VATICAN - Pope Benedict at the general Audience: in the writings of Tertullian “we find numerous themes which still today we are called to face. They involve us in a rich interior quest to which I exhort all the faithful ”

Vatican City (Agenzia Fides) - Continuing along the gallery of great figures of the early Church Pope Benedict XVI devoted his teaching at the Wednesday general audience on 30 May to Tertullian, known as the African, “who between the end of the second and the beginning of the third century, inaugurated Christian literature in the Latin language. With him there began a theology in that language- the Holy Father said -. His work bore decisive fruits, which it would be unpardonable to underestimate. His influence develops at different levels: from those of language and a return to the classical culture, to those of the identification of a common "Christian soul" in the world and the formulation of new proposals for human society ”.
Although the exact dates of his birth and his death are unknown we do know that Tertullian was given a sound rhetorical, philosophical, juridical and historic education at Carthage, around the end of the 2nd century. He became a Christian, attracted probably by the example of Christian martyrs. He began to publish his most famous works in 197. “However an exaggeratedly individual search for the truth and intemperance of character — he was a rigorous man — led him gradually to leave communion with the Church and join the sect of Montanism” the Pope recalled.
His writings of apologetic nature follow two principal purposes: to confute the pagans' serious accusations against the new religion and communicate the message of the Gospel in dialogue with the culture of the time. In his best known work Apologetico, “he denounces the unjust behaviour of the political authorities against the Church; he explains and defends the teaching and customs of Christians; he identifies the differences between the new religion and the principal philosophical currents of the time; he shows the triumph of the Spirit, which opposes the violence of persecutors with the blood, suffering and patience of the martyrs … Martyrdom, suffering for the truth are in the end victorious and more powerful than the cruelty and violence of totalitarian regimes.” However Tertullian “senses at the same time the need to communicate positively the essence of Christianity. To do this he adopts a speculative method to illustrate the rational foundation of Christian dogma. He treats it systematically”.
The Pope then stressed the importance of Tertullian's thought in the development of the Trinitarian dogma - “he gave us in Latin suitable language to express this great mystery” -, correct language for expressing the mystery of the Son of God true Man. He also wrote about the Holy Spirit and numerous texts on the Church, which Tertullian always recognised as the Mother of our faith and Christian life. “He also deals with the moral conduct of the Christians and the life to come … In a special way, in those times of persecutions in which Christians appeared to be a lost minority, the Apologist encourages them to hope… We have the hope that the future is ours because the future belongs to God … the Lord's resurrection is presented as the foundation of our future resurrection and represents the principal object of the Christian's trust”.
Still today “questions remain open, not only on Tertullian's theological and philosophical thought but also on his attitude to the political institutions and the pagan society” the Holy Father said recalling his “great contribution to Christian thought”. “We see - Pope Benedict XVI remarked - that in the end he lacks the simplicity and humility to insert himself in the Church, to accept her weaknesses, to be tolerant with others and with himself. When one sees only one's own thought in greatness in the end this greatness is lost. The essential character of a great theologian is the humility to remain with the Church, to accept her weaknesses and one's own because God alone is truly all holy. Whereas we have continual need of forgiveness”.
The Pope concluded by that Tertullian “remains an interesting witness of the early Church when Christian found themselves to be authentic subjects of a ‘new culture’ on close comparison between the classical heritage and the Gospel message”, moreover in his writings “we find numerous themes which still today we are called to face. They involve us in a rich interior quest to which I exhort all the faithful, so they may express ever more convincingly the Rules of the Faith” exposed by Tertullian, "according to which we believe there exists only one God, no other except the Creator of the world: he brought forth everything from nothing through his Word, generated before all things". (S.L.) (Agenzia Fides 31/5/2007 - righe 53, parole 762)