post-Vatican II Catholic Church

An unpublished short address at the end of a conference at Georgetown University in September 2018 on 'Future Directions for Interreligious Dialogue'. I was there to represent the World Council of Churches. My comments focus on points concerned with Muslim-Christian dialogue, especially not avoiding doctrinal questions and the relationship between dialogue and proclamation.

Canon Pierre de Locht (1917-2007) occupies an important place within the history of post-war Belgian Catholic world. De Locht's commitment to a Catholic Church that he wished open and welcoming to the realities of the faithful made him into a man of dialogue and openness, a leader of progressive Christians. At the time of Humanae Vitae, de Locht, who had just published a book on the themes covered by the encyclical, found himself invested with the role of spokesperson for a laity that did not fully subscribe to the contents of Humanae Vitae. While the importance of de Locht's role is not always acknowledged in the written history of Catholicism and the Belgian Church, his importance is reflected, to this day, in the memories of the faithful in this country. In 2007, a large crowd attended his funeral, a ceremony where several political and religious figures took the floor, and many tributes were published in the press. More than ten years after his death, it is interesting to reflect on the strategies adopted by the charismatic canon to try to find ways for believers to remain within the

ABSTRACT When Pope John Paul II promulgated the new Code of Canon Law for
the Latin Catholic Church on 25 January 1983, he left several matters
that required local legislation for appropriate implementation. Some of these
matters fell under the jurisdiction of diocesan bishops, while others necessitated
the involvement of episcopal conferences or the attention of bishops within an
ecclesiastical province. In response, the Maltese Episcopal Conference (MEC)
established a special commission tasked with preparing particular legislation for
the Church in Malta and Gozo and providing guidance to the local bishops.
Following an overview of particular legislation within the Catholic Church,
this article will shed light on the operations, diligent efforts, and one notable
limitation of the Commission.

I n his exploration of the values and identity in Jewish education. Rabbi Michael Paley addresses five themes: demography, meaning, leaming, assimilation, and curricular integration. This paper uses the same themes to frame some refiections on Catholic education in the United States.

O nce every decade there appears a book that spontaneously captures the imagination and affection of teachers and administrators. References to it appear everywhere. Quotes from the book perk up faculty newsletters; and speakers paraphrase it in their talks and repeatedly recommend a thorough reading of it. Principals give the volume as Christmas or end-of-year gifts. Teacher and Parent (Thomas More, 1998). Marcella Fox reviewed the book in the March 1999 issue of the Journal, referring to it as "an essential text for Catholic educators" (p. 369). It is fitting that the Journal's Book Reviews section acknowledge the impact of the Groome text by discussing some complementary ideas with its indefatigable author and by leaming more about him as a Catholic school educator. I asked a number of Groome's greatest fans, among them Dr. Gini Shimabukuro, Dr. Marcella Fox, and Sr. Jeanne Hagelskamp, S.R, what they would like to ask Tom if they were sitting across from him, sipping tea for a couple of relaxed hours. Many of their questions are embedded in this interview, which came after a very long and hard day for Tom. Thomas H. Groome began his academic career in his native Ireland. He earned a master's degree at Fordham University and a doctorate in religion and education at Union Theological Seminary and Columbia University Teachers College. He is professor of theology and religious education at Boston College. A prolific writer, Groome has had more than 60 articles published in scholarly collections and journals. His books include Christian

This lecture deals with certain important aspects of the Catholic school's work. Its focus is the final year of school, but the points suggested have a wider relevance in school policy. And furthermore, noting that a large majority of Catholics of high-school age are not in Catholic schools, I should say that the basic principles of what is said here can be applied to catechetical work with these young people, for example in confirmation classes.

This lecture deals with certain important aspects of the Catholic school's work. Its focus is the final year of school, but the points suggested have a wider relevance in school policy. And furthermore, noting that a large majority of Catholics of high-school age are not in Catholic schools, I should say that the basic principles of what is said here can be applied to catechetical work with these young people, for example in confirmation classes.

