Page 56 - EMCAPP-Journal No. 5

Church Traditions for a Christian Psychology

to our interior being and determines the nature 1969/1979, pp. 189-260).
of our actions; and at the same time it unites Transcendence. The theological trek of human
people with one another, giving form to the hu- nature from a “state of integral nature” to a “state
man community” (Wojtyła, 1972/1984b, p. 96). of fallen nature” (John Paul II, 1984/2006, 4:1-
Human development thus involves both nature 5) also adversely affects relationships with the
and nurture. world, with others, and with God: “Harmony
with creation is broken: visible creation has be-
Integration and Transcendence come alien and hostile to man.” “The union of
Catholic psychology is a psychology of integra- man and woman becomes subject to tensions,
tion and transcendence. It recognizes the de- their relations henceforth marked by lust and
velopmental processes of internal integration domination.” “The harmony in which they had
of body, mind, and will, and external transcen- found themselves, thanks to original justice,
dence in relationships with other human per- is now destroyed” (Catechism of the Catholic
sons and with God. Church, n. 400).
Transcendence involves going beyond the per-
Integration. Recalling the theological odys- son. “Transcendence” may include the “hori-
sey of human nature from a “state of integral zontal transcendence” of cognitive acts, “inten-
nature” (status naturae integrae) to a “state of tional acts of external (‘transcendent’) percep-
fallen nature” (status naturae lapsae) (John Paul tion” (Wojtyła, 1969/1979, p. 119), as described
II, 1984/2006, 4:1-5), one of the effects this by phenomenology. However, in this context, it
move from original innocence to original sin more properly involves the “vertical transcen-
is that “the control of the soul’s spiritual facul- dence” of conative acts of willing, “the transcen-
ties over the body is shattered” (Catechism of dence of the person in action” which is “the fruit
the Catholic Church, n. 400). Psychologically, of self-determination; it is the transcendence
“disintegration” represents a failure within the through the fact itself of freedom, of being free
fundamental dynamic structure of the person: in acting…”(Wojtyła, 1969/1979, p. 119). Ac-
“While self-determination means that man can cording to Wojtyła, it appears to involve active-
govern himself and possess himself, disinte- ly possessing and governing oneself (Wojtyła,
gration on the contrary, signifies a more or less 1969/1979, p. 190). The transcendence of the
deep-seated inability to govern, or to possess, person reveals the spiritual nature of the per-
oneself” (Wojtyła, 1969/1979, p. 194). son: “to start with, we recognize that man is
Integration takes place within the person. From person; next, that his spiritual nature reveals
a psychological perspective, “integration” re- itself as the transcendence of the person in his
fers to “the realization and the manifestation of acting; and finally, that only then can we com-
a whole and a unity emerging on the basis of prehend in what his spiritual being consists”
some complexity” (Wojtyła, 1969/1979, p. 191). (Wojtyła, 1969/1979, p. 182).
Integration represents success within the dyna- In this regard, in the domain of spiritual de-
mic personal structure of self-determination: velopment, Catholic psychology is a psycho-
“Now, the fundamental significance of ‘integra- logy of nature and a psychology of grace. In
tion’—it always in one way or another consists the words of Aquinas (ca. 1274/1920): “Grace
in the person’s integration in action—is strict- perfects nature” (ST II-II, 26, 9, 2). Catholic
ly connected with the person’s intrinsic struc- psychology is a sacramental psychology (in the
ture of self-governance and self-possession.” proper sense of the term) in its recognition that
(Wojtyła, 1969/1979, p. 193, modified transla- Christ, through the life of the Church and mini-
tion). According to Wojtyła, it appears to in- stry of the priest, encounters and accompanies
volve passively being possessed and being go- each person on the path of life. The sacraments
verned by oneself (Wojtyła, 1969/1979, p. 190). may thus be seen as developmental milestones
Within the person, the process and realization of sorts:
of integration involves integration of both the The seven sacraments touch all the stages and
body (“soma”) and the soul (“psyche”) (Wojtyła, all the important moments of Christian life:

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