A Dogmatic Theological Appreciation of
the Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii Gaudium – The Joy of the Gospel, of the
Holy Father Francis. The Indispensable Place of Theological
Foundations for a Solid Pastoral Planning and Execution
1 Introduction:
Dogmatic theology has been defined as a
theological discipline dealing with the scientific exposition (in an organic
form and with a systematic unity) of the entire theoretical doctrine concerning
God himself and his external activity based on the dogmas of the Church.[1] It
deals with supernatural truths and facts concerning Salvation and the content
of Revelation.[2]
It can also be said to be
the reasoned and
methodic exposition of the reality, the presuppositions and the consequences of
the self-communication of the triune God in Jesus Christ for the redemption of
mankind as such self-communication is expressed in the instruments of ecclesial
confession of faith (= dogmata, dogma).[3]
Muller asserts that “it examines the
consistency and coherence of the various affirmations of the faith which
springs from the unique foundation of the Revelation of God as Father of Jesus
Christ and of the Revelation of his Son (1Cor. 15:1; Gal. 1:11).”[4] So
today, the term dogma refers to the totality of the Christian faith in the
confession and practice of the Church. By way of method, the dogmatic
theologian concerns himself with deriving the dogmas of the Church from the
sources of faith and explaining them. In doing this, he is occupied with
positive theology. In the speculative dimension, dogmatic theology shows that
the mysteries of faith, though beyond reason, are not contrary to its laws but
can be accepted by our intellect. We try to explain them. Faith seeks
understanding.
The dogmatic content of such a
discipline includes God, the creator, the Triune God or the Trinity, the
Creation, Soteriology, Redemption, Pneumatology, Mariology, Grace, Sacraments and
Eschatology (De Novissimus). Some may add Regnology {theology of the kingdom},
Angelology and Theological Anthropology. It looks at the hierarchy of truths
with primary truths (e.g., Trinity, Incarnation, Redemption) differentiated
from subordinate truths – means of salvation, Church, sacraments, apostolic
tradition.
Therefore, a dogmatic theological
reading of the document will be looking at an organic synthesis of the
doctrines of the faith in the document. It will examine the consistency of the
appeal to the source of faith, the Revelation of the One and Triune God as
witnessed in the two channels of the word of God, the Scripture and Tradition;
the reference to the Church’s earlier Magisterium and the consistency of the
doctrines enunciated with the full deposit of the faith as to content.
2 The Nature of the Document
This is the very first thing we
consider. The document is an apostolic exhortation. This means that it is a communication from the
Pope which encourages a community to undertake a particular activity. It is
higher in authority than ordinary letters written by popes but is lower than
encyclicals. It is not intended to define doctrine. An encyclical is a letter
treating some aspect of doctrine. In Humani
Generis, Pope Pius XII makes it
clear that an encyclical may express something that belongs to Catholic
doctrine and theologians may not continue to debate on an issue when once the
pope has expressed a position on it in an encyclical.
The Evangelii
Gaudium – the Joy of the Gospel is, therefore, the Pope’s Exhortation on
the Church’s primary mission of Evangelization or proclamation of the Gospel in
the present time, i.e., in today’s world. It was issued on the 24 November, the
feast of Christ the King 2013, at the end of the year of faith following the
work of the synod on the New Evangelization.[5] It
contains the word love 213 times; joy, 109 times; the poor, 91 times; peace, 58
times; justice 37 times and common good 15 times. These are the themes and
terms that interest the current social mediatic world the more.
A dogmatic glance will rather reveal the
words and themes such as God (290 times), the Triune God (once), the creator (2
times), the Creation (10 times), Soteriology, Redemption (3 times), Mary (i.e.,
Mariology), Grace (27 times), Sacraments (17 times) and Eschatology [De
Novissimus (once)]. Some may add Regnology {theology of the kingdom (21times)},
Angelology, Theological Anthropology (indirectly 302 times), the Trinity, the
Father, Jesus, the Holy Spirit, the Church, Synods and related dogmatic
theological concepts. There are several scriptural citations from which the Exhortation
deeply draws and which irrigate every terrain of the entire geographical space
of the Exhortation. In fact, though the work is principally on evangelization,
the Pope states unambiguously that “the sacred scriptures are the very source
of evangelization.”[6]
The Exhortation consists of an
Introduction and Five Chapters. Each of the chapters directly deals with some
aspect of Evangelization. Apart from the introductory chapter which expresses
all the various forms and moments of joy in living out faith as is recorded in
the Scripture, in chapter one already,
the Pope shows himself as both open to novelty and primarily faithful to
tradition. In calling every other dimension of the Church to conversion and
renewal, he insists that the papacy too must adhere to this. In that context,
he launches this invitation
It is my duty,
as the bishop of Rome, to be open to suggestions which can help make the
exercise of my ministry more faithful to the meaning which Jesus Christ wished
to give it and to the present needs of evangelization.[7]
This is the same as John Paul II’s
invitation to find a way of exercising the primacy which while in no way
renouncing what is essential to its mission, is nonetheless open to a new
situation. The Pope himself quotes this invitation. This shows that inasmuch as
the Pope wants to adopt new strategies for the promotion of evangelization in
the present time, all the more, he would like to be faithful to the rightful
exercise of the petrine ministry which he understands to be of divine
institution as is very clear in the invitation.
