The Pope On Suffering

On February 11, 1984, Pope John Paul II issued a special letter entitled "On the Christian Meaning of Human Suffering". This is noteworthy since, in the wake of the unprecedented tragedies of this century, 'Suffering' has been given separate and intense study by many Jewish, Protestant and Catholic scholars. Together with this, those who live with suffering, or are in close contact with suffering persons and conditions, pose blunt questions which beg for 'rore understandable answers than were given so gratuitously in the past.

It struck ire in studying the Pope's letter that his thoughts in various parts address typical questions put to me, and for that reason, I have used these questions and answered the same by excerpting the actual words of the Pope in responding, with only the slightest editing to keep the flow. In his treatment, the Pope humbly cautions several time's that he is dealing with MYSTERY, and even confesses at one point: "we are conscious of the insufficiency of our explanations." I see that as an invitation for all of us to do the reflecting necessary to deepen and build upon our understanding of this mystery.

Why Talk About Suffering?

It is a universal theme that accompanies humans at every point; it co-exists with each person in the world, and thus demands to be constantly reconsidered. It is as deep as the self, is intrinsic to humanity and one of those points in which the person is in a certain sense 'destined' to go beyond the self. Nothing else requires as much as does suffering, in its 'objective reality', to be dealt with, ireditated upon, and conceived as an explicit problem, and therefore basic questions must be asked and answers sought.

For Christians, THE THEME OF SUFFERING HAS A UNIQUE RELEVANCE BECAUSE OF OUR DOCTRINE OF REDEMPTION, which was accomplished through the sufferings of Jesus Christ. Christians hold that each person's sufferings are thereby brought into that 'redemptive' process, as St. Paul says: "In my own afflictions, I complete what is lacking in the sufferings of Christ.1' Col. 1, 24.

Thus, born of the mystery of Redemption in the Cross of Christ, THE CHURCH HAS TO TRY TO MEET EVERY MAN AND WOMAN IN A SPECIAL WAY ON THEIR PATH OF SUFFERING. This 'meeting' becomes the WAY for the Church, although suffering is and ever will be an INTANGIBLE MYSTERY.

What Do You Mean by The Word 'Suffering'?

THE WORLD! Suffering is deeply rooted in humanity itself. It has the double dimension of the human being: the bodily and spiritual dimension. The vastness and the many forms of moral suffering are not less in number than the forms of physical suffering.

Sacred Scripture is THE great book about suffering. It treats every kind of suffering, and the list does not exhaust all that has been said and constantly repeated on suffering by 'THE BOOK OF THE HISTORY OF HUMANITY', read through the history of every human being.

Everyone suffers whenever HE OR SHE EXPERIENCES AND KIND OF EVIL. In the vocabulary of the Old Testament, suffering and evil are identified with each other. It defined as "evil" everything that was ‘suffering'. Christianity proclaims the ESSENTIAL GOOD OF THAT WHICH EXISTS, but men and women suffer on account of evil which is a certain lack, limitation, or distortion of good.

In itself human suffering constitutes a specific 'world' which exists together with each person, and becomes deeply rooted in each one. Parallel with this is the interhuman and social dimension. Considering the world of suffering in its personal and at the same time collective meaning, one cannot fail to notice the fact that this 'world', at some periods of time, becomes particularly concentrated, as in natural disasters, epidemics, social scourges, famine.

I speak of WAR in a particular way. The second half of this century brings with it, as though in proportion to the mistakes and transgressions of contemporary civilization, such a horror of nuclear war that we cannot think of this period except in terms of an incomparable accumulation of sufferings, even the possible destruction of humanity. The world which as never before has been transformed by progress, at the same time, is as never before in such danger because of human mistakes and offenses.

Does This Mean That Suffering Is a Punishment for Evil Deeds?

Within each form of suffering, there inevitably arises the question: WHY?. . Each one suffers in a still deeper way if he or she does not find a satisfactory answer to WHY DOES EVIL EXIST? WHY IS THERE EVIL IN THE WORLD? This question is put to God as the Creator and Lord of the world. And every man and woman can put this question to God as the Creator and Lord of the World. The question of the meaning of suffering. EVERY MAN AND WOMAN CAN PUT THIS QUESTION TO GOD WITH ALL THE EMOTION OF THEIR HEARD AND MIND, FULL OF DISMAY AND ANXIETY; and GOD EXPECTS THE QUESTION AND LISTENS TO IT.

In the Book of Job the question has found its most vivid expression. In Job's horrible situation, three old acquaintances try to convince him that since he has been struck down by such varied and terrible sufferings, HE MUST HAVE DONE SOMETHING SERIOUSLY WRONG. For suffering, they say, always strikes a person as punishment for a crime; it is sent by the absolutely just God and finds its reason in the order of justice. In a certain sense, they attempt to JUSTIFY to themselves the moral teaming of suffering. In their eyes suffering can have a meaning only as a punishment for sin.

