 "Photo: Ian Thomas")
After almost three decades under Pope John Paul II, the Catholic Church is just 18 months into the papacy of Benedict XVI. In that short time, how has the church's concept of its role in the world changed, and what does the future hold?
Rev. J. Bryan Hehir, president of Catholic Charities for the Archdiocese of Boston, lent his expertise in that area in a talk entitled, "From John Paul II to Benedict XVI: The Social Ministry of the Church."
Introduced as a "long-heard, clear, and respected voice in the Catholic Church," Hehir is also a professor in Harvard's Kennedy School of Government.
Hehir began by explaining the importance of reading the "signs of the times" and the transition between popes.
Though Benedict XVI's term is in its infancy in comparison to John Paul II's, "It is still necessary to probe the present to get a sense of what the future may hold for us," he said.
Hehir first discussed John Paul II.
"Let's not consign his ministry to the papal past," he said. "There is value in applying his legacy to the future."
John Paul II assumed the papacy in 1978, when the Cold War dominated the global political scene.
Economically, globalization was just beginning to replace interdependence as the prevailing market dynamic. In addition, the concept of human rights was gaining steam in domestic and international politics.
Hehir then traced the evolution of John Paul II's worldview, as shown in U.N. addresses in 1979 and 1995.
In 1979, he stressed universality, or the idea that all politics could be seen through the lens of human rights.
In 1995, the pope's view had changed. This time, while still emphasizing human rights, he recognized the importance of nationalism and the sense of identity that it instills in a country's people.
Hehir said that this reflected John Paul II's own upbringing during the Second World War: "He was a Polish pope; he remembered that his nationalism was taken away from him."
Hehir credited him with advancing the global awareness of human rights. Prior to John Paul II's papacy, he said, the notion of human rights was largely a secular idea.
John Paul II introduced a theological dimension to the conversation, while reconciling it with the secular dimension.
Hehir went on to detail the pope's "just war" theory. "John Paul II did not rule out war, but he made its justification much more difficult," he said.
For example, the pope declared America's war in Afghanistan justified but was opposed to the Gulf War and the current war in Iraq. Just war theory is an area of Hehir's published expertise, and he weighed in with his own opinion at this point in the lecture.
"I think [John Paul II] was wrong on the Gulf War, but he was dead right on the Iraq war," he said.
Much of John Paul II's worldview was filtered through the lens of Gaudium et Spes, Pope Paul VI's 1965 encyclical, said Hehir. The text formed the basis of the pope's vision for the church's place in the world: that it should carry out its ministry with the goal of indirectly bettering the situation of individuals and families.
When the situation called for it, John Paul II backed up his social teaching with direct action.
"In key situations of conflict, John Paul II seemed to show up dressed in papal white and descend on scenes," said Hehir.
His lasting legacy, he said, lies in large part in that political influence. "By the time he died, religion was a dominant topic in world politics. Although you cannot attribute it all to him, I do think he was a catalyst for this."
Hehir then moved on to the nascent papacy of Benedict XVI. The new pope faces a different political context than the one with which John Paul II dealt for much of his term.
With the Cold War over, the United States is unrivaled as a political and military superpower. There has been an increase in aggregate wealth, but inequality is greater than ever.
Benedict XVI has yet to issue a major political statement, and Hehir said that this is perhaps a sign that we will see a much less political papacy than the previous one. The new pope seems to take a more pastoral approach, emphasizing faith rather than politics, he said.
Still, Benedict XVI's ideas do show continuity with his predecessor's beloved Gaudium et Spes. In Benedict XVI's own encyclical, Deus Caritas Est, he places "the work of charity on equal terms as worship and teaching," said Hehir.
Hehir speculated that Benedict XVI may bring his own strengths to the intersection of politics and religion:
"Benedict XVI has a distinct ability to relate to the world's religions in a way that could be extremely helpful," he said.
The new pope is also a less threatening face to enormous, formerly communist nations like Russia and the Peoples' Republic of China, who were not open to the John Paul II visit.
Hehir pointed out that, unlike John Paul II, who was a "bishop hardened in political conflict," Benedict XVI has no experience in diplomacy, and will need strong personnel to help him take on this important role.
"The Vatican can't just drop out of world politics," he said.
The lecture, which took place Tuesday night in Gasson Hall, was the inaugural event in the Institute of Religious Education and Pastoral Ministry's 2006-2007 Continuing Education program.
It was also sponsored by Boston College's Church in the 21st Century initiative.
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