Wittgenstein, Sąd Ostateczny i niemieckie samoloty. Pojęcie dystansu w Wykładach o wierze

Author(s): Łukasz Borowiecki / Language(s): Polish Issue: 2/2013

This paper investigates different accounts of the distance between religious and nonreligious persons, postulated by Wittgenstein in his Lectures on Religious Belief: the hypothesis that religious and nonreligious language is incommensurable, the supposition about “ordinary” and “extraordinary” uses of word “belief,” and the non-cognitive approach to religious language. I argue (after Cora Diamond) that none of these accounts can be regarded as sufficient, because the text of Lectures does not contain any general theory of disagreement between believer and nonbeliever. Instead of that, Wittgenstein offers a picture of several different relationships that may occur between them.

Spis treści

Author(s): Author Not Specified / Language(s): Polish Issue: 2/2013

Kerygmat czytań biblijnych w obrzędach pogrzebu

Author(s): Ks. Stanisław Dyk / Language(s): Polish Issue: 15/2011

The readings of “funeral ceremony” are adjusted to the three basic aims of funeral liturgy: praying for the dead, giving hope to the living, testifying to the faith of the Church in resurrection. A preacher facing the mystery of death should ask the faithful to pray for the dead, console them, give hope, and testify to the resurrection of the dead. The texts of the Lectionary, which show the tragedy of human death, also suggest that pain connected with death should be present in a funeral homily. However, this is difficult to do, which is evidenced in the little number of readings devoted to the tragedy of human death. A preacher should not exaggerate when, in a biblical text , he looks for a prism that will shed light on the life and death of the deceased. It does not mean though that such hermeneutics should be avoided. Yet it is all about a certain gradation set by the “funeral ceremony” itself. A homilist should first and foremost be faithful to the spirit of funeral liturgy, which puts a Christian death in the perspective of the Passover. This is the fundamental meaning of the Lectionary of the mass for the dead.

Mistagogia symboli liturgii pogrzebowej

Author(s): Andrzej Żądło / Language(s): Polish Issue: 15/2011

Funeral liturgy is rich in symbols: a vigil before a funeral, processions, sprinkling of the dead body, censing of the dead body, throwing soil on the coffin. The symbols are completed by signs and material elements which are used during the funeral. Each and every of them, and all of them as a whole, are of a huge semiotic value, which has been strengthened throughout the years of the long-lived Christian attitude towards death. This semiotic potential of symbols used in funeral liturgy is, however, not fully analyzed and experienced by its participants. Christian funerals need a deepened spirituality, support and education given to the faithful so that the faithful can experience funeral liturgy to the full. This should be understood as an interaction of Christ and a community, as an experience that needs and strengthens faith. It is on the foundations of faith that the symbols and the responsibility that comes from them can be deciphered. The symbols can enable us to find the road to sainthood. The true “liturgic mistagogy” should be developed, with an active part of the whole community, through ceremony in order to avoid the dangers of paying too much attention to the ceremonial-ritual aspect of liturgy. Also its resurrecting, spiritual and formative aspects should be taken into account. And it is a funeral homily that plays a special role here.

Homilia pogrzebowa głoszeniem chrześcijańskiej nadziei

Author(s): Krzysztof Szwarc / Language(s): Polish Issue: 15/2011

The article takes up the subject of foretelling hope in one of the most difficult human experiences – during a funeral, in a gathering of the nearest people, who experience the separation of their intimates, and search for a true conversation on what they really think and feel, while being in pain, in separation, and in disappointment. That is why the article initially tries to diagnose the present condition of hope, then it assists in thinking over the issue of seeking hope out of crisis human experiences. To some extent these experiences measure our hope, they allow us to get to know ourselves, and pass from a declaratory level of our life to an existential one, in the intimacy of faith and love with God, as a destination of our life’s way. Furthermore, the article pays attention to the fact that the funeral homily should open the ceremony participants to the presence of Jesus Christ, as a priceless ground on the human way of life, where hope can be discovered. By explaining the Scriptures, a story of our life and breaking bread for us, He overcomes death and allows us to see our own life in a new way. In the experience of death, He resuscitates the hope of life, inclining beyond a passing history of a temporality. He allows us to open eyes and unbind ears from our own experiences, becoming a key to the door which conceals the revealed truth, and throwing a light of hope on the most crushing experience of human life, which - thanks to the Presence of Jesus - can be read outloud as our own Passover, our own history of salvation in Him. This all becomes possible thanks to Christ, being present during the Eucharist in His Word and in His Body.

