Odniesienia do klasycznych źródeł przedchrześcijańskich w nauczaniu papieża Benedykta XVI

Abstract

The author focuses on the references to pre-Christian sources of the teaching of Pope Benedict XVI. The material under discussion includes homilies, the Wednesday catecheses, the Sunday noon speeches and some other selected texts. Addressing different people at various intellectual level, generally believers, Benedict XVI uses single terms or simple Greek and Latin phrases. He explains them and reflects on them. He also uses, in the same function, quotations from the ancient literature and refers to history or even mythology. In his speeches addressed to the representatives of science, culture or politics, the Pope refers to the arguments made by outstanding Greek philosophers, especially Plato, Socrates and Aristotle. According to the author of the article, Benedict XVI’s love for Latin and his profound knowledge of the ancient literature helps him not only to convey the theological content effectively, but also to defend the Christian culture against the Western trends in reasoning, deaf to religious argumentation.