Ecuadorian Journal of Philosophical-Theological Sciences
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; font-family: '??', '??', '??', '??', '??', ui-sans-serif, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Inter, 'Apple Color Emoji', 'Segoe UI Emoji', 'Segoe UI Symbol', 'Microsoft YaHei Light', sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: #222222; white-space: normal; background-color: #ffffff; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial; width: 543.991px; min-width: 34rem; text-align: justify; padding-right: 3.5rem;"> The Revista Ecuatoriana de Ciencias Filosófico-Teológicas (RECiFiT) aims to disseminate scientific production in philosophy and theology to an academic and general audience, both nationally and internationally. Published biannually in digital format, the journal aspires to be a reference in the humanities at the local and regional level. RECIFiT covers a variety of topics including history, applied philosophy, continental and analytical philosophy, pastoral ministry, spirituality, and dogmatic and biblical studies, promoting an enriching exchange on these fields of knowledge. <p style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; font-family: '??', '??', '??', '??', '??', ui-sans-serif, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Inter, 'Apple Color Emoji', 'Segoe UI Emoji', 'Segoe UI Symbol', 'Microsoft YaHei Light', sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: #222222; white-space: normal; background-color: #ffffff; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;">
Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador
Open Access Licence pen Access Licence The Ecuadorian Journal of Philosophical-Theological Sciences adheres to the Open Access model in which the contents of scientific publications are freely available in full text on the Internet, without temporary embargoes, and whose editorial production costs are not transferred to the authors. This policy aims to break down the economic barriers that generate inequalities both in access to information and in the publication of research results.
O legado espiritual do Papa Francisco para a igreja na Amazônia
This article presents a reflection on the spiritual legacy of Pope Francis for the Church in the Amazon. First, it addresses the significance of his pontificate as the first Latin American and Jesuit pope, highlighting the mark it left on the life of the universal Church. Second, it analyzes the historical and spiritual process that led to the Special Synod for the Amazon, considering the stages of preparation, celebration, and reception of this event as one of the pope's main legacies for the Amazon region and for the Church. Finally, it examines the apostolic exhortation Querida Amazonia, highlighting some of its theological and spiritual foundations, particularly those that underpin the dreams proposed by Francis for the Amazon and for the ecclesial mission. The study concludes with a reference to the synodal path promoted by Pope Francis and its continuity in the pontificate of Pope Leo XIV
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O magistério de Francisco e seu legado para o enfrentamento da crise socioambiental:
The current and undeniable socio-environmental crisis is gradually threatening the fragile ecological balance of the planet and causing increasingly severe extreme weather events that ravage and devastate our common home. This article, in light of Lk 12:6, which is part of the pericope of Lk 12:4-7, the only passage cited simultaneously in Laudato Si’, Querida Amazonia, and Laudate Deum, addresses the urgent need to reflect on care for our common home and the necessary and fundamental ecological conversion required for an Integral Ecology, as proposed by Pope Francis. Between 2015 and 2023, a period encompassing the release of the three aforementioned documents, to which another, Fratelli Tutti, may be added, Pope Francis’s magisterium fostered an important dialogue between international politics, science, and the environment, while also addressing the pivotal role of Christianity and its praxis in confronting the current climate crisis. Despite his brief pontificate, Pope Francis has become a prophetic voice for our times and has spared no effort in combating the technocratic paradigm. For this analysis, this article presents the biblical text in its original language and a personal translation, along with textual criticism notes and biblical-theological commentary on the four verses of the pericope from Lk 12:4-7. It then presents some points regarding the historical contexts and structural themes of the documents Laudato Si’, Querida Amazonia, and Laudate Deum. The conclusion supports the propositions formulated by Pope Francis, articulating another possible economic model and his ecclesial vision, with an emphasis on the synodal model.