Homilia pogrzebowa: proklamacja Chrystusa, a nie pochwalna mowa żałobna

Author(s): Henryk Sławiński / Language(s): Polish Issue: 15/2011

The article deals with the distinction between a eulogy and a funeral homily. Both are public speeches given in the existential context of bereavement after the death of an acquaintance, friend or loved one. Both serve an educational purpose in praising values visible in the life of the departed person that may be recommended to others in society. Yet an inherent difference between the two kinds of speeches is the liturgical context. This context is essential for the homily, which is part of the liturgy and draws its content from biblical and liturgical texts as well as in the teaching of the Church – not only from the biography of the departed person. By contrast, biographical references would be sufficient for a eulogy. The aim of the homily is not merely educational, but salvific. It brings consolation, surely, but it also helps the listener to encounter Christ present in the liturgical gathering. Furthermore, the homily is not concerned with praising the departed person, but with praising Christ the Lord. This Christological meaning and content is intrinsic to the homily, for Christ is the one who speaks through the homilist and it is Christ who is the main subject of the homily. The biography of the departed person is mentioned only in as much as it reflects the deeds and teaching of Christ. In pastoral praxis, the preacher should avoid two extremes: speaking about the departed person without connection to the Gospel and giving an explanation of the Gospel that is so universal as to omit any specific mention the deceased person. The homily is a gift to the bereaving community. Flowers of condolence wilt and fade, but the words of a good homily may remain for a long time in the memories of the bereaved.

Egzystencjalny, personalny i eklezjalny wymiar homilii pogrzebowej

Author(s): Adam Kalbarczyk / Language(s): Polish Issue: 15/2011

Funeral homily is a big challenge and responsibility for priests. Seeing not only its importance but also a pastoral chance it offers, a lot of priests raise questions about its characteristics. This article, answering the question, tries to present the specifics of funeral homily in general, and then to show its existential, personal and ecclesiastical dimension. The main aim for the funeral priest is not to eulogize the dead, to evangelize, to catechize, or to sermonize, but to strive for mistagogia, that is to make the faithful familiar with the significance of the funeral service and enable them to fully participate in this service. This can be achieved through the homily which shows the meaning of life and death in the light of Christian faith and hope (existential dimension), respect for the dead and their lives (personal level) and consolation, strengthening the faith of the dearest and nearest and the whole funeral community (ecclesiastical level). Funeral homily, based on God’s Word, should be propagating words of life in the face of death and in defiance of death. That is why a specific cantus firmus of each funeral homily should be the presentation of each specific death, and the mourning, in the light of God’s Word. This can be achieved through putting the recollections of the dead into the heart of the biblical address, which is the Passover Mystery of Jesus Christ, the Christian answer to the question of the meaning of life, suffering, and death. The main aim of funeral homily is promoting life in the Church, by the Church, and through the Church, and enabling people to connect to God in the Church, or at least encouraging people to look for God.

Aktualność założeń kazania tematycznego we współczesnej posłudze Słowa

Author(s): Jan Twardy / Language(s): Polish Issue: 15/2011

In the history of Christian preaching apart from homily also sermon (sermo) besed on the principles of ancient retorics has been developed. The deep reflection on homily after Vatican Council II causes that the principles of the thematic sermon seem not to be important and are not valued so much. That is why the author tries to stress the actuality of thematic sermon – especially its composition – which helps to proclaim God Word clearly and in an interesting way. So the main problem is to precize the right purpose, as well as the appropriately narrowed and practically oriented preacher's subject. Similarly, preface ought to be well prepared and interesting, the main contents divided into logical and clear parts – and the conclussion (final saying) expressed in an accurate and suggestive way. Therefore, the conclussion should not be treaten as a closing which is the last accord of oration and needs a correct preparation as well. In the times of retoric renaissance and development of communication theory in public preaching the principles of thematic sermon are still actual – as they allow to preach homilies, conferences, moral lessons and other speeches in an ordered way.

