In a 1971 funeral eulogy, the then Fr Joseph Ratzinger praised Austrian writer, Ida Friederike Görres, as an “irreplaceable, fearless voice” that spoke with true faith during a time of crisis. Ida Gorres was born in 1901. Following a personal spiritual renewal while at school she devoted her life to writing on matters of the Catholic faith. She centered on three areas in particular – the attractiveness of sanctity as revealed in the saints, on the depth of the Church’s understanding of the nature of marriage, and, in her final years, on what she saw as the dismantling of the traditions of the Church in the post Vatican II era.

 

Ida Görres, a married lay woman, did not write as an academic but rather she wrote for Catholics urging them to enter more deeply into the ways of faith.

An insightful commentator on movements in society she wrote books and essays appealing to people of faith to resist those trends in society which were destructive of the true faith.

In her middle years she wrote often on the subject of the Catholic understanding of the nature of marriage. In 1971 just shortly before her death she published a collection of 102 essays on marriage under the title, “What Binds Marriage Forever”.

She describes the marital bond as a profound reality, not just an abstract concept based on physical and emotional attraction. Writing to Catholics she described sacramental marriage as a solemn covenant, a pledge before God as well as the spouse. This covenant, in the end, is not determined solely by emotional attachment. While emotions may weaken and fail, she says, the covenant remains.

Görres makes the point that for most of human history marriages were arranged, only recently has marriage being entered into by couples free to chose their partners based in an emotional attraction. She comments that while many marriages in the past may not have been inspired by a emotional bond, embracing the covenant could lead to a loving relationship.  She states that it is the dedication to help and support each other, to cherish and to honor one’s spouse, that cements a lasting partnership.

This view of marriage may seem out of touch with modern reality, yet her sensitive letters to young women about to marry reveal a genuine appreciation of the beauty of marriage. Her earlier work on the nature of sanctity is reflected in her approach to the vocation of marriage.

In the late 1940s, she wrote a beautiful book of letters to young women with Catholic insights on marriage. She also addressed the question of the phenomenon of being single that was becoming common in the wake of so many men having been killed in the world wars and the rise of the “career-woman” fostered by feminism.

Görres was an astute observer on the trends which she saw evident in the German society in which she lived.

Her depth of love for the Church and its rich and wise teaching on marriage impelled her to write boldly against what she recognized as damaging social trends, especially the spread of divorce. She believed that many had lost a true understanding of the nature of marriage.

She was not afraid to address the issues of contraception and abortion. With great insight she commented in her book “The Church in the Flesh” (1950), “One has long been able to despise and mock God—and at the same time be a person of “excellent character”: … an accomplished and trendsetting lady and at the same time a child-murderer multiple times over through abortion … And can’t we all imagine that in the foreseeable future it could be good form to have one’s elderly parents or seriously ill spouses murdered discreetly and hygienically in a health facility without forfeiting the slightest in reputation as a highly decent, ethically exemplary person?”

She was aware that many of the changing cultural patterns were influencing many in the Church. She wrote forthrightly that, despite all the challenges facing the Church, there is a deep well of truth and wisdom to be found within the Church’s teaching.

She also possessed great faith that the Church was firmly under the protection of God. Thus, she writes, “I believe in God’s faithfulness. … I trust the Church’s tremendous powers of regeneration — they will be awakened when the need is at its greatest. Precisely because she is a poor bride in misery now, she is more at the mercy of His grace than ever.” She continues, “We must always pray … to defend that which is holy tenaciously, bravely, stubbornly, and at all costs. . . This courage must grow with darkness and threat.”

Görres is currently being rediscovered. Her many books and collections of essays are being reprinted. Catholic scholars are turning their attention to her thought. She was a woman ahead of her time in being able to identify social movements which were undermining the true nature of marriage. She wrote for ordinary Catholics offering them insights into the rich heritage of the Church’s teaching.

One person who clearly saw the value of her contribution was a young Fr Ratzinger, later to become Pope Benedict XVI.