It has been rightly noted that the sometimes necessary criticism in the Church heals no wounds unless it consists in an example of greater love:
The critic without love resembles rather a man who scratches himself all the more furiously, the more fiercely he itches, a process which of course can only result in exacerbating and spreading the inflammation. The great saints were reformers of the Church but they were edifying reformers. Not all great reformers were saints, that is to say those who truly loved; many of them destroyed more than they built up...
One can picture Catherine of Siena disapproving of the papal presence in Avignon and yet at the same time profoundly loving the pope as her "Christ on earth". Her criticism had all the marks of the Spirit: made with reluctance, moderation, gentleness, accuracy and love. One need only compare this approach with its opposite: eagerness, exaggeration, harshness, bitterness. When one reads of theological disputes through the centuries (including our own), he sees clear examples of the two types of criticism. One has the marks of proceeding from God; it builds up in love. The other bears the brand of human pride; it cuts and erodes.
Sunday, May 06, 2007
Constructive Criticism
I've had a sense of the importance of the right attitude towards critique and reform, but never seen it articulated as beautifully as this passage from Fr. Dubay's Authenticity. (I just shared this with my love2learn board too)...
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Something to remember for within my own family...
Yes, Chesterton always urged SELF-criticism. Here's one sample:
The longer I live the more I am convinced that humanity fail through Pharisaism; or men boasting of washing themselves when they are only whitewashing themselves. It is already antiquated to talk about the Higher Criticism. But there is such a thing as the Highest Criticism; and it is self-criticism. What the sinner resents is not the accusation of sin, but the accuser's assumption of sinlessness. It would be a good thing if everyone at school were taught, in school debating-clubs or school-magazines, to avoid, above all things, the argument which asserts that he is the best arguer, which is quite distinct from his having the best of the argument. He should aim at asserting his proposition without asserting his personality. For his personality may be quite unpleasing; and it may be a helpful and healthy thing to remind him gently of the fact.
[GKC ILN May 25 1935; thanks to Frank Petta and my mother for making this available!]
Perhaps someday someone might collect GKC's words on this important topic - he spent quite abit of effort talking about the dangers of pride - see his "If I had but one sermon to preach" in The Common Man.
--Dr. Thursday
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