Oficjum za zmarłych (jutrznia, nieszpory) tworzywem homilii pogrzebowej

Author(s): Jan Decyk / Language(s): Polish Issue: 15/2011

The presented article, based on the texts of Matins and Vespers in the Liturgy of the Hours for the dead is aimed at deepening the reflection over the Mystery of Death. The contemporary man needs a deepened philosophical and theological reflection over one’s existence, which is guided towards eternal life. The first part of the article focuses on the theological content of Matins and Vespers for the dead in a structural-chronological order. The second part offers topics that can be used in homilies. The theological motifs of the Officium are centered around the three important issues: man’s destination to immortality, the Mystery of Passover in man’s life, and eternal life as the completion of existing temporality. Prayer texts help to realize that God the Creator brought the man to life to make him/her happy. The Church, through the liturgy, combines man’s death, funeral and eternity with the cross and the Resurrection of Christ. The Church offers prayers to the dead which tell about Chris’s death. The faithful man experiences a special kind of presence of God and closeness to Christ who healed, raised from the dead but also experienced suffering, torment, and death. All the earthly sufferings of the man, experienced in connection with the Mystery of death and Resurrection of Christ have special significance for eternal life. A story of passing life and eternity are united in the prayers for the dead.

Jak realizować cele homilii na płaszczyźnie odniesienia?

Author(s): Chino Biscontin / Language(s): Polish Issue: 15/2011

The article aims at presenting the way of realizing the objectives of homily on the level of reference. The objectives are: bringing about specific kinds of behaviour and actions; explaining, instructing and convincing. Bringing about specific kinds of behaviour and actions will be achieved more effectively if a preacher starts the homily with a story – a lot of motivation and conviction is born in the man when he/she identifies with the characters of a story; and if the preacher explains the behaviour and actions that he wants to promote among the listeners, and shows them clearly the benefits coming from this behaviour and these actions. A good way to explain and instruct is to: observe the time limit; keep the logical order of the homily content; present the listeners with the homily structure; explain the new and difficult material; picture the abstract content and paraphrase the difficult terminology. A preacher will convince the listeners if he gets their trust, and this is guaranteed by the competence in the discussed topic and moral coherence, if a preacher speaks with enthusiasm, if he uses positive expressions, and if the tone of his voice is friendly and nice.

Formuły euchologijne Mszy pogrzebowych źródłem paschalnego kerygmatu

Author(s): Stanisław Czerwik / Language(s): Polish Issue: 15/2011

The formulas of funeral masses have a rich doctrinal value, the core of which is the faith in death and resurrection of Christ. Faith is the best inspiration for praying for the dead and the foundation of hope concerning both eternal future of the dead and the participants of a funeral. The Euchologion tells about the dependency of human fate from God’s will. It is God who decides how long one lives and when one leaves this world for eternity. Liturgy highlights the good deeds of the dead that accompany them. It is a clear suggestion that a funeral homily can encompass both the anamnesis of “trials and tribulations” of the deceased and the appraisal of God for all the good that was made possible through the human hands during the earthly existence. The formulas of prayers at funeral masses validate the combination of the Eucharist and a funeral. The Eucharist is the food for the road to eternity. Salvation started by baptism is accomplished through participation in the Eucharist. The prefaces about the dead are of a special Christological and paschal character. They show how the Passion of Christ is the foundation of our life and resurrection. The Euchologion formulas of funeral masses are in accordance with the Council’s postulate to highlight the paschal character of a Christian death. This postulate should be cultivated in a funeral homily.

Śmierć, „kairos”, życie. Homilia pogrzebowa okazją do ewangelizacji

Author(s): Jerzy Szymik / Language(s): Polish Issue: 15/2011

Death of a close person creates the situation of a crisis, a specific kind of poverty when nagging questions appear, the answers to which are the essence of the Christian Good News. From a Christian perspective the thought about death is finally always the thought about life, and questions concerning death do in fact concern life. Hence a funeral is a specific “evangelical chance”, a specific kairos, both for a person who has experienced sorrow and pain, and for the Church that spreads the God’s Word, the mission of which is giving eternal hope that exceeds earthliness. The source of this hope is God, always standing close, that is engaged in people, God of Abraham, God of Isaac, God of Jacob, God of Job and finally, God of the crucified and resurrected Jesus Christ. That is why the cross remains the complete consolation and Jesus Christ is “the only advice”.