In this article the author examines some of the factors conditioning the context of parish life in Australia today and proposes some fundamental priorities that should shape a parish's sense of mission in response to that context. A wide range of issues is listed, from globalisation to the dramatic downturn in church attendance in recent times. Cause for hope and courage in responding to such diverse challenges, it is proposed, is to be found in focusing on Jesus' own primary concern, the reign of God; finding inspiration in biblical more than secular models of leadership; and avoiding the temptation to turn inward.

This paper presents an analysis of the problem of child-abusing priests in the Catholic Church using data from the USA, UK and Ireland. The apparent scale of this issue raises crucial theoretical as well as policy issues. This paper explores various organizational explanations, linking it to traditional methods of 'confessional control' of organizational members. This is a novel concept which brings the issue into a wider organizational lens. Confessional control creates a series of guilt-laden identities that serve to maintain hierarchical control as well as social inclusion. Thus the process of recycling priests was part of a long-persisting pattern applied to child abuse cases. The theoretical implications of this are explored. The data consists of a series of cases across the three countries, partly drawn from a data-base of 4,000 alleged cases.

En este artículo se analiza la historia de la Juventud Obrera Católica (joc) argentina desde su fundación hasta su abandono por el episcopado en 1972, con el fin de entender el desarrollo del catolicismo social en Argentina a través de esta institución tan importante para el cruce entre catolicismo y mundo obrero. El trabajo consiste en el primer análisis que cubre toda la historia de la joc argentina basándose principalmente en fuentes escritas que no han sido trabajadas hasta ahora, ya que recurre a documentos del archivo Cardijn en Bruselas y del archivo de la Conferencia Episcopal Argentina. De esta manera, se espera aportar con algunos elementos para entender mejor el desarrollo histórico de la Iglesia argentina en estas décadas cruciales entre 1940 y 1970. La hipótesis es que esta historia puede entregar algunas claves para explicar el distanciamiento entre católicos progresistas y jerarquía en los años 60 y 70, lo que pudo haber determinado hasta cierto punto la reacción del mundo católico a la última dictadura militar.

The article illustrates the struggle of the communist authorities of the People's Republic of Poland against the Catholic Church in the local dimension on the basis of factography contained in the files of the security apparatus files from the 1950s and 1960s. The Marxist-Leninist ideology was to oust the Catholic religion from the consciousness of Poles and to completely laicise society, replacing faith with an atheistic utopia. The text gives examples of how the communist apparatus of power restricted and prevented freedom of religious practice on the example of the Podhale region. The multifaceted nature of the issues of religiosity in the analysed areas made it necessary to present the most representative forms and methods used by the communist authorities, both central and local, whose link directly involved in surveillance and repression was the security apparatus, with the help of local agencies of the communist state administration, including the Religious Affairs, Internal Affairs, Finance, Architecture and Construction, Penal and Administrative Colleges of the Presidiums of Municipal and District National Councils. The 'people's' authorities enacted laws that prohibited the construction of religious buildings, the free public profession of faith, pilgrimages, processions, and the teaching of religion in schools. The communist minority imposed on the vast majority measures aimed at eliminating religious symbols from public space, thus institutions (including educational institutions), forbidding pastoral ministry outside the walls of temples, reviewing statements, sermons, state teachings, taking a wide range of preventive measures (e.g. probing and frightening talks, called 'preventive' , 'warning'), as well as punitive ones (bringing criminal proceedings and trials, imposing fines and financial penalties, dismissal, etc.). The text gives the issues and matters dealt with on an ongoing basis by the security apparatus operating in the Podhale region, which described the highlanders as strongly religiously fanaticised and thus not susceptible to the influence of an ideology that was to completely secularise them.

