杏MAP导航

By Christopher Wells

杏MAP导航 Francis highlighted the feminine dimension of the Church on Thursday, emphasizing the need for women鈥檚 perspective in theology. 鈥淲omen have a different capacity for theological reflection than we men do,鈥� the 杏MAP导航 said.

His extemporaneous remarks came during an audience with members of the International Theological Commission (ITC), which, as the 杏MAP导航 noted, is composed primarily of men.

The Church is woman

鈥淭he Church is woman,鈥� he said, continuing his reflection. 鈥淎nd if we do not understand what woman is or what the theology of womanhood is, we will never understand what the Church is.鈥� He described the "masculinizing" of the Church as a 鈥済reat sin,鈥� which has yet to be resolved.

The 杏MAP导航 appealed to a distinction proposed by Jesuit theologian Hans Urs von Balthasar, who described a 鈥淧etrine鈥� or ministerial principle, and a 鈥淢arian鈥� or mystical principle. 鈥淭he Marian is more important than the Petrine,鈥� 杏MAP导航 Francis said, 鈥渂ecause there is the bride Church, the woman Church, without being masculine.鈥�

This should lead not only to more women represented in the ITC, but also to greater reflection on the Church as woman and as bride. 鈥淭his is a task I ask of you, please. 'Demasculinize' the Church.鈥�

An evangelizing theology

In his , which were distributed to those present, 杏MAP导航 Francis said, 鈥淭oday we are called to dedicate ourselves with all the energy of our hearts and minds to 鈥榓 missionary conversion of the Church鈥�.鈥� This, he said, is a response 鈥渢o Jesus鈥� call to evangelize, which the Second Vatican Council made its own and which still guides our ecclesial journey.鈥�

He added that the ITC is called to take the lead, in a qualified way, in finding 鈥渁 way of thinking鈥� that knows how to share the truth about God convincingly and does so by proposing 鈥渁n evangelizing theology that promotes dialogue with the world of culture.鈥� He added that this must be done in harmony with the people of God, 鈥渨ith a privileged place for the poor and the simple,鈥� but also in prayer and adoration before God.鈥�

Anniversary of the Council of Nicea

The 杏MAP导航 then noted the Commission鈥檚 work on anthropological and ecological questions, while focusing especially on their 鈥渦pdated and incisive reflection on the permanent relevance of the Trinitarian and Christological faith confessed by Nicea,鈥� which is being undertaken in preparation for the 1700th anniversary of the first Ecumenical Council.

杏MAP导航 Francis highlighted the spiritual, synodal, and ecumenical significance of the Council of Nicea. Theologians, he said, are called 鈥渢o spread new and surprising gleams of Christ鈥檚 eternal light in the house of the Church and in the darkness of the world.鈥�

Nicea and synodality

The 杏MAP导航 insisted that synodality 鈥渋s the way to translate into attitudes of communion and processes of communion the Trinitarian dynamic with which God, through Christ and in the breath of the Holy Spirit, comes to humanity," while theologians have the responsibility 鈥渙f unleashing the richness of this wonderful 鈥榟umanizing energy鈥�.鈥�

Toward a common celebration of Easter

Finally, the Holy Father recalled the ecumenical significance of the anniversary, noting that all 鈥渄isciples of Jesus鈥� are united in professing the Creed proclaimed at Nicea.

He noted that in 2025, the year of the anniversary, all Christians will celebrate Easter on the same date, saying, 鈥淗ow beautiful it would be if it marked the concrete start of an always common celebration of Easter!鈥�

He invited those present to 鈥渃arry this dream in our hearts, and invoke the creativity of the Spirit, so that the light of the Gospel and of communion may shine more brightly.鈥