Critical relevance of the Canticle of the Creatures Fraternity in Times of the Anthropocene: The Continuing Critical Significance of the Canticle of the Creatures
This article examines the critical relevance of the Canticle of the Creatures by Saint Francis of Assisi in the context of the contemporary socio-environmental and technological crisis. Based on the category of the Anthropocene, it is argued that this crisis is not limited to ecological deterioration, but rather expresses an anthropological understanding based on the separation between humanity, technology, and creation. From this perspective, and in dialogue with studies on the Anthropocene, the critique of the technocratic paradigm, and the recent social magisterium of the Church, especially Laudato si' and some interventions by Pope Leo XIV, it is shown how the Franciscan tradition offers an understanding of the world founded on interdependence, shared vulnerability, and fraternity with all created beings. Likewise, the ethical challenges posed by artificial intelligence are examined, particularly with regard to responsibility, justice, and access to knowledge. The study argues that the Canticle retains a significant critical capacity to challenge contemporary logics of domination and to rethink the relationships between ecology, technology, and human dignity.
Active ecological citizenship: A dialogue between Aristotle and Laudato Si'
This article proposes a philosophical-theological dialogue between Aristotelian political philosophy and Pope Francis's encyclical Laudato Si', with the aim of grounding the category of "active ecological citizenship" as an integral response to the contemporary environmental crisis. On the occasion of the tenth anniversary of Laudato Si' and the eight-hundredth anniversary of Saint Francis of Assisi's Canticle of the Creatures, it is argued that the ecological crisis is not merely a technical or environmental problem, but rather a profound political crisis, understood as the failure of the political community to orient itself toward the common good. Drawing on the Aristotelian concepts of zoôn politikón (ζῷον πολιτικόν), polis (πόλις), eudaimonía (εὐδαιμονία), and the common good (τὸ κοινὸν ἀγαθόν), reinterpreted through the lens of the integral ecology proposed in Laudato Si', the convergences and tensions between both traditions are analyzed. As a result, the category of active ecological citizenship is proposed, understood as a form of political participation oriented toward the care of our Common Home, environmental justice, the preferential option for the poor, and intergenerational solidarity.
Integral ecology demands a new anthropology
Anthropological fragmentation and anthropocentrism constitute some of the structural causes of the contemporary ecological crisis. The vision that places the human being at the center of creation has favored forms of nature exploitation that have contributed to the emergence of the Anthropocene. Faced with this reality, the encyclical Laudato si' develops a critical reflection on its environmental, social, ethical, and spiritual implications. In dialogue with this proposal, the present work puts forward ontoecocentrism as a paradigm that can contribute to the realization of the integral ecology promoted by Pope Francis. This perspective aligns with other currents that emphasize that everything is connected and that, therefore, it is necessary to safeguard the principle of inter-in-dependence. From this understanding, reality is understood as cosmotheandric, where the divine, human, and material dimensions are constituted in a relational manner. This allows us to overcome claims of superiority and domination, affirming the intrinsic value of each being without diluting its differences. In this sense, interrelation constitutes a fundamental element for promoting systemic, glocal, and dialogical responses to the environmental, social, ethical, and spiritual crisis. It is concluded that the realization of integral ecology requires an anthropological conversion capable of overcoming anthropocentrism and assuming a co-responsibility oriented toward the care of our common home, reconciliation, and the planetary common good.
Integral Ecology and Spirituality in the Face of Ecosocial Devastation
A theological perspective on the eco-social crisis is presented, based on the encyclical Laudato si’ and on a situated experience in Latin America. The analysis is developed through the dialogue between ecology, theology, and spirituality within the Peace Community of San José de Apartadó, located in the Urabá region of Antioquia, one of the territories affected by the armed conflict in Colombia. It will be argued that the Peace Community of San José de Apartadó has consolidated, over the years, an exercise of resistance against the dynamics of structural violence within the framework of a series of eco-social and spiritual practices linked to their ways of inhabiting the territory, their forms of being-in-common with human and non-human beings, and their modes of historical memory in relation to their past and traditions. First, the concepts of eco-theology, integral ecology, and anthropocentrism are developed from the encyclical Laudato si’ and the apostolic exhortation Laudate Deum by Pope Francis. Second, the resistance practices of the Peace Community of San José de Apartadó and the spiritual possibilities linked to their roots and traditions are presented. Finally, these elements are articulated to construct a theological perspective on the social and environmental crisis. It will be argued that this Peace Community constitutes a reference for peace and a significant experience of communion with nature.
