Lumen gentium no. 16’s genuine optimism for the salvation of non-Christians is nonetheless a heavily qualified one. Among other things, it applies only to those “who are, without fault, ignorant [sine culpa, ignorantes] of the Gospel of Christ and his Church.” This article examines (1) Vatican II’s understanding of such “inculpable ignorance” and its relationship
Releasing three of his four pastoral letters on August 6, the patronal feast day of El Salvador, Oscar Romero linked his Transfiguration homilies with his contributions to Catholic social teaching to reflect a theology of transfiguration rooted in three interrelated commitments: an eschatological understanding of Salvadoran history as part of salvation history; an ecclesiology firmly
Advances in medical technology provide regular opportunities to explore theological reflection and magisterial teaching at the border of science and conscience. This article reflects on one such advance involving fertility preservation for cancer patients. The authors argue that ovarian tissue transplantation (OTT) poses intriguing questions for Catholic teaching and theologians about reproductive technology.
From July 24 to 27, 2010, some 600 theological ethicists from nearly 75 countries met in Trento, Italy, under the auspices of Catholic Theological Ethics in the World Church. There they heard 30 plenary papers and opted to attend more than 240 concurrent presentations. This note studies the roots, mission, context, goals, and nature of
The note treats ethical issues surrounding the 2008 to 2010 financial crisis and its aftermath, focusing on resources pertinent to Catholic economic-ethical responses. Four key, contested subjects are highlighted: economy’s descriptive and normative “axis“; causes of the recent meltdown in financial markets and prescriptions for preventing future crises; work and employment effects of the Great
The note considers recent theological commentary on the clerical sexual abuse crisis in Ireland and beyond. It examines the nature and extent of the crisis within the Catholic Church through the lens of the Murphy and Ryan Reports. These two reports together provide an invaluable resource for understanding the theological, ethical, and ecclesiological dimensions of
Avery Dulles’ postconciliar theology must be placed historically in the broad context of what he called postcriticism. His models approach to theology, moreover, attempted to address the theological pluralism of the postconciliar era in a way that contributed to the unity of the faith. His nearly lifelong Ignatian commitment to thinking with the Church, his
The article aims to refresh Christian sensibilities to the bodily character of ecclesial existence. It links Christ’s incarnation with the continuing formation of his Body, arguing against any suggestion that the incarnation is less real following his resurrection and ascension than prior to them. Though massive changes have occurred in our understanding of the material
The article explores the contribution of Balthasar and Lonergan to a contemporary understanding of Christ’s human knowledge. It argues methodologically that Lonergan’s account of Christ’s human knowledge, by its use of technical terms and a carefully worked out analogy from human knowing, represents an advance on Balthasar’s often fluid position. While sympathetic to the notion
Catholic emphasis on Mary’s role in the Christian story of salvation and on the unique privileges given her by God to accomplish that salvation for humanity continues to trouble some Protestants and seems to distract from the Church’s central preaching. This article attempts to show the continuity between Catholic and Orthodox liturgical and theological traditions