In the second chapter, he identifies the
challenges facing evangelization today. They are of economic nature. They also
generate poverty. So, he as well exposes and attacks Gnosticism and
neo-pelagianism.
The third chapter on the proclamation of
the gospel identifies some important and necessary dialogues like that between
faith and reason and that between the ecumenical and the inter-religious
dialogues. He holds a clear dogmatic position on the faith we share with
Judaism. The fourth chapter continues the theme while the last chapter is
pneumatological, Christological and mariological.
The exhortation is addressed to the
Bishops, clergy, consecrated persons and the lay faithful. So, from the point
of view of the addressees, it is clear that the document is primarily
ecclesiological.
3 Theological Foundations for the
Exhortation
The joy of the gospel that fills the
hearts of those who encounter Jesus[8] is
the primary content and driving force of the whole encyclical. It delineates
new paths and new ways forward for the church in the next years. So, it strikes
one that the exhortation opens with an explicit presentation of the person of Jesus
and the consequence of the encounter with him, namely salvation. These two
themes in the very first number provide Christological and soteriological
motives for the whole corpus that follow. These same motives continue in the
identification of the ills of today which deprive man of joy and which
contradict life in the Spirit and life that has its source in Christ. This
Christological intention is emphasized in the subsequent invitation “to a
renewed personal encounter with Jesus Christ.” This is on the biblical theological
basis that the Lord never tires to forgive (cf. Mt. 18:22) and that “no one is
excluded from the joy brought by the Lord.”[9]
The veracity of the salvific and
revelatory character of the Old Testament and the Prophets are taken for
granted. Here biblical quotations from as wide a range as Isaiah, Ezechiel,
Zephaniah, and Sirach refer to the Lord, the Messiah and to the creation. The
fourth and fifth numbers of the exhortation are like a river of joy flowing
from two streams of unending Old Testament and New Testament citations. The
whole joy about which the whole exhortation radiates has its source and
foundation in the infinite word of God revealed to us in Jesus Christ.[10]
This word to be understood properly would have always to be related “to the
teaching of the entire Bible as handed on by the Church.”[11]
In that way, the principle of the inspiration of the whole Bible by the Holy
Spirit is acknowledged and respected.
Pope
Francis is generally acknowledged to be simple in speech and attitude and easy
to read in his writings. On the other hand, theology is often speculative and
contemplative and not so easy to follow by the lay man. Yet Evangelii Gaudium is praised for its
simple style and accessibility to the understanding of the common man in the
street. Does that mean that it is devoid of theology? Evidently, theology is a
speculative and contemplative science. Yet Pope Francis appears to keep himself
away from speculation. This is not so much because of his not speculating or
contemplating. He does. And he does it well too. This owes rather to the fact
that he does it so well and so effortlessly that the ordinary man is carried
along. He is very attentive to the how
of his communication. We understand this from his own attitude when he advises
others on homiletic resources:
Some people
think they can be good preachers because they know what ought to be said, but
they do not pay attention to how it
should be said, that is, the concrete way of constructing a sermon… In the
Bible, for example, we can find advice on how to prepare a homily so as to best
preach to people: “speak concisely, say much in few words” (Sir. 32: 8)[12]
Both this attitude of attention to how and the establishment
of the foundation for it in the Scripture are profoundly theological attitudes.
