To Measure the Times by the Yardstick of Christ Progress(ing) Towards God and Divinization of Progress – J. Ratzinger/ Benedict XVI's Criteria

Abstract

Modern understanding of progress, resulting from freedom and mind that have been given such principal and unconditioned place and importance by current anthropology, turns out to restrict, in fact, the direction of human development toward extending technological capabilities and cultivating innovations or changes as values in themselves. This way the proper sense of the mankind (and its history) is perceived; of the mankind that, after all, makes its way from its origin in God towards its fulfillment in Him – toward the unification with Christ. Replacement of earthly useful techniques, skills or tools with others cannot be considered as a real improvement, if it is deprived of the moral yardstick, purpose and spiritual reference. J. Ratzinger/Benedict XVI warns that this dangerous reduction, deluding with ostensible effectiveness of operations and worldly profits (material, psychological etc.), sometimes involves also the Church and theology. Meanwhile, their task is not to necessarily `keep up with times', but to protect the world and men against destructive, sinful or deadly ideologies and tendencies, such as technocracy and idolatrous dictatorship of progress.