Relacja między wiarą a miłością w encyklice papieża Franciszka Lumen fidei

Author(s): Angelika Kulas / Language(s): Polish Issue: _/2014

Relationship between faith and love is direct. Pope Francis states that aforementioned theological virtues are one. Cognition, so characteristic to fate, reaches fullness due to perfect expression of love – redemption. The Bishop of Rome’s insights about divine grace and God’s love in relation between faith and mind are remarkable. Looking at Lumen fidei with personalistic view may reveal that Pope Francis presents faith as human’s answer for God’s invitation to internal metamorphosis. Repentance assumes donning in love by imitation of Christ. Cognition of fate is possible mainly due to love which is closely tied to mind. Following religious observances and love vastly contributes to increase in common good. Discovery of truth about love allows one to overcome relativism. In Christological dimension, the most important issue in relationship between faith and love is redemption which manifests God’s love for mankind and shows fullness of cognition of faith. Faith and love make possible for mankind to look at themselves and the surrounding world in the same way as Christ. Leading one’s live in spirit of aforementioned theological virtues is imitating Jesus. In ecclesiastic view, examining relationship between faith and love is an agape theological argument for Christian Revelation’s reliability. It is connected with testimonia vitae which shows in the best possible way the degree the practise of faith and love. The Pope emphasises sacramental aspect of fate.

Maryja w tajemnicy Chrystusa w nauczaniu św. Cyryla Aleksandryjskiego

Author(s): Robert Sadlak / Language(s): Polish Issue: _/2014

The incarnation of Jesus Christ is closely related with the Divine motherhood of Virgin Mary. She was chosen to bear the incredible dignity of Mother of God – Theotokos. The matter is reflected on very clearly in the teaching of St. Cyril, bishop of Alexandria. Mary and Jesus are bonded with mysterious ties of motherhood and filiation. Thus, it is the matter of appearance of God’s Word on Earth. Owing to Mary, God became a man and according to Fathers of the Church, her motherhood is rooted in and is the ideal sign of real faith. St. Cyril of Alexandria, who had a significant impact on the Council of Ephesus in A.D. 431, preaches about this matter in this teaching.

Rodzaje objawienia. Typologia Karla Rahnera

Author(s): Jan Cichoń / Language(s): Polish Issue: _/2012

Rahner unterstreicht die sachliche und formale Einheitlichkeit der Offenbarung. Aber, wie er behauptet, ist diese Einheitlichkeit keine absolute Eigenschaft; zu Recht, vor allem in der biblischen Auffassung, stellt die Offenbarung eine integrale Ganzheit dar, ist eine und einzige, man muss jedoch die innere Differenzierung dieses Phänomens erblicken und im Zusammenhang damit sind (u.a.) entsprechende Arten der Offenbarung zu unterscheiden. In einer näheren Determination jener Arten übernimmt Rahner gewisse Elemente der traditionellen Konzeption — mit ihrer Typologie, Argumentation und Sprache; aber von der anderen Seite verwandelt er die traditionelle Auffassung, in dem er gewisse Annahmen, Kategorien und Argumente aufhebt bzw. relativiert, neue Arten der Beschreibung und Begründung einführt sowie auf neue Kriterien der Aufteilung nd gleichzeitig neue Gründe und Bedingungen der Synthese der unterschiedenen Glieder hinweist. Der geschildete Beitrag ist ein Versuch der Analyse der von Rahner vorgeschlagenen Typologie der Offenbarungsarten. Der Autor analysiert drei grundlegende Unterschiedlichkeiten: (1) transzendentale Offenbarung — kategoriale Offenbarung, (2) Uroffenbarung — geschichtliche Offenbarung und (3) natürliche Offenbarung — eigentliche Offenbarung. Er rekonstruiert in jedem Fall den Kontext der Genese, den Kontext des Verstehens und den Kontext der Überprüfung der von Rahner angenommenen Begriffe und der von ihm formulierten Behauptungen.