Speculation is the application of a rigorous critical method to the object of
thought so as to attain the deepest depths and the highest possible heights in
the comprehension of the object’s various dimensions. So, the Pope both
speculates and contemplates on the mysteries of faith from which he draws the
exhortations on the practical need to evangelize. He only consciously does it
very well. He states that:
Today’s vast
cultural changes demand that we constantly seek ways of expressing unchanging truths
in a language which brings out their abiding newness. “The deposit of the faith
is one thing… the way it is expressed is another.”[13]
The fact that he has the idea of this
attentive methodology and that he intentionally founds it on another recent magisterial
authority, which is that of Pope John XIII at the opening of the Council,
places the methodology itself in a dogmatic theological sphere. The whole
edifice of the exhortation, therefore, stands on dogmatic theological
foundations.
Christ, named as the “eternal gospel” in
this document is the heart of the message of evangelization.[14] Here
Jesus is named as “the evangelizer par excellence and the Gospel in person.”[15]
He is our peace. He is Lord. These all serve as foundations for the various
praxes that the Pope proposes. These are products of contemplation. He
speculates on the beauty, the profundity, the richness, wisdom and knowledge of
God (Rm. 11: 33). In fact, the Pope states that authentic love – from which the
desire to evangelize flows – is always contemplative.[16]
And then to carry out the task of the new evangelization and authentic love
which is very important, the Pope exhorts all to recuperate the contemplative
spirit. Without that, it is not possible to appreciate the text of the
scriptures well enough. This is like telling Christians in simple words to
adopt theological minds. Even in their prayers, this contemplation must be an
intrinsic element.[17]
In more explicit terms the Pope
recognizes the place of “theology – and not simply a pastoral theology – which
is in dialogue with other sciences and human experiences,” as most important
for our discernment on how best to bring the Gospel message to different
cultural contexts and groups. He appreciates and encourages the charism of
theologians and their scholarly efforts which he states must exist to
evangelize.[18]
So, Evangelization draws from the product of theology and theology exists for
evangelization. But the Pope following the Congregation for the Doctrine of the
Faith[19]
warns as well that we should not be concerned simply about falling into
doctrinal error, but about remaining faithful to the Gospel path of life and
Wisdom. The key criterion of authenticity in that case remains charity. [20]
Apart from the requirement for
contemplation in contemporary period, theology is itself produced from this
reflection. Dogmatic theology nourishes itself on the deposit of the faith from
ancient times till date. This means that it implies the memory. And the pope
describes the believer as “essentially one who remembers.”[21]
In the newness which the Pope is advocating, the whole history of the Church is
to be carried along if it is to be faithful. And in this context, the Eucharist
becomes a privileged moment of memorial.
The initiative to carry out mission or
evangelization is God’s, says the Pope. He alone grants growth. That is a
dogmatic point that touches on grace. The numerous mentions of synods and citing
them – is not only an indication of a carrying along of tradition but strongly
underlines the Unity and Catholicity of the whole Church spread throughout the
world.
The dimensions of Evangelization
delineated are very important. The pope states that settings where
evangelization is carried out include those active in the Church – ordinary pastoral ministry, the baptized
but not practicing and those who do not know Jesus Christ or who have always
rejected him. He cites Pope John Paul II[22]
who insists that the impetus to preach to those far from Christ must not
reduce. To do this he prefers to proceed through a sound ‘decentralization’. He
sees it as opportune that he should not substitute the local episcopate. He
would like them to resolve the problems in their specific territories and
therefore, he goes ahead to discuss the issues he does, based on the teachings
in the Dogmatic Constitution, Lumen Gentium.[23]
All these provide solid foundations for the discussion of the questions which
the Pope confronts in the Exhortation. This will give rise to various
theological dimensions of the document.
4 Dogmatic Parameters in Evangelii Gaudium
The free assertion of positions from
Scriptures without reference to exegetical discrepancies or scholarship
differences over such passages in the authors indicates a simple basic
acceptance of the Scriptural word by the Pope in faith as authentic words of
Christ. This attitude runs through the whole document. Christ’s words are
quoted and consequences of the implications of those words drawn. This is done
in such a way that a non-expert has no reason at all to think that there could
be an alternative formulation to the source passage. Few among the several
examples of this include the acceptance of the missionary mandate of Jesus (Mt.
28:19-20), [24] the various occasions of joy expressed
including when the first converts marveled to hear the apostles preach “in the
native language of each” (Acts 2: 6) and the proclamation of the angels to the
shepherds in Bethlehem “Be not afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of a
great joy which will come to all the people” (Lk. 2: 10). One sees, in the
document, a basic acceptance of God’s word as the rule of life (regulae vitae).
