Fr Ennio Mantovani SVD 35 Epilogue In these five years since my diamond Jubilee, I have had time to reflect and deepen my ideas and answer some questions that bothered me. The role of Plato especially and Aristotle who influenced that theological genius Aquinas was a case in point. The solemn lunch, after my ordination in St Gabriel, was opened with a reading from St Paul extolling virginity above marriage. I was more than upset, I was furious. To think that my virginity was superior to the marriage that gave life to me, that enabled me to stay at the altar, was preposterous. My vocation was not superior but only radically different from that of my parents but not superior. In those days the females declared saints were virgins, or, less often married women, who after the death of their husbands dedicated themselves to the service of the poor. Even the mother of Jesus was virgin, though, the argument of Matthew taken from the OT as proof of this assertion, is today recognized by biblical scholars as questionable. Fortunately for Matthew’s integrity, he quoted that Hebrew text in Greek, where the connotation of “virgin” is present in the Greek word parthenos. However, if he had gone to the original Hebrew, he would have discovered that the connotation of virginity was not present in the original text of Isaiah. The Hebrew word for “virgin” is betulah. The word used in Isaiah is ‘almah’, which means young woman. It does not mean virgin in any Hebrew text in the entire Bible in which it is used. These facts might not affect our faith, but they might influence the faith of the younger generations trained not in following the traditions but in questioning them. In the last 65 years after my ordination I have had time to reflect on the ‘roots’ of this issue of virginity in our Catholic tradition. Marsfield is the ideal place for these reflections, now, that as Emeritus of the YTU I do not have the pressure of preparing lectures. Another issue that was very important for me as a missionary and scholar was Inculturation. My experience in the pastoral work in Preston and the various cultural celebrations in Victoria in general was a lot of folklore but little else. Maybe it is time for us, when preparing those beautiful cultural displays to encourage and help to dig and rediscover the roots of those displays, making these celebrations - in as far as possible - a rediscovery of the roots of their culture by the youth of migrants in our communities, especially for instance- but not only - in Boronia. A theme, that I regard as essential for my - our faith - is the inculturation of our Catholic tradition in the Quantum physics. A new and urgent case of inculturation, continuing the Aggiornamento of Vatican II. We SVD’ have that unique Anthropos tradition. However, as missionaries we must move on, into the era of Quantum physics. Maybe it is time for us, when preparing those beautiful cultural displays to encourage and help to dig and rediscover the roots of those displays, making these celebrations - in as far as possible - a rediscovery of the roots of their culture by the youth of migrants in our communities.
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MTQ0MTI=