The journal Anales de Teología of the Universidad Católica de la Santísima Concepción (An.Teol.), began its first publication in 1998 (ISSN 0717-4152). Since then, it has continuously published academic research papers in the field of theology. Starting from 2022 (ISSN 2735-6345), in response to the changing times, the journal transitions to a fully online format, maintaining its original quality. It is published twice a year, with one issue in each semester.
Universidad Católica de la Santísima Concepción
The Anales de Teología is an open access journal and does not charge for publication. In addition, it regulates its Copyright and access policy according to the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International Public License (CC BY-NC 4.0), therefore sharing (reproducing and distributing the material in any medium or format) and adaptation (modifying, transforming, and creating from the material) is allowed as long as proper credit is given and the citation is included with the corresponding data. Moreover, it is not allowed to use the material for commercial purposes.
The “Bergoglian” roots of hope in Pope Francis: hope as the cornerstone of his theological anthropology
After twelve years of pontificate, the initially almost unknown figure of Pope Francis has reached his highest level at the time of his death, when he was 88 years old. The trajectory of Pope Bergoglio's life was quickly scrutinized by the press from his first appearance in St. Peter's Square and the fascination that his initial gestures and words provoked. Although he is the first Latin American pope, he intentionally and decisively projected a universal papacy with its own stamp from the very beginning. This paper aims to review and value the figure and legacy of Francis from his evangelizing program. Our hypothesis is that the Christian virtue of hope configured, together with mercy, the articulating center of his theological anthropology, his pastoral action, and the seal of evangelizing joy which surprisingly enhanced his already naturally optimistic and positive personality.
Copyright (c) 2026 Juan Carlos Inostroza https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
From lavoro di cura to Christian service: an Augustinian approach to the contemporary care crisis
This article offers a reinterpretation of Saint Augustine of Hippo’s thought on care through the lens of the Gospel episode of Martha and Mary (Lk 10:38–42). From a theological-patristic perspective and in dialogue with contemporary care debates, it argues that Augustine removes care from its feminized conception and presents it as a universal vocation of the Church. The active service embodied by Martha is understood as a necessary mediation for sustaining life and as a concrete expression of Christian charity, though marked by the temporality of human existence. In contrast, Mary’s contemplation represents the eschatological fullness toward which all ecclesial action is oriented. Thus, care is redefined as a communal and theological practice that sustains life, anticipates the Kingdom, and bears witness to the unity between action, faith, and divine love.
Copyright (c) 2026 Silvia Lorena Castellanos Rodríguez, Ester Carvajal Castellanos https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
Like The Burning Bush. A Grateful Remembrance Of The Teacher Félix García López
The following note pays tribute, In Memoriam, to the Spanish biblical scholar Félix García López, an Old Testament specialist and professor at the Faculty of Theology in Salamanca. It highlights the legacy of his scholarly contributions to biblical studies in Spain and Europe, offering the perspective of someone who knew him personally through academic experience and friendship.
Copyright (c) 2026 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
An alternative Rendering of Genesis 1:28 in the Asante-Twi Bible
The goal of textual criticism is not to recover “the text” but to step into the context of the original author and audience, in order to ascertain what might have been the author’s intent and the understanding of the audience and to present a better text consequently. This is achieved through scientific analysis and exegetical endeavours. This paper presents a report on an exegetical study of the rendering of Genesis 1:28 in the Asante-Twi Bibles. The findings indicate that keywords such as bārāk, pārāh, kāḇaš and rāḏāh, which have not been suitably translated, can be better rendered. As a result, having undertaken contextual, textual, semantic and morphosyntactical analysis of the source text and compared with the target text, an alternative rendering of the text has been proposed for Asante-Twi translators and readers.
