Pope Benedict XVI in English - Weekly General Audience
Dear Brothers and Sisters, In our catechesis on the Christian culture of the Middle
Ages, we now turn to John of Salisbury, an outstanding philosopher and theologian
of the twelfth century. Born in England, John was educated in Paris and Chartres.
A close associate of Saint Thomas Becket, he was involved in the crisis between the
Church and the Crown under King Henry II, and died as Bishop of Chartres. In his
celebrated work, the Metalogicon, John teaches that authentic philosophy is by nature
communicative: it bears fruit in a message of wisdom which serves the building up
of society in truth and goodness. While acknowledging the limitations of human reason,
John insists that it can attain to the truth through dialogue and argumentation.
Faith, which grants a share in God’s perfect knowledge, helps reason to realize its
full potential. In another work, the Policraticus, John defends reason’s capacity
to know the objective truth underlying the universal natural law, and its obligation
to embody that law in all positive legislation. John’s insights are most timely today,
in light of the threats to human life and dignity posed by legislation inspired more
by the “dictatorship of relativism” than by the sober use of right reason and concern
for the principles of truth and justice inscribed in the natural law. * * * I
offer a warm welcome to the student groups present today from England, Ireland and
the United States. My cordial greeting also goes to the pilgrims from Kenya and Nigeria.
Upon all the English-speaking pilgrims and visitors present at today’s Audience, I
invoke God’s blessings of joy and peace!