“Are you in union with your bishop, the bishops of the whole Church and the Pope or are you not?” The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales posed this question in October 1976 to a small group of Roman Catholics organising ‘Mass centres’ in their homes or renting village halls for priests of the Saint Pius V Association (SPVA) to celebrate Mass in the Tridentine Rite despite the abandonment of that rite following the Second Vatican Council in 1965. In 2020, I discovered that my grandparents––Derrick and Irene Taylor––set up one of these ‘Mass centres’ in their home at Leyland in 1974 and invited Father Peter Morgan and other SPVA priests to celebrate the Traditional Latin Mass in their living room and kitchen. Throughout 2022, I conducted twenty-two interviews with current and former SPVA priests and members to understand their motivations for joining the SPVA and the struggles they faced. Using a methodology that combined interviews with resources from family history research, including letters, photographs and archival documents, led to the production of a series of articles published in peer-reviewed journals. Each of the articles studies the SPVA from different perspectives; some draw on themes, such as sex education, while others focus on developing a clearer history of the movement led by the SPVA, which was amalgamated with the Society of Saint Pius X (SSPX) in 1979. What has resulted is a body of research on the lived experiences of SPVA priests and members, especially during the period from 1971 to 1979, including a case study on Derrick and Irene Taylor. This presentation reflects on the methodology applied to produce the publications and highlights the key insights the research has revealed on the early period of Lefebvrism in Britain.

The World Evangelical Alliance and the Roman Catholic Church have jointly released a groundbreaking statement-based on six years of dialogue-which, while acknowledging continuing areas of theological divergence, also calls it 'imperative' for Evangelicals and Catholics to work together in addressing the spiritual needs of an increasingly secularized and polarized world.

Informed by classical Latin rhetoric and composed with a tightly regulated vocabulary, the orations «super oblata» of the ancient Roman Mass are often treated as a subgenre of the Collect. From a selective survey of the super oblata in the early sacramentaries (ca. 500-800 C.E.), this study argues for a revision of such a consensus. Ritually, this oration emerges as an embolism in the Mass, both concluding the offertory and anticipating the anaphora; Roman liturgists crafted the super oblata to articulate a specific petition for the day’s Mass. Theologically, these orations disclose a local Church which affirmed the primacy of God’s action in her liturgy. They unveil the eschatological and epicletic sensibility of the Roman Eucharist.
Sommario
Ispirate dalla retorica latina classica e composte con un vocabolario rigorosamente regolato, le orazioni «super oblata» dell’antica messa romana sono spesso trattate come un sottogenere della colletta. Da un esame selettivo delle super oblata nei primi sacramentari (ca. 500-800 d.C.), questo studio propone una revisione di tale consenso. Ritualmente, questa orazione emerge come un embolismo nella Messa, concludendo l’offertorio e anticipando l’anafora; i liturgisti romani hanno creato le super oblata per formulare una petizione specifica per la Messa del giorno. Teologicamente, queste orazioni rivelano una Chiesa locale che affermava la primazia dell’azione di Dio nella sua liturgia. Esse svelano la sensibilità escatologica ed epicletica dell’eucaristia romana.

