various countries, as well as the many other historical events that make us ashamed of our humanity. They need to be remembered.”
Pope Francis speaks about the need to study history and not simply to rely on, “gossip, superficial readings or the ‘cut and paste’ of Internet summaries.”
The letter is timely when the evidence suggests that the study of history is on the wane in our tertiary institutions and high schools. This trend is well documented in a report to the Australian Historical Association Executive; A Discipline in Crisis?: University History Staffing in Australia and New Zealand, 2022.
By coincidence just two days after the publication of the letter, and understandably, without reference to it, ABC Radio National’s Saturday Extra programme had an interview with Professor Michelle Arrow, from Macquarie University, President of the Australian Historical Association. In a wide-ranging discussion, she pointed out the disturbing trend within universities to wind back the teaching of history due to a fall in demand among students.
Since 1940, the Australian Catholic Historical Society has preserved and studied the story of the Australian Catholic community in all its aspects.
The Society was founded in Sydney, by a group of students of Australian Catholic history led by Fr (later Archbishop) Eris O’Brien and Sydney solicitor Brian McGrath. It was revived in the 1960s through the efforts of Monsignor Cornelius (Con) Duffy. Since then, it has maintained a program of talks and published research. It publishes a journal of scholarly articles annually.
Members, their guests, and visitors are most welcome to attend the meeting held usually on the 3rd Sunday of the month in the crypt of St Patrick’s Church Hill. There is no charge.
The programme for 2025 will include a presentation reflecting on the 50th anniversary of the end of the Vietnam War by Bishop Vincent Long, the 1700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea by Dr Bernard Doherty, the 60th anniversary of the Vatican II document on relations with Jews by Teresa Pirola, and the 60th anniversary of the Vatican II document on the pastoral role of bishops by Archbishop Anthony Fisher OP.
Details of the programme of the ACHS as well as resources on church history are on the website. Enquiries may be directed to [email protected].
Fr Brian Lucas is President of the Australian Catholic Historical Society.