Logikelatreía — istota służby Bożej według J. Ratzingera / Benedykta XVI

Author(s): Jerzy Szymik / Language(s): Polish Issue: _/2012

Joseph Ratzinger/Benedikt XVI. greift die Frage nach der Originalität des christlichen Gottesdienstes, seiner Eigentümlichkeit und Neuigkeit im Verhältnis zu den bisher bekannten kultischen Formen auf. Der Ausgangspunkt seiner Auslegung ist ein Begriff, der aus den Paulinischen Schriften hervorgeht — logikelatreía. Der Papst, analysierend den semantischen Bereich dieses Begriffes, erschließt seine aufeinander kommenden Bedeutungsschichten und erklärt dabei, worin das Wesentliche des christlichen Kultes besteht. Der christliche Gottesdienst gründet sich primär auf der Beziehung zu Gott, auf der Aufnahme der Gesamtheit seiner Offenbarung und seines Heilwerkes: seiner schöpferischen und heilbringenden Logik. Dieses Verhältnis hat seine christologische und inkarnatorische Neigung (Bindung mit dem menschgewordenen Logos), aber auch konsequent eine pneumatologische und gleichzeitig ekklesiale. Eine solche Auffassung der Liturgie weist auf den Vorrang Gottes hin, der sich uns selbst durch das Wort erkennen lässt (sich opfert) und den menschlichen Worten (des Gebetes) die Kraft verleiht. Der in das Opfer Christi einbezogene Mensch selbst — in der Einheit des Leibes und des Geistes — wird zu einem Opfer, das Gott gefällt, entdeckt den Sinn und wird Gott ähnlich. Die Schönheit der christlichen Liturgie spiegelt eben den Glanz dieser Wahrheit, die Freude am Glauben wieder.

Dyskusja J. Ratzingera – Benedykta XVI z eschatologiczną interpretacją królestwa Bożego w aspekcie egzegetycznym

Author(s): Przemysław Król / Language(s): Polish Issue: _/2012

The eschatological interpretation of the God’s Kingdom claims, that Jesus proclaimed the end of the world which is close. J. Ratzinger-Benedict XVI make a exegetical reflection on this way of understanding the kingdom. Pope notices author’s eschatological mentality. They didn’t take into account history of interpretation the biblical text. Pope points out the necessary of using literary and theological principles of interpretation the Holy Bible. There is a need to take into consideration circumstances in which biblical text was produced, original language, parallel passages and the unity of the Old and New Testament. Reading the Bible in that way, by Benedict XVI indicates clearly at Jesus and His Church. The kingdom of God finally occurred on Earth in the person of Jesus — in His mission in The Holy Spirit against the kingdom of Satan. The kingdom of heaven is being present in the event of the cross, which from the point of view of resurrection, is the victory of love against evil. God’s reign exists also in the community of believers. It remains at the same time the kingdom, which is yet to come at the end of times in its fullness. Nevertheless this fullness is already anticipated.

Funkcje Zmartwychwstania Jezusa Chrystusa

Author(s): Jacenty Mastej / Language(s): Polish Issue: 09/2015

The article aims at the presentation of the functions fulfilled by Jesus Christ's resurrection. The following functions have been presented and discussed in the article: the motivating one, the revelatory one, Christological one, salvific one, faith-creating one, church-creating one and anthropological one. Presented functions complement, entail and supplement one another. For that reason the resurrection should be presented holistically together with its personal core – Jesus Christ. Comprehensive, and at the same time multifaceted, presentation of the resurrection, highlights the unique character of Christianity with Jesus Christ, who died, rose from the dead and lives, as its core.

Prymat Papieża

Author(s): Wolfgang Klausnitzer / Language(s): Polish Issue: 09/2015

The problem of the theological legitimization of the papacy is traditionally structured in the questions of its possible institution by Jesus Christ (petrinitas), of an eventual succession beginning with Peter until now (perpetuitas) and of the connection of Rome with the “Petrine office” (Romanitas). The article discusses new theological arguments regarding the role of Peter in the NT and the development of the papacy in the form of the primacy of the bishop of Rome in history and sketches some ecumenical perspectives in the context of relevant texts of theological authors and the magisterium on the development of (Catholic) doctrine.