On the 61 st anniversary of the promulgation of the Liturgical Constitution Sacrosanctum Concilium, on Wednesday, December 4, 2024, during the 41 st year of Ecclesia orans, the second study day proposed by our journal was held titled "The Penitential Act". The event was organized in collaboration with the Pontifical Liturgical Institute and with the patronage of the Associazione Professori e Cultori di Liturgia, the Centro di Azione Liturgica, the Centro Liturgico Vincenziano, the German Liturgical Institute, the Pie Discepole del Divin Maestro, and the Editrice Domenicana Italiana publisher. A number of 198 people participated in the conference, of whom 118 were present in person and 78 connected online. At the opening, with his institutional greeting, the new dean of the Pontifical Liturgical Institute, Prof. Dr. Stefan Geiger, O.S.B., praised the good tradition of celebrating the anniversary of Sacrosanctum Concilium with a study day, which also has the merit of emphasizing the communal dimension of study, enhancing the fruits of the Institute's research and promoting academic discussion. Prof. Dr. Markus Tymister, editor of Ecclesia orans, presented the volume of proceedings from the 2023 study day, "L'orazione dei fedeli / The prayer of the faithful", and introduced the conference proceedings during which eight speakers from various parts of the world and from six universities in five different nations participated. The first presentation, entrusted to Prof. Dr. Ubaldo Cortoni, O.S.B.cam of the Pontifical Atheneum Sant'Anselmo, was titled "The Penitential Act from the Fribourg Conference to the Relatio Coetus a studiis 'De ordine Missae' in the papers of Cipriano Vagaggini (1964-1967)". During the presentation, the speaker exposed the fundamental points of discussion in Coetus X, with references to Paul VI's interventions, presenting previously unpublished documents. This was followed by the presentation of Prof. Dr. Radek Tichý from the Charles University (Prague, Czech Republic), which aimed to answer the question "What is the purpose of the Penitential Act?", identifying this rite as one of the introductory elements of the Eucharistic celebration in relation to all others, since it is not possible to condense all the richness of the celebrated mystery into a single rite. Thus, the penitential act is a preparatory rite that helps dispose the faithful to the Eucharistic offering. The third presentation on "The challenge of translating fratres in the Penitential Rite for the Eucharist celebration in a single-gender community. Does psycho-spiritual tension give an added dimension to the penitential act or become a rubrical debate?", offered by Richard Oduor SL.L. of the Pontifical Liturgical Institute, presented the issues connected to understanding and translating the inclusive value of the term fratres in modern languages, against the horizon of the necessary relationship between reality and rite, assembly composition and ritual language.

Approaching 50 years since the first publication of the Eucharistic Prayers for Masses with Children, it is time to take another look. Like all baptized Christians, children are called to take «full, conscious and active part in liturgical celebrations». This article treats the context, text, and reception of the EPC and evaluates the level of success achieved by these prayers. Ultimately, though the EPC have some problematic features, they can effectively facilitate the liturgical participation of children when used in their proper contexts.
Sommario: A 50 anni dalla prima pubblicazione del testo Eucharistic Prayers for Masses with Children, è tempo di riconsiderare l’argomento. Come tutti i cristiani battezzati, i bambini sono chiamati a prendere «parte piena, consapevole e attiva alle celebrazioni liturgiche». Questo articolo tratta il contesto, il testo e la ricezione delle EPC e valuta il livello di successo raggiunto da queste preghiere. In definitiva, sebbene le EPC presentino alcuni aspetti problematici, possono facilitare efficacemente la partecipazione liturgica dei bambini quando vengono utilizzate nel loro contesto appropriato.

David Tracy (1981: 408), professor of theology at the University of Chicago, called "the analogical imagination," that looks for similarities in differences, the classic Catholic conceptual approach for the task of theology, a language that is both faithful to the tensive character of the religious language employed for the originating religious event and faithful to the demands of critical reflection, which is a major aspect of theology's task. In fact, Tracy (1981: 412) pointed out that "for Rahner, reality not merely has analogies but is analogy through and through," i.e. all realities are different from each other, but there are similarities between them. For example, Christ is king and Charles is king; they are different kinds of kings, but they share a similarity in that both of them rule. The originating religious event is Jesus Christ, and "the Christian in responding to the event of Jesus Christ senses that the very concreteness of that focus intensifies, clarifies, transforms the experience always-already, not-yet present in all human experience. The principal focus remains on the event and gift of Jesus Christ now renamed grace. Yet the focus of radical grace is itself always focused by and towards the event of Jesus Christ" (Tracy 1981: 424).

The Traditional Latin Mass has existed for ages, giving it the nickname, "The Mass of the Ages." The exact date of its origin is unknown. According to tradition, our Lord taught Saint Peter how to say the Latin Mass in its earliest stages. Of course, Peter didn't say it according to the rubrics we have now. It has developed over time and according to local custom. In fact, there wasn't a universal way to say the Latin Mass until the Council of Trent. Before then, it was different in every diocese.