A series of references to the Popes:
Benedict XVI,[25]
John Paul II and Paul VI[26]
and to the Vatican II[27]
are all clear references to an ecclesiology sensitive to and in consonance with
Papal and conciliar Magisterium.[28]
Another very important dogmatic category
is that of the parish Church as a real church. There is a liberty and an
impulse granted to the pastor for a missionary creativity which demands
attention. If it proves capable of self-renewal and constant adaptivity, it
continues to be “the Church living in the midst of the homes of her sons and
daughters.”[29]
This is an important concept for a renewed ecclesiology.
This makes the Holy Father to call for
the conversion of the local, parish, diocesan and universal Church. He even
calls for a conversion of the Papacy.[30]
These are all aimed at succeeding with the missionary dream of the gospel
reaching everyone. For this he launches his own invitation to a reform of the
papacy and quotes John Paul II who had earlier done the same.[31]
However, the Pope regrets that the conferences do not yet have the status that
grants them authentic doctrinal authority. In spite of this, he quotes synods
from every continent of the globe. [32] He further invites all to abandon the
comfortable criterion that ‘it has always been done like this’ in order to
venture into new areas without halts or fears.[33]
The pope refers to identifying the core
message of the gospel and its understanding but in such a way that the message
is not fragmented. Proclamation has to concentrate on the most beautiful, the
most attractive, the most necessary. But since all revealed truths flow from
the same divine source, the evangelizer must be attentive to the hierarchy of
truths. Here the dogmas of faith are explicitly mentioned and the dogmatic
reflections of St. Thomas Aquinas are copiously quoted.[34]
Thus the pastoral action is to flow in direct consequence of the conciliar
teaching on the hierarchy of truth. This means that outside the very core
matters and precepts handed down directly by Christ and his apostles which “are
very few,” a certain level of flexibility and moderation is required for the
benefit of reaching everyone with the gospel – the most essential things.[35]
The Catechism of the Catholic Church[36]
comes to the aid of teaching on the imputability of moral actions. From these,
the pastoral consequences of the doctrine of the sacraments are examined. The
Church’s understanding of the criteria for the administration of the sacraments
especially baptism and Eucharist are examined. The perspectives of examining
these are quite pastoral but the reasons behind the perspective are quite more
than pastoral.[37]
The Pope states:
I take for
granted the different analyses which the other documents of the universal
magisterium have offered, as well as those proposed by the regional and
national conferences of bishops. In this exhortation, I claim only to examine
briefly and from a pastoral perspective…[38]
5
Dogmatic theological Concepts in
interpretative key in the Evangelii
Gaudium
It is interesting to notice the direct
mention of dogmatic theological themes. To emphasize, for instance, how the
ideal Christian has to live in an authentic way overcoming suspicion and
permanent mistrust, the pope makes recourse to a number of principles to
elucidate his point.
5.1 The Trinity
The document sees the Church as a
reality rooted in the Trinity. It is expressed in time and concrete historicity
as a pilgrim and an evangelizing people.[39]
In Him all things and all people find unity. The unity in diversity that is
necessary for harmony in the Church and to avoid monoculturality and monotony
draws its power from the Holy Spirit and is ultimately rooted in the unity of
Essence (nature) and the distinction of persons in the Trinity.
Even on the realm of prayer, the
intercessory prayer is like “a leaven in the heart of the Trinity.”[40]
Prayer is done in the name of the Trinity as we know and ultimately whatever
any one does as a Christian must have that relation to Jesus moved by the Holy
Spirit to the glory of the Father. “The Holy Spirit, sent by the Father and the
Son, transforms our hearts and enables us to enter into perfect communion of
the blessed Trinity, where all things find their unity.”[41]
5.2 Christology
Having already stated that the document
is pastoral, it is still pertinent to note that the Pope has a clear vision of
the source of this pastoral. That is dogmatic. At the heart of this is
Christology. Apart from what was seen above,[42]
the Pope states that the heart of evangelization must be the explicit
proclamation that Jesus is Lord. And there is “a primacy of the proclamation of
Jesus Christ in all evangelizing work.”[43]
Consequently, the Pope sees the personal encounter with Jesus, and an
enthusiastic convinced relationship with him as the bedrock for a conviction to
preach him. And to have this conviction, one needs union with Jesus. The goal
of all this is the glory of the Father. The Pope states:
This is our definitive,
deepest and greatest motivation, the ultimate reason and meaning behind all we
do: the glory of the Father which Jesus sought at every moment of his life… If
we are missionaries, it is primarily because Jesus told us that “by this my
Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit” (Jn 15: 8). Beyond all our own
preferences and interests, our knowledge and motivations, we evangelize for the
greater glory of the Father who loves us.[44]
The Pope sees mission (and therefore,
also missiology) as at once passion for Jesus (and therefore, also Christology)
and passion for his people (and therefore, also, ecclesiology). But at the end
the bottom line, the reason, the driving force from which all these draw their
meaning is both abbatological and Christological.[45]
The model from which we draw is as well Jesus himself in his life and death.