„Communio sanctorum” w kontekście homilii pogrzebowej

Author(s): Janusz Chyła / Language(s): Polish Issue: 15/2011

Professing one’s belief in the Communion of Saints (communio sanctorum) is an essential part of the Apostles’ Creed. The Holy Spirit forms the personal bond between the Triune God and the Church as well as between her individual members. That mutually enriching relationship includes the saints in heaven, those maturing to the fullness of love in the purgatory and the wanderers in this world (sancti) and it strengthens itself by participation in common spiritual goods (sancta). Sin which originates from breaking the unity and creates an obstacle in partaking in the fullness of life in the loving community has been overcome by Jesus Christ and His paschal mystery. Resurrection is a triumph over sin and death and bestows its salvific fruits on both the living and the departed. The Christian notion of the two-phased eschatology speaks of souls awaiting the communal fulfilment of the promise of the resurrection of the body. At their present state they already experience the consequences of their worldly decisions, yet they can be spared some negative ones. Even though death is extremely difficult to pass through, it does not impede in any way the experience the personal communion between this world, the heaven and the purgatory that manifests itself by mutual responsibility for each other’s good which springs forth from the three theological virtues: faith, hope and charity. The Church, although she avoids preaching automatic salvation, encourages the faithful to bring relief to those in the purgatory and to praise God with the saints in heaven. The means by which the communio sanctorum is put together are: prayer, works of mercy, the Sacraments and above all the Eucharist.

Euthanasie oder Hospiz

Author(s): Hans Rotter / Language(s): German Issue: 1/2006

While public opinion i.e. the attitude of healthy or only slightly ill persons tends to be increasingly in favor of euthanasia, the position of those suffering of severe diseases is radically dissimilar. Only an insignificant minority will express a certain and lasting wish to be helped to die. The reason of this different stance lies in the fact that humans commonly manifest lasting hope in respect to the meaning of life. The present study deals with the issues of distinction, personal criteria, psychological and juridical aspect raised by euthanasia.

The Womb: from Sanctuary of Life to Public Space. Women's Body in Assisted Reproduction

Author(s): Szilvia Hübel / Language(s): English Issue: 1/2006

Assisted reproduction has opened the door to all manner of scenarios, from biological surrogate motherhood to gestational surrogates. Women are either seen as the victims of the reproductive technologies, because they lose control over their bodies hence their selves or they are argued to enjoy greater freedom. In a feminist approach women claim for themselves the right to decide where and how these boundaries should be drawn. Is this really empowerment or on the contrary disempowerment? Do all these technologies imply negotiation of the body boundaries? Is the body reduced to a vessel? New reproductive technologies are challenging our very notions of what it means to be a person. What are the implications of living in a society in which procreation is subject to personal preference and choice in a way that has never before been conceivable? What does it mean for definitions of motherhood if children can be “produced” through “donated” eggs and/or “rented” wombs? Are we moving towards women’s empowerment or the new eugenics? Using a cross-cultural approach, we will examine the anthropology and bioethics of the new reproductive technologies.

Die Kultur des Todes in Rumänien. Die moralische Beurteilung der Abtreibungsindikationen

Author(s): László Holló / Language(s): German Issue: 1/2006

Dem psychisch gesunden Menschen ist es weitaus natürlich, dass das Sterben, das Leben des Anderen zu schützen, Teil seiner Weltanschauung ist. Bis zur gesellschaftlichen Wende von 1989–90 in Ost-Europa, bezogen sich in mehreren kommunistischen Ländern – darunter auch in Rumänien – strenge Gesetze auf die Geburtenregelung. „Unsere Partei und Regierung“ traf in 1966 – nicht auf der Basis der christlicher Werte, sondern von verschiedenen pragmatischen Überlegungen geleitet – die diktatorische Entscheidung, dass die Staatsbürger der christlichen Moral entsprechend leben müssten (zumindest bezüglich der Moral des empfangenen Lebens). Gleich nach der Wende im Dezember 1989 erschien ein neues Abtreibungsgesetz, in dem der Schwangerschaftsabbruch bis zu der 12. Woche der Schwangerschaft legitimiert wurde. Dieser Entschluss wurde /quasi/ zum Symbol der neu gestarteten demokratischen Umordnungen. Dank dieses Dekretes und der Abwesenheit eines sexuellen Aufklärungs- und Erziehungsprogramms endeten in Rumänien 1990 – entsprechend den veröffentlichten Daten der Klausenburgen Konfident Stiftung [Schwangerschaftsberatungszentrum] – von 1000 Schwangerschaften 759 mit Abtreibung. Diese Daten werden von den Angaben des Statistikjahrbuchs Rumäniens 2004 bezüglich der Periode 1990–2003 bestätigt, laut deren im Jahre 1990 in Rumänien insgesamt 992265 chirurgische Abtreibungen, d.h. auf 1000 Geburten durchschnittlich 3158,4, auf 1000 Frauen 177,6 Schwangerschaftsabtreibungen durchgeführt wurden. Ist also dem Menschen natürlich, das Leben des Anderen zu schützen? Diese Frage zu beantworten bezweckt der vorliegende Artikel.

