If I didn’t need written permission, I’d reprint this entire sermon here on the site because I want it in the archives. But I’ll be a good blogger and link it to its home at Zenit, the Catholic News Service. You can get it in various formats there.
A more Christocentric sermon you are not likely to hear. Would to God we in evangelicalism could dependably hear this much focus on Jesus as the PERSON in whom Christianity entirely consists. (And a similar prayer for all Christians.)
Fr. Cantalamessa is an impressive preacher. I have several of his sermon series and I recommend them, especially to those of you whose exposure to Catholic preaching has been unimpressive. Fr. Cantalamessa was at Asbury Seminary earlier this year to preach in their chapel (and those sermon audios are available in English on his web site.). You don’t see that much in evangelical circles. Trust me, there’s a reason. (Look at this little article on the doctrine of “Limbo.”)
In the middle of this sermon, the focus turns to the reformation and Protestant/Catholic relations. His point is dead on target: It’s largely irrelevant arguing about the details of the book of Romans while we live in a world that denies anyone needs to be saved because no one is a sinner.
His inclusion of the conversion story of human genome scientist Francis Collins is a great example of how Catholics can talk about evangelical values without vanishing into a black hole.
This simply isn’t the kind of sermon you read every day, and it is a must read for the post-evangelical community at this blog. (BTW- the “Pauline Year” is a year long emphasis on Paul in the RCC. What’s your church’s emphasis this year?)
I believe it is time to go beyond the Reformation and the Counter-Reformation. What is at stake at the start of the third millennium is no longer the same as at the beginning of the second millennium, when at the heart of Western Christianity the separation took place between Catholics and Protestants.
To give but one example, the problem is no longer that of Luther and of how to liberate man from the sense of guilt that oppresses him, but how to give again to man the true meaning of sin which has been totally lost. What sense does it make to continue to discuss how “justification of the godless comes about,” when man is convinced of not having need of any justification and says with pride: “I accuse myself today and I alone can absolve myself, I the man”?[1]
I believe that all the age-old discussions between Catholics and Protestants about faith and works have ended up by making us lose sight of the main point of the Pauline message, often shifting attention from Christ to doctrines on Christ, in practice, from Christ to men. That which the Apostle is anxious above all to affirm in Romans 3 is not that we are justified by faith, but that we are justified by faith in Christ; it is not so much that we are justified by grace, but that we are justified by the grace of Christ. The accent is on Christ, more than on faith and grace.
Read it. Think about it. Share it.: “Called By God To Communicate With His Son Jesus Christ.”
The Internet Monk Archives 
Cantalamessa is the man!
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The third Advent meditation by Fr Cantalamessa is now up at Zenit.org. I highly recommend it as well.
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Wonderfully said. As we get it Christ-centered, all the other stuff will pretty much take care of itself. The trick is to keep it Christ-centered, which, as the history of the church testifies, is much easier said than done. The spirit may be willing, but the flesh is very weak when it comes to Christocentricity.
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Long time lurker, first time poster…
I had to post a quick note as soon as I saw a picture of my favourite priest in the entire world.
I heard Fr. Raniero preach in Birmingham (England) a couple of years ago and got to spend a few minutes with him afterwards – a very gentle, loving and “shiny” guy. I wandered around the rest of the day grinning like an idiot – his joy was that infectious.
I thoroughly recommend the HTB mini-series as it includes his teaching on Pentecost and the story of his journey of faith. It also includes a *superb* talk on Mary – it’s been my most borrowed video by my non-RC friends, in fact I don’t think I’ve got it back… 😉
Cheers!
David
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Not for the whole Papal household. You can see a pic on his web site and see his mp3s. They are all in Italian.
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German?
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Probably Italian. The papal household preacher and all that.
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mechanical questions, In what language was this preached? Who translated? I ask because the language is wonderful.
To use a cowboy movie reference, cattlemen and sheepherders need to band together to save the Range.
Or Baseball fans and football fans need to get together to promote sports, or republicans and democrats need to support the electoral process.
Guys, [and girls], we have real enemies out there, circle the wagons, find something good in each other and cleave to it.
We can agree to disagree, but please don’t let the children see us fight. It makes us all look stupid and nobody is budging on anything anyway. Peace.
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It’s better to add doctrines to truth than to remove the truth entirely and replace it with a few video clips and an expose on the pastor’s sex life.
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Thanks, Michael, for making us aware of this sermon, and for the continuing excellence of your posts. Your blog has become essential reading for this Anglican priest.
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I was responding to another post. Obviously, Cantalamessa’s use of NT Wright was germane.
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Christopher and Michael,
Allow me to clarify my words about the central message of the bible and about justificaion by faith. I was in a relative hurry when I typed what I did (this is a blog comment, not a doctrinal position paper). I did a double take on my own words, but couldn’t immediately find better ones, so I posted it knowing that it wasn’t my main point. I did wonder if anybody would pick up on it, so now I’m trying to clarify.