The research entitled: "The mentality of projecting and accountability in the animation management of Salesian Pastoral Education Community in the Educational Unit Saint Joseph from Manta", aims essential to realize a process of analysis related to educational management of the Education Unit San Jose Salesian Manta ( UESSJ), taking into account the participation of stakeholders in the Salesian Pastoral Education Community (CEPS) to rethink the management strategies for all agencies shared responsibility between management and participation, guided by the guidelines of the Salesian Society in Ecuador to improve the quality and educational significance of the Salesian Manta. This research has allowed to know the performance of members of the CEPS, during the last ten years, this determines the need for lifelong learning process to development of the mindset and Stewardship Projectual every day to build a climate of interpersonal relations as indicators fundamentals of a Salesian education quality. This educational service should be characterized by the experience of the principle of inclusion and social equity so that the graduates face a competent and caring the challenges of today's society. He was applied the Direct observation to the performance of authorities and teachers, also were applied interviews and meetings with teachers, parents, citizens linked with the work, some teachers at the local university to find out how we are seen from within and outside? What to do to improve? .... The research comprises three chapters: the first chapter analyzes the management of education in the institution paying attention to the development of mindset and Stewardship Projectual, the second is incorporated in a systematic way the Salesian guidelines regarding the animation and Institutional Management, to propose in the third chapter the key strategies for a Meaningful Institutional Management, these strategies are understood according to the Institutional Mission and Vision.

Gli ultimi tre Papi si sono dovuti confrontare con l’aggravarsi delle condizioni di salute mentre avanzava la vecchiaia, considerato che i progressi della medicina consentono di mantenere in vita una persona con funzioni vitali ridotte al minimo.

This paper identifies the topic of the presentation delivered by Ida Friederike Görres at the Synod of Würzburg on May 14, 1971, that led to her collapse, followed by her death on May 15, 1971. It also includes a quotation from Josef Pieper about how he learned of her death from Joseph Ratzinger.

In this article the author examines some of the factors conditioning the context of parish life in Australia today and proposes some fundamental priorities that should shape a parish's sense of mission in response to that context. A wide range of issues is listed, from globalisation to the dramatic downturn in church attendance in recent times. Cause for hope and courage in responding to such diverse challenges, it is proposed, is to be found in focusing on Jesus' own primary concern, the reign of God; finding inspiration in biblical more than secular models of leadership; and avoiding the temptation to turn inward.

In this article the author examines some of the factors conditioning the context of parish life in Australia today and proposes some fundamental priorities that should shape a parish's sense of mission in response to that context. A wide range of issues is listed, from globalisation to the dramatic downturn in church attendance in recent times. Cause for hope and courage in responding to such diverse challenges, it is proposed, is to be found in focusing on Jesus' own primary concern, the reign of God; finding inspiration in biblical more than secular models of leadership; and avoiding the temptation to turn inward.

The post-Vatican II liturgical reform is a complex historical process, deeply influenced by the 1950s Liturgical Movement and its lasting impact on contemporary liturgy. This study explores the theological developments and ritual transformations from 'Mediator Dei' (1947) to the 'Consilium'’s instruction 'Inter Oecumenici' (1964), with particular attention to the role of the Second Vatican Council. Employing a methodological approach centered on the ambo as the 'table of the Word of God,' the study examines its evolution as a case study. The renewed emphasis on Sacred Scripture, along with the restoration of the lectionary and the Liturgy of the Word in the 1950s, played a crucial role in shaping discussions among the Council Fathers and 'Consilium' consultants. Despite initial hesitations, 'Inter Oecumenici' highlighted the need for a dedicated, visible space for the Liturgy of the Word within church buildings, marking a pivotal moment in reaffirming the ambo’s liturgical significance.

