St. Arnold Janssen: Patron of Natural Sciences PDF

ST. ARNOLD JANSSEN: PATRON OF NATURAL SCIENCES THE NATURAL SCIENCES. If St. Francis of Assisi is the patron of animals and of Nature, St. Arnold Janssen can likewise be the patron of the natural sciences. Before his theological studies in preparation for the priesthood, Arnold to...

ST. ARNOLD JANSSEN: PATRON OF NATURAL SCIENCES THE NATURAL SCIENCES. If St. Francis of Assisi is the patron of animals and of Nature, St. Arnold Janssen can likewise be the patron of the natural sciences. Before his theological studies in preparation for the priesthood, Arnold took up special studies in the University of Muenster (1855-1857) and University of Bonn (1857). In Muenster he enrolled in the Philosophy Department and attended lectures in mathematics and the natural sciences, namely, Physics, Botany, Zoology, Astronomy, and Anthropology In Bonn, aside from the aforementioned subjects, he attended lectures in Chemistry, Mineralogy, and Geology. After completing his studies in natural sciences, he took and passed a state examination that qualified him to teach in higher institutions of learning THE NATUR AL SCIEN CES He was in the seminary when Charles Darwin's (1809-1882) Origin of Species came out in 1859. Darwin's monumental work became the bible of evolution that stirred controversy because it was against the Church's doctrine of creationism. The Church held on to Thomistic doctrine that the human soul is directly created by God and hence man cannot be part of the evolutionary process. Simply put, man cannot come from the apes. THE NATUR AL SCIEN CES a dilemma between fidelity to the Church and the reality of science. The controversy arose mainly through a misunderstanding of Darwin. The Church failed to see that God has a beautiful place in Darwin's theory. Here is the concluding paragraph of Origin of Species: ….There is a grandeur in this view of life, with its several powers, having been originally breathed by the Creator into a few forms or into one; and that, while this planet has gone cycling on according to the fixed law of gravity, from so simple a beginning endless forms most beautiful and most wonderful have been and are being evolved." SEMINARY PROGRAM OF STUDIES One of the early conflicts of the early Steyl community was about the very purpose of the institution. One opinion said that Steyl should only be for training of foreign missionaries; another is that it should also train teachers who will be teaching in seminaries to be established. The issue was settled when those who did not go along (three out of four first associates) with the idea left the community. SEMINARY PROGRAM OF STUDIES Father Arnold acted as the Dean of Studies. He devised a curriculum for students of the newly established seminary and in St. Gabriel near Vienna in 1880. Patterned after that of the University of Muenster, he combined Philosophy with the Natural Sciences. In the two-year Philosophy or Licentiate program were taught philosophy subjects, physics, astronomy, geography, chemistry, zoology, botany, mineralogy, geology, literature, and English. Lectures and laboratory work were combined in the sciences. Greek and Latin subjects were offered. It was a liberal arts course with emphasis on the sciences. Such program of studies became a characteristic of members of the Society during the Founder's time, SEMINARY PROGRAM OF STUDIES Many members pursued further studies in the sciences. There was that scientific atmosphere among the first-generation members of the Society. As a result, the Anthropos, an anthropological publication founded in 1890 by Fr. Wilhelm Schmidt, was inspired by Father Arnold. South WWI did damage to the program in St. Gabriel's Seminary. Though the same courses were resumed after the war, the laboratory part suffered. Equipment and facilities deteriorated. SEMINARY PROGRAM OF STUDIES After WWII, in the SVD General Chapter of 1947, a resolution was made to bring back natural sciences into the curriculum since it was part of the heritage received from the Founder. Natural Sciences in the Missions 1. Japan 2. in Brazil, 3. Argentina and Chile 4. Fu-Jen University of Beijing was entrusted to the Society in 1933.  FU- JEN UNIVERSIT Y OF BEIJING The university became famous as center of natural sciences and allied fields. For political reasons Fu-Jen University was closed and the SVD faculty members came over to the University of San Carlos, Cebu, where their influence and personal work were responsible for making the university an excellent institution on natural sciences. Fu-Jen University was reopened in Taipei in 1959 as a joint undertaking of various Catholic religious orders, the science department was entrusted to the Society of the Divine Word NANZ AN UNIVERSIT Y Nanzan University in Nagoya, Japan, developed with natural sciences playing an important role. The Philippine SVD and natural sciences is mainly USC and solely by confreres from Fu- Jen University and some directly assigned university. NATURAL SCIENCES The tradition lives on to this day especially in physics, biology, chemistry, pharmacy and mathematics. Marine biology has been introduced and is doing very well. Among them were/are Frs. Enrique Schoenig (on mosquitoes), Wilhem Flieger (population studies), and Herman van Engelen (water resources). There were/are also those outside USC who contributed to the progress of sciences: Frs. Leo Boethin (astronomy), Victor Holobrady (geology), and Antoon Postma (philology). All of them got their training in either St. Gabriel's or St. Augustine's. Unfortunately, Filipino SVDs have not picked up the scientific spirit of the Founder to the Formative Values of Training in the Natural Sciences. MESS AGE Science and Faith. "In the beginning was the Word... and the Word was God...all things were made through Him..." (John 1: 1- 3). A religious congregation that bears the name "Divine Word" must take this seriously. The Prologue is a direct mandate to appreciate, to study and to understand "all things that were made through Him". Understanding nature through the pursuit of natural sciences is in a true sense a study of God's revelation in the physical and biological world. MESS AGE He who is well versed in the natural sciences sees the unity and universality of natural laws and their application the proof for the existence of God and his revelation. Like Darwin, a true scientist does not ease away God; rather, he reserves the most sublime place for God. God is the author of nature where man lives. Indeed, there is no contradiction between science and faith. "Integrity of Creation" is one of the characteristic dimensions or priority areas of SVD mission today. It is heartening to know that the Founder 129 years ago had already advocated respect for God's creation through the study of the natural sciences. REFLECTION Canscience and religion co-exist?