Copyright (c) 2025 Emmanuel Twumasi-Ankrah, Kojo Ennin Antwi, Frimpong Wiafe https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
Perspectives of Different Patristic Writers and the Early Church for a Theology of Sport
This article proposes the contributions of some Church Fathers and writers of early Christianity, with the aim of establishing an authentic Theology of Sport based on Tradition. The academic exercise is limited to presenting these reflections, encouraging further study of the works cited here for future research and presentations in other academic and pastoral settings where dialogue through sport is promoted. To this end, it has been necessary to carry out a thorough bibliographic search in order to identify texts that explain the meaning of sport in the light of faith, whether in favor of the believer or to the detriment of good morals. It is concluded that, based on the example and contributions in each of their works, the Fathers and writers of the early Church constitute an unparalleled model of dialogue between faith and culture, which demonstrates the possibility of illuminating any social sphere with the wisdom that comes from the Risen One.
Copyright (c) 2025 David Steven Mendoza-Carmona https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
The signs of the times as a space for a monstrous theology
Based on the sociocultural category of monstrosity, this exploratory article posits the thesis that the signs of the times are a space for a monstrous theology, that is, a gesture through which we delve deeper into the radical otherness of God, made present on the human stage through the signs of the times. To demonstrate the meaning of this thesis, the article begins by addressing some preliminary questions surrounding the idea of monstrosity and the meaning of the theology of the signs of the times. Secondly, three considerations will be made on how the relationship between monstrosity and the signs of the times can be developed: namely, monstrosity as a space of theological paradox; the question that marginal theological subjectivities emerge in the signs of the times as a monstrous theology; and, thirdly, the place of fiction as a discursive mediation for deepening the theology of the signs of the times from the perspective of monstrosity. Finally, some concise questions will be presented.
Radical otherness, signs of the times, fiction, event, theology.
Copyright (c) 2025 Juan Pablo Espinosa Arce https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
Biblical Monotheism and Pancasila’s First Principle: A Christian Theological Engagement with Indonesian Religious Pluralism
This article examines the theological concept of divine unity as reflected in Indonesia’s national philosophy, Pancasila, with a specific focus on its first principle, “Ketuhanan yang Maha Esa” (Belief in the one and only God). The research situates Christian biblical theology within the pluralistic religious landscape of Indonesia, articulating how the understanding of God’s unity informs interfaith dialogue and national cohesion. Employing a methodological approach grounded in exegetical analysis, the article elucidates the etymological, linguistic, and philosophical aspects of the Indonesian term ‘Ketuhanan’ (Divinity) and examines its implications for theological monotheism. Through a close reading of pivotal Old Testament texts, the article demonstrates that the affirmation of one God is deeply rooted in biblical revelation. This interpretative work seeks to corroborate the national ideology with scriptural truth, arguing that Pancasila can be affirmed by Christians not as a secular compromise but as a value resonant with the core tenets of their faith, thereby providing a theologically coherent basis for full participation in national life. The findings underscore the transformative role of biblical monotheism in shaping ethical citizenship and reinforcing the spiritual foundations of national identity. This article contributes novel insights into the integration of Christian theology with a pluralistic national ideology, critically discussing its implications for Christian inclusivity and civic responsibility within Indonesia's dynamic socio-religious landscape.
Monotheism, Divine Unity, Indonesian Pluralism, Christian Theology.
Copyright (c) 2025 Hanoch Herkanus Hamadi, M.Th https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
Possibility of Self-Salvation? Crisis of Christian Soteriology in the Era of Artificial Intelligence and Transhumanist Project
The article examines the contemporary soteriological crisis in light of artificial intelligence (AI) and transhumanism, and outlines a theological framework of response. It contrasts Christian salvation—anchored in grace and in the transformation of suffering—with projects of technological self-salvation that seek to neutralize vulnerability through anti-aging strategies, mind transfer (hereafter, uploading), and aspirations to bodily invulnerability. Such proposals reconfigure the anthropological imaginary and raise decisive questions about human identity and destiny, impelling theology to revisit its language and categories. The study maintains that alleviating pain and optimizing life are valuable achievements, yet they can lead to a technical-functional reduction of the person that neglects relational, communal, and spiritual depth. Within this horizon, an updated soteriology is proposed that preserves the centrality of redemption while engaging critically with the contributions of science and technology, discerning their limits and possibilities. In this way, salvation is rethought not as technological self-sufficiency but as openness to transcendence, which orients the ultimate meaning of existence, without renouncing the penultimate goods that technology may offer in the service of care and justice.