Ecumenism serves to promote communion between Christian groups. In this paper I will discuss how the transposition of this principle in the university setting has shown to be effective in liturgical formation among university students. The thesis of the article is as follows: Ecumenical learning can be fostered by combining reflective, relational, and experiential learning methods. The implementation of ecumenical learning in the university setting has been shown to provide three constructive outcomes: (1) It facilitates the sharing of liturgical gifts by offering an environment in which the exchange of gifts can take place, (2) it strengthens ecumenical awareness, and (3) it fosters mutual appreciation.

Mass Riot in the Reign of Sylvester II * Historians of the liturgy can only regard political and military historians with envy. While the latter study dramatic events and the machinations that led to them, the former must content themselves with studying unvarying traditions across centuries. Rather than storm the barricades in the course of a revolution, it seems that the medieval laity, at least in church, waited patiently at the altar rails. This state of affairs does not appear to be any different for the papacy, an institu tion steeped in liturgy, because of the difficulty of integrating an understanding of papal leadership of the public cult and the government. Yet challenging this initial impression is no simple feat. At least some of our problems are rooted in the source base. The preservation rate of papal letters before the millennium is scanty, with the many epistles from Leo I (r. 440-461), Gelasius I (r. 492-496), and Gregory I (r. 590-604) providing a false impression of the gaps scholars normally confront for the vast majority of early papal correspondence. 1 The liturgy is only one of the many themes that is badly served by this dearth. Our ignorance of the papal experience of liturgy can only to a limited degree be ameliorated by, for instance, entries in the Liber pontificalis that indicate the popes responsible for certain liturgical innovations. 2 Frustration may also creep in among scholars of the liturgy when they attempt to tackle the period from the tenth to the early-eleventh * I would like to extend my gratitude to the editors and fellow contributors of this volume, as well as the anonymous reviewer; their suggestions greatly improved the final product. In particular Vedran Sulovsky discussed points of Sylvester II's Latin with me. The project was a model of scholarly collaboration. The initial research and writing were completed at the American Academy in Rome, and I am thankful for the fellowship that allowed for my residence there. The archivist in Orte, Abbondio Zuppante, graciously oriented me in the local material, and I greatly appreciate his assistance. 1 For early-medieval papal letters, see Pietro Conte, Chiesa e primato nelle lettere dei papi del secolo VII

Este artículo examina los desafíos contemporáneos de la epistemología
de la teología moral, destacando la necesidad de superar anteriores visiones hegemónicas y monolíticas del conocimiento. Subraya la importancia de interpretar continuamente la revelación divina  considerando su naturaleza encarnada e histórica, permitiendo una hermenéutica dinámica de ésta adecuada a los desafíos actuales. La construcción de la epistemología de la ética teológica contemporánea
propuesta busca ser interdisciplinar y compleja, abogando por una teología moral que respete su autonomía epistemológica mientras se enriquece con aportes interdisciplinarios, evitando la fragmentación del conocimiento. Se examinan enfoques como el cuadrilátero wesleyano, la teoría del pensamiento complejo de Edgar Morin y el método de Bernard Lonergan para enriquecer esta perspectiva. Propone una epistemología abierta, relacional y permeable, que permita una exploración más
amplia del ser humano, el mundo, y aquello que lo trasciende.

PALABRAS CLAVE: epistemología; teología moral; pensamiento complejo; interdisciplinariedad; método Lonergan.

ABSTRACT: This article examines the contemporary challenges of epistemology in moral theology, emphasizing the need to overcome previous hegemonic and monolithic views of knowledge. It underscores the importance of continuously interpreting divine Revelation, considering its incarnate and historical nature, fostering a dynamic hermeneutic approach that addresses contemporary challenges. The construction of the proposed epistemology of contemporary theological ethics aims to be interdisciplinary and complex, advocating for a moral theology that respects its epistemological autonomy while enriching itself with interdisciplinary contributions, thus avoiding knowledge fragmentation. Approaches such as the Wesleyan Quadrilateral, Edgar Morin’s Theory of complex thought, and Bernard Lonergan’s Method are examined to enrich this perspective. It proposes an open, relational, and permeable epistemology that allows for a broader exploration of human beings, the world, and that which transcends them.

