On July 19, 2022, Fr. Diego Fares – an Argentinean Jesuit and member of the Civiltà Cattolica community – left this earth at the age of 66. For about two years he had been living with a serious illness, facing it with patience, fortitude and spiritual serenity.  His passing has deprived our community of a jovial and deeply spiritual person with a great appreciation of friendship; it has deprived the magazine itself of a creative and insightful writer. Our director Antonio Spadaro shares his thoughts In Memory of Fr. Diego Fares, SJ.

Using a well-known Hannah Arendt essay about Pope Roncalli to set the scene, Popes John XXIII and Francis: Two ‘Men in Dark Times’ by Andreas Goncalves Lind establishes parallels between the two both in terms of their persons and their pontificates.

Biblical Rhetoric, Rhetoric of Enigma by Roland Meynet, Emeritus Professor of Sacred Scripture at the Gregorian University, compares the time honored Greco-Roman art of persuasion with the more obscure Biblical rhetoric, in particular the method of Jesus.

Venerated as a martyr, Pope Callixtus , †217-222, is considered one of the most significant popes of the third century, although he led a very troubled life. Enrico Cattaneo has written a short account of his life in Pope Callixtus (†222): heretic or saint?

Slavery and its Aftermath by Patrick J. Ryan, Professor of Religion and Society at Fordham University, NYC, considers how Jews, Christians and Muslims confront racism and inequality both as the oppressed and the oppressor.

Young people can be defined as the adults of tomorrow. To avoid pointless generalizations, two questions are helpful in this regard: What does it mean today to enter adult life? And how do we give shape and perspective to tomorrow? Educational Poverty and the Future of Education by Stefan Del Bove provides some answers.

Also in the issue:

Energy Consumption, Quality of Life and Ecology, Agustín Udías Vallina
Antonio Canova: The immortality of beauty, Andrea Dall’Asta
Gorbachev: A portrait, Vladimir Pachkov
The Catholics in the Ottoman Empire and the Middle East, Giovanni Sale
Lambeth Conference 2022: The effort of walking together, Paolo Gamberini
The Judgment of the Adulteress, Pino Di Luccio
The Church’s Response to Modern Slavery: Strength and humility, David Hollenbach

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Our commentary and analysis is both educated and informed providing a clear indication of what Rome is thinking on a wide range of issues that affect the contemporary Church.