Foundations of the Definition of Faith in Dialogue with Porta Fidei by Benedict XVI

Author(s): Damian Wąsek / Language(s): English Issue: 09/2015

Faith is closely linked with love. Acts of charity are what proves that we are believers and they can also serve as arguments for unconscious faith among the non-religious. If the Creator himself is the source of all such acts, in each act of charity we have to do with human consent and a manifestation of God's power. Through its various functions and dimensions, the Church is a signpost in the process of faith-building. Membership in the Church helps us open ourselves to this grace as it is a room for evaluative reflection on human deeds and thoughts, an environment in which hearts receive God's support in a special way, and aplace which gives us a chance to confront ourselves with other believers, whose testimony motivates us in times of spiritual dryness. Signs of the times are certain events in which man is able to see hints for his life more by asking about the reason for which they occur than about their nature.

Wiedza i wiara religijna

Author(s): Krzysztof Góźdź / Language(s): Polish Issue: 02/2016

Up till now two fundamental concepts of faith (religion) and knowledge (science) have been used in Christianity. In this way the Greek tradition, and especially old-Christian one, is followed, the tradition that distinguished the world of knowledge that is a product of the cognizing mind from the world of revelation that accepts God's non-scientific gift. Christianity’s whole effort was directed at indicating the differences between science and revelation, and then at showing harmony, or at least non-contradiction, between them. This is why Anton Grabner-Haider (*1940), an Austrian philosopher of religion, had to take into consideration also the world of thought comprising science and the world of the experience of faith, including revelation. In turn, he presented the mutual relations between these worlds, understanding science on the ground of the neopositivist conception and faith on the ground of the Church’s popular contemporary understanding of faith. It is a pity he does not use the strictly theological concept of faith, and especially the more modern personalist conception, despite verbally referring to personalism. However, making modern attempts at shifting the problem of faith and knowledge as well as of their mutual relations onto the basis of the language is exactly Grabner-Haider’s achievement. In this way a new situation arises, in which not so much the world of ideas and thoughts opposes the world of religious experience and revelation, as the world of one or two languages does.

Głos spoza nas. J. Ratzingera/Benedykta XVI tezy o sumieniu

Author(s): Jerzy Szymik / Language(s): Polish Issue: 02/2016

Many times culture and liberal and democratic mentality of post-modern Europe juxtapose individual conscience with objective and commonly valid moral law, treating the former as completely autonomous, while replacing the latter with the law established by majority. J. Ratzinger/Benedict XVI reminds that conscience is a subjective norm, but the one that is not deprived of objective reference. As the ability inherent in human nature by God's intention, it corresponds with the order of things, also established by God, and links a will (freedom) of man with the will (freedom) of God. Rationality, characteristic of a man, and expressing through conscience as the ability to get to know the truth of existence and distinguish good from evil, has its roots in obedience, that is the readiness to listen to. Thus, conscience is, in essence, an ability to listen to God and co-knowledge about Him. That is why, prayer and respect for teaching of the Church play crucial role in shaping conscience and neither cognition mistake nor personal ignorance either do not justify or finally release the man's guilt. It is crucified and resurrected Christ who justifies, and requirements of conscience lead to Christ, through remorse.

Christus Totus – różne drogi interpretacji

Author(s): Włodzimierz Wołyniec / Language(s): Polish Issue: 02/2016

The christological title Christus totus seldom appears in modern theology. It seems that the reason for this stems from the lack of precise understanding and interpretation of the very title. Therefore, the article: “Christus totus − different ways of interpretation” is an attempt at the presentation of theological wealth hidden behind it. From ecclesiological aspect, Christus totus expresses the unity of Christ − the Head and Body of the Church. Without covering over the identity of the Divine Person, Jesus Christ must be eternally and inextricably perceived with the Church, which takes over and borrows from its Divine Head new subjectivity. Christus totus, in the anthropological perspective, is a paradigm of the new man. On the one hand, He is the new Adam, a social, corporate being, yet on the other hand, He is a Personality characterized by His total openness to others. Jesus Christ is a man who does not exist for Himself but for others, opening wide the boundaries of His existence. From the cosmic perspective Christus totus is finally cosmic Christ, because He remains in the relation of cause and effect of the entire creation. However, Christ does not fade away in the Universe in any pantheistic sense, but remains in it, being present as the incarnated Son of the Father, performing real transformation of the Universe into New Heaven and New Earth.