Copyright (c) 2026 Jorge Ricardo González López https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
ROCCO MALATACCA, Tu parli como me. La Sacra Scrittura è un’intelligenza artificiale, Città Nuova, Roma 2024, 176pp. ISBN 978-88-311-6601-0.
Copyright (c) 2025 Juan Carlos Inostroza https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
Matías Pizzi, Fenomenología del exceso. (Post Visión), SB, 2024, 292 pp. ISBN 978-631-6503-72-5
The debate on language crosses the nouvelle phénoménologie, from the auto-affection with which Michel Henry confronts objectifying speech, passing through the poetics of the event in Jean-Louis Chrétien and the liturgy in Jean-Yves Lacoste, to the ontology of manifestation in Renaud Barbaras. Within this framework, saying and silencing becomes the place in which the possibility of the phenomenon is at stake. Jean-Luc Marion responded with a doxological proposal that attempts a discourse of praise and, later, a language of absence to name phenomena that manifest themselves in excess, the so-called saturated ones. In doing so, he opened a trail that now welcomes studies on the pragmatics of donation and the semantics of overabundance. Read from the standpoint of theology, this development suggests that phenomenological language approaches traits of faith such as doxology, prayer and apophatic theology, where the word does not capture what is given but rather hosts its excess and receives it as gift. Marion’s work is among the most influential in the current french scene, and it opens with the notion of revelation and with the liturgical performativity of saying.
Copyright (c) 2025 Ezequiel Murga https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
Weak theology and synodal theology in university context
This article aims to rethink certain criteria for embracing the challenge of a more synodal ecclesial life. To do so, it begins its analysis from a non-theological perspective, addressing the UNDP Report for Chile (2024). This report poses the question, "Why is it so hard for us to change?" - that is, the difficulty in achieving changes that are widely recognized and understood as necessary within the Chilean sociopolitical context. In a second phase, an analogy is drawn with the Chilean ecclesial reality and the conditions required for an ecclesial transformation more in line with Jesus's message. Building on this intuition, the article proposes discerning certain theological criteria or emphases that, inspired by John Caputo's notion of weak theology, appear fundamental for fostering a praxis of ecclesiality that is increasingly synodal. In this process of change or conversion, universities should play a significant role by creating spaces for dialogue and encounters as fundamental conditions for a synodal experience. This would highlight the importance of a theological discourse that is connected to everyday life, articulated in a human language, and sustained by a continous attitude of dialogue.
Copyright (c) 2026 Francisco Correa Schnake, Benoit Mathot Mathot https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
Gift that Becomes Communion: Perichoresis, Eucharistic Ethos, and Relationality as Keys to a Theological Anthropology
This article proposes a theological anthropology centered on the Trinitarian dynamic that is articulated by the Eucharist. Starting from the hermeneutical metaphor of the spiral staircase, perichoresis, the reciprocal relational interpenetration of the divine Persons, when actualized by the action of the Spirit, reveals a communal anthropology whose historical and sacramental embodiment is found in the Eucharistic ethos. After explaining the Christological-kenotic foundation of this proposal, a pneumatological reading of history is developed that considers the Spirit as the principle that actualizes Christ's gift until eschatological consummation. Two experiential paradigms are contrasted: inhabitation (inner experience of love, with Augustinian and mystical roots) and cohabitio (communal experience of communion, exemplified in the spirituality of Chiara Lubich), culminating in an integrated proposal, coinhabitatio, articulated by intentionality, corporeality and reciprocity. The Eucharist appears as the sacramental place where memory, presence and promise are brought into tension, and from where the Church receives and transmits a relational ethic capable of responding to cultural fragmentation. The text combines patristic, theological and magisterial sources with contemporary proposals, suggesting avenues for theological formation, community pastoral care and future research on the social translation of a communal anthropology.
