Book reviews
Media
Part of Boletin Eclesiastico de Filipinas
- Title
- Book reviews
- Language
- English
- Year
- 1969
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- Fulltext
- BOOK REVIEWS PAPAL TEACHINGS on THE STATES OF PERFECTIONS, selected and arranged by the Benedictine Monks of Solesmes and translated by Mother E. O’Gorman, R.S.C.J., St. Paul Publications Pasay City, Philippines, 1967, pp. 736. The “States of Perfection” is a compilation of papal teachings regarding the religious life as viewed from its multiple aspects: its nature, institution was of life, government and activities, its relationship with the Church and society, its reasons for existing and its unhampered growth explained through the centuries. The present volume covers the pontificates starting from Benedict XIV (1740-1758) up to John XXIII (1958-1963). Even if the papal mind prior to the 18th century were set j^side, the 223-years of solicitous care for Reli gious Orders and Institutes which the Roman Pontiffs have shown, other defence against erroneous opinions casting unfavorable shadow to religious enti ties plus their continuing praise for the servioe of religious men and women on behalf of the Church, prove, once and for all, the permanency of the church’s magisterium concerning the practice of the evangelical counsel. The life of religious congregations in the Catholic Church has survived not without criticisms and oftentimes insulting remarks from other sectarian or atheistic quarters. In their turn, Popes have not only defended it but continued to extol the dignity of superiority of religious States above the rest. This attitude st.ems from the fact that religious Orders and Congregations aim at the very same mission of the Church, i.e. to lead men to sanctity. Obviously the history of the Church register in its pages the fidelity with which Religious harnessed the full strength of their resources at the service of the Church. The Popes in this collection have voiced out the veracity of this identical purpose with the seal of their teaching authority. One notable feature of this volume is the analytical Index which facilitates the reader to locate the subject matter that best interests him. It consists of three pages preceded by an introduction dealing on the Church and Religious Life. Part I concerns the nature and forms of Religious Life revealing the beauty and charm of a life aimed at Christian perfection through the practice of evangelical counsels.Such beauty and charm do not fade in the face of BOOK REVIEWS 1005 forms because all religious congregations are fundamentally unified by the ends and by the same inspiration of the Holy Spirit in their Founder which is the manifest acts of Divine Providence. The diversity and unity of religious con gregations are at the time a convincing sign of the Church’s vitality capable of responding to the needs of the times and souls. Part II, is much shorter than the preceding part, yet it is the most im portant section as far as the persons of the religious is concerned. The main stream of ideas here is the identical mission with the Church, he should begin to appreciate the value of his state, making its dream of self-sanctification a reality in order to communicate more effectively such sanctity to the modern world. St. Paul Publication should be congratulated for undertaking to have this precious work accessible in an adequately clear and handy printing. Every religious library should have this work, and every religious should not fail to read it. • Fr. L.Z. Legaspi. O P. BOOKS RECEIVED DICTIONNAIRE DE SPIRITUALITY Ascetique et Mystique, Doctrine et Histoire, Fascicules XLII-XLIII (Grecque (Yglise) - (Guzman). Fondc par M. Viller, F. Cavallera, J. De. Guibert, S.J., continue par Andre Rayez et Charles Baumgartner, S.J., assistes de Michel Olphe-Galliard, S.J., avec le concours d’un grand nombres de collaborateurs." Beauchesne. Paris. 1967. Pp. 814 & 1350. FUNDAMENTO Y FINAL1DAD DE LA PENA ECLESIAST1CA SEGUN ANGEL AMOR RUIBAL, dissertation “ad lauream” in the Facults of Canon Law, Gregorian Pontifical University by JESU GOMEZ SOBRINO. Salamanca. 1969, Pp. i-v, 63. DINAMICA JURI'DICA POSTCONC1LIAR, obra en colaboracion de varios especialistas, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientificas Instituto San Raimundo de Penafort, Salamanca, 1969. Pp. 335.