And wherever he is preached, the Christian faith cannot limit itself or be
constricted to the limits of understanding and expression of any one culture
because no single culture can exhaust the mystery of our redemption in Christ.
5.3 The Incarnation[46]
The Incarnation and the Son of God made
flesh. Authentic faith becomes one in the son of God made flesh and becomes
inseparable with the gift of self, belonging to a community and getting
reconciled with the flesh of others. The principle here is the incarnation. The
various ‘nos’ – negations – (‘no’ to an economy of exclusion, no to the
idolatry of money, no to the financial system which rules rather than serves,
and no to the inequality which spawns violence, no to selfishness and spiritual
sloth, no to a sterile pessimism, no to spiritual worldliness), asserted by the
pope become a refusal of the anti-incarnational principle. The Christian ideal
summons all to a face-to-face encounter with others. The ‘logic of the
incarnation’ here animates the understanding of even the cultures and
inculturation while the ‘primacy of grace’ is held up as a beacon which must
illuminate any reflection on evangelization.[47]
The Pope identifies a general thirst for
God. This must be responded to through a sound spirituality. But he insists
that care must be taken that these thirsty ones do not quench their thirst
through a disembodied Jesus who demands nothing of us in relation to others since
that does neither make life truly human nor give glory to God.[48]
Another important reality for
evangelization is popular piety. This is interpreted in terms of the
incarnation. Popular forms of piety are seen as the incarnation of the
Christian faith in popular culture. They entail a personal relationship with
Christ, Mary and the Saints. The principle of incarnation helps people to learn
to find Jesus in the faces of others.[49]
In fact, there is a ‘logic of the incarnation.’ And there is a way we would think
of Christianity and we will be going against this logic. Even our social
relations, the command of brotherly love and the social dimension of
evangelization draw from this logic because “our brothers and sisters are the
[permanent] prolongation of the incarnation for each of us.”[50]
It provides a foundation for “the service of charity which is a constitutive
element of the Church’s mission and an indispensable expression of her very
being.”[51]
This logic and principle lead to another very important one – the
ecclesiological.
5.4 Pneumatology
Before examining the document’s
ecclesiology, another interpretative key by which the document breathes is the
Holy Spirit. It appears forty eight times in the document. To resolve the
problems of stifling worldliness, the Pope proposes “breathing the pure air of
the Holy Spirit.”[52]
In areas where there are positive impacts, like the associations, and
movements, it is the Holy Spirit operating. The Holy Spirit enriches cultures
with the transforming power of the gospel. He enables us to enter into
communion with the most Holy Trinity where all things find their unity. He
guides every baptized person and guides the Church. He gives us a certain
con-naturality with divine realities. He acts as a principal agent of the self
evangelization of a community through its popular piety. He pours out riches in
popular piety.
The Pope sees in popular piety, a
manifestation of the theological life of the people nourished by the working of
the Holy Spirit. In person to person evangelizing relationships he suggests ad
hoc ways of carrying out preaching. He grants different charisms and in the
area of dialogue makes whatever is taken up like culture and thought to become
an instrument of the Spirit for enlightening and renewing the world. Active and
creative trust in him helps in the preaching of homily. He completes the effort
of the preacher in ways beyond the capacity of the preacher himself. He reminds
and caters for the long run. He raises up channels to deliver non-Christians from
aetheistic immanentism. He grants the courage to proclaim the newness of the
gospel with boldness in every time and place even when it meets with
opposition. He knows what is needed in every time and place and guides and
directs us if we allow him without planning everything to the minutest detail.[53]
5.5 Ecclesiology
No one saves himself. God saves. But the
salvation which he has brought is offered to people he has called together as a
people not as isolated individuals. These people he has chosen and called is
the Church. It is not an exclusive group of elites. The Pope hinges this
teaching on the Church directly on Lumen Gentium and thereby does a dogmatic
elucidation of the teaching of the Council. In a similar way, he elaborates
widely on the understanding of the Church but always in line with the Tradition
of the Church.[54]
The Pope insists that we must never
allow ourselves to be robbed of our community. The principle of incarnation
makes us to seek and love to be members of a community in a genuine
spirituality of communion. The Church is then the people of God and more than
just an organization. The document goes on then to outline the various
insidious dangers that may belie the Church. One of these is spiritual
worldliness. This can be fuelled by Gnosticism and neo-pelagianism. The Pope
sees these as realities which can mask themselves even under the guise of a
soundness of doctrine or discipline but is not really concerned about Jesus
Christ or others. They are accompanied by an insidious worldliness. These
function within the Church with concern sometimes for the liturgy, for doctrine
and for Church prestige but without any care for God’s people but for the
Church as an institution. But these are to be overcome by the mark of Christ,
incarnate, crucified and risen.[55]
But these have to be overcome through the incarnate reality of our people
through suffering and sacrifice. We must not waste time talking about what
needs to be done instead of living out the reality of the faith directly.
