In his June 21, 2019, address in Naples, Pope Francis encouraged the elaboration of a Mediterranean theology. This theology, he specified, will bring into play “new narratives”: “There is a need for renewed and shared narratives that, starting from listening to the roots and the present, speak to the hearts of people, narratives in which… Read the full article
To write about Madeleine Delbrêl, Cardinal Martini said, is to write about “one of the greatest mystics of the 20th century.”[1] It was the same cardinal who said that “the Church is 200 years out of date. Why doesn’t it wake up? Are we afraid? Are we fearful rather than courageous?”[2] Yet when we read… Read the full article
The significance, on a theological level, of Pope Francis’ trip to Iraq in March 2021 emerges clearly only when placed in the larger theological, historical and chronological context. First of all, bear in mind that the pope comes from the continent with the lowest percentage of Muslims, although Jorge Bergoglio’s homeland, Argentina, is the Latin… Read the full article
From May 24 to 27, 2021, the Italian Episcopal Conference held their 74th General Assembly. Pope Francis opened it with a prayer and a dialogue with the bishops present. The work of the Assembly, under the guidance of Cardinal Gualtiero Bassetti, focused on the theme: “Proclaiming the Gospel in a time of rebirth. Starting a… Read the full article
Pope Francis’ encyclical Fratelli Tutti has a number of parallels with the African ethic of Ubuntu. Published in October 2020, the encyclical has drawn attention to the social consciousness on solidarity between different members of society based on social-interdependence. The African concept of Ubuntu largely refers to inter-connectedness within humanity and between its members, and… Read the full article
“We cannot fully know ourselves without first knowing the nature of all living creatures,” wrote Ambrose of Milan in the fourth century.[1] Three centuries earlier, Paul had drawn a line from creation to the Creator: “Ever since the creation of the world his eternal power and divine nature, invisible though they are, have been understood… Read the full article
“With a father’s heart […] Joseph loved Jesus”: so begins the Apostolic Letter Patris Corde, which commemorates 150 years since Pius IX proclaimed Saint Joseph “Patron of the Universal Church” on December 8, 1870, to emphasize “his central role in the history of salvation.”[1] Pope Francis speaks from “the abundance of his heart.” In this… Read the full article
Covid-19 and the global risk society Covid-19 has forced humanity to face a global crisis that seemed unimaginable in our contemporary high-tech globalized world. It has affected schools, churches, sports, markets, and so on, bringing to a halt the ordinary habits and activities of all social organizations in every nation and region of the world…. Read the full article
