Ave Maria!

At the Symposium titled “Sursum Actio” at Notre Dame Univ. in honor of the life work of Fr. Peter Damian Fehlner, F.I., from Jun 8-9, 2015, Fr. J. A. Wayne Hellmann, OFM Conv., Professor of Theology at Saint Louis University, gives the opening conference which he titles, “Charity in Bonaventure’s Ecclesiology, Charity in the Eucharist” the first part of which is based on a dissertation by Fr. Peter called the “The Role of Charity in the Ecclesiology of St. Bonaventure” which gave him early inspiration for his own studies. The second part is based on distinctions 8-13 of St. Bonaventure’s Commentary on the Sentences, Book IV. The talk is followed by a commentary by Fr. Peter and then a round table discussion with the other presenters.

This symposium, Sursum Actio (“Lift up your Actions” or more loosely “Lift up your Hearts”), was organized in honor of the life work of Fr. Peter Damian Fehlner after he won the Cardinal John J. Wright Marialogical Award of 2015 from the Mariological Society of America for his outstanding contributions to Mariology.

For more a complete list of all fourteen talks from this symposium:

http://airmaria.com/category/air-maria-shows/conferences/fr-peter-symposium-nd/

Audio (MP3)

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The post Video – Fr. Hellmann – Charity in Bonaventure’s Ecclesiology and the Eucharist – CONF 302 first appeared on AirMaria.com.

Conferences #303 – ( 40min) >>> Play

Ave Maria!

At the Symposium titled “Sursum Actio” at Notre Dame Univ. from Jun 8-9, 2015, in honor of the life work of Fr. Peter Damian Fehlner, F.I.,  Dr. Robert Fastiggi, Professor of Systematic Theology at Sacred Heart Major Seminary, gives the second conference which he titles, “Fehlner on Divine Maternity”. It is on the dogma that Mary is the Mother of God but more specifically she is the Predestined Mother of God, the Ever Virgin Mother of God, the Immaculate Mother of God and so the Mother of the Church in the order of grace and how these are all inter-connected with other Christological dogmas as is presented in the works of Fr. Peter Fehlner.

The talk is followed by a commentary by Fr. Peter and then a round table discussion with the other presenters.

This symposium, Sursum Actio (“Lift up your Actions” or more loosely “Lift up your Hearts”), was organized in honor of the life work of Fr. Peter Damian Fehlner after he won the Cardinal John J. Wright Marialogical Award of 2015 from the Mariological Society of America for his outstanding contributions to Mariology.

For more a complete list of all fourteen talks from this symposium:

http://airmaria.com/category/air-maria-shows/conferences/fr-peter-symposium-nd/

Audio (MP3)

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– CONF 303

The post Video – Dr. Fastiggi – Fehlner on Divine Maternity first appeared on AirMaria.com.

Conferences #304 – ( 50min) >>> Play

Ave Maria!

At the Symposium titled “Sursum Actio” at Notre Dame Univ. in honor of the life work of Fr. Peter Damian Fehlner, F.I., from Jun 8-9, 2015, Fr. John Ford, Ph.D., Professor of Theology at Catholic University of America, gives the third conference which he titles, “Fehlner on Newman and Scotus”. It is a reflection on an essay called “Scotus and Newman in Dialogue” which Fr. Peter contributed to the book The Newman-Scotus Reader: Contexts and Commonalities by Fr. Edward Andrako and to which Fr. Ford also contributed. He focuses on the ascent of faith and the New Evangelization which Newman calls the grammar of ascent. He refers to two groups in our modern world the “nones” who belong to no church or religion and “STEMs” those whose background is science, technology, engineering and mathematics, neither of which have religion on their radar scopes. He describes how we should ideally approach faith and how we actually do it in real life.

Samples of what is covered:

• Middle way between passive and active intellect in apprehension.
• Eskimos and Hawaiians
• Enlargement of mind
• Grammar of assent 3 steps: Apprehension, inference, assent
• Data collection: can always find more info, this is temptation of STEM
• Assent, notional is almost automatic: 2+2=4
• but going from notional to real is not automatic, thus pivotal state in the current situation in our culture
• Theology is not enough for Assent need to have action of will.

The talk is followed by a commentary by Fr. Peter and then a round table discussion with the other presenters.

• Fr. Peter:
  • Phenomenological is Scotus’ angle
  • Enlargement of apprehension is key
  • Knowledge is personal and so can not be used, just as people cannot be used
  • Refusing to assent is to lose a part of oneself, not being true to oneself.
  • Relation of Newman’s assent to John Duns Scotus in this regard.
  • How it effects epistemology
  • Will is not an appetite of the intellect, independence of the will.
  • Bonaventure, finding God in intellect
  • Synderesis – avoid what is evil and do what is good.

