Personalism in an Impersonalistic Society

An article in the Catholic Times on the Community Movement in Korea showed it to be an excellent tool for realizing synodality and suggesting that clericalism must be addressed simultaneously. The Church needs these small communities living the synodal theme —Communion, Participation, and Mission.

The Church worldwide has given synodality a great deal of time and effort with great expectations of what it can do for the world. One of the problems always present is how words are used and the meaning we give them. What is necessary is the need to define the words being used, but this is not always feasible.

One such word is personalism, which focuses on dignity and rights. This concept we hear throughout the Vatican document Gaudium et Spes. It was expressed theologically: "Man is the only creature on earth that God willed for its own sake, and he cannot fully find himself except through a sincere gift of himself."

For John Paul II, the "personalistic norm" states that a person should never be treated as a mere object to be used but rather as someone who deserves to be loved and treated with inherent dignity and worth, meaning the only proper attitude toward a person is love, which constitutes a mature and fully developed relationship with them. 

Often, issues we face become more important than the persons involved. Not difficult to do. There is always a need to connect synodality and personalism— communion and unity with open dialogue and listening to one another. 

Pope Francis has strongly promoted both synodality and personalism in his papacy, emphasizing the importance of a Church that "walks together" and truly values each person.

"Imago Dei" spirituality refers to a theological concept— Humans are created "in the image of God". We possess inherent dignity and value because we reflect certain qualities of God, such as rationality, creativity, moral capacity, and the ability to love and relate to others, setting us apart from the rest of creation; essentially, it emphasizes the unique worth and responsibility that comes with being human as a reflection of God's nature. 

What has to be overcome is the desire for efficiency and emotional support in an impersonal society and the willingness to continue with our ideals. We live with many impersonal structures, but nothing prevents us from relating according to personalistic norms and seeing other humans not as objects but as subjects.