Teología y educación ambiental invitación urgente a un nuevo dialogo

Author(s): Germán Roberto Mahecha Clavijo / Language(s): Spanish Issue: 02/2016

The article tackles the issue of ecological education in the context of Pope Francis's encyclical Laudato Si' that has just been published, and that is devoted to care of the world we live in, as in a home that we all share. The author argues that the document should be an important element of the Church's social teaching, as in it the Pope encourages Catholics to recognize the fact that taking care of the environment is part of Christian responsibility. It is a call to find God's presence in everything and it says that such an attitude requires conversion that allows to consider the way the future of our planet should be built in. This is why a dialogue between theology and ecological education is so important.

Chrystus obliczem miłosierdzia Ojca. Koncepcja odgórna i teofanijna Bożego miłosierdzia

Author(s): Krzysztof Guzowski / Language(s): Polish Issue: 02/2016

The author of the article Christ as the face of the Father's mercy. A top-down and theophanic conception of God's Mercy draws the most fundamental approach to the mystery of mercy as a form of the inner revelation of the Triune God's life from the ample Polish literature devoted to the issue of God's Mercy, and analyzes it. Also practicing mercy, according to this conception, may be done in the right way if its features are recognized in Jesus Christ the Incarnated Son's deeds. The author calls this perspective of theology of mercy “a top-down conception”, as humanity is not able to comprehend the essence of mercy without the aid of the supernatural world that, on the one hand, shows what God is like in His essence, and on the other, how one should follow God to be saved. God's self-revelation in the salutary events becomes – according to the author – the best interpretation key of God's theology of mercy, showing His Trinitarian character.

Miłosierdzie jako podstawa rozwiązywania społecznego sporu o sprawiedliwość

Author(s): Edward Sienkiewicz / Language(s): Polish Issue: 02/2016

The social dispute over justice that is in a great crisis, must not be limited to social and economical criteria only. This is proved by the elementary experience, since attempts to overcome injustice only on this level are not effective. The anthropological and personalist criterion is necessary here. Only this criterion allows one to integrally define a man – also in his relations with others – as a person. Also justice has a personalist character, and because of this it is not a value that is only added to a man. As such, it is also an objective value that has an obligatory character, which is difficult to justify, and the more so to make it come true, without the Christian Revelation. The event of Jesus Christ, with the preparation given in the Old Testament, shows man's sin as the fundamental source of injustice. This is why in an encounter with injustice only God's mercy is effective, as the only factor – through Jesus' paschal mystery – that overcomes sin. It is not tantamount to giving up justice, but to practicing it – as in Jesus' understanding surrendering to the criteria of justice is a necessary condition of mercy, so that the sin can be judged and overcome, and the man can be saved.

Maryja − Gwiazda Zaranna zwiastująca świt zmartwychwstania

Author(s): Grzegorz M. Bartosik / Language(s): Polish Issue: 02/2016

The present article shows in a synthetic form, how Mary lightens up our darkness; in what sense we may call Her the Morning Star announcing the dawn of Resurrection. First of all Her faith is shown that on Good Friday and on Holy Saturday became the faith of the whole arising Church. Until today we have been remembering Mary's faith and we have been learning it from Her every Saturday. But Mary also prepares us for the Messiah's Second Coming and for our Resurrection. As a loving Mother, seeing our sins, She descends to the earth and in Fatima calls us to come to our senses, so that we do not offend God. She again reveals Herself as the Morning Star announcing the Lord's Coming. It is up to each of us if we reply to Her motherly pleas, and if we indicate God's light to other people.

Czy istnieje kwestia „przebaczenia międzypokoleniowego”?

Author(s): Marek Jagodziński / Language(s): Polish Issue: 02/2016

“Intergenerational forgiveness” is actually a prayer for intergenerational forgiveness, and its purpose is “healing of the family tree” or to achieve “intergenerational healing”. It appeared in connection with diseases and sufferings of the people and the need for pastoral care of them. Doubtful, however, is already the biblical context of this phenomenon and interpretation of related biblical texts requir mature biblical hermeneutics. Difficult to avoid are also dogmatic problems, mainly related to the efficacy of the sacraments of baptism and penance. All these circumstances suggest the need to completely abandon this concept in theory and practice.