This symposium, Sursum Actio (“Lift up your Actions” or more loosely “Lift up your Hearts”, a term used by St. Bonaventure), was organized in honor of the life work of Fr. Peter Damian Fehlner after he won the Cardinal John J. Wright Marialogical Award of 2015 from the Mariological Society of America for his outstanding contributions to Mariology.

For a more complete list of all fourteen talks from this symposium:

http://airmaria.com/category/air-maria-shows/conferences/fr-peter-symposium-nd/

Link to the book “The Newman-Scotus Reader: Contexts and Commonalities”:

http://academyoftheimmaculate.com/the-newman-scotus-reader-contexts-and-commonalities.html

Audio (MP3)

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The post Video – Dr. Ford – Fehlner on Newman and Scotus – CONF 304 first appeared on AirMaria.com.

Ave Maria!

At the Symposium titled “Sursum Actio” at Notre Dame Univ. from Jun 8-9, 2015, in honor of the life work of Fr. Peter Damian Fehlner, F.I.,  Dr. J. Isaac Goff, of Mount Angel Seminary, gives the fourth conference which he titles, “Themes and Soundings in the Marian Metaphysics of Peter Damian Fehlner”. It is a summary of the first volume of a proposed ten volume collection of  all of Fr. Peter writings. This first volume is on Fr. Peter’s Marian Metaphysics and represents his core Marian principles from which the rest of his works flow. Dr. Goff, thus, gives a summary of fifty years of Fr. Peter’s prayerful, scholarly work. As such it is quite dense and even technical but also quite beautiful and well worth the view. There is a glossary below as an aid.

This talk has three parts

• Part One – Metaphysics and divine charity
  • How Christ is our metaphysics and its mode is Marian
  • How this is related to Bonaventure’s teaching on exemplarism and how this points to the meaning of creation and how we are able to know God and return to him.
  • That this is all based on the love between Father, Son and Holy Spirit which is carried over as an example, a blue-print, into God’s act of creation with the primary intention of uniting himself in love to human nature through the Incarnation which occurred in Mary
  • How this is key even for natural knowledge since it is the reason for the existence of nature, that is, creation.
  • and key to understanding how Mary can participate in the redemption even if she is herself redeemed or pre-redeemed.
  • And thus how we can participate.
  • How humans as composite of body and spirit reflect this eternal desire of God to unite himself with His creatures, highlighting the fittingness of the Incarnation and Immaculate Conception.
  • The dual procession of Son and Holy Spirit and how this relates the two divine attributes of God’s personal nature, knowledge and love, and how this is reflected in creation.
  • That this personal view reconciles knowledge and love, reason and spontaneity.
  • True metaphysics must be rooted in this consideration of the love between divine persons over-flowing into the Incarnation and the Immaculate Conception. Thus the personal dimension is key.
  • How Mary Immaculate, the perfect creature, perfectly highlights the purpose for creation and God’s redemptive and sanctifying action through Christ and His Church.
  • This creaturely perfection and holiness of Mary leads to the Incarnation and to the redemption and sanctification of humanity, making her the pattern of Biblical revelation and so she has a central place in Christian theology and natural metaphysics.
• Part Two – The image of God for the sake of the likeness of God and Mary as perfect likeness of God.
  • The many topics this Marian metaphysics relate to.
  • How related theology is to metaphysics and philosophy even if they are distinct.
  • In Mary we can see how the natural image of God within us can be brought to supernatural likeness, there is an infinite potential within our finiteness.
  • This is what makes us different from mere beasts.
  • Since Jesus is a divine person, Mary gives us the most concrete, creaturely example of human perfection.
• Part Three – Analogy of emphasis and manifestation in the soul as image and similitude of God.
  • Seeming opposites like nature-supernature, intellect-will, reason-faith are reconciled as complimentary pairs by considering Mary’s perfect human nature and person, and so seeing the reason why God created the universe as a free result of the love between the three Divine Persons.
  • The human intellect is always ordered toward voluntary acts and is disposed to similitude, to becoming holy.
  • Emphasis should be on the fact that our intellect and will have an infinite mode of operation, the goal is to actualize this mode to ever higher degrees. This is to become like God, to become holy.
  • The fact that we are the image of God is for the sake of becoming the likeness of God.
  • Our natural faith can lead to knowledge of the infinite and this is on the basis of the light of the univocal concept of being which transcends all categories.
  • Knowledge involves humble adoration of God the source of all goodness and truth.
  • But natural knowledge of the infinite is incomplete, indirect.
  • Difference between knowledge versus faith or charity is an emphasis of intellect or will respectively, without leaving the other out.
  • Knowledge can and needs to be perfected by growing in supernatural charity which transforms it into faith.
  • Sin and intellectual error are rooted in short-circuiting intellectual functions by replacing them with mere willfulness, not tracing the light of created being to its divine source.
  • Achieving holiness is never forced, rather God freely wills it and we need to freely respond by becoming like Christ through Mary and so return all to the Father.
  • Today we need to accept, as was once commonly done, the rationality and fittingness of the idea that Mary is our metaphysics by accepting its premise, the absolute primacy of Christ.
• The talk is followed by a commentary by Fr. Peter
  • Natural metaphysics, without the grace of faith, will have a personal dimension.
  • Presence of the metaphysical dimension of our intellects is the reason why we cannot reduce knowledge to scientific knowledge.
  • Bonaventure in the Collationes in Hexaemeron, covered extensively in study by Pope Benedict XVI.
  • Personal dimension similar to teachings of Bl. John Newman.
  • We get beyond the physical precisely because we are able to get to the personal.
  • Bonaventure’s divine illumination means that Christ is the light of the world even before the Incarnation.
  • This makes metaphysics and the proof of God’s existence possible.
  • These proofs only clarify what we already know, making clear what is divine and infinite vs. what is finite and created.
  • And then makes clear how to grow closer to God, elevate the natural to the supernatural order.
  • All of this is found in Bonaventure and polished up here or there by Scotus.

