Aula Magna, il-Belt Valletta

19th April 2012

It was with pleasure that I accepted to be on this panel, both for the respect with which I hold Professor Douglas Kmiec, and also for the brief friendship that we enjoyed during his tenure of office as Ambassador of the United States to Malta.

The Book that he has written – Lift up your Hearts – is at the same time an autobiography, centering around the accident which cost Monsignor John Sheridan and Sister Mary Campbell their lives and an exposition of The Theology of Kindness, as shown especially in Monsignor Sheridan.

As quoted by Martin Sheen, this book was written as his (Prof Kmiec) ‘moral obligation to write a book to illustrate with gratitude how so much of my public and private life has been and continues to be influenced by the brilliant mind and gentleness of Monsignor John Sheridan. He and Sister Mary enriched my life and those of so many others beyond measure’ (p.16). He also reflects on the influence of the car accident on his life: ‘In the absence of the gift of suffering I suspect that I would have indefinitely floated upon the surface of the moment’ (p.18).

This is how he describes the impact that this accident had on his life: ‘While there is great sadness in the tale told here, there is also abundant and abiding optimism. While two will perish, none feared death or view it as the end of any lastingly meaningful’ (p.21). ‘In identifying which of us should fear death and which two could intrepidly present themselves, not as perfect, but as responsibly and maturely able to see God, no one, not even my saintly late mother – would have resolved the issue and selected me over John and Mary’ (p.82).

‘If my life was ever mine alone, it is not now, for in the sign of the Cross I am tasked with lifting up the lives of my companions in faith’ (p. 23). After facing death, ‘… every moment is to be accounted for: every action has meaning, and in every moment and action, there must be a discernible love for the other’ (p.23). ‘Indeed you are helping me to handle or conquer this challenge … by taking hold of this book. In return there is a true gift in this book: it is, as I will call it, Monsignor John Sheridan’ Theology of Kindness’ (p. 27).

The Theology of Kindness

In the Book, especially in Chapter 2, the author expounds what he calls The Theology of Kindness by which he means the theology that could be gathered from the teachings and life of Monsignor John Sheridan.

Two quotations at the beginning of this chapter will help to us to put The Theology of Kindness as proposed by the author in focus:

‘The Theology of Kindness is dynamically and increasingly a product of the Holy Spirit’ (p. 74). It does rise from a background of speculative theology but ‘John wanted faith to be more readily available, to be inseparable from a beating heart’ (p. 75).

He explains it in this way: ‘At the very personal, local level, the Theology of Kindness is far slower to judge, lest the spiritually transformative power of kindness be defeated by moral pronouncements of that which is intrinsically right or wrong. Both instructions are needed … but kindness does more easily forgive than admonish’ (p. 75). Moreover, Prof Kmiec believes that a kind of Theology of Kindness is present also in other religions. ‘Catholics have no monopoly in the Theology of Kindness’ (p.98).

But then he expounds this Theology of Kindness in a practical way: How is it felt? How can one recognise it? How can one live it as a way of life?

Let me show then main tenets of the Theology of Life as expounded in the Book. He mentions different elements:

LOVE RECKLESSLY

‘It was kindness extended in imitation of God’s own ‘deep, almost reckless, and unlimited rejection of a legislative of wholly theological faith … John’s reckless love was greater: (and this is my reflection, this seems paradoxical) it was in fact, love extended even without our fulfilment of the golden rule’ (p.78).

BE UNAFRAID OF DEATH

‘The fear of death, the Monsignor reasons is not its unknown so much as what is intimately known by each of us and us alone with God: our sinfulness and the extent to which we have genuinely accepted Christ, and the promised redemption …’ (p.81)

‘The victory comes only if we learn from death to reject all that diminished us in life – hatred, pettiness, an over-concern with the material and whatever is our sin du jour’ (p. 84).

BE THE POSITIVE LIGHT IN A SPECIAL WORLD

‘To lift up one’s heart is also being prepared to explain in a positive and affirming way, the basis for faith belief’ (p.85).

UNMASK THE LIE

‘The Theology of Kindness is a theology of inclusion; lifting our heart to the Lord means standing with the wounded, misled and gravely mistaken hearts. To be sure, neither John nor Mary would be accepting of abuse, failing sin, but in rejecting their shortcomings, they would never turn away the person’ (p. 94).

DO NOT MISTAKE LAW FOR MORALITY

‘Law is needed, but personal conversion is needed more’ (p.95); Laws are minimalistic; faith calls us up higher to a better self’ (p.95).

GOD IS ‘WITH US’. ARE WE REALLY WITH HIM? (THE PRESENCE OF GOD)

The key element, according to the author, to emulate john’s Theology of Kindness is to believe in, and live, the presence of God everywhere: ‘full acceptance or trust in God’s continuing presence in our lives … in every quiet corner of our lives, where we think we have indulged every precaution to draw tight the curtains so that no one, not even God, is with us. There is no such place to hide from the Lord’ (p.100). Conversely, the negative aspect is to try to hide from God: ‘one sure sign of disbelief in God – or more charitably, in complete faith under construction – is the idea that we must hide from God, the most shameful aspect of our life’ (p.100).

CONCLUSION

The Book in itself is a stimulating presentation of Love in the Christian’s life under the title of ‘The Theology of Kindness’. It will give the reader an opportunity to examine one’s life under this aspect. Under this aspect I found the book to be very deep and uplifting spiritually. Thank you Professor for this book.

+ Mgr. Paul Cremona O.P.

Archbishop of Malta