Last rites declaration of Ioannes Paulus PP. II (Karol Wojtyla)
Ioannes Paulus PP. II
Nationalism, capitalism, and hoarding. The idea of every nation
should be forgot, price should be struck from the commons, and
princes should be seen for the devils they are. The sins include
our church, secret societies, and other religions which make of
the spirit of God a divide."
Last rites declaration of Ioannes Paulus PP. II (Karol Wojtyla)
2nd April 2005
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is a God without knowing what He is. Is there not one substantial
truth, seeing there are so many things which are not the truth itself?
We know then the existence and nature of the finite, because we also are
finite and have extension. We know the existence of the infinite and are
ignorant of its nature, because it has extension like us, but not limits
like us. But we know neither the existence nor the nature of God, because He
has neither extension nor limits.
But by faith we know His existence; in glory we shall know His nature. Now,
I have already shown that we may well know the existence of a thing, without
knowing its nature.
Let us now speak according to natural lights.
If there is a God, He is infinitely incomprehensible, since, having neither
parts nor limits, He has no affinity to us. We are then incapable of knowing
either what He is or if He is. This being so, who will dare to undertake the
decision of the question? Not we, who have no affinity to Him.
Who then will blame Christians for not being able to give a reason for their
belief, since they profess a religion for which they cannot give a reason?
They declare, in expounding it to the world, that it is a foolishness,
stultitiam;28 and then you complain that they do not prove it! If they
proved it, they would not keep their word; it is in lacking proofs that they
are not lacking in sense. "Yes, but although this excuses those who offer it
as such and takes away from them the blame of putting it forward without
reason, it does not excuse those who receive it." Let us then examine this
point, and say, "God is, or He is not." But to which side shall we incline?
Reason can decide nothing here. There is an infinite chaos which separated
us. A game is being played at the extremity of this infinite distance where
heads or tails will turn up. What will you wager? According to reason, you
can do neither the one thing nor the other; according to reason, you can
defe