Salvatore Cernozio – Vatican City

“The Church is a woman.” “Indeed, among our greatest sins”reminder‘The Church.’ Therefore, we must ‘de-masculine it’, and do so starting with theology. The Pope meets with members of the International Theological Commission, the body created by Paul VI at the then Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith in 1969 (it was a proposal from the First Council To the Synod of Bishops) to help him study most theological issues. Important jurisprudential questions.

The ability to think theologically for women

After recovering from pneumonia, the Pope delivered the prepared speech: “There is a good speech here that includes theological things, but like me it is better not to read it.” However, Francis would like to share some thoughts to emphasize the importance of theological reflection and to thank the Committee for the work done. To this is also added a note, or rather, of disappointment—”Pardon my honesty!” Due to the lack of female presence in the body:

One, two, three, four women: poor things! I’m alone! Oh, sorry: five! We must move forward on this matter

The Pope emphasized that women “have a capacity for theological thinking different from that which we men have,” recalling the studies he conducted on the books of the “good German,” the philosopher and writer Hannah Barbara Girl, about Romano Guardini. . “I studied that history and that woman’s theology is not very profound, but it is beautiful and creative.”

The Pope receives members of the International Theological Commission

Sin “reminding” the church

The “feminist dimension of the Church,” the pontiff declared informally, will also be at the heart of the upcoming work of the C9, the group of cardinals who help the pope run the church. Therefore, the topic is pivotal because “the Church is a woman.”

If we cannot understand what women are, what women’s theology is, we will never understand what the Church is. One of the greatest sins we have committed is “reminding” the church

The Petrine-Marian principle

He added: “This matter cannot be resolved through the ministerial route; This is something else,” Pope Francis emphasized, referring to discussions about the women’s priesthood. “It was solved the mysterious way, the real way,” he says. He then repeated the “Petrine principle and the Marian principle” from Baltsar’s original which he gave “much light”. “You can argue about this, but the two principles are there. Marianism is more important than Petrine, because there is the Church as bride, and the Church as woman, without making herself masculine.

You will ask yourself: Where does this discussion lead? Not just to tell you that you have more women here — here’s one — but to help you think. The Church as a woman, the Church as a bride. This is a task I ask of you, please. Mass destruction church inflammation.

Finally, the Pope repeats: “Thank you for what you are doing,” and adds: “Sorry, I spoke a lot and it hurt me,” referring to his health condition. Everyone is asked to read A our father “Everyone in his own language,” and at the end, as usual, he prays for himself: “Pray for me.” Pray for, not against, because this work is not easy.”

Moment of the hearing

Missionary transformation of the church

In his speech, the Pope renewed the call for theologians to “missionary conversion of the Church.” A goal to which one must devote oneself “with all the energy of heart and mind,” because it is nothing but a response to Jesus’ call to evangelization, adopted by the Second Vatican Council, which declared the goal of “illumining all people with the light of Christ.” Therefore, the “new missionary impulse” capable of conveying the beauty of faith, whose “sine qua non,” as Pope Francis says, is the synodal Church.

Theology from below and on its knees

In this context, the Bishop of Rome re-presents “one” proposal to the members of the International Theological Commission. Missionary theologywhich promotes dialogue with the world of culture.” It is a necessity that theologians must deal with “in harmony with the people of God,” that is, “from below,” with “a privileged view of the poor and the simple,” and at the same time “on their knees” as well. Because “theology is born on We rode in the worship of God.”

Commemoration of the Council of Nicaea

In the prepared address, Francis then focuses on the two current challenges being considered in depth by the commission, “the anthropological question and the environmental question,” to which he adds work to propose “updated and definitive thinking” on the importance of “the Trinitarian faith and the Christological confession recognized by the Council of Nicea.” It is an event whose 1,700th anniversary will be celebrated in 2025, coinciding with the jubilee.

Group photo with members of the International Theological Committee

Light in the darkness of the world

The Pope points to “three reasons” why the rediscovery of Nicaea is “promising”: a spiritual reason, a conciliar reason, and an ecumenical reason. spiritual Because “faith in Jesus, the only begotten Son of the Father, was proclaimed at Nicaea.”

He who became man for our sake and for our salvation is “God from God, Light from Light.” It is not only the light of unimaginable knowledge, but it is the light that illuminates existence with the love of the Father

“There is light that guides us on the path and dispels darkness,” the Pope says. “Theologians must spread new and amazing flashes of the eternal light of Christ in the home of the Church and in the darkness of the Church.” the world”.

Congregationalism

As for appearance SynodThe Pope states that “the first Ecumenical Council was held in Nicaea, where the Church was able to express its nature, faith and mission.”

Conciliarity is the way, the way to translate the Trinitarian dynamic into positions of communion and participation processes, through which God encounters humanity, through Christ and with the breath of the Holy Spirit..

Even in this case, theologians have a great responsibility to “unleash the richness of this wonderful ‘human energy’.” Each member participates in the same work of the Committee from different parts of the world, and brings with him talents, riches, questions and sufferings for churches and peoples. “Be witnesses” is the Pope’s call to the Church, which “accompanies with love and discernment the cultural and social processes of humanity in the complex transitional period in which we are living.”

Common date for Easter

Finally, a third reason ecumenical. The Pope indicates that in 2025, the date of celebrating Easter will be at the same time among all Christian denominations. Therefore, it expresses hope, which has already been emphasized several times in the past

How nice it would be if it were the concrete beginning of the ever-common celebration of Easter!

Meeting with members of the International Theological Committee