Pope asks International Theological Commission to ‘put Christ back at the center’ and ‘develop a theology of synodality’
November 29, 2024
» Continue to this story on Vatican Press Office
CWN Editor's Note: Pope Francis received members of the International Theological Commission on November 28 and emphasized the “need to put Christ back at the center, and second, to develop a theology of synodality.”
The Pope recalled that the year 2025 is a jubilee year dedicated to hope, as well as the 1700th anniversary of the Ecumenical Council of Nicaea (now Iznik, Turkey, which he said is considering visiting). A document by the Commission “intended to shed light on the timeliness of the faith professed at Nicaea” 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,” the Pope said.
He explained:
In today’s complex and often polarized world, tragically marred by conflicts and violence, the love of God revealed in Christ and bestowed on us in the Spirit becomes an invitation to every man and woman to learn how to live fraternally and become an artisan of justice and peace. Only in this way can we sow seeds of hope wherever we live. Putting Christ back at the center means rekindling this hope.
The Pope then said “that the time has come 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.”
The International Theological Commission is an advisory body of theologians under the auspices of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith. Pope St. Paul VI created the Commission following a request by the synod fathers at the 1967 Synod of Bishops.
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Today 9:27 AM ET USA
Francis is big on feelings and word salads but not on actual definitions and "making brothers stronger in the Faith" [Luke 22:32]. Amoris Laetitia in 2016 was the first major red flag: when only few select bishops were deemed to have "the proper interpretation" of it.
