Itinerarium mentis in Deum

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Letter to the General Ministers of the Franciscan Family on the occasion of the IV centenary of the Bonaventurian doctorate. September 8, 1988

Within the fourth centenary of the proclamation of St. Bonaventure Doctor of the Church, on September 14-17, 1988, an inter-Franciscan symposium on the "Itinerarium mentis in Deum" was held on Mount Della Verna, where it was originally written by the saint. The initiative of the symposium was taken by the Franciscan Province of Tuscany and made their own by the General Ministers of the four Franciscan Families, to whom the Pope addressed the present letter translated from Italian, dated 20-XI-88.

Dear sons John Vaughn, Lanfranco Serrini, Flavio Roberto Carraro, José Angulo Quilis, General Ministers of the Franciscan Families.

1. I am deeply satisfied with your initiative to hold a special symposium on the Itinerarium mentis in Deum of Saint Bonaventure, during the 4th centenary of his proclamation as Doctor of the Universal Church (cf. Bull Triumphantis Hierusalem, by Sixto V, in Bull. Rom., 1588).

In this way, you have very opportunely tried to call attention to a work so small in size, as it is dense in spiritual content, at the same time inviting the men of today and, particularly, all the Franciscan brothers to reread it to listen again to the elevated teaching of the Seraphic Doctor. Indeed, it is healthy to place oneself under the light of his doctrine and relive his experience, walking the path that, following the example of Saint Francis, he himself traveled when he was allowed to retire to the quiet solitude of Mount Alverna, in search of « peace of mind ”(Itinerarium, prl., n, 2).

Deep reflection on what Saint Bonaventure wrote in the same place where he had meditated on it will contribute to a better discernment, in the light of faith, which are also in our time the true signs of God's presence and of his intentions regarding the integral vocation of man.

2. One of the fruitful ideas of the Itinerarium is the reflection on the mystery of man, considered in the light of the mystery of the Incarnate Word. To such a vision it is necessary to redirect the origin of man, his life and his death. The pilgrimage on earth is for man a return journey, since his ultimate destination is also his first beginning: "Christ ... from whom we come, through whom we live and toward whom we walk" (Lumen gentium, 3).

The progress of the journey towards God is, therefore, linked to the firm persuasion that the point of arrival is already somehow present along the path that leads to it. The whole world is full of divine lights, which emanate from the creative act of the Father, according to the exemplary nature of the eternal Word, who from the beginning was with God and was God, and came to this world to illuminate every man and everyone. man (cf. Jn 1,1.9). This, therefore, observes the Saint, would be truly blind, deaf and mute, if he were not illuminated by so many splendors of created things, if he did not know how to listen to the concert of so many voices and if, in the face of so many wonders, he did not praise the Lord ( cf. Itinerarium, chap. I, n.15).

3. In order to this approach to the work, a reflection by Pope Paul VI is significant, which I am pleased to propose here again: «Itinerary: we seem to discover in this very title a movement of the spirit that seeks and investigates everything, as to the restless and progressive taste of contemporary culture, which aims, yes, the search, but, often, along the paths of speculative knowledge of philosophy and theology, it easily tires and stops in certain stations, as if they were the last and supreme, while the itinerary, oriented towards the only goal that can compensate for the fatigue of the long and rough road, continues towards the supreme end of the divine Truth, which fully coincides with the divine Reality »

Truth and divine Reality, in addition to being the end of man's journey, is also his preparation and cause. Definitive access to it after death must be preceded by its gradual fulfillment during life. The Saint writes that on the Alverna Saint Francis, in the appearance of the crucified Seraphim, made Easter with Christ, that is, he fulfilled his passage to God, and this is an invitation addressed to all spiritual men to make such a step (cf. Itinerarium, ch. VII, nos. 2-3).

For the disciples of the Lord this occurs mainly through the elements of bread and wine, which in the Most Holy Eucharist become the Body and Blood of Christ to produce the same step in them. The Second Vatican Council repeats to us, in this regard, the Church's everlasting certainty: “The Lord left his people a pledge of such hope and nourishment for the journey in that sacrament of faith in which the elements of nature cultivated by man, they become the glorious body and blood ”, whose participation“ makes us become that which we receive ”(Gaudium et spes, 38; Lumen gentium, 26).

Our ascent to God involves this decisive recovery of interiority, at the peak of the interpenetration of the mystery of man with the mystery of Christ, which will make us "abandon all the operations of the intellect and pour into God the fullness of love" (Itinerarium, ch. VII, n. 4), to live well founded and founded on Christ and strongly corroborated by faith (cf. Col 2,6-7).

4. Saint Bonaventure stood at this level of spiritual height, also in studying and teaching the faith received from God through the Church. I remember, in this regard, a very famous text that appears in the prologue of the Itinerarium and referred to by Paul VI and the Second Vatican Council, to indicate a rule that must always be kept in mind, so that it does not happen that the sacred doctrine « enlighten the mind, but do not kindle charity ": the Catholic doctrine of Revelation must become" food for spiritual life "(cf. Insegnamenti di Paolo VI, 11/1964, p. 172; Optatam totius, 16). Also, at the beginning of my ministry as Peter's successor, addressing the International Council for Catechesis, I wanted to evoke those same expressions, always valid, with which the Seraphic Doctor admonished the teachers of his time: reading without anointing, speculation without devotion, research without admiration, prudence without exultation, industry without piety, science without charity, intelligence without humility, study without divine grace, research without the wisdom inspired by God ”(Insegnamenti, 11/1979, p. 976). I believe that this may also be an inspiring motive for the participants in this symposium for renewed and fortifying meditation.

On this vigil of the third Christian millennium, the invocation of Christ is raised from many consciences, as to the One who alone has the words of eternal life (cf. Jn 6,68), so that the deserts of the world may be reduced. hope, the certainty is rekindled that only the truth that comes from God can ensure all the freedoms worthy of man.

For this, it is requested that the proclamation of the Gospel be at the same time a lived testimony, and that the one who announces it "be internally inflamed by the fires of the Holy Spirit, sent by Christ on earth" (Itinerarium, chap. VII, n. 4 ).

Desiring that the Holy Spirit illuminate the celebration of this study meeting with his beatifying light, I am sure that precious indications and fervent purposes will come out of it not only for Franciscan families, who see in Saint Bonaventure the most distinguished theologian of seraphic love and the It is a sure guide in the search for God, but also for the whole Church, committed today more than ever to finding for modern man the paths of a renewed and safe journey towards God.

Dear brothers and children, in the light of the Marian Year that has just concluded recently, I urge you to also look at the Virgin Mary, Mother of God and our Mother, who in this itinerary remains an incomparable example to be imitated, for having made throughout his life an uninterrupted pilgrimage in faith and contemplation (cf. Enc. Redemptoris Mater, 13ff.).

With these sentiments and thoughts I impart to you a special Apostolic Blessing, which can be extended to all the children of Saint Francis.

Vatican City, September 8, 1988, year X of my pontificate.

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