Experience, language, and Christian mysticism: Dialogue between the mystical dimension and spiritual experience in the work of Michel de Certeau and the current challenges of Latin American theology and spirituality.
This article asks how the mystical dimension and spiritual experience in Certeau's work dialogue with the current challenges of Latin American spirituality and theology. The text aims to establish a critical dialogue between Michel de Certeau's analysis of mysticism and the current challenges of Latin American Spirituality (LAS) and Theology (LAT). Certeau's work highlighted the singularities of 16th- and 17th-century mysticism and spirituality by showing how the practices of certain groups and individuals differed markedly from the predominant trends in the religious and cultural sphere of the time: Protestant Reformation and Catholic Counter-Reformation. Many of his categories, approaches, and methodologies can be adapted to the analysis of Latin American theology in the 20th and 21st centuries because, on the one hand, its internal dynamics fall within the boundary between the renovating imprint of the Second Vatican Council and the currents that attempt to confine its impact to the approaches that predominate in Europe and the First World. To this end, he takes Certeau's categories on mysticism—understood as a practice of enunciation or ‘modus loquendi’ that arises from a crisis and focuses on the absence of God—and attempts to show that they are relevant to understanding Latin American spirituality. TLA is defined by its preferential option for the poor as a place of enunciation and by orthopraxis (transformative action) over orthodoxy, elements that are analyzed as ‘mystical operations’ of articulation between contemplation and commitment. Ultimately, Certeau's analysis offers epistemological validation for TLA by resisting rationalism and privileging the otherness and historicity of the experience of faith.
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Unidade, alteridade e diversidade em Gálatas 3,26-29: Somos um em Cristo Jesus
O estudo dedica-se a uma análise da literatura paulina, com especial atenção à Carta aos Gálatas, tradicionalmente reconhecida como uma das cartas protopaulinas do Novo Testamento. Nessa Carta, observa-se o protagonismo de Paulo, conhecido como “apóstolo dos gentios” (Rm 11,13), na propagação do cristianismo em um cenário caracterizado por significativa diversidade cultural, étnica e social. Desde seu surgimento, o cristianismo foi marcado pela pluralidade cultural, étnica e social, nunca sendo restrito a um único grupo, mas apresentando-se como um movimento integrador que rompe barreiras culturais e sociais. A mensagem de Paulo destaca a importância do acolhimento da pluralidade e o potencial do Evangelho como elemento unificador, sem eliminar as características específicas de cada cultura. Essa visão de unidade na diversidade foi resgatada pelo Papa Francisco em sua Exortação Apostólica Evangelii Gaudium (2013), central em seu pontificado, que reforça a proposta de um cristianismo inclusivo, aberto ao diálogo intercultural, e vê a alteridade como uma dimensão essencial do Reino de Deus. O estudo defende que tanto Paulo quanto Francisco são representantes dessa perspectiva integradora, norteando a missão evangelizadora contemporânea para além das diferenças e promovendo uma convivência fraterna entre os povos. A discussão fundamenta-se no diálogo com estudiosos de exegese bíblica sobre os escritos paulinos, bem como no magistério recente da Igreja Católica. Desta forma, o estudo ressalta a atualidade do pensamento paulino, cuja relevância histórica permanece notável, além de sua aplicabilidade aos desafios da missão cristã em contextos plurais, sinalizando a continuidade e atualização do legado de Paulo para a evangelização atual.
Meditation and Prayer and Contemplative PrayerIntroduction to Christian Praxis
This article introduces the practice of meditation and contemplative prayer within Christianity, following the spiritual school of the Jesuit fathers Franz Jálics and Péter Mustó. It explains that meditation, rather than a theory, is a practice that requires an attitude of relaxed attention and an open presence to reality. Meditation is not about concentration or the exertion of active will but about allowing phenomena to become conscious on their own, cultivating a passive and receptive disposition. The text emphasizes the importance of confronting the internal resistances that arise during practice and remaining in the present moment, where God manifests Himself as being itself. When performed with intention, trust, and the repetition of the name of Jesus, meditation becomes prayer. In this sense, contemplative prayer seeks the unity of being, inner reconciliation, and the living experience of God’s presence in the here and now.