The document specifies the role of the
lay people in the Church and the challenge their formation poses pastorally. As
with the role of the laity, so the Pope delineates the role of women as well.[56]
In this, an important dogmatic issue is raised. This concerns the reservation
of the priesthood to males, as a sign of Christ the spouse who gives himself in
the Eucharist. The Pope considers it a question that is not ‘open to discussion.’
It is something that can prove divisive if sacramental power is too closely
identified with power in general. This leads the Pope to a real theology of
power and ministry in the Church and he states that our dignity as Christians
derives from baptism. And all must do well to understand the dynamics involved.[57]
This leads also to a theology of ministry and that of the Eucharist and
baptism.
5.5.1 Option for the Poor
The Pope wants a poor Church for the
poor. He states that “for the Church, the option for the poor is primarily a
theological category rather than a cultural, sociological, political or
philosophical one.” [58]
He grounds this on biblical passages, magisterial teachings and on the
Tradition of the Church. The option for the poor is a dimension of Christian
charity grounded in Christological faith and therefore is different from any form of ideology and
from attempts to exploit the poor for personal or political interests.[59]
5.5.2 Regnology
This is an important aspect that is well
developed in the Exhortation. It makes it clear that “the Gospel is about the
Kingdom of God (cf. Lk4:43).”[60]
The Pope asserts that the Gospel is not so much about personal relationship
with God. It is not about easing our conscience with God. But it is related to
the Kingdom which we must seek primarily. It is a reality already in our midst
but which must develop. Evangelization is to make this Kingdom present.[61]
This is where the social dimension of
the exhortation comes in again. God has created everything “for our enjoyment”
(1Tim 6: 17), for the enjoyment of every one. So evangelization must also imply
an integral promotion of man, and not just seek to prepare their souls to
heaven.[62] However, the Pope states that there is no
monopoly of the Papacy or the Church for the resolution of social questions but
each Christian community is to examine and analyze their own peculiar
situation.[63]
A number of other issues are raised by
the Pope in the document. These issues include the violation of personal
rights, which constitute an offence against the creator, an attention to and
custody of creation, a look at the dignity of man and a reference to the
dialogue between faith and reason. On this last note, he states that:
Whenever the
sciences – rigorously focused on their specific field of inquiry – arrive at a
conclusion which reason cannot refute, faith does not contradict it. Neither
can believers claim that a scientific opinion which is attractive but not
sufficiently verified has the same weight as a dogma of faith.
5.5.3 Mariology
The Exhortation like most papal
documents ends its reflection with an attention to Mary. Here she is linked to
the Holy Spirit. She is indispensable for an understanding of the spirit of the
new evangelization. The Pope traces the various dimensions of the life of Mary
with Jesus. He highlights her close connection with Christ, the Church and each
member of the faithful as expressed by Isaac of Stella. He further outlines her
life of faith, of love and care for the poor. He concludes by pointing to the
Marian ‘style’ of the Church’s work of evangelization.[64]
6 Conclusion
The Joy of the Gospel is a lovely
exhortation. Structurally, it has 288 paragraphs which span five chapters. In
it the Pope apart from citing the second Vatican Council copiously, cites seven
encyclicals, eight apostolic exhortations, four Apostolic Letters, three
conferences, and a host of other books and writings of a dogmatic and
ecclesiastical character.[65]
Although, he insists that he does not
want to be exhaustive in the wide themes on which he exhorts, yet he is
elaborate enough on those he chooses to propose. The exhortation could be read
from different points of view. But here, we have tried to look at it from a
strictly dogmatic – theological perspective. This is a solidly grounded
pastoral document built on rock dogmatic foundations but transmitted with the
ease that is possible only for one who has his feet on the ground with his
faith and vision. It is a book that radiates with the joy of the Holy Spirit,
hope and love constructed on the edifice of faith in God made manifest in
Christ in and through the Church.
