Page 53 - EMCAPP-Journal No. 5
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Church Traditions for a Christian Psychology



             ny and ecstasy, iniquity and nobility, shame and   97).  The development of persons occurs within
             chivalry, captivity and liberty, gravity and gran-  an ongoing reciprocal relationship of receiving
             deur (cf. Gaudium et spes, n. 10; John Paul II,   and giving, giving and receiving.
             1979, n. 14).  It acknowledges the human tale of   Catholic  psychology  is  a  psychology  of  per-
             “tragic optimism,” where the person “finds his    sonhood.  In addition to typical consideration
             true  destiny  in  a  goal  of  greatness  through   of  physical,  cognitive,  emotional,  social,  and
             unending  struggle”  (Mounier,  1952,  p.  16;  cf.   moral  development,  Catholic  psychology  also
             Frankl, 1984).  It recognizes that the adventure   considers personal and spiritual development.
             of the life well-lived often involves struggle to   Wojtyła identified various inter-related aspects
             overcome evil for a greater good, reminiscent     or  domains  of  human  development  of  incre-
             of the words of Samwise to Frodo in Tolkein’s     asing  levels  of  depth:    physical  development
             (1954/2002)  Lord  of  the  Rings  regarding  “the   (senses) and psychological development (emo-
             brave things in the old tales and songs” and not   tions), a “deeper level” of cognitive development
             turning back in “the tales that really mattered”   (involving intellect and reason), and finally the
             (p. 719).                                         “deepest level” or “hidden causes” of volitional
             Catholic psychology is ultimately a psychology    and moral development (involving free will and
             of  conception  and  consummation,  a  psycho-    conscience) (Wojtyła, 1972/1984a, pp. 89-91).
             logy of the beginning and ending of personal      Wojtyła appeared to suggest three stages in the
             existence.  Although  contemporary  develop-      development of complete and authentic human
             mental psychology does consider prenatal de-      personhood:
             velopment, a Catholic approach clearly extends    “A child, even an unborn child, cannot be de-
             consideration of the lifespan at both extremes    nied personality in its most objective ontologi-
             beginning from the very moment of concepti-       cal sense, although it is true that it has yet to
             on and ever looking forward toward the eter-      acquire, step by step, many of the traits which
             nal destiny of the person. Within the context of   will make it psychologically and ethically a di-
             theological  history,  Augustine  (ca.  396/1982)   stinct personality [emphasis added].” (Wojtyła,
             identified six stages of the human lifespan:  “For   1960/1981, p. 26)
             there are also six ages or periods in the life of the   It is interesting to note that Wojtyła, the philo-
             individual man: infancy, boyhood, adolescence,    sopher and theologian, acknowledged his limits
             youth, maturity, and old age” (58:2; cf. 44, 53:1,   as a psychologist and invited others to complete
             64:2).  Wojtyła (1972/1984a) also outlined chro-  his contributions:  “Experts in the field no dou-
             nological stages of human development:            bt could—or would—fill out the picture of the
             When we describe the person, we see him in        person in development that I have sketched in
             development, and normally we begin at the be-     a  rather  summary  and  fragmentary  fashion”
             ginning, so that we can give an outline of the    (Wojtyła, 1972/1984a, p. 90).
             history of each individual: as infant, small child,   Ontological personhood.  We do not create our
             schoolchild, student, then as adult, parent, pro-  existence; our existence is given by others.  On-
             fessional person, in full possession of his capa-  tological personhood is inherent at conception:
             cities, and, finally, in old age. (p. 89)         “A  child—even  if  unborn—cannot  be  denied
                                                               personhood in the most objective ontological
             Personhood and Participation                      sense…”  (Wojtyla,  1960/2013,  p.  9).  Potential
             Catholic psychology is a psychology of person-    personhood  is  nonetheless  real  personhood,
             hood  and  participation.    Although  related  to   regardless of any obstacle to full development:
             the  natural  world  of  animals,  persons  created   In virtue of his self-governance and self-posses-
             in the “image and likeness” of God (Gen. 1:27)    sion man deserves the designation of “somebo-
             also  possess  “something  more”  which  defines   dy” regardless of whether he has this distinctive
             them (Wojtyła, 1972/1984a, p. 90). Based upon     structure actually or only potentially.  Thus man
             the personalistic norm, Wojtyła (1960/1981) in-   is somebody from the very moment of his co-
             dicated that “the world of persons possesses its   ming into existence even when and if something
             own laws of existence and of development” (p.     intervenes and prevents his fulfillment of him-



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