KEY WORDS: epistemology; moral theology; complex thought; interdisciplinarity;
Lonergan Method.

Paisaje es la unión entre la naturaleza y la cultura, el ordenamiento del
territorio que realizamos los seres humanos para poder habitar el espacio; de ahí que se considere una construcción social. Este trabajo tiene como objetivo presentar al paisaje como una nueva categoría para la ética teológica socioam-biental, desde la cual abordar la relación entre el ser humano y su entorno. El fundamento de esta propuesta es que consideramos que el proceso de construcción del paisaje, que comienza en la percepción, puede ser tanto distorsionado como reparado; y, en este sentido, la teología puede colaborar con el proceso de restauración. Para lograr nuestro propósito comenzaremos dirigiendo nuestra mirada hacia el espacio; el cual se nos presenta como desafío ético de la cultura contemporánea. Luego presentaremos el valor de la categoría paisaje. Finalmente, trazaremos algunas líneas para guiar la acción de remendar el paisaje desde la ética teológica socioambiental.

“Are you in union with your bishop, the bishops of the whole Church and the Pope or are you not?” The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales posed this question in October 1976 to a small group of Roman Catholics organising ‘Mass centres’ in their homes or renting village halls for priests of the Saint Pius V Association (SPVA) to celebrate Mass in the Tridentine Rite despite the Church’s abandonment of that rite following the Second Vatican Council in 1965. This lecture traces the history of ‘Mass centres’ in Britain, from their origins in the work of the travelling priest Peter Morgan in southern England in 1971, their expansion northward in 1974 to their peak popularity from 1975 to 1978. Also discussed is how Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre amalgamated the SPVA into the Society of Saint Pius X (SSPX) in 1979, leading to many ‘Mass centres’ being replaced by bona fide churches for exclusively celebrating the Tridentine Mass before Archbishop Lefebvre was excommunicated in 1988. Most SSPX churches in Britain today owe their origins to these early ‘Mass centres’ that represented a grassroots movement of Catholics torn between adhering to the pre-conciliar liturgy and obeying the Pope.

This lecture was first presented at UCLan's History Seminar Series on 26th February 2025 by invitation of Dr Billy Frank.

La teología al servicio de la formación del clero latinoamericano ha experimentado una enorme transformación desde el Concilio Vaticano II en adelante, gracias sobre todo al decreto Optatam totius. La Iglesia latinoamericana, inspirada además en Gaudium et spes, ha procurado dar a esta enseñanza teológica una orientación netamente pastoral. La presente investigación informa acerca de los propósitos formativos teológicos generales de los seminarios, institutos y facultades de teología. Comienza con una indagación en los consilia et vota de los obispos antes de Vaticano II y termina con el estudio de las rationes de la formación del clero de varios países. Haber deseado capacitar a los seminaristas para el discernimiento de los signos de los tiempos despunta como una originalidad específica. Queda pendiente, en todo caso, un estudio comparado del pensum de los estudios de la teología. Recién entonces podrá concluirse si esta enseñanza se ha liberado de dependencia intelectual de la Iglesia europea.

This paper represents the reaction of a first year doctoral student to his formal introduction to the Lasallian tradition. Tracing the broad contours of the Lasallian tradition, the author suggests a robust Lasallian identity might productively advance dicussions of Catholic institutional identity in higher education as well as initiatives implemented to enhance this identity. With the recommendations of the American Bishops in the ten-year review of the implementation of the apostolic consitution Ex Corde Ecclesiae as the backdrop, the author proposes Lasallian-style community building as a cure for many perceived ailments affecting Catholic higher education.