Michel de Certeau: Historiography, Revolution, and Christianity. An Epistemological Displacement from Latin America
What is the connection between the writing of history and the social position inhabited by the historian? What is the link between doing theology and the institutional place of the theologian? These epistemological questions highlight the unavoidable consequences of social and political involvement in the production of any scientific discourse. Michel de Certeau delves into these issues, developing his categories on the writing of history and the historiographical operation through dialogue with his anthropological, political, social, and theological analyses of the changing realities in France and Latin America. His interest in this continent, particularly in cultural and ecclesial developments, is not merely an appendix to his work. On the contrary, his extensive body of articles and reviews on Latin America demonstrates not only his engagement with these developments but also reveals the extent to which this engagement was fundamental in shaping his own theoretical frameworks. The cultural space of the continent, where the mystical, the popular, orality, and the political converge, becomes interwoven in the work of the French Jesuit to rethink certain categories of European modernity. Thus, this geographical shift transforms, in turn, into an epistemological displacement above all, revealing another way of doing history by incorporating a sharp reflection on revolution in connection with the current polycentrism of Christianity. To carry out this inquiry, primary reliance has been placed on The Writing of History and The Practice of Everyday Life, particularly the chapter "The Scriptural Economy."
The non-place of theology: Michel de Certeau and Francis in dialogue with contemporary Latin America
In this article, we seek to highlight the relevance of Michel de Certeau's thought for contemporary theology, particularly in the Latin American context and in dialogue with the teachings of Pope Francis. Based on the category of theological non-place, inspired by mysticism, three central contributions of Certeau's are highlighted: his proposal for a theology at the frontier, open to interdisciplinary dialogue; his vindication of mystical language as an epistemological opening; and his recovery of everyday life as a space for revelation and cultural creativity. These elements are related to the theological reception of the Second Vatican Council, the methodological reflections of Giuseppe Colombo and Bernard Lonergan, and the teachings of Francis in Evangelii Gaudium, Gaudete et Exsultate, Laudato Si', and Fratelli Tutti. It is argued that both Certeau and Francis agree on restoring to theology a dynamism that closely links it to the life of peoples, popular religiosity, and the historical processes of justice, fraternity, and interculturality. Finally, it is shown how this convergence offers fruitful keys for a mystical Latin American theology that is contextualized and committed to current social transformations.
The humanities as a "tactic". Reflections through Michel de Certeau
This essay seeks to offer a critical reflection on the place and power of the humanities in the contemporary world, based on the approaches of Michel de Certeau. Faced with a landscape dominated by technocracy, the management of useful knowledge, and the logic of productivity, it is proposed that the humanities can be understood as a “tactic” in the Certeauian sense: a minor, mobile, and situated practice that operates within the devices of power without being entirely subject to them. Based on certain Certoian ideas, this essay argues that humanistic knowledge practices—in their forms of reading, writing, listening, and interpretation—embody alternative modes of explanation, problematization, and positioning that seek to transcend the dominant ideas about what is “valuable” and “necessary” for a society. Rather than defending an essence of the humanities, this text advocates thinking of them as a “way of doing”: as an art of deviation, of drifting and of rewriting the given.
Divine Justice and the Theological Identity of Israel in Exile: A Historical-Critical Analysis of Psalm 137
This study analyzes how Ps 137 reflects the profound experience of exile of the Israelite people, emphasizing the intersection between divine justice and theological identity in a context of oppression and despair. The importance of the Ps 137 is contextualized, as it expresses lament and a desire for restoration, revealing the constant struggle of the people to maintain their faith and identity in a hostile and desolate environment. The comparative analysis between the Masoretic Text (MT) and the Septuagint (LXX) highlights textual variations that can significantly enrich the interpretation of the Ps 137, evidencing the different traditions of transmission and interpretation over the centuries. The critical notes provided in this study offer a detailed view of specific verses, exploring the linguistic and cultural nuances that enrich the understanding of the text. The historical context is fundamental to understanding the implications of the Babylonian exile on the formation of Israel’s national and spiritual identity, reflecting the pains, struggles, and hopes of the people. Literary criticism and form analysis address the construction of the Ps 137, while the conclusion connects the quest for divine justice to the affirmation of Israel's identity. Thus, the Ps 137 not only laments loss and pain but also cries out for redemption and reaffirms faith in a God who is just and present, even in times of crisis and despair.