This symposium, Sursum Actio (“Lift up your Actions” or more loosely “Lift up your Hearts”), was organized in honor of the life work of Fr. Peter Damian Fehlner after he won the Cardinal John J. Wright Marialogical Award of 2015 from the Mariological Society of America for his outstanding contributions to Mariology.

For more a complete list of all fourteen talks from this symposium:

http://airmaria.com/category/air-maria-shows/conferences/fr-peter-symposium-nd/

Glossary

Metaphysics – The study of being as being. It goes beyond the study of just physical beings (thus the name, meta means beyond) and considers such things as mental beings like thoughts, or spiritual beings like the angels and God, but also being in its essence before considering whether it is physical, spiritual or infinite.

Exemplarism – That God is the ultimate example or pattern. From this pattern we are made in His image and we are to use this pattern as the guiding light to bring us to greater holiness, become more like Him. It is also a belief that the light of this pattern is the essential basis to being able to reach certainty regarding human knowledge in general. Closely akin to divine illumination.

Exemplatum – finite creatures that are the product of God’s exemplarism.

fontalis plentitudis bonitatis – of the fount of the plenitude of goodness.

Epistemic critical question – The philosophical inquiry of how to explain the ability to reach certainty in our knowledge on a natural level and if this is even possible.

Univocal concept of being – the most basic concept of being, that is so basic that it can be applied to God and creatures in the same sense, and thus provides the means for making analogies between creatures and God.

Hypostatically united – united into one person, that is: two natures of Christ, one human and one divine, united as one divine person.

Intrinsic modes – intrinsic properties of a thing, variation of which do not put the thing into a different category of species. One example of this is finite vs. infinite, see also Prima Diversa

Prima diversa – The first division of being between infinite being, that is God, and finite beings, that is creatures.

Imago Dei – Image of God, as in, we are created as images of God by nature with a certain likeness to God.

Similitudo Dei – Similitude to God, what we strive for in becoming holy, with God’s grace building on our nature so that we become even more similar to Him than we are naturally as mere images of God.

Divine Illumination – Championed by St. Bonaventure and others, it is the doctrine that we receive divine assistance in ordinary human learning but also in getting to know God and becoming holy.

Mediatore imago Dei – Mediators of the Image of God, that humans are a composite of body and spirit are mediators of the spiritual world to the physical and so patterned after Christ who does this in a more essential way.

Perichoretic – Having to do with the mutual indwelling of the three distinct persons of the Trinity and the love and unity of which this consists. Also called Circumincession.

Potuit, decuit, ergo fecit – potuit  (God can do it), decuit (it is fitting), ergo fecit (therefore He did it.) This is a term coined by St. Eadmer or St. Anselm, but used by Bl. John Duns Scotus to give a theological argument in favor of the Immaculate Conception of Mary.

Deum esse ad trium – God exists in three, the Trinitarian existence of God.

Circumincession – See Perichoretic

Pangia Theotokos – All Holy Mother of God, a term used by the Greek fathers, reflecting the western doctrine of the Immaculate Conception.

