Missionaries of Indians according to the First Three Councils of Lima

In the era of the conquest and colonization of Hispanic America, the church had at least two different manifestations: the Spanish church and the missional church. There was a marked difference between the two, beginning with the ethnic groups that made them up, methods of pastoral work, style of liturgy, content of catechesis, ecclesiastical laws, and, even, identities of priests destined to be chaplains of one of the two groups. Practically, from the founding moment the Catholic Church in the New World had the ability to differentiate its apostolic action according to the ethnic group that comprised it. Relatively easy was the implantation of the Spanish church in colonial cities in America. However, the founding of the new church – missional church – required the creation of a new modus operandi of its apostolic action. Such work could not be conferred on any priest or brother who felt called to undertake activities among the Indians, but on men specially selected and prepared in a different way than the secular clergy. The first three Lima Councils and their parallel Councils of México addressed this issue in several of their sessions. The article will seek to present those Indian missionaries who, although sometimes erred, knew how to carry out the mission with solid logic and apostolic courage, obeying the synod instructions.

The Teaching Model and Basic Religious Texts Prepared by Jesuits Working in Lithuania and Poland from the 2nd half of the 16th c. to the 1st half of the 17th c.

The article shortly describes the model of teaching and basic religious texts written in Lithuanian in the 2nd half of the 16th c. and in the first half of the 17th c. by Jesuits in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. The fundamental goal of the Jesuit Society was to spread the Christian faith. To this aim the best and most effective methods were utilised. In the described period two forms of education coexisted, namely the system of schools and pastoral work within the society. While the former focussed on teaching Latin, the latter contributed to the development and codification of vernaculars, and specifically Lithuanian. Good understanding and established social relations were the objective of Jesuits. Pastoral work in a way preceded ethnolinguistic studies.Only those priests and brothers were selected for work with people who knew the language, at least to some extent. The knowledge of Latin was regarded as obvious. The teaching of languages in the spoken and written form was first based on the skills of individual brothers, but after a certain time a seminar devoted to the languages of the Commonwealth was founded. As the time passed and the Lithuanian Province developed, more attention was payed to the culture and development of the language. It was commonly used in apostolic work – in sermons, liturgical texts and pious literature throughout Lithuania. The teaching model applied by Jesuits also contributed, albeit indirectly, to the development of the Lithuanian language and culture.

National Solidarity and Unity in the Works of Fra Rajmund Rudež, Fra Josip Vergilij Perić and Don Ilija Ujević

The paper analyzes the cultural, literary, and political activities of three priests related to the area of Imotska Krajina in terms of their by origin, works and service. An analysis of selected political and literary texts written in the last two decades of the 19th century and at the beginning of the 20th century will show how (the)?priests’ discourse followed the development of Croatian intelligentsia in terms of balancing between spiritual and political Slavic unity and the vision of an independent and properly united Croatia. While in political works the priests expressed stronger rebellion, their literary works are a continuation of pastoral work, but without greater artistic value with a clear didactic message. The purpose of both types of texts is to continue the revival work, to enlighten the Zagora part of Dalmatia and to spread Croatian thought. They differ in their view of the solution to the Croatian question, political affinities, level of engagement, position and function, while what they have in common is the work on internal harmony, which among those more politically engaged included rebellion against Croatia's internal and external enemies.

Az egyház communio jellege és a pasztorális tanács

The Second Vatican Council and subsequent documents, in view of the pastoral challenges, strongly recommend the establishment of a pastoral council in the dioceses, in which mainly the laity should be involved. The task of the council is to raise and discuss issues concerning pastoral work and to reach practical conclusions. In the interpretation of the Church as communio, the juridical figure of the pastoral council is an important institution, since based on the theological structure of the communio, its members can assist the bishop in the pastoral care of the diocese with their opinions and remarks by virtue of their universal mission received in baptism. The notion that the mission stemming from the general priesthood would imply such representative character which would signify the exercise of ecclesiastical power is erroneous. The reference to the individual or collective interests of advisory bodies is the real expression of the Church’s communio insofar as it serves the common good of the Church. Otherwise, we are dealing only with a misunderstood conception of “democracy” that interprets communion in the Church merely on a humanistic, anthropological level, and considers the decentralization of power to be its fundamental task. With regard to the pastoral council, the principle of synodality is closely linked to the communio nature of the Church, as issues concerning pastoral care must be thoroughly discussed together, and decision-making mechanisms must be well prepared, which serves as basis for the diocesan bishop to be able to make the desired decision.