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From clericalism to synodality: ecclesial reform according to Pope Francis
The article addresses clericalism in the Catholic Church from the perspective of Pope Francis, who defines it as an ecclesial perversion that affects both clergy and laity. Clericalism, understood as a culture that promotes abuse of power, hierarchical relationships, and the exclusion of the laity, is, according to the Pope, one of the main obstacles to the Church’s mission. Its origin is identified in priestly formation, particularly in seminaries, where separation, rigid discipline, and an authoritarian vision of ministry are often emphasized. This model, inherited from the Tridentine tradition, has persisted despite the reforms proposed by the Second Vatican Council. As a result, ministers are formed who are disconnected from communities and unreceptive to dialogue and shared discernment. In response, Francis proposes synodality as an antidote to clericalism. This involves a Church in which all the baptized actively participate in ecclesial life through communal discernment, shared responsibility, and mutual listening. The Pope also emphasizes the need for mechanisms of accountability and a profound reform of the Church's power structures, including decentralization, effective inclusion of the laity, and integral formation for future priests. Ultimately, the text proposes an ecclesial model centered on service, transparency, and communion, aiming to overcome a deeply rooted clericalist culture and move toward a Church faithful to the Gospel and the spirit of the Second Vatican Council.
Nicaea is a model for conflict resolution.
Communion as a way of dialogue, in the context of the 1700 years of the Ecumenical Council of Nicaea (325), aims to analyse how Nicaea can be interpreted as a model for collective conflict resolution, by identifying the principles and dynamics applied in their historical context that may be relevant to contemporary conflict management. Methodologically, a qualitative paradigm is adopted, following the phenomenological hermeneutic method and a descriptive design, through the critical analysis of documents. The results reveal as principles inclusion; open debate; clarity of controversial elements; communion and unity in diversity and consensus. Strategies include the recognition and formulation of conflict; the need to resolve it; dialogue, discernment; logistical support; alternative leadership. In addition, there are values such as humility, commitment, respect for differences and service. It is concluded that communion as a way of dialogue represents an approach based on mutual understanding, empathy and respect for differences, since collaboration was promoted in the search for solutions to theological conflicts by bringing together diverse representatives. Finally, the Council of Nicaea can be interpreted as a useful model for conflict resolution in contexts that require cooperation from various parties with different interests or perspectives.
Colonial literature: unity in the diversity of its writings
This study proposes that the limited knowledge of colonial-era literature has functioned within the Ecuadorian literary field much like a black hole in cosmic space. Therefore, the aim is to examine why, in the context of the globalized 21st century, literary archaeology—dedicated to uncovering the country’s largely unknown colonial writings—remains a relevant and necessary pursuit. The inquiry begins with an analysis of the cultural and literary conditions of the colonial period, as well as the characteristics of contemporary literature. The black hole, as a metaphor for understanding the impact that disinterest in colonial literature has had up to the present, also allows us to sense the need to reconsider the guidelines for its study from a perspective that embraces the literary and cultural diversity of these "forgotten" texts. Against this backdrop, the concept of literary archaeology emerges as a research field designed to offer new conceptual and methodological tools. These tools facilitate a reflective reassessment of the interactions among agents in the Ecuadorian literary field, and invigorate cultural memory. By continuing to interweave texts from different periods, spaces, and genres, the obscured regions of literary black holes become light, challenging the perception of colonial literature as a bygone and disconnected past, and instead recognizing its enduring relevance to the present.
