Dignitas Infinita
Podcast: Season 5, Episode 12
On April 8th, the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith (DDF) released a new document about the infinite dignity of the human person, Dignitas Infinita.
More specifically, Dignitas Infinita is a Declaration (the same kind of document as Fiducia Supplicans) that was approved and signed by the pope and thus part of the ordinary magisterium of the Church. Cardinal Fernandez, the head of the DDF, introduced the document saying that it has been five years in the making and went through several drafts. I got the impression that Dignitas Infinita is kind of a companion text to Pope Francis’s 2020 encyclical, Fratelli Tutti.
Fernandez introduced the content of the Declaration saying (emphasis mine):
“In its initial three sections, the Declaration recalls fundamental principles and theoretical premises, with the goal of offering important clarifications that can help avoid frequent confusion that surrounds the use of the term “dignity.” The fourth section presents some current and problematic situations in which the immense and inalienable dignity due to every human being is not sufficiently recognized.
The Church sees the condemnation of these grave and current violations of human dignity as a necessary measure, for she sustains the deep conviction that we cannot separate faith from the defense of human dignity, evangelization from the promotion of a dignified life, and spirituality from a commitment to the dignity of every human being.”
Dignitas Infinita begins by proclaiming the scandalous and prophetic truth that, “Every human person possesses an infinite dignity, inalienably grounded in his or her very being, which prevails in and beyond every circumstance, state, or situation the person may ever encounter” (DI 1).
This truth “rests on a threefold conviction” grounded in God’s revelation of Himself, and our destiny in light of His identity. The first conviction is that every human being is made in the image and likeness of God and possesses “a sacred value that transcends every distinction of a sexual, social, political, cultural, and religious nature” (DI 18). Second, “By uniting himself with every human being through his Incarnation, Jesus Christ confirmed that each person possesses an immeasurable dignity simply by belonging to the human community; moreover, he affirmed that this dignity can never be lost” (DI 19).
The third and final conviction is nothing less than our destiny for union with God, theosis:
“After the Creation and the Incarnation, Christ’s Resurrection reveals a further aspect of human dignity. Indeed, ‘the dignity of man rests above all on the fact that he is called to communion with God,’ destined to last forever. Thus, ‘the dignity of this life is linked not only to its beginning, to the fact that it comes from God, but also to its final end, to its destiny of fellowship with God in knowledge and love of him’” (DI 20).
Overall, I liked this document. I loved that it fully embraced the word "infinite.” I think that word jolts us and makes us uncomfortable, which is important because I think there's a constant temptation to measure human worth and weigh it against other perceived goods in the moment. I really loved the emphasis on prioritizing powerless, specifically how Jesus is the model for preferencing the poor and powerless. I also liked the continuing escalation of the Church’s condemnation of the death penalty.
But I also had some criticisms, specifically in ways where I thought the document failed to live up to some of its own teachings.
This week on the podcast, Dominic and I walk through Dignitas Infinita, hitting some of the main beats, before going on to share our personal reactions, positive and critical.
I hope you enjoy it!
This episode is available on Youtube and your favorite podcast app.
Also, this is the final episode of this season. It’s been a privilege having the kinds of discussions with the caliber of guests who joined us this season. Thank you for joining us and for all your encouragement and support.
We’re planning on a Season Six! But with my graduation (less than a month now!) and a new full-time job as a counselor, I’m not sure yet when I will be settled enough to launch the next season.
But in the meantime!
I have two projects I want to tell you about.
The first is a new workshop I’m leading next month titled: “I Myself Will Shepherd My Sheep” A workshop for recognizing, preventing, and responding to spiritual abuse in the Catholic Church.
For my counseling internship I led a four-week group about spiritual abuse in Christian spaces. It went really well. So I decided to expand that and turn it into a five-week workshop about spiritual abuse and abuse of conscience in the Catholic Church. I'm going to run it during the month or so of limbo I have in between graduating and getting my counseling license from the state.
This workshop is for:
Individuals trying to understand and/or heal from experiences of spiritual abuse in the Church
Clergy and lay leaders interested in safeguarding their communities from spiritual abuse and abuse of conscience
Therapists working with clients who have been spiritually abused
This workshop will help you:
Recognize and prevent spiritual abuse and abuse of conscience in the Church
Know the symptoms of spiritual abuse, religious trauma, and moral injury
Respond to individuals who have been spiritually abused
This is a five-part live workshop that will be held virtually beginning in May. It’s $125 to attend. Registration and more information are here: https://www.popefrancisgeneration.com/p/i-myself-will-shepherd-my-sheep
Second, I created a day-long retreat focused on the principles of Catholic Social Teaching. I’ve led this retreat in parishes in West Virginia and Tennessee. During this election year, if you are looking for an event for your parish or community to help them learn and pray with the Church’s social teaching, check out my Life as Christ: Catholic Social Teaching Retreat.
Registration and more information are here:
Dominic and Paul wrap up this season with a conversation about the new document from the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith (DDF), Dignitas Infinita, about the infinite dignity of the human person. We discuss the main themes of the document before moving on to sharing our positive and negative reactions to it.
“Every human person possesses an infinite dignity, inalienably grounded in his or her very being, which prevails in and beyond every circumstance, state, or situation the person may ever encounter. This principle, which is fully recognizable even by reason alone, underlies the primacy of the human person and the protection of human rights. In the light of Revelation, the Church resolutely reiterates and confirms the ontological dignity of the human person, created in the image and likeness of God and redeemed in Jesus Christ. From this truth, the Church draws the reasons for her commitment to the weak and those less endowed with power, always insisting on ‘the primacy of the human person and the defense of his or her dignity beyond every circumstance’” (Dignitas Infinita 1).
LINKS
Dignitas Infinita
https://press.vatican.va/content/salastampa/en/bollettino/pubblico/2024/04/08/240408c.html
Fratelli Tutti
https://www.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/encyclicals/documents/papa-francesco_20201003_enciclica-fratelli-tutti.html
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ABOUT DOMINIC DE SOUZA SmartCatholics founder, Dominic de Souza, is a convert from radical traditionalism – inspired by WherePeterIs, Bishop Robert Barron, and Pope Francis. He is passionate about helping ordinary Catholics break the ‘bystander effect’, and be first responders. “We don’t have to be geniuses. We just have to show up with witness and kindness. Christ does the rest.” Today he hosts the SmartCatholics community.
https://smartcatholics.com
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