Marie, your thoughts?

[Denise]

Pope Francis calls for ‘paradigm shift’ in theology for world of today

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news ... 2023-11-02

[MarieT]

My thoughts on this and i'm sure Cardinal Burke will follow suit, is that francis is looking for new ways of addressing the faith.

Pope Francis has called for a “paradigm shift” in Catholic theology that takes widespread engagement with contemporary science, culture, and people’s lived experience as an essential starting point.

Firstly a bit on the terminology:
paradigm defines a concept or notion or can be a model to illustrate similar occurrences.
For example Catholic TheOLOGY is the the study of God from a Catholic point of view. It is much more and encompasses other -ologies because God is ineffable and a mystery that cannot be adequately expressed with human words.

So ecclesiOLOGY (the study of the Church) for example is incorporated as are other disciplines. MariOLOGY (the significance of Mary) in the Divine plan, etc.....

Francis' asking for a paradigm shift highlights he wants the church to go in different directions from the previous traditions

The Catholic Church traditions and theologians of which the previous Pope Benedict XVI, the great theologian of our time have defined and addressed all of the above so profoundly already, are being challenged.

Saint John Paul II and Pope John XXIII'rd made enormous contributions. JP II as a philosopher brought his great gifts into the church as did John 23rd the historian, knowing that address was required in his age.
Though they brought change - it was change in ways to clearly understand, the Tradition was not compromised and they safeguarded the Tradition as their role in the hierarchy of the church required them to. The Deposit of Faith cannot be altered.

But the key was they always returned to the source - the roots of our faith. How it was lived in Jesus' time.....how the Apostles spread and lived the tradition.

The role of Mary the Mother of God.
Recall she is the archetype of the church. Not the prototype in which something is firstly proposed and then improved on - the archetype is the highest possible address.
She is the perfect quintessential archetype of the Church.

When God became man - the instance the Incarnation took place within her, she was the first and only disciple to have said "yes." She encompassed the body of Christ. Then Christ developed relationships with Joseph, then Elizabeth and John the Baptist leaping in the womb...all acknowledging the unfathomable that God was with us on earth and through relationships the Church of God spread.

How does Francis propose to change this model? / paradigm?
He seems to be throwing out the challenge to theologians worldwide.
Watch this space for follow-up commentary.

Citing the need to deal with “profound cultural transformations,” the pope presented his dramatic vision for the future of Catholic theology in a new motu proprio issued earlier today.

Yes we get it - globalization, fast paced society, greater communications worldwide and greater transport and import, export - already addressed numerous times. Pope Benedict was instrumental in not only predicting the effects that would occur, but addressing their impact and ways to incorporate them for the good of the Church.

Titled Ad Theologiam Promovendam, or “to promote theology,” the document revises the statutes of the Pontifical Academy of Theology (PATH) “to make them more suitable for the mission that our time imposes on theology.”

I'm unsure if readers have seen previous statements on the forum regarding the notion that i proposed that Francis is copying Pope John XXIII'rd's actions in the late 50's early 1960's which resulted in Vatican II.

The study of Theology was already addressed and opened to all people so that even someone like me could study it, not only seminarians or for priestly formations and other.....

“Theology can only develop in a culture of dialogue and encounter between different traditions and different knowledge, between different Christian confessions and different religions, openly engaging with everyone, believers and nonbelievers,” the pope wrote in the apostolic letter.

Well this is also nothing new. Reference to ecumenism and mission has been part of the Church's history for a long time. While encouraged by previous popes and outlined already, one must never compromise their faith in these discussions.

‘Fundamentally contextual’
Pope Francis wrote that Catholic theology must experience a “courageous cultural revolution” in order to become a “fundamentally contextual theology.” Guided by Christ’s incarnation into time and space, this approach to theology must be capable of reading and interpreting “the Gospel in the conditions in which men and women live daily, in different geographical, social, and cultural environments,” the pope wrote.

again nothing new....the gospel speaks to us through time and place in our world today.....the Word of God is relevant and alive......we all know that.....numerous vatican documents speak of it but i wonder about the terminology francis uses "revolution"....ummm bit of a red flag there when it is said by Francis.

The pope contrasted this approach with a theology that is limited to “abstractly re-proposing formulas and schemes from the past” and repeated his long-standing criticism of “desk bound theology.” Instead, he emphasized that theological studies must be open to the world, not as a “‘tactical’ attitude” but as a profound “turning point” in their method, which he said must be “inductive.”

already done in the 1960's - initiative of the 2nd Vatican Council - no theology is desk bound....its about action and sharing the knowledge with the faithful - the spreading as God wills.

