Original scientific paper
Actuality of evangelical counsels in the light of “coming out” as a mission of the Church and consecrated life
Valerija Nedjeljka Kovač
orcid.org/0000-0002-7535-1951
; Catholic Faculty of Theology, University of Zagreb
Abstract
The article discusses the actuality of evangelical counse ls for the present time. As a perspective of reflection the author takes a widespread paradigm in the Bible and in theology, the paradigm of “coming out”, which also Pope Francis actualizes in his own way. The first part presents a number of theological moments, which arise from manifold interpretation of the para digm of “coming out”. In the second part the author expoun ds the understanding and use of the paradigm of “coming out” with Pope Francis, particularly under the aspect of the Church’s mission and consecrated life. In the third part the author inter prets the evangelical counsels as the realization of the mission of “coming out” into the world of today. First, she proposes to place evangelical counsels into a wider horizon of vocation and mission, and then she interprets every single counsel. From the perspective of “coming out”, it is emphasized that the basic atti tude of obedience is to listen to God who liberates and leads; for the counsel of poverty it is to choose God as the only certainty and value of life; the counsel of chastity implies a total commi tment to God who is the first Love, and building the unselfish human relations.
Keywords
God; “coming out”; evangelical counsels; consecrated life; Pope Francis
Hrčak ID:
148833
URI
Publication date:
30.11.2015.
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