In fieri – In the process of becoming, not yet completed.

In facto esse – Being in fact, i.e. completed

Eschatological – referring to last things and the final destiny of the world and the day of judgement.

Typology – The study of types and prefigurements in the Bible especially the Old Testament, and how they are fulfilled in the New. e.g. Adam is a type of Jesus fulfilled in Jesus

Absolute Primacy of Christ – That Christ as the incarnate word was the very first or primary reason for God creating the universe. God primarily wanted to unite himself, as an overflowing of His internal love, with a created nature in the person of Christ and this is why He created nature. Sin was only secondary consideration.

Ontologically – Having to do with the philosophical study of the nature of being, becoming, existence, or reality, and the basic categories of being and relations therein.

Ad intra –  within God, especially related to the exchanged love between the three persons of the Trinity.

Ad extra –  Outside of God, and thus related to creation, the act of creation and any revelations, providence or salvific action of God in Creation, especial the incarnation and redemption.

Quiddity – Whatness, the nature of something, what it is.

Perfectionis simpliciter simplicis – simply simple perfections referring to the perfections of God.

Contrary disjuncts – Things that seem to be contrary but are not necessarily, for instance: nature v. supernature, intellect v. will, reason v. faith. Seeing how these are compatible and even complimentary is a core endeavor of philosophy and theology.

Concurses – coming together to compete.

Vestige – Non-rational creatures, plants rocks and beasts. These are vestiges of God as opposed to humans who are images of God.

Circumscription – being placed in a category, defined, limited. The univocal concept of being does not fit in any category, not even finite or infinite, so although there is no being or object that is neither finite nor infinite, this concept gives a conceptual common ground for us to know God, to make analogies between created things and the Creator.

Theandric – Having to do with both God and man, as in actions of Jesus Christ the God-man.

Ave Maria!

The post Video – Dr. Goff – Marian Metaphysics of Fr. Peter Fehlner – CONF 305 first appeared on AirMaria.com.

Ave Maria!

At the Symposium titled “Sursum Actio” at Notre Dame Univ. from Jun 8-9, 2015, in honor of the life work of Fr. Peter Damian Fehlner, F.I., – Msgr. Arthur B. Calkins, S.T.D., gives the fifth conference which he titles, “The Franciscan Thesis as presented by Peter Damian Fehlner and the Magisterium”. It includes:

1. Franciscan thesis as articulated by Fr. Peter
2. Franciscan Thesis as it has entered into the Magisterium
3. Conclusions

He points out that Fr. Peter’s teaching on Jesus and Mary, that they are both predestined in one and the same decree by God, reflects the Franciscan school of thought and has been explicitly included in the dogmatic proclamation on the Immaculate Conception in 1854 and confirmed 15 times by Vatican II documents and Papal statements from 1950 to 2008. Yet, inexplicably, this teaching has been almost entirely dropped from Mariology by modern scholars, with Fr. Peter Fehlner spearheading the effort to bring it back to wider acceptance in the last two decades.

Fr. Peter’s Teaching:

Fr. Peter’s teaching on the Franciscan Thesis, which is the Absolute Primacy of Christ and Mary being included in the original decree of Christ is based on that of Fr. Carlo Balic who was one of the chief editors of the 8th chapter of Lumen Gentium of Vatican II and on Fr. Juniper Carol.

Franciscan Thesis that Mary was predestined to be Mother of God in one and the same decree with Christ’s Incarnation and the Absolute Primacy of the Incarnation.

This is made clear at three points in Mary’s life:

– Immaculate Conception

– Coredemption, Mediation

– Assumption and Crowning in Heaven as Queen of Heaven and Earth

Introduced into the Papal Magisterium in Ineffabilis Deus in 1854 by Pius IX 5:30
Jesus and Mary one and the same decree of God even though God could have done the Incarnation in any way. He wanted.

Woman of Gen 3:15 is biblical source. Mary and her Son Christ will overcome the Serpent

Mode of Incarnation is inherently Marian.

But it predates Scotus and even Francis and is therefore best described as Catholic

Franciscan thesis merely promoted and clarified it and made it a part of the life of the Church.

A unique Franciscan contribution.

Mary pertains like no other person to the hypostatic union 9:15

Grace of graces and the source of all intelligibility both in salvation and in creation. LG 55ff

In chapter Fr. Peter wrote in Mariology edited by Dr. Miravalle: Despite wide, frequent confirmation of joint predestination by Magisterium during and after Vatican II, this has been almost totally dropped from Mariology.

