Pope Francis with
members of the Pontifical Theological Commission (VATICAN MEDIA Divisione
Foto)
Pope: Church needs theological
reflection on synodality centered on Christ
Pope Francis meets with the
plenary assembly of the Pontifical Theological Commission, and invites Catholic
theologians to develop a theology of synodality that puts Christ at the center.
By Devin Watkins
As the Pontifical Theological
Commission holds its Plenary Session, Pope Francis praised its work on a
document to shed light on the profession of faith of the Council of Nicaea.
The 2025 Jubilee marks the
1,700th anniversary of the first Ecumenical Council, which developed the Nicene
Creed stating that the Son is consubstantial with the Father.
“A document of this sort could
prove invaluable, in the course of the Jubilee Year, to nourish and deepen the
faith of believers and, based on the figure of Jesus, to offer insights and
reflections useful for a new cultural and social paradigm inspired by the
humanity of Christ,” he said during the audience with participants on Thursday.
Theology done ‘close to heart of
Jesus’
In this same vein, Pope Francis
invited all theologians to always put Christ at the center of their studies,
while also developing a theology of synodality.
The Holy Year, he said, offers an
opportunity to rediscover the face of Christ, saying theologians need to place
their head “close to the heart of Jesus,” as did the Apostle John at the Last
Supper.
“By remaining close to the heart
of the Lord, your theology will draw from the source and bear fruit in the
Church and in the world,” he said.
The Pope noted that theology should
seek to foster an encounter with Christ for all the faithful, even those who
have not undertaken higher studies.
“In Jesus,” he said, “we come to
know the face of God and, at the same time, the face of humanity, and thus
realize that we are sons and daughters in the Son and brothers and sisters of
one another.”
This fraternity, he added, should
guide Christians to foster peace and justice, especially in our world marred by
conflict.
Missionary Church with a sense of
humour
Pope Francis went on to urge
theologians to explore the implications of synodality, recalling the recent
Synod’s call for continuing research.
He invited them to consider the
ecclesiological dimension of synodality, with a special focus on the Church’s
missionary purpose.
“The time has come,” he said, “to
take a courageous step forward and to develop a theology of synodality, a
theological reflection that can help, encourage and accompany the synodal
process, for a new, more creative and daring missionary phase, inspired by the kerygma and
involving every component of the Church’s life.”
In conclusion, Pope Francis
reminded theologians not to lose their sense of humour, even amid the important
study they undertake each day.
“The Holy Spirit is the one who
helps us in this dimension of joy and of good humour.”
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