Despite the closeness of many of its dignitaries and local priests to the former governing party Law and Justice (Prawo i Sprawiedliwość - PiS), the influence of the Polish Catholic Church on society is rapidly declining. The bishops are unable to find an answer to the wave of secularisation that is affecting the younger generation in particular. Media reports about moral scandals among the higher clergy are playing their part. In addition, Pope Francis has imposed canonical penalties on several bishops for covering up paedophile offences committed by clergy, which is unprecedented in Poland's history

The paper follows the development of the rosary from its earliest origins and shed light on some of the meanings of the rosary as it is practiced today. The rosary grew out of a desire to live a spiritual life of prayer. In addition, we can see that in the hundreds of years that the rosary has been with us, it has continued to evolve as a devotional practice. Because of its origins, its ardent lay devotees, and its appreciation of Mary's place in redemptive history, it is foreseeable that the rosary as we know it today will continue to develop as our Mariology develops.

The rosary is one of the most popular devotions practiced throughout Church history. Its most ardent practitioners down through the ages have been lay people. Because of this the rosary has a rich and varied background which reflects the many cultural nuances gleaned over the centuries. The paper follows the development of the rosary from its earliest origins and shed light on some of the meanings of the rosary as it is practiced today. The rosary grew out of a desire to live a spiritual life of prayer. In addition, we can see that in the hundreds of years that the rosary has been with us, it has continued to evolve as a devotional practice. Because of its origins, its ardent lay devotees, and its appreciation of Mary's place in redemptive history, it is foreseeable that the rosary as we know it today will continue to develop as our Mariology develops.

Liberation Theology, as a contemporary theology that emerged in the 20th century, is still in the current debate regarding the epistemology and methodology of theology. Its influence continues to have great relevance worldwide, for example, through the Theology of the People, which we analyze here in its main concepts. We make a formal approach to its method based on its epistemological foundations, in order to account for its theory arising from Christian praxis. In the description of its most important aspects, we highlight the role of its relations with philosophy and science. To do so, we focus on the contributions offered by the Brazilian author Agenor Brighenti and the Argentine thinker Juan Carlos Scannone. Finally, we investigate the role played by praxis as a horizon from which theological reflection arises.

Monsignor Loris Francesco Capovilla (1915‑2016), private secretary of Pope
John XXIII, wrote a brief journal of the first days of the Second Vatican Council. It is a source of great interest and importance both to see how this Venetian priest, placed in a very particular position, reacted to the beginning of the conciliar debates, as well as to see from inside some aspects of the functioning of the conciliar machine. This diary is in addition to the others that have been published in recent decades and that allow us finally to reconstruct in all its complexity the course of the Second Vatican Council, dropping the entirely ideological and misleading distinction between official and private sources

Hans Urs von Balthasar, un testigo ausente del concilio Vaticano II Hans Urs von Balthasar, an Absent Witness of the Vatican Council II Hans Urs von Balthasar, nieobecny świadek Soboru Watykańskiego II Abstr act: The article presents Hans Urs von Balthasar's theological ideas on Vatican II. The Swiss theologian was an attentive spectator of the council, even though he was not physically present at the ecclesial event. His ecumenical interventions were made before, during and after the Council, as is presented in the following parts of the article. First of all, a common theme with Vatican II is the attention to Scripture and how he integrates his patristic knowledge into this interpretative framework. Secondly, the Swiss theologian proposed an incarnationist vision of earthly realities and insisted on the missionary dimension of the Church, as well as the importance of the laity and the centrality of the constitution Lumen Gentium among the texts of Vatican II. Finally, in addition to a common Christocentrism, Balthasar appreciates in the conciliar texts important advances with regard to Mariology and religious freedom.

The article presents Christoph Theobald’s book "Un nouveau concile qui ne dit pas son nom?" and critically analyses some of the suggestions that arise from reading it, especially those dealing with the nature, method of work and interim results of the ongoing Synod on Synodality (2021‒2024) of the Catholic Church. In the second part of the article, the author focuses on reflecting 1) on the relationship between the Second Vatican
Council (1962‒1965) and the Synod on Synodality, 2) on the deepening of the theology of the local Church against the background of the various stages of the synodal process, and 3) on the need for “a practical pneumatology” for the effective implementation of the synodal transformation of the Church.