Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Vatican City (Agenzia Fides) - Origen of Alexandria, “a personage who was determinant for the development of all Christian thought ”, was the subject the Holy Father Pope Benedict XVI chose for his catechesis during the Wednesday audience on 25 April. “He was a true "master" - the Pope explained -, not only a brilliant theologian, but also an exemplary witness to the doctrine he transmitted … In the year 250, during the persecution of Decius, Origen was arrested and cruelly tortured. Weakened by the sufferings undergone he died a few years later. He was not even seventy years old.”
The Pontiff then dwelt on the importance of the " irreversible change" which Origen impressed on the history of theology and Christian thought: “It corresponds in substance to the foundation of theology in the explanation of the Scriptures. For him theology was essentially to explain, understand Scripture; or we could also say that his theology is a perfect symbiosis between theology and exegesis”.
Saint Jerome lists the titles of 320 books and 310 homilies by Origen, of which unfortunately the greater part have been lost. His range of interest is extremely varied, it extends from exegesis to dogma, philosophy, apologetics, ascetics and mystics. As the Holy Father said, “the inspiring nucleus is the "triple reading" of the Scriptures developed by Origen during his life… First of all he read the Bible to examine the text and offer the most reliable edition. This, for example, is the first step: to know what is really written and know what this scripture intentionally or initially wishes to say … Secondly Origen read the Bible systematically with his famous Commentaries. They reproduce faithfully the explanations which the master offered during his lectures, in Alexandria and in Cesarea. Origen proceeds almost verse by verse, in a meticulous, broad and profound manner with notes of philological and doctrinal character. He works painstakingly to discover exactly what the sacred authors wish to say … Lastly Origen devoted much time to preaching the Bible adapting himself to a variously composite audience”.
The Pope underlined that Origen “takes every opportunity to recall the diverse dimensions of the meaning of Sacred Scripture, which help or express a path of growth in the faith ”, that is the "literal" sense, the "moral" sense and lastly the "spiritual" sense . “It is the Holy Spirit who helps us understand the Christological content and so the unity of the Scripture in its diversity”. With this method Origen “manages effectively to promote ‘Christian reading of the Old Testament”, blunting the challenge of those heretics who put the two Testaments in opposition and then rejected the Old one" the Pope concluded inviting those present to welcome “the teaching of this great master of the faith. He reminded, us with deep enthusiasm, that through prayerful reading of the Scriptures and consistent commitment in life, the Church is ever new and ever young. The Word of God which is never old and never ended, is a privileged means for this goal … Let us pray the Lord will give us today thinkers, theologians, exegetes who find this multidimensional nature, this permanent relevance of Sacred Scripture, its newness for today. Let us ask the Lord to help us read Sacred Scripture in a prayerful manner, to nourish ourselves with the true bread of life, his Word.”
After greeting groups from various countries in different languages the Pope mentioned the Road Safety Week launched by the United Nations asking those present to pray “for the dead, the wounded and their families ”, and saying he hoped “a conscious sense of responsibility towards others may bring car drivers, young people especially, to have greater respect for the Highway Code.” (S.L.) (Agenzia Fides 26/4/2007 - righe 43, parole 607)