Intercultural education at the Jesuit University of Paraguay
One of the societies that has suffered the most and continues to demand the recognition of their rights is that of Indigenous peoples in Latin America. Areas related to health, the economy, and education are among these requirements. This article describes a case study of members of different Indigenous peoples in Paraguay pursuing a university degree at the Jesuit University (UJP) in that country. The successful recruitment process, the application of current perspectives, the building of trust, and adaptation to new environments allowed for high levels of inclusion among the different actors in the academic community. This research uses a qualitative approach, descriptive level, and documentary techniques. The initial data obtained indicate a balanced and ongoing alignment with respect to scholarships, residencies, Ignatian pedagogy, ecumenism, and academic development, all of which contribute to strengthening interculturality. It is concluded that despite the various difficulties at the national level, as well as in the academic integration process within the UJP, it is possible to identify positive aspects that allow for improvements in order to provide an appropriate and more humane education for members of Aboriginal communities.
Collaborative Unity in the Diversity of Positions
This article explores the paradoxes surrounding prisons and drug use from a clinical perspective grounded in psychoanalytic and institutional frameworks, taking as its point of departure the phenomenon of death by withdrawal among incarcerated individuals in Ecuadorian prisons. It argues that the coexistence of prohibition and tolerance regarding drug use within prisons reflects a structural contradiction—a mirror of broader cultural and social tensions. This paradox is analyzed not merely as dysfunction but as a systemic symptom and a clinical opportunity. The methodology employed is qualitative, based on action-research conducted by a team of clinical psychologists. Group-based clinical interventions were implemented with both incarcerated individuals and prison staff, aiming to create humanizing spaces within environments marked by desubjectivation. The information gathered was then processed through analytic seminars and a systematic review of key learnings. Findings indicate that the militarization of prisons, coupled with an ambiguous approach to drug use, turns institutional neglect into a form of violence. Drugs in prison serve as regulatory mechanisms for psychic distress, thereby becoming a paradoxical tool of institutional management. The article concludes by advocating for a shift in focus—from the crime to the subject—arguing that death by withdrawal is not accidental but rather a predictable consequence of an institutional structure that denies the right to mental health. Drawing from clinical and psychoanalytic insights, the article proposes treating paradox not only as contradiction but as a gateway to critical intervention within the penal system, enabling the emergence of practices that restore social bonds.
The Contemporary Relevance of Hans Urs von Balthasar’s Thought
Hans Urs von Balthasar, a Swiss theologian born in 1905 and passed away in 1988, is a highly renowned yet often misunderstood figure, particularly in Latin America. While his name is recognized and certain phrases of his, such as "theology on one's knees" and "theological aesthetics," have gained some popularity, his complete body of work has not received the attention it deserves. Among the reasons for this lack of recognition are his German cultural origins, the scholarly nature of his writings, and the greater fame of other theologians in the region. However, the true challenge of his theology lies in the necessity of understanding his thought in its entirety in order to grasp its deeper contributions. Over the course of his life, Balthasar authored more than 100 books and 600 scholarly articles, further adding to the complexity of his work. Despite this, his theology remains profoundly inspiring and continues to be relevant, justifying the effort to delve into it. This article presents some of the most innovative aspects of his theology that can enrich life, faith, and theology in Latin America.
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This paper reflects on the power of the Eucharist, a sacramental gift from God that fosters conversion and enables the ability to see others as part of a unified body. It explores how this gift can heal a world plagued by hostility, division, and polarization. A Church that is both Eucharistic, patterned after the unity and love inherent in the Trinity, and synodal, marked by the sensibility of journeying together in communion and mission, can lead us toward a future where sources of disharmony disappear. In this future, the transfigured presence of the ‘Eucharistic Lord’ draws all people together in fraternal love and peace.
Prophesizing life from illness and death
This article examines the need to recover, within everyday communication, the lived experiences of illness and dying. From a phenomenological perspective, it analyzes how the narration of such experiences can enrich the understanding of the meaning of life, which is often reduced to a framework that overlooks its constitutive condition of vulnerability. To support this proposal for ethical renewal, a connection is established between the transformation of bodily experience during illness and immersion in aesthetic experience, both understood as moments in which one relearns how to perceive the surrounding world. These processes are grounded in primary aisthesis, which enables the self-constitution of the personal self from early childhood. Within this framework, the experience of caring and being cared for in the context of illness and death is examined phenomenologically, highlighting the ways in which companionship, speech, and silence configure a space of profound spiritual encounter. This space fosters the search for a sense of fulfillment at the end of life. It is argued that even when the fragility of memory prevents the ill person from having full awareness of his or her condition, such a space can be articulated through touch and companionship, generating a form of communication that reveals the ultimate vulnerability shared by those engaged in the caring relationship. Finally, it is proposed that this communicative space may be expanded when shared through stories, whether testimonial or reworked as fiction, which invite a prophetic rediscovery of illness and dying. This rediscovery is presented as a lesson for living more fully, both in the care of others and in the care of oneself.