[1] J.
Pohle, “Dogmatic Theology” in
Catholic Encyclopedia, sine data completa in PUST Dogmatic lecture notes.
[2] Bartmann Bernard, Manuale di Theologia Dogmatica, Vol. 1:
Dio – Creazione, transl. N. Busssi,
Alba: Edizione Paoline 1938, 8-9.
[3] Müller Gerhard Ludwig, Dogmatica Cattolica,
per lo studio e la prassi della teologia, Milano: Edizioni San Paolo, 1999, 62;
Original title: Katholische Dogmatik. Für Studium und Praxis der
Theologie, Verlag Herder Freiburg I, Br. 1995, Carla Danna (transl.).
[4] Ibid., 27.
[5]
XIII Ordinary Assembly of the Synod of Bishops gathered to discuss The New
Evangelization for the Transmission of the Christian Faith, 7-28 October, 2012.
[6]
Pope Francis, The Joy of the Gospel, Apostolic Exhortation of the Holy Father
Evangelii Gaudium , on the Proclamation of the Gospel in Today’s World,
Nairobi: Paulines Publications Africa, 2013, no. 174. This is a direct
foundation of Evangelization on the word of God.
[7] Ibid., no. 32.
[8] Ibid., no. 1.
[9] Ibid., no. 3. The Pope directly quotes
Paul the VI’s Apostolic Exhortation in the text. The copious citation of
earlier papal magisterium is already significant as indicative of a decisive
ecclesiastical doctrinal continuity and coherence.
[10]
Cf. Ibid., no. 7.
[11] Ibid., no. 148. Emphasis is mine. But
this is also a clear allusion to the Popes intention to be within the Tradition
and the Tradition as a necessary appurtenance for the joy of the gospel.
[12] Ibid., 156, emphasis in the original.
[13] Ibid., 41.
[14]
Cf. Ibid., 11.
[15] Ibid., 209
[16] Ibid., 199.
[17] Ibid., 281. In fact, the pope refrains
from exploring many questions which call for further reflection and study (see
no. 16).
[18]
Cf. Ibid., 133
[19]
The Pope quotes the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith four times.
[20]
Cf. Pope Francis, The Joy of the Gospel,
cit., 194-195.
[21] Ibid., 13
[22]
Pope John Paul II is cited not less than fifty two times through a good number
(at least twenty of the documents he issued).
[23]
Cf. Pope Francis, The Joy of the Gospel,
cit., 14-18. The Dogmatic Constitution on the Church, LG is cited seven
times in the Exhortation.
[24]
Cf. Ibid., 19
[25]
Pope Francis cites him at least twenty one times through several of the
documents he issued as Pope and at least once in his capacity as a theologian.
[26]
In the text, references to the documents released by him appear no less than
twenty five times.
[27]
There are eighteen citations of the Council in the Exhortation through seven of
its documents.
[28]
Cf. Pope Francis, The Joy of the Gospel, cit., 26-28.
[29] Ibid., 28
[30]
This has been already hinted at in the beginning (see note 4 above).
[31]
Cf. Pope Francis, The Joy of the Gospel, cit., 29-32.