Copyright (c) 2025 Julián Andrés Gélvez Hernández, María Claudia Arboleda Piedrahita https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
The Theological Background of Pope Francis and his Revolution of Tenderness: A Revolution that Transforms Theology
Pope Francis's theology is characterized by its focus on the “Revolution of Tenderness”, a central concept in his pontificate. This article explores the theological background underpinning the centrality of tenderness in his magisterium. It examines the influence of Ignatian spirituality, the Argentine cultural and social context, and Francis's relationship with contemporary theologians. Highlighted in his encyclicals and apostolic documents, tenderness is presented as a transformative force capable of renewing human relationships and the perception of God. This study aims to demonstrate how the theology of tenderness promotes a Christian practice centered on love and compassion, offering a response to the spiritual and social needs of our time.
Copyright (c) 2024 María Claudia Arboleda https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
Training in virtues: reflection on two current challenges
The text reflects on the challenges of education in virtues in today's culture, highlighting the difficulty of educating in virtues in an environment that questions the existence of universal moral principles and the “disadvantage” of this educational model compared to the predominant utilitarianism. The importance of clarifying the concept of freedom and training in moral virtues, including the education of affectivity, is emphasized. It is highlighted that virtue implies the development of perfective intellectual and moral habits, and that the fundamental objective of moral formation is the true being of man. It is pointed out that education must be carried out from affective inclinations, prioritizing the stability of affections to build an education in virtues. It is emphasized that education must form emotional inclinations towards goodness and truth, and that it does not aim at professional or academic success, but at the realization of human possibilities in the natural and supernatural aspects.
Copyright (c) 2025 Jorge Mauricio González https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
Opening doors to church ministries in a women's key through the grace of baptism
The purpose of this article is to analyze the perspective of Francis' papacy regarding women and ecclesial ministries. While theological and practical challenges for the ecclesial community today are coming to light in the face of an even more active female presence, there is also criticism regarding the lack of more difficult decisions that the Pope must make, such as, for example, the diaconate and the female presbyterate. However, his papacy has given priority to baptismal grace, which is the possibility of co-responsible participation of both men and women in the life of the Church. This work is not only an individual responsibility but is shaped by the historical context of the Pope and must be understood as such. This research outlines what Francis' papacy has meant and made possible in terms of ecclesiology, ecclesial ministries and the participation of the laity. Ecclesiastical documents and regulations are analyzed, using bibliographic research and hermeneutics of suspicion as tools. The article addresses the questions: what changes has Pope Francis implemented in the Church to encourage the participation of women in ministries? And, what are some of the consequences of these decisions in the ecclesial sphere?
Copyright (c) 2025 Diana Milena Casallas Colorado, Iv´an Darío Toro Jaramillo https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
Unity of life according to St. Josemaría Escrivá: a proposal for the secularised world, with St. Joseph as a model
Saint Josemaría Escrivá emphasized that unity of life is essential for Christians, integrating faith, work, family, and social life into a single reality before God. This article explores how Saint Joseph embodies this principle, demonstrating that holiness is not reserved for extraordinary moments but is achieved through faithfulness in daily life. His silent obedience and diligent work make him a model for lay spirituality, as highlighted by Saint John Paul II in Redemptoris Custos. Drawing from Sacred Scripture, the Church’s Magisterium (Lumen Gentium, Christifideles Laici, Redemptoris Custos), and the writings of Saint Josemaría (Camino, Surco, Forja), this study examines the unity of life in the Christian vocation. In an increasingly secularized world, Saint Joseph’s Witness reminds us that every well-executed task can be an act of love for God. The article concludes by reaffirming the unity of life as a call to coherence, countering contemporary fragmentation.
Copyright (c) 2025 Kenio Angelo Dantas Freitas Estrela https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
School catechesis as a contribution to the institutional educational project and consolidation of the school as an ecclesial place
This article examines how school catechesis in Catholic schools contributes to the Institutional Educational Project (IEP) and to consolidating the educational community as an ecclesial locus, in light of the Directory for Catechesis (2020) and the Guidelines for Renewing the Catechesis of Christian Initiation in Chile (2025). Within this framework, catechesis is conceived as a pastoral dimension that is not limited to sacramental preparation but fosters the encounter with Christ, dialogue between faith and culture, and community life. Employing a qualitative methodology based on in-depth interviews and focus groups, the article analyzes the perceptions of coordinators and catechists regarding this relationship, highlighting both progress and areas for improvement in integrating catechesis into the IEP. The findings underscore that the educational community becomes a truly ecclesial locus when it remains faithful to its own IEP, within which school catechesis plays a central role in the Church’s evangelizing mission in response to contemporary challenges.
