e) FAITH AND REASON ARE TWO SISTERS

"Faith and reason are two daughters of the same heavenly Father"

Faith is indeed superior to reason.  But it will never happen that one will contradict the other, that what is true for one is not true for the other, or that they will meddle in each other's field of work.  The truth is that anyone who presumes to have found this conflict has either misunderstood the faith because he has no clear idea of its teachings or because he has perverted his reason with his own sophisms.  Anyone who thinks he has found this conflict has either misunderstood faith, by not really having a clear idea of what it has really taught, or denatured reason by accepting his own sophisms as sound reasoning.  How could it be otherwise if both lights emanate from the same source?  Faith and reason are two daughters of the same heavenly Father, two brooks

from one and the same Truth, two rays from one and the same Light.  Faith and reason are like two sisters who, on the journey through this dark world, join hands, take turns to come to each other's side, and support each other in a perfect and unbreakable union.  With its teachings, faith enlightens and ennobles reason, while reason, with its legitimate studies and investigations, throws light on the truth of the faith.  With its resources, reason proclaims the marvels of the faith while, with its mysteries, faith not only becomes part and parcel of reason but becomes also its crown, its triumph and its apotheosis.⁴³

"Faith is not afraid of discussion; it is afraid of ignorance"

No, faith is not afraid of discussion.  It is not afraid of the light.  But it is afraid of ignorance. 

It is afraid of shallow and simplistic science, of that false science that has always contributed the largest contingent to the ranks of the unbelievers and unfortunately does so even in our day.  Let me ask you: how many people today feel the need to add a serious and deep study of religion to the catechetical notions they picked up in their youth?  Who reads the books of the ancient or modern apologists that draw proofs from reason on behalf of religion, books that illustrate the sublime analogies and beauty of religion or rebut the objections and calumnies to which religion is subjected?  At best, these folks may know the titles of those books.  Are we to be surprised if even people of great skill and talent do not know, in matters of faith, what children know?  They may know everything, if you will, about philosophy, mathematics, history, and literature but know nothing about the most important matter of all, namely, the science of religion.  Or they may have some fragmentary religious knowledge, mixed with errors and vulgar prejudices, fragmentary knowledge they pick up from cynical, irreligious newspapers, from fashionable books, from novels that distort and confuse everything, from slanderous and dishonest history books, from shameful shows and theatrical performances, from high schools and universities where teachers, all too often unbelievers, ridicule religion with their barbs and witticisms.⁴⁴

A very serious obligation to work for the triumph of faith and science"

Most Holy Father,

The Committee set up in Piacenza under the honorary presidency of the Ordinary to encourage Italians to support the International Scientific Congress, which Catholic scholars will hold in August of next year in Fribourg, Switzerland, respectfully submits to you a copy of the circular letter the Committee is planning to distribute among Italian scholars.  Holy Father, the Committee requests your blessing on its efforts to ensure that Italians will take part in numbers worthy of their country, which, blessed with the seat of the infallible Teacher of the Faith, has a very serious obligation to work for the triumph of faith and science.

Your Holiness, please bless the Italian Committee and the undersigned, your devoted sons and daughters,

+      John Baptist Scalabrini, Bishop of Piacenza, Honorary President

        Alberto Barberis, C.M., President.⁴⁵

"The role of science in calling people's attention to God"

In September of 1894, for the third time an event of the greatest importance for religion and science took place.

Catholic scholars from all nations, Belgians and French in larger numbers, Germans, Austrians, Hungarians, Swiss, Spaniards, and Americans, with some representatives from Italy, met in Brussels in a congress of Christian wisdom in full view of Church and civil society (...).

All sciences found an honorable place at that congress: religious and apologetic disciplines, first of all, followed by the philosophical disciplines, social and juridical sciences, historical and philological studies, mathematical, physical and natural disciplines.  In this comprehensive encyclopedia of knowledge there was even room for the ornament of Christian esthetics.

All this treasure of many-splendored scientific knowledge and amicable discussions, collected in the nine volumes of the Proceedings of the Congress -- not just as a record of the advances made -- is bound to produce fruit.  If just one learned person, who is able to harmonize science

and faith in himself, lends honor and defense to religion and society, we can be sure that a numerous and select assembly of believing scholars and thinkers from every country in the world will force a world perverted by a cynical and antichristian science to at least respect a religion under whose energizing rays all the flowers of human knowledge come alive.  In fact, not content with the marvelous conquests of science in the material order and tormented by the need to rise to the ultimate problems of life, many of the most brilliant minds will find satisfaction in lifting up their minds and hearts and in contemplating the harmonious and reassuring solutions that human science provides through the light of faith.