[32]
There are several post-synodal Apostolic Exhortations from all the synods in
every continent in the world cited in the Exhortation. The following are cited:
John Paul II, Apostolic Exhortation, Ecclesia
in Africa [14 Sept., 1995] (twice), John Paul II, post-synodal Apostolic Exhortation, Ecclesia in America [22 January 1999] (once), John Paul II,
post-synodal Apostolic Exhortation, Ecclesia in Asia [6 November, 1999] (six
times); John Paul II, post-synodal
Apostolic Exhortation, Ecclesia in
Oceania [22 November, 2001] (thrice), Benedict XVI, post-synodal Apostolic Exhortation, Ecclesia in Medio Oriente (once), the second Special Assembly for
Europe of the synod of bishops [27 Oct., 1999] (once). There are even ideas
cited from local Episcopal conferences and their relevant sub-committees in
some cases. For instance the Third General Conference of the Latin American and
Caribbean Bishops, Puebla Document, 23 March 1979 (is cited twice); Catholic
Bishops Conference of the Philippines, Pastoral Letter What is Happening to Our Beautiful Land? [29 January 1988] (once);
Commission Sociale de L’Épiscopat Français,
Réhabiliter la politique (17 Feb.,
1999); Conferência Nacional dos
Bispos di Brazil, Exigências Evangélicas
e éticas de superação de miséria e da fome” [April 2002] (once); the Fifth
General Conference of the Latin American and Caribbean Bishops, Aparecida
Document, 29 June 2007 (is cited thirteen times); United States Conference of
Catholic Bishops, Ministry of Persons
with a Homosexual Inclination: Guidelines for Pastoral Care [ 2006] (once);
United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Pastoral Letter Forming Conscience for Faithful Citizenship [
November 2007] (once); Azione Cattolica Italiana, Messaggio della XIV Assemblea
Nazionale alla Chiesa ed al Paese [8 May 2011] (once); Conférence des Éveques de France, Conseil Famille et Société, Élagir le
mariage aux personnes de même sexe? Ouvrons le debat [28 September 2012]
(once); Comité de la Conférence Épiscopal Nationale du Congo,
Message sur la situation sécuritaire
dans le pays [5 December 2012 (once); Indian Bishop’s Conference, Final Declaration of the XXX Assembly: The
Role of the Church for a Better India [8 March, 2013] (once); and several
other exhortations and magisterial documents that do not have any specific
relevance to the local Churches as such.
[33]
Cf. Ibid., 33.
[34]
The Summa Theologia of St. Thomas is
quoted thirteen times in the document while his Summa Contra Gentiles makes one appearance.
[35]
Cf. Pope Francis, The Joy of the Gospel, cit., 43-48.
[36]
Cf. Ibid., 44. The Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC)
significantly is cited thrice in the document.
[37] Ibid., 51.
[38] Ibid., 51.
[39]
Cf. Ibid., 111.
[40] Ibid., 283
[41] Ibid., 117
[42]
See p. 6 above: “Christ, named as the “eternal gospel” in this document is the
heart of the message of evangelization. Here Jesus is named as “the evangelizer
par excellence and the Gospel in person.” He is our peace. He is Lord. These
all serve as foundations for the various praxes that the Pope proposes.”
[43] Ibid., 110.
[44] Ibid., 267
[45]
That leads automatically to the Trinity for to traffic with the Father and the
Son one needs the Holy Spirit.
[46]
G. Battista Mondin holds that the Incarnation ‘constitutes the undeniable
content of Christology’. “It is the architectonic Principle of all Christology.
It is the primary and principal truth and the unique access to the mystery of
the person of Christ.” “At the logical, ontological and theological level, the
Incarnation is and remains the key mystery and the architectonic principle of
Christology ” (Dimkpa Anthony C., The Self-consciousness of Jesus Christ,
Enumclaw WA: Pleasant Word Publ., 2010, 133 see notes, 1, 2, 3 and 127; See
Mondin G. B., Gesù Cristo, Salvatore
dell’uomo, Cristologia storica e sistematica (Bologna: Edizioni Studio
Domenicano, 1993, 283-284).
[47]
See Pope Francis, The Joy of the Gospel, Apostolic Exhortation of the Holy
Father Evangelii Gaudium, cit. 88, 112
[48] Ibid., 89
[49]
Cf. Ibid., 90-92.
[50]
Cf. Ibid., 179
[51]
Benedict XVI Motu Proprio Intima Ecclesiae Naturae (11 November 2012): AAS 104
(2012), 996 quoted in Cf. Ibid., no.
179.
[52]
Cf. Ibid., 97.
[53]
Reference to the Holy Spirit fills the document but what is cited here come
from nos: 97, 105, 116-117, 119, 122, 124-125, 128, 130, 132, 145, 151, 225,
254, 259, 261, 265, 280.
[54]
Cf. Ibid., 113-118
[55]
Cf. Ibid., 95-96, 102, 120-124.
[56]
Cf. Ibid., 102-103
[57]
Cf. Ibid., 104.
[58]
Cf. Ibid., 198
[59]
Cf. Ibid., 198-99
[60]
Cf. Ibid., 180
[61]
Cf. Ibid., 176
[62]
Cf. Ibid., 182
[63]
Cf. Ibid., 184
[64]
Cf. Ibid., 284-287
[65]
Apart from the just recently canonized two papal saints, Pope John XXXIII and
John Paul II, the Holy Father cites more than 8 saints.