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Pope Francis issued a new apostolic letter last Wednesday calling for a “paradigm shift” in theology.
The letter, “Ad theologiam promovendam,” was issued motu proprio, or on the pope’s own impulse, adding to the ever-expanding list of such documents since Francis’ election in 2013.
The document, dated Nov. 1, generated headlines in the secular media with its call for a new approach to theology. It also prompted considerable discussion among Catholics.
Here’s a brief guide to the text for busy readers.
Until now, the pontifical academy — located on Rome’s Via della Conciliazione and overseen by the Dicastery for Culture and Education — has been following a course set by Pope John Paul II in 1999.
In the apostolic letter Inter munera academiarum, the Polish pope said that “the principal mission of theology today consists in promoting dialogue between Revelation and the doctrine of the faith, and in offering an ever deeper understanding of it.”
He issued the letter following the publication of his encyclical Fides et Ratio, which famously described faith and reason as being “like two wings on which the human spirit rises to the contemplation of truth.”
The 2023 statutes (not currently available online) are influenced by subsequent papal documents, such as 2013’s encyclical Lumen fidei and apostolic exhortation Evangelii gaudium, and the 2018 apostolic constitution Veritatis gaudium.
Continued below.
www.pillarcatholic.com
The letter, “Ad theologiam promovendam,” was issued motu proprio, or on the pope’s own impulse, adding to the ever-expanding list of such documents since Francis’ election in 2013.
The document, dated Nov. 1, generated headlines in the secular media with its call for a new approach to theology. It also prompted considerable discussion among Catholics.
Here’s a brief guide to the text for busy readers.
What’s the document about?
Pope Francis wrote the letter to signal his approval of new statutes drawn up for the Vatican’s Pontifical Academy of Theology(known by its acronym PATH).Until now, the pontifical academy — located on Rome’s Via della Conciliazione and overseen by the Dicastery for Culture and Education — has been following a course set by Pope John Paul II in 1999.
In the apostolic letter Inter munera academiarum, the Polish pope said that “the principal mission of theology today consists in promoting dialogue between Revelation and the doctrine of the faith, and in offering an ever deeper understanding of it.”
He issued the letter following the publication of his encyclical Fides et Ratio, which famously described faith and reason as being “like two wings on which the human spirit rises to the contemplation of truth.”
The 2023 statutes (not currently available online) are influenced by subsequent papal documents, such as 2013’s encyclical Lumen fidei and apostolic exhortation Evangelii gaudium, and the 2018 apostolic constitution Veritatis gaudium.
What the motu proprio says
Continued below.
‘Ad theologiam promovendam’: A brief guide for busy readers
Pope Francis’ new motu proprio calls for a ‘paradigm shift’ in theology.
www.pillarcatholic.com