Scotus: fullness of grace in Mary is in view of Christ’s merits. But the participation in grace for us is in view of mediation of Jesus and Mary for everyone else.

Since Fall of Adam and Eve, Mediation of Christ is Redemptive as well as saving

Preservatively in Mary and the angles who did not sin, but liberatively in everyone else.

Perfectly in Mary Immaculate Conception whereas in us it is dependent on the realization in Mary.

Distinctive personal actions of Mary in cooperation with Christ, are not confused with Jesus nor on a par with Jesus. 11:50

Joint ordained absolutely Jesus for his own sake and Mary for Jesus’ sake and no other

Yet she is ennobled by grace in a most personal way and thus perfects personhood.

Confirmation of Franciscan Thesis in the Magesterium (13:35)

Since Ineffabilis Deus many confirmations by Magisterium, so no longer a thesis. Here are Fifteen:

1 – Pius XII – 1950 Munificentissimus Deus No. 40 – Assumption – One and same decree

next Four are in Vatican II Documents

2 – Lumen Gentium (LG) No. 53 Mary redeemed by merits of Son and united to Him,

3- LG 56 incarnation preceded by acceptance of her who is predestined to be Mother of God,

4 – LG 61 predestined from eternity

5 – Vat II Sacrosanctum Concilium No. 103 inseparable bond in salvation

6 – Paul VI – Professio Fidei – Mary Joined by indissoluble bond to incarnation and redemption.

7 – Paul VI – May 30, 1973 General Audience – Mary’s Human Cooperation predestined but free cooperation with her Son. –

8 – Paul VI – Marialis Cultus No. 25 – one single decree

9 – John Paul II – Redemptoris Mater (RM) – 25 March. no.8 With Son, Father a has Chosen her and thus united to Christ. Making use of wisdom texts referring primarily to Christ but understood early as pertaining to Mary

JPII – RM 9 predestination of Mary, Full of Grace because predestined

Fr. Peter. Christ is redemptive as well as saving, Mary preservative

JPII – RM 10 from first moment belonged to Christ, she got life from Christ but give life to Christ as Mother.

10 – JPII – General Audience Nov 23, 1988 [In the video he says 1998] – In this gift made to John and to all of us. Mary is here center of salvation history entirely one with Him, contemplated, predestined and situated together at the center of salvation history.

11 – JPII – Dies Domini no. 79 1998 – Holy Church venerates Mary in union with Christ, indissoluble bond. Quoted from SC 103

12 – JPII – Dec 8 2004 – Homily for Immaculate Conception – Predestination Mary is linked to Christ’s and ours. Mary is a sign of all our salvation, links to Protoevangelicum Gen 3:15.

JPII – Many other texts on theme of Calvary joint suffering of Mary and Jesus is a major theme of JPII’s pontificate.

13 – Benedict XVI – Dec 8, 2006  Spanish Steps – Full of Grace, predestined to be mother of the Redeemer and associated with salvation. –

37:00

14 – BXVI – Angelus Address 2007 Aug 15 – closely united to divine son triumphing over sin and death one and the same decree.

Pius XII – One and the same decree

15 – BXVI – 7 Sept 2008 Homily at Shrine of Our Lady of Bonaria. Cagliari, Sardinia, Italy – Predestination of Mary is inscribed in the predestination of Jesus. The “here I am” of Mary reflected in that of Jesus, and His disciples.

Conclusions:

1. 1854-2007 or over 150 years so the joint predestination of Jesus and Mary well supported can no longer be opposed

2. Should no longer call it a thesis or hypothesis but a doctrine confirmed by Magisterium and many saints, and fundamental Franciscan contribution to Mariology.

3. Supports Immaculate Conception so well specified in Ineffabilis Deus, Upholds importance of Gen 3:15 in Salvation history and supports the Co-redemption of Mary.

4. After Fr. Balic and Fr. Juniper Carol, Fr. Peter has made the largest contribution and has revived teaching on the joint predestination in our day.

The talk is followed by a commentary by Fr. Peter.

Fr. Peter:

– This list of the Magisterium’s support on this matter is very important and does not exist anywhere else.

– Need to focus on the plan of God first and then the execution of it in order to have correct Theology.

– Biblical texts particularly St. Paul support absolute primacy and joint predestination

– Cannot get past certain limitations of philosophy without having revelation of God and his plan.

– Philosophy ends where theology begins, with the plan of God

This symposium, Sursum Actio (“Lift up your Actions” or more loosely “Lift up your Hearts”), was organized in honor of the life work of Fr. Peter Damian Fehlner after he won the Cardinal John J. Wright Marialogical Award of 2015 from the Mariological Society of America for his outstanding contributions to Mariology.