Podmiot creatio continua − aspekt eklezjalny

Author(s): Piotr Liszka CMF / Language(s): Polish Issue: 02/2016

It is God who is the subject of creatio continua; in Christianity it is a triune God. Fundamentally divine nature, Divine Persons: God the Father, God the Son and the Holy Spirit, who in the logic of the internal life of the Trinity is third and in relation to the world the most direct. The personal specificity of the Third Divine Person predestines it to activity, creativity, to stirring creative power and action in created beings. The Holy Spirit develops and unites, creates the interior of the beings, combines them and strengthens the link with the Creator.This ongoing creation is encoded in the act of creation and is in keeping with the workings of Providence, which also is a creation of the Trinity, and indirectly a creation of people: individuals and societies. Participation in the act of creation stands in proportion to the growth in holiness, which means it is proportional to becoming a person. Created beings personalize themselves through participation in creatio continua, and by participating in this act, they personalize themselves. All this is implemented though the activity of the intellect, will and emotions. It is Jesus Christ in his capacity of God and man who occupies the centre stage of the ongoing creation.

Początek i zarys dogmatu o Trójcy

Author(s): Benedykt Huculak / Language(s): Polish Issue: 02/2016

The present article outlines the beginnings of the dogma of one God in three Persons. Albeit its germ was already present in Jesus' teaching, its growth happened in conditions that were sometimes adverse. This is also testified to by the fact that the very notion and word “Trinity” (Trinitas) – as one more precise and distinguished from “Triad” (Triás) that was a little older – appeared only at the end of the 2nd century. This development resulted from the Christians' absolute necessity, for they had to find a plane, on which faith in Jesus Christ as God's Son is in accordance with the truth that there is one God. The early twilight, or even disappearance of the Jewish Christianity current that was more sensitive to confessing a strict – that is numerical, and not only qualitative – unity of God, was marked by an influence of Greek philosophy. Its popular form was Middle Platonism combined with Stoicism that was mainly characterized by the teaching about the Word (ho Lógos), that is a divine intermediate being between God and the world that, by the way, was supposed to be created by Him. Its way to the Biblical theology was cleared by an Alexandrian Jew whose name was Philo, a Jesus's peer, and this way influenced the Christian thought as soon as the middle of the 2nd century thanks to Justin, and then – to Origen and the Cappadocian Fathers. Even today it is a feature of history of Eastern theology, where the verdict of the First Council of Nicaea is an exception; and the verdict is not without a connection with the thought of Tertullian who worked in the Latin Carthage at the turn of the II and III centuries.

Przykazanie ekologiczne

Author(s): Mirosław Kowalczyk / Language(s): Polish Issue: 02/2016

In May 2015 Pope Francis published the encyclical entitled Laudato Si' about the proper understanding of the issue of ecology. The subject is understood by the Holy Father as one that is most natural, usual and simple, but at the same time obliging everybody, rousing and engaging both in the worldly, popular and everyday sense and in the essentially religious one, which means spiritually and morally absorbing. From the whole of Pope Francis's argument presented in the encyclical it undoubtedly follows that care of the world, also the temporal one, that is ecological life and work, is both a natural and at the same time God's commandment for man, and this means: for each man, both for a believer in God as the Creator of the world, and for a non-believer, but one who is sensible at the basic level of natural law. The Pope suggests adding the theological understanding of ecology to the common one. As a result in Pope Francis's encyclical Laudato Si' we have received a realistic, but at the same time mystic, evangelical approach to ecology, one in the light of Christ, with the simplicity of the truth, of love of life, also of the worldly life, and with the light of beauty – the beauty of God, man, the earth and the universe. Hence, integral ecology is – according to Pope Francis – a commandment given by God to believers and to non-believers, both to the impersonal world, and to the human, personal one. True ecology stems from the reality of creation, from the love of God and man, from man's participation in the work of creation, and finally from the sense of self-preservation of the human being.

Vrutočko bosansko četveroevanđelje

Author(s): Author Not Specified / Language(s): Old Church Slavonic Issue: 67-68/2015