Pope Francis emphasized that this bottom-up reenvisioning of theology is necessary to better aid the Church’s evangelizing mission.

Unfortunately francis doesnt realise that everyone aids in the evangelisation they are called to Whether it be to set up a Catholic Forum to bring the Word and updated news to all the world as our faithful leader has done, or by attending Lourdes and assisting with the pilgrims, or even living the good life as a role model for all to wonder and emulate.....that is the mission lived daily.....

“A synodal, missionary, and ‘outgoing’ Church can only correspond to an ‘outgoing’ theology,” the pope wrote.

already addressed that in my previous comment

Relatedly, the pope said, this dialogical approach can allow theology to “broaden the boundaries” of scientific reasoning, allowing it to overcome dehumanizing tendencies.

The contributions of science have already been addressed - many scientists if you go back through history were Catholics. St JP II speaks of how science and faith work together. Science after all is an attempt to explain the world we live in....and theology takes that into account. Yes there are some atheist scientists who have another agenda, but the faith always surpasses, because they cannot adequately explain the ineffable.

‘Transdisciplinary’ and pastoral
To achieve this “‘outgoing’ theology,” Pope Francis wrote that theology must become “transdisciplinary,” part of a “web of relationships, first of all with other disciplines and other knowledge.” This engagement, he wrote, leads to “the arduous task” of theologians making use of “new categories developed by other knowledge” in order to “penetrate and communicate the truths of faith and transmit the teaching of Jesus in today’s languages, with originality and critical awareness.”

the new categories francis speaks of arent listed in the article.....nor his 'outgoing theology'......
if in the sense that once one learns the theology they go out and share with the world, living the gospel values and greater understanding, then that in fact is what is going on anyway....
as for "transdisciplinary" we have already covered the aspects of ecumenism.....dialogue with other denominations as previous popes have highlighted to address Jesus ' "that they all may be one"....

Jesus did not call for divisive churches...but the one true Church which is founded on the Catholic Church - all the foundations are fully realised in the Catholic Church, even though previous popes have said that God offers graces to others as well to save all his people.

Pope Francis also wrote that priority must be given to “the knowledge of people’s ‘common sense,’” which he described as a “theological source in which many images of God live, often not corresponding to the Christian face of God, only and always love.”

yes we get it, divisiveness exists...i wonder where that came from

“Theology places itself at the service of the evangelization of the Church and the transmission of faith, so that faith becomes culture; that is, the wise ethos of the people of God, a proposal of human and humanizing beauty for all,” the pope wrote.

Again quoting previous popes....recall in a previous article on the forum, francis didnt adequately acknowledge a writer - which brings up the serious Plagiarism issue.

“Pope Francis entrusts our Pontifical Academy with a new mission: that of promoting, in every area of knowledge, discussion, and dialogue in order to reach and involve all of the people of God in theological research so that the life of the people becomes theological life,” the Italian prelate said in a press release.

John XXIIIrd's vision in late 1950's and early 1960's ....again not a new thing as francis tries to outline

The new statutes call for PATH to facilitate collaboration between Catholic theologians and “those of other Christian confessions or religions.”

nothing new....been going on for a long time as promoted by earlier popes

In harmony with “the magisterium of Pope Francis,” under the new statutes PATH will also exercise a commitment to “intellectual charity” by focusing on the questions and needs of those “on the existential peripheries.”

seriously? "new statutes"?.....

Just to sum up....the article doesnt tell us any new initiatives or how to go about them as "proposed" by francis.
I see it just as a call and challenge for theologians to rise to the task of offering something to this pope during his pontificate that he can say he was instrumental in bringing about.

Good luck. Theologians work with the documents of Cardinal Ratzinger (later Pope Benedict XVI) during their formation. His wisdom cannot be challenged remotely.
just my 2cents worth.

[MarieT]

How extraordinary......recall how i mentioned how the Gospel speaks to us in our world in this time and place centuries later.....

after writing the previous commentary, I attended Lectio Divina and lo and behold what is the reading for this Sunday?.....you be the judge what it says to you......

This Sunday's Scriptural Reading

Scripture Reading Matthew 23:1 – 12

Addressing the people and his disciples Jesus said, “The Scribes and the Pharisees occupy the chair of Moses. You must therefore do what they tell you and listen to what they say; but do not be guided by what they do: since they do not practise what they preach. They tie up heavy burdens and lay them on men’s shoulders, but will they lift a finger to move them? Not they! Everything they do is done to attract attention, like wearing broader phylacteries and longer tassels, like wanting to take the place of honour at banquets and the front seats in the synagogues, being greeted obsequiously in the market squares and having people call them Rabbi.

[Denise]

Thank you Marie! All very well said.