Beyond the Sacred Threshold: A Philosophical Exploration of Secularization.
This article examines the phenomenon of secularization through a comparative analysis of the philosophical perspectives of Charles Taylor and Hans Blumenberg. While Taylor criticizes “subtraction theories” that view secularization as simply a decline of religion, proposing instead a holistic approach that considers changes in the conditions of belief. Blumenberg defends the legitimacy of the Modern Age through his theory of “reoccupation,” which opposes the idea of a simple transposition of theological concepts into secular terms. Through a phenomenological and hermeneutical approach, the study analyzes the major works of both authors, Taylor's “The Secular Age” and Blumenberg's “The Legitimacy of the Modern Age,” exploring how they address historical continuity, the legitimacy of modernity, and the persistence of the search for meaning in a secular context. The study suggests a dialectical relationship between Taylor's expressivism and Blumenberg's infinite progress, arguing that modern progress does not deny expressivist plurality, but rather makes it possible in new forms. It concludes that secularization is not merely the elimination of the religious, but the creation of a space where multiple frames of meaning can coexist and dialogue. This more nuanced understanding of secularization has significant implications for our navigation of the ethical and existential complexities generated by modern developments and forces us to reconsider the relationship between religion and modernity.
Evangelical Hermeneutics as a Prophetic Perspective on Life
This article explores the contribution of the Church Fathers, Basil the Great and Gregory of Nyssa, to evangelical hermeneutics as a prophetic perspective on life, through their homilies on usury. It provides a brief characterization of their exegetical approach and their relationship with Sacred Scripture. Additionally, the homilies on usury are analyzed from an evangelical hermeneutical perspective, proposing interpretative lines that enhance its understanding as a prophetic vision of existence.
The prevention of abuse, another face of fraternity
The prevention of child sexual abuse is a priority in today's society and particularly in the Catholic Church, which has been affected by multiple scandals. For more than a decade, dioceses and ecclesial communities have undertaken actions aimed at the prevention of child sexual abuse. Although there is a great effort on the part of the Church in this regard, the research has led us to confirm that in many cases the intervention guidelines and prevention protocols are limited to describing and/or establishing the actions to be taken once sexual abuse has occurred and neglect the importance of establishing a protective environment that prevents sexual abuse in general or do not establish concrete guidelines for the accompaniment of victims once abuse has been detected. This research is based on a bibliographical review of the fundamental aspects in the care of minors and vulnerable persons and those at risk, trying to validate the proposal based on the contributions of various authors. Subsequently, a review and qualitative analysis of protocols for the prevention of abuse of minors and vulnerable persons in some Dioceses of Northern Spain and other ecclesial realities has been made. This study has led us to a final discussion, which highlights the importance of an integrative model, that is: preventive, restorative and accompaniment of victims and their families.
Copyright (c) 2024 William Restrepo (Autor/a) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/deed.es
Pastoral family care and the ministry of lay people. 1
The pontificate of Pope Francis has once again revalorized the expertise and the specific contribution that the lay people are called to bring to the ecclesial community, following the directives of the Second Vatican Council and the call of John Paul II to be “men and women of synthesis”. It is therefore necessary to consider family ministry as part of the specific agency of the lay people, and their contribution to the pastoral care of a Church going forth. Pope Francis has called families to be the main protagonists of family ministry, thus giving their concrete contribution to evangelization, the task of the whole Church. On the other hand, the Church must learn from the style of family relationships in order to overcome the temptation of clericalism and formalism. It is necessary to focus the person at the center of pastoral concern, in order to accompany processes of discernment and integration, especially of those who have left the community.
