Review article
https://doi.org/10.34075/cs.57.s1.5
Reflection on some moral emphases in the teaching of Pope Francis
Tonči Matulić
orcid.org/0000-0003-3419-9938
; Catholic Faculty of Theology, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
Abstract
In this contribution, the author simultaneously presents and reflects on some moral emphases in the teachings of Pope Francis. In the first part of the contribution, he presents and analyses the moral emphases contained in his inaugural document, the apostolic exhortation Evangelii Gaudium from 2013. In the second part, the author briefly presents the main inspiration of the moral teaching of Pope Francis, which is divine mercy, which is both a sublime attribute of God and the very core of Christ’s gospel message. The third part brings the author’s reflections on some aspects of the renewal of the church’s moral speech in the messages of Pope Francis and the call for the consistency of Christian testimony. This is connected in the fourth part of this contribution with the presentation and analysis of the key terms of Francis’ vision of the Church as Christ’s community, which in history represents God’s holy people on a path that knows joys and hopes, but also sorrows and anxieties. Since some moral reflections and statements of Pope Francis caused stormy reactions and heated discussions in some circles, the author briefly presents the reasons and context in the last part of the contribution, which is the post-synodal apostolic exhortation Amoris Laetitia from 2016. The author presents a clear message, which also extends to the conclusion, that in the interpretation of the moral teachings of Pope Francis, love and respect, objectivity and relief from prejudice should be cultivated, while at the same time one should strive to engage more deeply and comprehensively in the conciliar vision of the renewal of moral theology in the spirit of the Gospel and complete Christian personalism.
Keywords
Gospel; love; charity; Church; poverty; morality
Hrčak ID:
288158
URI
Publication date:
16.1.2023.
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