But Job challenges the truth of the principle which identifies suffering with punishment for sin. His suffering is of one who is innocent! God agrees, but he learns that it must be accepted as a MYSTERY, which the individual is unable to penetrate completely by his own intelligence. While it is true that some suffering has a meaning as punishment when connected with a fault, IT IS NOT TRUE THAT ALL SUFFERING IS A CONSEQUENCE OF A FAULT AND HAS THE NATURE OF A PUNISHMENT. The word of God, with complete frankness, presents the problem of the suffering innocent person: suffering without guilt. Thus, the Book of Job poses in an extremely acute way the question of "why". It shows that suffering strikes the innocent, but IT DOES NOT GIVE THE SOLUTION TO THE PROBLEM.

What Is an Answer Then?

In order to perceive the true answer to the "why" of suffering, we must look to the REVELATION OF DIVINE LOVE. Love is the richest source of the meaning of suffering, which always remains a mystery... CHRIST IS THE REVELATION OF DIVINE LOVE. Christ causes us to enter into the MYSTERY to discover the why of suffering, as far as we are able to grasp the sublimity of divine love.

This answer has been given by God in the Cross of Jesus Christ. "God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life." Jn. 3, 16. These words express the very essence of what is meant by SALVATION. Salvation means liberation from evil, and for this reason it is closely bound up with the problem of suffering. The very word 'gives' ("gave") manifests the infinite love of the only-begotten Son and of the Father who for this reason 'gives' his Son. This is LOVE FOR ALL HUMANS, LOVE FOR THE WORLD--it is salvific love.

Christ drew increasingly closer to the world of human suffering. His actions concerned primarily those who were suffering and seeking help. He was sensitive to every suffering whether of the body or of the soul. At the heart of his teaching are the Beatitudes which are addressed to people tried by various sufferings. Christ drew close above all to the world of human suffering through the fact of having taken this suffering upon his very self, particularly becoming encircled by hostility and the preparations for putting him to death. He is aware of this, speaks to his disciples about it, and goes toward his own suffering aware of its saving power. He goes forward in obedience, but primarily he is united to the Father in this love with which he has loved the world and each person in the world. For this reason, St. Paul will write of Christ: "He loved ire and gave himself for me". Gal. 2, 20.

What Does This Mean to Me or My Family Here And Now?

With the Passion of Christ all human suffering has found itself in a new situation. In the Cross of Christ human suffering has been redeemed. Every person has their own share in the Redemption. Each is also called to share in that suffering through which the Redemption was accomplished. Each is called to share in that suffering through which all human suffering has been redeemed. CHRIST RAISED HUMAN SUFFERING TO THE LEVEL OF REDEMPTION. Thus each one, in suffering, can also become a sharer in the redemptive suffering of Christ.

The eloquence of the Cross is completed by the eloquence of the Resurrection. Each person finds in the Resurrection a completely new light, which helps one go forward through the thick darkness of humiliation, doubts, hopelessness and persecution.

Suffering Is Always a Trial-at times a very hard one. The gospel paradox of weakness and strength often speaks to us from the pages of St. Paul, a paradox particularly experienced by the Apostle himself and by all who share Christ's sufferings. Paul writes: "I will all the more gladly boast of my weaknesses, that the power of Christ may rest upon me." 2 Cor. 12,9.

Doesn't This Approach Lead to 'Passivity'?

Suffering contains a special call to the virtue which everyone must exercise on their own part. This is the virtue of PERSEVERANCE in bearing whatever disturbs and causes harm. In doing this, the individual unleashes HOPE, which maintains the conviction that suffering will not get the better of oneself, that it will not deprive a person of their dignity as a human being.

Above all, suffering unleashes love in the person, that unselfish gift of one's "I" on behalf of the other. The world of human suffering unceasingly calls for another world: the world of human love; each one owes to suffering that unselfish love which stirs the heart and actions. Every individual must feel called personally to bear witness to love in suffering.

THE MEANING OF HUMAN SUFFERING IS IN NO WAY IDENTIFIED WITH AN ATTITUDE OF PASSIVITY. THE GOSPEL IS THE NEGATION OF PASSIVITY IN THE FACE OF SUFFERING. CHRIST HIMSELF IS ESPECIALLY ACTIVE IN THIS FIELD: "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed." Lk. 4, 18- 19, Is. 61,1-2. Christ carries out this messianic program of his mission: he goes about "doing good: in the face of suffering.

What Is an Easy Formula for Me When I Witness Suffering?

In the parable of the Good Samaritan we are taught to STOP, as the Good Samaritan did, at the suffering of one's neighbor; to have COMPASSION for the suffering person, and TO GIVE HELP. In the program of the Kingdom of God, suffering is present in the world in order to release love, to give birth to works of love in order to transform human civilization into a "civilization of love".

Christ's words "You did it to me" teach us that he himself is the one who in each individual experiences love; he himself is the one who receives help, when this is given to every suffering person without exception. HE HIMSELF IS PRESENT IN EVERY SUFFERING PERSON, SINCE HIS SALVIFIC SUFFERING HAS BEEN OPENED ONCE AND FOR ALL TO EVERY HUMAN SUFFERING.

Christ has taught us TO DO GOOD BY OUR SUFFERING AND TO DO GOOD TO THOSE WHO SUFFER.

Editors Note:

The complete text of the John Paul II's letter "Salvifici Doloris - On The Meaning of Human Suffering" has been published by The U.S. Catholic Conference, 1312 Massachusetts Ave., Washington, D.C. 20008, and by The Daughters of St. Paul, 50 St. Paul's Ave., Boston, MA 02130.