I agree with Fr. Cantalamessa’s quote, and my attempt was to answer the question in a tongue-in-cheek manner by pointing out that the “same tired pissing match”, as Michael put it, is so precious to some that they would place the technical points of a doctrine above even the Lordship of Christ, which is repeated many times throughout the NT. I am often guilty of a dry humor that is too dry. My apologies if I wasn’t clear enough. 🙂
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Fr. Raniero Cantalamessa is a real inspiration to me. I find his homilies to be excellent, along with writings on the Lordship of Jesus Christ and the work of the Holy Spirit.
I’d also recommend Cantalamessa’s description of his experience with Charismatic renewal in the mid 70s that led to a call to itinerant preaching of the Gospel:
http://www.christlife.org/jesus/articles/C_jesusislord.html
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Michael,
How am I railing against Catholicism in general? I didn’t even mention Catholicism. I was replying to Steve Scott’s post, in which he made a very specific statement about the Lordship of Christ being “the central message of the Bible,” rather than justification by faith. Is it okay for some to make controversial theological statements but not okay for others to simply reply to those statements, without being told that they are railing against Catholicism?
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OK.
If you people persist in turning every Catholic post on this site into an excuse to rail against Catholicism in general, I will have to moderate every post like a bunch of teenagers. Find the topic and talk about the topic, or just leave us without your wisdom. Somehow, we’ll muddle through.
You know that this site is not a Catholic-Protestant “relive the Reformation/burn the losers” site, but you persist in taking every opportunity to make it so. You can read and you can comment, but your automatic turning of the topic of the post into the same tired pissing match is going to be short lived.
MS
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Come on guys, lets not do the passive-aggressive Christianese thing again.
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First of all, it is a beautiful sermon, I agree that our discussion on Justification is fruitless if most of the world believes that it has no need of it.
Boethius:
In my view you take away from the deposit of faith. I, like you, also pray for unity in which you will accept the fullness of truth.
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Well, that didn’t take long.
All you people who are holding hands and enjoying the unity, stop it now. Our regularly scheduled disagreement is once again underway.
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That should have read “free grace to *sinners* in Jesus Christ….”
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Steve,
The central message of the Bible is the Lordship of Christ? Maybe I’m misunderstanding what you mean by the phrase. The Lordship of Christ, in and of itself, is certainly not the Gospel. The Gospel of God’s free grace to in Jesus Christ (and anything that would detract from that grace) is the subject of Galatians, and Paul seems to think that *that* is the most important message of the Bible.
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It’s largely irrelevant arguing about the details of the book of Romans…
What sense does it make to continue to discuss how “justification of the godless comes about,”…
To many it makes perfect sense. When the gospel becomes understanding the technical points of the doctrine of justification (instead of the good news of the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus for the redemption of sinners) and the central message of the entire bible is the doctrine of justification by faith (mentioned only twice, rather than the Lordship of Christ), then the argument is necessary. Since it isn’t even possible that Roman Catholics, Arminians, Eastern Orthodox, emergents, free-willers, mainliners, liberals, typical American evangelicals and those who use disposable diapers can be saved themselves, then it isn’t even possible that their message can result in salvation. That’s why it’s relevant and makes sense to endlessly argue the point.
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Fantastic.
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Wonderful sermon. It reminds me that I must be Christ-centered. We all speak about it and believe it. How few of us do it fully!
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Boethius,
We have all added doctrines to the truth. When we get to heaven, we will all find out where we were wrong and where we were correct. Fr. Cantalamessa focus on Christ is what we need to have. Surely we can be united in that?
Billy Graham received criticism because he was willing to work with Catholic churches. The Catholic church as a whole has moved a long way back towards Evangelical churches. Evangelicals are also making moves to understand more about things like liturgy. Maybe it is time to encourage that movement, rather than continue to put up walls.
Mike Bell
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Thanks for this link, Michael, and a joyful Gaudete Sunday to you!
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I downloaded the English sermons.
Our church’s emphasis this year, you ask? It is the same every year… prayer and expository preaching. God-centered, word-based, Christ-focused.
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Michael:
It is a good sermon. They have the truth; it is simply sad that they add doctrines to the truth which they require assent to. Because of the added doctrines, the unity Christ longed for is not possible. I will continue to pray that they drop all the added doctrines which require assent so we can all be “one” again.
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I second the recommendation of the Asbury sermons. Also of interest is a series Fr. Cantalamessa preached at Holy Trinity Brompton (of ALPHA fame) that is available on their podcasts. Truly amazing stuff.
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Thanks for posting the link to this Michael. Praying for you and Denise today :O).
The following is provocative, and indeed a rallying point of unification for all of us:
“Rightly, beginning to be considered today, also in the heart of the Protestant world, is the vision synthesized in the expression ‘in Christ’ or ‘in the Spirit’ as MORE CENTRAL and REPRESENTATIVE of Paul’s thought than the doctrine itself of justification through faith.”
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Nice sermon and nice of you to post it.
And isn’t it wonderful that his name in Italian means Father “Sings the Mass?”
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