For a more complete list of all fourteen talks from this symposium:

http://airmaria.com/category/air-maria-shows/conferences/fr-peter-symposium-nd/

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The post Video – Msgr. Calkins – Franciscan Thesis, Fehlner and the Magisterium – CONF 306 first appeared on AirMaria.com.

Ave Maria!

At the Symposium titled “Sursum Actio” at Notre Dame Univ. from Jun 8-9, 2015, in honor of the life work of Fr. Peter Damian Fehlner, F.I., David Bentley Hart, Ph.D. , Professor of Theology at St. Louis University, gives the sixth conference which he titles, “Love and Knowledge: On Intellect and Intentionality”. He reflects on the Franciscan-Scotistic School of Philosophy and he points out, as championed Fr. Peter Fehlner, that knowledge always involves the will (intention and desire) of the soul at all the different stages of acquiring knowledge and growing in faith. As such, Bl. John Duns Scotus anticipated many of the questions raised by modern philosophers and gave answers to these that are logically coherent and incorporate the daily experience of our quest for knowledge of this world and of God.

The talk is followed by a commentary by Fr. Peter and then a round table discussion with the other presenters.

Fr. Peter:

Important to stress the relationship between nature and grace and not just their distinctiveness from each other.

Importance of distinction between rational and irrational creatures.

Natural happiness should be completed with supernatural happiness, that is, holiness.

Experience of the mystics is important in this discussion.

Round table:

Scotus as a continuation of St. John Damascene.

Scotus in relation to and distinction from Descartes and Brentano

Thomism more intellectual than Greeks and Scotus, natural desire for God vs supernatural desire. Scotus and de Lubac, rationality includes an absolute desire for God or it is nothing.

This symposium, Sursum Actio (“Lift up your Actions” or more loosely “Lift up your Hearts”), was organized in honor of the life work of Fr. Peter Damian Fehlner after he won the Cardinal John J. Wright Marialogical Award of 2015 from the Mariological Society of America for his outstanding contributions to Mariology.

For a more complete list of all fourteen talks from this symposium:

http://airmaria.com/category/air-maria-shows/conferences/fr-peter-symposium-nd/

Audio (MP3)

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The post Video – Dr. Hart: Love and Knowledge in Scotus – CONF 307 first appeared on AirMaria.com.

Ave Maria!

At the Symposium titled “Sursum Actio” at Notre Dame Univ. from Jun 8-9, 2015, in honor of the life work of Fr. Peter Damian Fehlner, F.I., John Mark Miravalle, S.T.D., Assistant Professor of Theology at Mount St. Mary’s Seminary, gives the seventh conference which he titles, “Mary and Divinization: Peter Damian Fehlner on Mary and the Holy Spirit”. He  starts with six provocative statements by St. Maximilian Kolbe on Mary where he calls her:

1. Spouse of the Holy Spirit
2. Created Immaculate Conception and the Holy Spirit is Uncreated Immaculate Conception
3. Compliment of the Trinity
4. Quasi-incarnation of the Holy Spirit
5. Quasi-part of the Holy Trinity
6. Transubstantiated into the Holy Spirit

Then he describes how Fr. Peter uses all the resources of the Franciscan tradition to contextualize, clarify and confirm these rich insights of St Maximilian. He first mentions that these can be given the proper context by summarizing the astonishing yet biblical Catholic Teaching on Divinization, that we are called to be saints who share in the life of the Divine Trinity in some mysterious way. This happens via exemplar causality which is different from the four Aristotelian causes and is based on the Triune nature of God, which is built into creation, especially Mary. The Father is revealed by the Son, the Son by the Spirit, and the Holy Spirit by Mary.
The talk is followed by a commentary by Fr. Peter and then a round table discussion with the other presenters.
This symposium, Sursum Actio (“Lift up your Actions” or more loosely “Lift up your Hearts”), was organized in honor of the life work of Fr. Peter Damian Fehlner after he won the Cardinal John J. Wright Marialogical Award of 2015 from the Mariological Society of America for his outstanding contributions to Mariology.
For a more complete list of all fourteen talks from this symposium:
http://airmaria.com/category/air-maria-shows/conferences/fr-peter-symposium-nd/

Audio (MP3)

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The post Video – Dr. John Mark Miravalle, Mary and Divinization – CONF 308 first appeared on AirMaria.com.

Ave Maria!

