Search for truth succeeds only through faith in Jesus, pope says

Published: 2007-04-18

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- The human search for truth can succeed only through faith in Jesus Christ, who is truth, Pope Benedict XVI said. "Faith in Christ grants the true knowledge which the ancient philosophers had sought through the use of reason," the pope said April 18 at his weekly general audience. Continuing his audience talks about the early church fathers and theologians, Pope Benedict focused his remarks on St. Clement of Alexandria, who was born in the middle of the second century. The theologian's writings, the pope said, outline how a believing Christian can and should use both faith and reason to "reach an intimate knowledge of the truth, which is Jesus Christ, the word of God." Pope Benedict said, "Only this knowledge of the person, who is truth, is true gnosis, the Greek word for knowledge or intelligence." The joining of faith and reason, he said, "leads to true philosophy, that is, the real understanding of the path to take in one's life."

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