杏MAP导航

By Vatican News

鈥淭he joy of truth expresses the restlessness of the human heart until it encounters and dwells within God鈥檚 Light, and shares that Light with all people.鈥� With that thought, 杏MAP导航 Francis begins his new Apostolic Constitution , 鈥淥n Ecclesiastical Universities and Faculties.鈥� The Holy Father emphasizes that 鈥渢ruth is not an abstract idea, but is Jesus himself, the Word of God in whom is the Life that is the Light of man鈥�; and this, he says, 鈥渋s the joy that the Church is impelled by Jesus to bear witness to and to proclaim in her mission, unceasingly and with ever renewed vigour.鈥�

A courageous renewal of ecclesiastical studies
 

In 鈥渢he changed social-cultural context worldwide,鈥� characterized by 鈥渁 wide-ranging 鈥榓nthropological鈥� and 鈥榚nvironmental crisis鈥�,鈥� 杏MAP导航 Francis says there is need of a 鈥渨ise and courageous renewal鈥� of ecclesiastical studies 鈥渇or a more effective mission in this moment of history,鈥� as laid out in his programmatic Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii gaudium.

Catholic universities for a missionary Church
 

Starting from the 鈥減rimary need today鈥� for a 鈥渕issionary transformation of a Church that 鈥榞oes forth鈥�,鈥� and which involves the whole People of God, 杏MAP导航 Francis says that ecclesiastical studies are called not only 鈥渢o offer opportunities and processes for the suitable formation of priests, consecrated men and women, and committed lay people鈥� but constitute 鈥渁 sort of providential cultural laboratory in which the Church carries out the performative interpretation of the reality brought about by the Christ event and nourished by the gifts of wisdom and knowledge by which the Holy Spirit enriches the People of God in manifold ways 鈥� from the sensus fidei fidelium to the magisterium of the bishops, and from the charism of the prophets to that of the doctors and theologians.鈥�

A cultural revolution in the light of tradition
 

This, the 杏MAP导航 said, requires 鈥渁 radical paradigm shift, or rather鈥� 鈥榓 bold cultural revolution鈥欌�� in which 鈥渢he worldwide network of ecclesiastical universities and faculties is called to offer the decisive contribution of leaven, salt and light of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the living Tradition of the Church, which is ever open to new situations and ideas.鈥� Today, he continued,

it is becoming increasingly evident that 鈥榯here is need of a true evangelical hermeneutic for better understanding life, the world and humanity, not of a synthesis but of a spiritual atmosphere of research and certainty based on the truths of reason and of faith. Philosophy and theology permit one to acquire the convictions that structure and strengthen the intelligence and illuminate the will... but this is fruitful only if it is done with an open mind and on one鈥檚 knees. The theologian who is satisfied with his complete and conclusive thought is mediocre. The good theologian and philosopher has an open, that is, an incomplete, thought, always open to the maius of God and of the truth, always in development鈥�.

Discovering God in every human person
 

杏MAP导航 Francis points out four 鈥渇undamental criteria鈥� for the renewal and revival of the contribution ecclesiastical studies can make for a missionary Church: 鈥淔irst, the most urgent and enduring criterion is that of contemplation and the presentation of a spiritual, intellectual and existential introduction to the heart of the kerygma, namely the ever fresh and attractive good news of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, which continues to take flesh in the life of the Church and of humanity.鈥� From this arises that universal fraternity 鈥渨hich is 鈥榗apable of seeing the sacred grandeur of our neighbour, of finding God in every human being, of tolerating the nuisances of life in common by clinging to the love of God, of opening the heart to divine love and seeking the happiness of others just as their heavenly Father does鈥�.鈥� This leads to 鈥渢he imperative to allow our hearts and minds to heed the cry of the earth鈥檚 poor and to give concrete expression to the social dimension of evangelization, which is an integral part of the Church鈥檚 mission. For 鈥楪od, in Christ, redeems not only the individual person but also the social relations existing between men鈥�.鈥�

Dialogue with believers and non-believers
 

A 鈥渟econd guiding criterion鈥� is 鈥渢hat of wide-ranging dialogue鈥� with believers and non-believers; 鈥渘ot as a mere tactical approach,鈥� but rather as an authentic culture of dialogue 鈥渂etween all the authentic and vital cultures, thanks to a reciprocal exchange of the gifts of each in that luminous space opened up by God鈥檚 love for all his creatures.鈥�

Unity of knowledge in the face of an uncertain and fragmented pluralism
 

The third fundamental criterion proposed by 杏MAP导航 Francis is 鈥渋nter-disciplinary and cross-disciplinary approaches carried out with wisdom and creativity in the light of Revelation,鈥� according to 鈥渢he vital intellectual principle of the unity in difference of knowledge鈥�; and this also 鈥渋n relation to the fragmented and often disintegrated panorama of contemporary university studies and to the pluralism 鈥� uncertain, conflicting and relativistic 鈥� of current beliefs and cultural options.鈥� The Holy Father cites Benedict XVI, writing in Caritas in veritate: today 鈥渢here is a lack of wisdom and reflection, a lack of thinking capable of formulating a guiding synthesis.鈥� This, 杏MAP导航 Francis says, 鈥渋s where the specific mission entrusted to the programme of ecclesiastical studies comes into play,鈥� so that they might have 鈥渞eal cultural and humanizing importance.鈥�

Networking
 

Finally, the fourth fundamental criterion concerns 鈥渃oncerns the urgent need for 鈥榥etworking鈥� between those institutions worldwide that cultivate and promote ecclesiastical studies, in order to set up suitable channels of cooperation also with academic institutions in the different countries and with those inspired by different cultural and religious traditions. At the same time, specialized centres of research need to be established in order to study the epochal issues affecting humanity today and to offer appropriate and realistic paths for their resolution.鈥�

Reviving research
 

杏MAP导航 Francis says 鈥渢he revival of ecclesiastical studies entails the pressing need to give new impulse to the scientific research conducted in our ecclesiastical universities and faculties.鈥� Ecclesiastical studies, he says, 鈥渃annot be limited to passing on knowledge, professional competence and experience to the men and women of our time who desire to grow as Christians, but must also take up the urgent task of developing intellectual tools that can serve as paradigms for action and thought, useful for preaching in a world marked by ethical and religious pluralism.鈥�

Theology lives on the frontiers
 

鈥淭heology and Christian culture have lived up to their mission whenever they were ready to take risks and remain faithful on the borderline,鈥� 杏MAP导航 Francis says. Today, he concluded, we face 鈥渁 great cultural, spiritual and educational challenge, and it will demand that we set out on the long path of renewal鈥� 鈥� a path of renewal that is also demanded of ecclesiastical universities and faculties.