At the Symposium titled “Sursum Actio” at Notre Dame Univ. from Jun 8-9, 2015, in honor of the life work of Fr. Peter Damian Fehlner, F.I., Gloria Dodd, S.T.D. , Lecturer & Researcher of the Marian Library/International Marian Research Institute at Dayton University, gives the eighth conference which she titles, “Fehlner on Marian Coredemption and Mediation”.  She gives a synthesis of the content of the doctrine of the Coredemption and Mediation of Mary as presented in ten international symposiums called “Mary at the Foot of the Cross” that were organized by Fr. Peter between 2000 and 2009. She covers the strong theological  foundation for this doctrine and the deep roots in the Church’s Tradition including saints, doctors, and popes.

She starts with the usual objections:
1. Christ alone.
2. A redeemed person cannot redeem.
3. “Coredemptrix” is ambiguous.
4. Coredemption lacks a Patristic, Biblical basis.
5. Vatican II excluded Coredemption.
6. The ecclesio-typical approach (focus on Mary’s membership in the Church in Vat II) entails Mary’s passivity in redemption.
7. Mary’s sacramental cooperation is remote and mediate.
8. Her cooperation is mere intercession.
9. This abstract theology is unreal.
10. Our culture does not value self-sacrifice.

She notes Fr. Peter’s appeals to authority in response to these and how he sets out the proper distinctions:
How salvation is distinct from redemption
How preservative redemption is distinct from liberative.
Then lists how Mary is unique in her cooperation based on her Immaculate Conception.
And her three fold mediation.

Dr. Dodd then goes through the ten objections and how Fr. Peter addresses them.
She follows with a summary of Fr. Peter’s accomplishments.

The talk is followed by a commentary by Fr. Peter and then a round table discussion with the other presenters.

For the books that resulted from the ten international symposiums mentioned in this talk: http://academyoftheimmaculate.com/mariology.html?cat=123

This symposium, Sursum Actio (“Lift up your Actions” or more loosely “Lift up your Hearts”), was organized in honor of the life work of Fr. Peter Damian Fehlner after he won the Cardinal John J. Wright Marialogical Award of 2015 from the Mariological Society of America for his outstanding contributions to Mariology.
For a more complete list of all fourteen talks from this symposium:
http://airmaria.com/category/air-maria-shows/conferences/fr-peter-symposium-nd/

Audio (MP3)

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The post Video – Gloria Dodd – Fehlner on Marian Coredemption and Mediation – CONF 309 first appeared on AirMaria.com.

Ave Maria!

At the Symposium titled “Sursum Actio” at Notre Dame Univ. from Jun 8-9, 2015, in honor of the life work of Fr. Peter Damian Fehlner, F.I., R. Trent Pomplun, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Theology at Loyola University Maryland, gives the ninth conference which he titles, “Maria de Agreda’s Scotism” in her four volume book, Mystical City of God and the possible influences on her writings from theologians of her day who follow the teaching of Bl. John Duns Scotus. He uses as one of his sources the book by Fr. Enrique Llamas, “Venerable Mother Agreda and the Mariology of Vatican II” translated  by Fr. Peter and published by the Academy of the Immaculate, which took issue with the 1998 statement by the Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith that Maria of Agreda’s book was not compatible with scripture and not in compliance with Vatican II mariology.

He notes that the Mystical City of God is very theological and Scotistic. From the beginning of Volume I she talks about the moments of God’s decision to create the world and includes Scotus’ logic of final causality especially the absolute primacy of Christ. He argues that the possible theological influences on her include Simon Calderon and Francisco del Castillo Velasco. This however does not negate the possible supernatural origin of the work.

The talk is followed by a commentary by Fr. Peter and then a round table discussion with the other presenters which includes:

• Fr. Peter’s history of the many starts and stops to the beatification of Maria de Agreda and the politics of each side. How it involves the beatification processes of Pius IX, John Duns Scotus, Pius XII and the declaration of the Immaculate Conception.
• Absolute Predestination of Christ and Mary and the freedom of Mary from any debt of sin from Adam.
• Other places besides the first book of the City of God where Scotism is included.
• Other reasons for difficulties with beatification lack of appreciation for the Immaculate Conception and the mystical interpretation of scripture based on a literal interpretation as opposed to the historical critical method.
• The place of private revelations in regard to the Gospels.
• Scotus’ in agreement with earlier Eastern Orthodox mariology and sacramental theology.
• Controversy private revelation in the Church, literal interpretation of Scripture and theology as a science.