Las rectorías parroquiales en la ciudad de Córdoba durante el Antiguo Régimen: acercamiento a la cuestión

ResumenSi poco estudiado ha sido el estrato más bajo del clero en la ciudad de Córdoba, el pequeño núcleo que formaban los rectores parroquiales aún menos. Estas rectorías, de importancia supina para la labor pastoral y la administración de sacramentos, parecen no tener una forma definida durante la época moderna en Córdoba. La cuestión de su definición es el objeto de este artículo, para lo que se han consultado las constituciones sinodales de la diócesis, así como diversa información de archivo. Su carácter beneficial o no, así como la concesión de la cura animarum centran el debate. La adaptación al modelo tridentino de rectoría parroquial exigió un verdadero esfuerzo para la administración diocesana, que debió lidiar con las reticencias y alegaciones de una empoderada Universidad de Beneficiados que se había aprovechado de la indefinición de este cargo en la ciudad de Córdoba. Por ello, se destaca un punto de inflexión en esta situación en 1648, cuando el obispo Pimentel, animado desde Roma, plantea un modelo de patronato para estas rectorías que permitan la manutención de sus titulares sin el perjuicio de modificar cualquier reparto del diezmo parroquial, que hubiera supuesto una mayor oposición a la que ya hubo durante un siglo después.AbstractIf little studied has been the lower stratum of the clergy in the city of Córdoba, the small nucleus that made up the parish rectors even less. These rectories, of supine importance for pastoral work and the administration of the sacraments, seem to have no definite form during modern times in Córdoba. The question of its definition is the object of this article, for which the synodical constitutions of the diocese has been consulted, as well as various archival information. Its beneficial nature or not, as well as the granting of the cura animarum center the debate. The adaptation to the Tridentine model of parish rectory required a real effort from the diocesan administration, which had to deal with the reluctance and allegations of an empowered Universidad de Beneficiados, that had taken advantage of the lack of definition of this position in the city of Córdoba. For this reason, a turning point in this situation stands out in 1648, when the bishop fray Domingo Pimentel, encouraged from Rome, proposed a model of patronage for these rectories that would allow the maintenance of their holders without the detriment of modifying any distribution of the parish tithe, that it would have supposed a greater opposition to the one that already existed during a century later.

Ecumenical Bridges between Orthodox and Catholic Sides: Comparison between Fratelli Tutti of Pope Francis and For the Life of the World. Toward a Social Ethos of the Orthodox Church Signed by the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew

A large part of Christians in the world have been involved in social topics by these two pastoral documents released by the Holy See and the Ecumenical Patriarchate. Both documents bear the mark of the two Church Primates, Pope Francis and the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew who inspired them and who had already shown interest in themes such as human life, social theology, climate and ecumenism. This essay aims to offer an ecumenical common reading of the two recent documents, Fratelli Tutti and For the Life of the World. Toward a Social Ethos of the Ortho dox Church, considering the pastoral work of the two signatory Primates as authentic ecumenical bridges within the Christian world.

European Humanism and Benedictine Monasticism. Around Selected Statements of Benedict XVI

Josef Ratzinger has made the problem of the solid foundations of European humanism one of the most important in his scientific and pastoral work. Called to the Holy See, he chose the name Benedict XVI, indicating the Saint Abbot of Nursia as the special patron of his pontificate. In this study two valuable statements of Pope Ratzinger are discussed, showing the relationship between European humanism and Benedictine monasticism. The first is the speech of Benedict XVI during a meeting with people active in culture at the Bernardine College in Paris on September 12, 2008. The second is the text Crisis of cultures, in which the Pope pensioner presents Abbot Benedict and his way of life as an adequate response to the contemporary crisis of European humanism. To seek God in the first place, to sensitize conscience to trueness, showing the paths of freedom, which advocates good and beauty, is the calling of Benedictine monks and at the same time, a necessary condition for integral humanism, the creative development of European culture.

Truth in Pastoral Practice: A Firmer Foundation for Contested Territory

Truth in the West is highly contested. The advent of post-truth politics, in addition to the ongoing culture wars, mitigates against truth being understood solely on the basis of objective facts, as it was in the past. For pastoral carers and counsellors, this raises significant questions: how to build shared understandings of truth between individuals and in communities? This article proposes a solution in an incarnational approach to pastoral work. Drawing upon the work of Rowan Williams, Raimon Panikkar, Diarmuid O’Murchu, and St. Maximos the Confessor, this article offers both theological and practical considerations regarding this approach.

Muzyka chóralna w diecezji lubelskiej w okresie posługi biskupa Stefana Wyszyńskiego

The article presents the pastoral project of recreating the musical culture of the Catholic Church in Poland after World War II. The author outlines a broader context of pastoral activities undertaken at that time by the Primate of Poland, August Hlond. The pastoral work of Bishop Stefan Wyszyński in the Lublin Diocese was part of this nationwide plan to rebuild the role of music in churches, especially in the field of choral music. The article discusses the main assumptions of this work. It was based on Wyszyński’s understanding of choirs as a very important pastoral group in the Church, which should be constantly educated musically and religiously formed. The main liturgical task of the choir, as understood by Bishop Wyszyński, was to introduce new liturgical songs to the churches of the diocese. Choirs, as always, also performed polyphonic pieces. Together with the Diocesan Organist Commission, he precisely defined the repertoire of the choirs, both in terms of liturgical monody and polyphonic pieces. This procedure helped achieve two goals: raising the level of performance by drawing attention to valuable and original compositions and creating a diocesan choral community. The latter case was especially favored by the conventions of choirs of a competition and festival nature, which gathered several hundred people. Bishop Wyszyński’s extensive pastoral activities, also in the field of choral music, contributed to a significant revival of the diocesan choral movement and to raising the level of church music performed in the Diocese of Lublin.