Copyright (c) 2024 Miguel Yáñez, SJ (Autor/a) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/deed.es
In this year 2024 the LIII International Eucharistic Congress (IEC) will be celebrated in the context of “Fraternity to heal the world”, so this work aims to bring the basic concepts that every Catholic Christian should know. Starting from concepts such as Congress, Eucharist, the errors that should be corrected in this sacrament, and fraternity; as well as presenting different evangelical passages and the formation of priests as key pieces to carry out a good Eucharist. The determination of the concepts is important for the proposed thesis, because, from all that has been mentioned, it is possible to realize that fraternity is transformed, it leaves from the spiritual and is translated into something material.
Copyright (c) 2024 Luis GONZAGA TROYA (Autor/a) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/deed.es
Human Fraternity as Responsibility. The Exemplary Case of Safeguarding
Starting from Pope Francis’ documents on the theme of fraternity, this contribution aims to show how the ethical call for the healing of the world can find in fraternity a founding element to the extent that it is recognisable at a global level, and therefore regardless any cultural and religious differences. To this end, an attempt will be made to think of human fraternity in the light of a paradigm that can be accepted beyond these same differences. Through reference to some contemporary philosophical reflections (with particular reference to Hannah Arendt’s contribution), this paradigm will be identified in the essentially relational form of human existence. Starting from here, in particular by referring to the thought of Hans Jonas and Emmanuel Lévinas, the concept of fraternity will be thought of in the light of original human responsibility, and conceived as an original attitude in which the person cannot fail to recognise themselves in order to fully realise their identity. Finally, the efficacy of this paradigm will be shown in the exemplary case of the prevention of sexual and other forms of abuse (Safeguarding): only by thinking the abusive act in the light of the relational and contextual dimension in which it occurs, it is possible to understand the socio-cultural attitudes that, in a given context, favour it or at least do not inhibit it, in order to be able to intervene at a preventive level.
Copyright (c) 2024 Alessandra Campo (Autor/a) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/deed.es
“Never Again War!” (FT 258) Pope Francis on peace and the abolition of ‘just war’ in Fratelli Tutti
Starting from the clear and sustained position of Pope Francis against war, armaments and against the violation of human rights, this article explores the positions of his encyclical Fratelli Tutti on violence, war and peace. It underlines the analysis of the current world that is seriously wounded by war and violence. War is systematically described as an absurdity to be abolished. This refers particularly to the doctrine of “just war” which the Pope openly rejects. Additionally, his position is that not only the use but also the possession of weapons, especially nuclear weapons, is immoral and unsustainable. To live these choices, Fratelli Tutti proposes spiritual and ethical attitudes of nonviolence. In this way, it will be possible to walk the path of peace, which is nothing other than peace itself.
Copyright (c) 2024 Stefan Silber (Autor/a) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/deed.es
Rhetorical Analysis in Isaiah 2,1-5: The going of the nations to Jerusalem for peace
In Isaiah (Isa.) 2,1-5 readers are taken to a very different place, a supernatural vision of righteousness, justice and endless peace, where a city on a hill is at the center of a dream. This city is higher than all, towering above the world, to which people flow in order to attain their blessings and their greatest reward: peace. Since this passage has received various interpretations over the centuries, and the theme of pacifism is a recent phenomenon, this article proposes to analyze it through steps of the Critical Historical Method and the Semitic Biblical Rhetorical Analysis. The pacifist message is totally relevant to the present day, where the primordial order, especially in the sphere of inter-human relations, is here restored forever. Special attention is given to the value of people “going” to Jerusalem, “city of peace”, called to be a radiating center for peaceful and pacifying behavior, capable of impacting the world with a peace project that is real and lasting, according to the heart of YHWH. To this end, a segmentation and commented translation of the pericope of Isa. 2,1-5 is offered; textual criticism is carried out in order to see possible problems with textual variants; literary criticism or the constitution of the text is carried out; redactional criticism; literary genre criticism and Rhetorical Analysis. All of this provides insight into the biblical theology that this biblical text offers for the practice and cultivation of a culture of peace, which can help in today’s times, with so many challenges.
Copyright (c) 2024 Waldecir Gonzaga, Dr. Doaldo Ferreira Belem, Ms. Marcelo Ferreira Miguel (Autor/a) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/deed.es