For the book Venerable Mother Agreda and the Mariology of Vatican II by Fr. Enrique Llamas:

http://academyoftheimmaculate.com/venerable-mother-agreda-mariology-of-vatican.html

To buy the full set of Mary of Agreda’s Mystical City of God:

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/mystical-city-of-god-ven-mary-of-agreda/1122885361

To read it online:

http://www.themostholyrosary.com/mystical-city.htm

This symposium, Sursum Actio (“Lift up your Actions” or more loosely “Lift up your Hearts”), was organized in honor of the life work of Fr. Peter Damian Fehlner after he won the Cardinal John J. Wright Marialogical Award of 2015 from the Mariological Society of America for his outstanding contributions to Mariology.

For a more complete list of all fourteen talks from this symposium:

http://airmaria.com/category/air-maria-shows/conferences/fr-peter-symposium-nd/

Audio (MP3)

+++

The post Video – R. Trent Pomplun – Mary of Agreda’s Scotism – CONF 310 first appeared on AirMaria.com.

Ave Maria!

At the Symposium “Sursum Actio” at Notre Dame Univ. from Jun 8-9, 2015, in honor of the life work of Fr. Peter Damian Fehlner, F.I.,  Fr. Christiaan Kappes, S.L.D., from the Byzantine Catholic Seminary of Ss. Cyril and Methodius, gives the tenth conference which he titles, “Nazianzen’s Prepurified Virgin in Augustine, through Maximus and Theodore of Canterbury, into Visigoth and Anglo-Saxon Tradition”. He traces the roots of the Catholic doctrine of the Immaculate Conception to the Eastern Father St. Gregory of Nazianzen and his doctrine of Mary being prepurified.  He points out that the Eastern idea of Mary’s purification in the Bible includes Jesus’ purification as well. Thus this positive idea of purification does not suggest any impurity in Mary which is one of the early objections to the doctrine of the Immaculate Conception in the West. He starts with Fr. Peter’s insights into the roots of the Immaculate Conception in Eastern Theology sighting his book The Immaculate Conception which he wrote with the help of Fr. Peter and was published by the Academy of the Immaculate. He then uses copious quotes and historical facts to trace the linkage of these roots  to the West and finally to England where the doctrine is given local acceptance and finally theological support from Bl. John Duns Scotus, paving the way for its dogmatic proclamation in 1854. This has Ecumenical considerations in regard to the Dogma of the Immaculate Conception and the Eastern Orthodox. The outline is as follows:

Part I – Fehlner and the Immaculata in Byzantium – 7:43

Part II – The Prepurification or Purified Virgin in Byzantium – 11:06

Part III -The Prepurified Virgin in the West, namely Augustine – 19:20

Part IV – The Prepurified Virgin of the Lateran Council 649 and Maximus the Confessor – 28:08

Part V – Prepurified Virgin in Anglo-Saxon England – 38:12

He includes quotes from:

Maximus the Confessor – Lateran Council of 649, Third Council of Constantinople in 680, Gregory Palamas and Palamite theology, Mark of Ephesus, Ildefonsus of Toledo, St. Gregory Naziansen, John Damascene, Mark of Ephesus, St. Augustine of Hippo, Rufinius Latinus, Theodore of Tarsius (Theodore of Canterbury), Sophronius of Jerusalem, Ephraim Greckus, Venerable Bede, St. John Damascene, Paschasius Radbertus who wrote  de Partu Virginis

The talk is followed by a commentary by Fr. Peter and then a round table discussion with the other presenters:

Fr. Peter: At council of Florence, Franciscans and the Greeks Palamites verses the Dominicans under John Torquemada who tried to condemn the Scotists and the Palamites
Only now is the value of Gregory Palamas and the Palamite school being recognized in the West.

Fr. Christiaan Kappes’ book: The Immaculate Conception, Why Thomas Aquinas Denied, while John Duns Scotus, Gregory Palamas and Mark Eugenicus Professed the Absolute Immaculate existence of the Virgin Mary.
http://academyoftheimmaculate.com/immaculate-conception-kappes.html

Also mentioned: Fehlner, Peter Damian M. “De metaphysica mariana quaedam” (Metaphysical Mariology) In Immaculata Mediatrix 1, no.1 (2001): 13-42.

This symposium, Sursum Actio (“Lift up your Actions” or more loosely “Lift up your Hearts”), was organized in honor of the life work of Fr. Peter Damian Fehlner after he won the Cardinal John J. Wright Marialogical Award of 2015 from the Mariological Society of America for his outstanding contributions to Mariology.

For a complete list of all fourteen talks from this symposium:

http://airmaria.com/category/air-maria-shows/conferences/fr-peter-symposium-nd/

Audio (MP3)

+++

The post Video – Fr. Christiaan Kappes – Nazianzen’s Prepurified Virgin – CONF 311 first appeared on AirMaria.com.