La clonazione e i suoi aspetti morali

Author(s): Szabolcs Orbán / Language(s): Italian Issue: 1/2006

Il discorso sul problema della clonazione – in altre parole la «produzione» in modo asessuato, in laboratorio, d’individui geneticamente identici a partire da altri già esistenti –, nell’ultimo decennio, dovuto agli sviluppi delle tecniche scientifiche è diventato molto attuale. Nella luce di quest’attualità nel nostro lavoro, dopo che facciamo la chiarificazione del concetto, accenniamo lo sviluppo di quest’intervento e la sua pratica nella natura e nel mondo degli animali. La seconda parte del lavoro dedichiamo alla presentazione dei problemi tecnici e soprattutto etici della clonazione. Alla fine facciamo un brevissimo accenno, dal punto di vista della Chiesa cattolica alle possibili soluzioni sollevati del problema della clonazione terapeutica.

Theatre as an Avenue for Religious Experience. Still or Motionless Theatre (János Pilinszky): Toward Contemporary Mysticism

Author(s): Márta Bodó / Language(s): English Issue: 1/2006

Artistic experience can be quite similar to religious experience. Art, then, can generate religious experience just as religion or religious experience has generated so many works of art during the course of history. In order to support my argument, I use examples of theatre and theatrical experience. Artistic experience can serve as a universal bridge to connect people, while works of art can bring together diverse people from different cultures, although it would seem that any representation is linked to a specific culture from which the work of art emerged. János Pilinszky’s whole artistic oeuvre is linked to Catholic, i.e. universal tradition. In contrast to many important Eastern European writers, he is neither speaking specifically about Eastern European / Hungarian themes, nor about events linked to the specific history of a nation. Instead, Pilinszky is concerned with universal truth. Pilinszky’s term of sacred drama is drame immobile: still or motionless drama. Reading his analysis, one understands how drama / theatre can awaken the religious sense today. Certain performances make alive today, in a modern context, the forgotten mystery plays of the Middle Ages. These kinds of performances can give a hint of eternity and universal beauty, experiences that are traditionally linked with religion.

Embryonic Stem Cell Research and the Protection of Human Life

Author(s): Béla Somfai / Language(s): English Issue: 1/2006

The study deals with the question of using excedentary human pre-embryos produced for in vitro fertilization for experimentation purposes. A first section analyzes the pertinent official teaching of the Roman Catholic Church, which claims that pre-embryos have to receive the same protection outside or inside the mother’s body that is due to innocent persons. The Church does not state explicitly that they are in fact human persons, but referring to the evidence of life-sciences affirms that they carry a genetic code, which determines their individual characteristics and directs their continuous development to full personhood. Consequently, unrestricted protection is due to them lest we expose ourselves to the danger of destroying innocent human life. In the second part the paper analyzes the evidence of life sciences, and finds that the empirical evidence is not convincing, it needs critical interpretation, and there is no consensus among the experts on this question. Recent evidence suggests that the genetic code has to be activated by an intensive information exchange with the maternal environment to initiate the process of individualization. The third part draws conclusions and articulates a strong probability confirmed by already available scientific evidence that without establishing this relationship with the maternal environment a zygote will never become a newborn child.

Forgiveness and Mental Health

Author(s): Apollónia Kulcsár / Language(s): English Issue: 1/2006

The present study deals with the way the full-time psychological researchers explore the cognitive development of forgiveness (Kohlberg–Enright) and the personality traits (i.e. empathy, affection and self-image), which influence forgiveness. Further it also presents what surveys regard as real and unconditioned forgiveness. Every psychological and mental hygienic empirical research found that forgiveness and each of its phases – admission, apology, forgiveness and accepting forgiveness – have an equally positive effect on the person’s physical and mental health. Forgiveness affects the entire personality. It is difficult, because it demands changes that cover our relationships and personality; it also calls for the formation of the “seventy times seven” forgiving character. It was only in the last few decades, when psychotherapy discovered the role of forgiveness in attaining a healthy mental life. Scientific researches point out indirectly the deep, psychologically important resources religious people have, who believe in a forgiving God.