In the meantime, the unceasing and contemporaneous work in all branches of the great scientific tree is brought together and coordinated at these worldwide meetings of scholars, accumulating copious material of all kinds with which to erect, even more beautifully, the edifice of Catholic Apologetics.  This will compel speculative reason and positive observation, in the wake of an impartial and rigorous analysis, to pay homage to religion and to raise the hymn of science to the truth of Christianity.  Thanks to the truth of Christianity, all truths will find warranty, splendor and harmonious interaction in God: "All things that come from God are related to each other and to God himself" (St.  Thomas).

The favorable experiences of the past and these blessed and auspicious expectations for the future are, in themselves, a powerful reason for the undersigned to work might and main in Italy for the preparation of the 4th International Scientific Congress of Catholics, scheduled for August, 1897, in Fribourg, Switzerland.  In fact, the Permanent Committee of the International Scientific Congresses has recently appointed them as the Italian Organizing Committee.

But there are also other important reasons for working to this end: the honor and glory of our country.  For a host of reasons -- which I will not list here -- at the Brussels Congress, out of 2500 supporters, our country could come up with only 74 Italians, of whom only two personally took part in the various sessions (...).

+ John Baptist Scalabrini, Bishop of Piacenza, Honorary President

A. Barberis, professor at the Alberoni College, member of the Permanent Committee for the International Scientific Congresses of Catholics, president of the Italian Committee, Piacenza

Baron Demateis                        Mons. Carlo Brera

Dr. G. Toniolo                          Theologian L. Biginelli

Dr. Luigi Olivi                           P.G. Giovanozzi

Mons. L. Brevedan                   P. De Martinis

Count Ed. Soderini                   P.I. Torregrossa.⁴⁶

"The great work of the revival of Thomistic philosophy"

In my conversation with Your Eminence, which pleased me so much, we talked about the Divus Thomas and about the work of Abbot Luigi Francardi.  Since you must have received the various issues of Divus Thomas by now, I am taking the liberty of asking you, Most Eminent Prince, to give me your professional opinion of it.  This periodical was founded with the intention of cooperating in the great work of reviving Thomistic philosophy begun by our glorious Holy Father.  It meets with general favor, is sought after abroad and has a fine number of subscribers among scholars, including lay ones.  A Rosminian told me the other day: reading Divus Thomas has convinced me that Rosmini is not St. Thomas.

I am anxious therefore that this periodical prosper for the benefit of the good cause.  And this is why your Eminence must do me the favor, which I ask also in the name of the editor, of giving me your honest opinion of the periodical.  For we are all willing to retract, to explain or to amend any expression that is not clearly in accord with the teachings of the Angelic Doctor (...).

I am preparing a decree that will establish the Association of St. Thomas and introduce the teachings of the Summa contra Gentes, as well as the other works.  I hope, in this way, to pave the way for an authentic academy, not a sham or litigious one, and to revive the former Theological Guild of St. Thomas, which has a gorgeous chapel dedicated to the saint.  The Guild also has excellent bylaws, praised by the Holy See itself.  I believe that a return to true principles will be one of the most splendid glories of the pontificate of our Holy Father.  I also believe that, despite the stormy controversies ‑-  which are slowing down rather than fostering the lofty goals of the Holy Father ‑- and despite the partisan attitude of those who perhaps have never seen the cover of a book by St. Thomas (these things are to be expected among human beings), the Pope will achieve his noble purpose and thus ensure

an illustrious place for himself in the series of St. Peter's successors.  If you have the occasion, please tell this great Pontiff of my esteem for him and ask him to bless me.⁴⁷

The Church always puts to good use the lofty intellectual work of her sons and daughters.

I don't entirely share your fears of the biblical questions being debated.  Jesus Christ is the one who rules the Church.  However, the Church always puts to good use the lofty intellectual work of her sons and daughters.  Of course, we must be very vigilant lest anyone, under any circumstance, attack the holy Ark.  And we will be vigilant.⁴⁸