School catechesis, Institutional Educational Project (IEP), Ecclesial locus, Synodality, Mystagogy.
Copyright (c) 2025 Heriberto Cabrera, Lorena Basualto https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
Sanctity as humanization: A patristic reading of the mystery of the incarnation
A theological rereading of holiness is proposed as a process of humanization, based on the mystery of the Incarnation as understood in the works of four fourth-century Church Fathers: Athanasius of Alexandria, Gregory of Nazianzus, Gregory of Nyssa, and Ambrose of Milan. Using a methodology that combines a return to patristic sources (ad fontes) with a critical openness to contemporary challenges (aggiornamento), the study examines how the Incarnation of the Word restores the divine image in the human being, enabling a holiness lived in terms of communion, freedom, and relationality. The proposal is structured in three stages: the patristic understanding of the Incarnation as a new creation, the articulation between Incarnation and holiness, and the formulation of holiness as humanization. The starting point is the difficulty noted by Pope Francis in Gaudete et Exsultate regarding the conception of holiness as a universal offer of human fulfillment. The patristic authors agree in affirming the humanity of the incarnate Son, which allows holiness to be reread as the full manifestation of the human in God. Consequently, holiness is not presented as a reality foreign to the human, but as its deepest realization in Jesus Christ, God made human.
Son Incarnate, Creation, Economy of Salvation, Christianism, Spirit, Church Fathers.
Copyright (c) 2025 Orlando Solano Pinzón , Eva Pamela Reyes Gacitúa, Mauricio Rincón Andrade https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
Biodiversity and responsibility : A reflection from the thoughts of Pope Francis and Hans Jonas
Environmental ethics, as applied ethics, thinks about the responsibility that human beings have with their environment, a thought that has become necessary given the relationship that man has today with the environment, there is, among other things, an abuse of the resources it provides. Until today, such serious effects had not been evidenced, both for the environment and for the life of the human being. For this reason, it is necessary to generate a positive, real and pragmatic change that allows human beings to be responsible for caring for their environment. Considering the theological-philosophical aspects pointed out by pope Francis, with Hans Jonas's approach of an ethics for technological civilization, it is that, in this research, it is hoped to channel both lines of thought about responsibility towards practical ideas for human action in favor of biodiversity. In addition to recognizing the role of responsible administrator that the human being has, a role that should point towards an ethic oriented to the future, respecting the position of the human being responsible for the ecosystem and its biodiversity.
Copyright (c) 2022 Anales de Teología https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
The marian year, an ecumenical reason in the thought of pope John Paul II
The Marian Year begins and concludes by proposing the believing journey of Mary as an opportunity for the whole Church. By following Mary´s faith, we can find the path, that leads us to reach fullness of belief. It is a faith lived with the joy of the Holy Spirit, lived in freedom and obedience to the Lord, and perpetually embraced as children of the Father. Mary is the gateway that has led us into the third millennium of the Church, and her faith becomes an essential path for all sons and daughters of God who journey through the course of history.
Copyright (c) 2023 David Garrido https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
Approaches :Edith Stein and Erica Fudge with regards to the animal-human
Man is usually defined as evidencing what is proper and characteristic of his constitution, comparing him with inferior beings: matter, plants, and animals. From this perspective, cogitatio emphasizes an essential border between animal and human. Nonetheless, on this occasion, two philosophers allow going deeper into this approach, appreciating not only what is different, but also “common” between animal and human. Stein already posed if it possible to detect something analogous to “human attitudes" in animals. On the other hand, Fudge warns about the need to turn to the animal and conceive it in different ways. Finally, a review is made of an argumentative topos for understanding new arguments and performative language.
Apocalyptic hope, a key to evangelization on pandemic´s times
How to speak of the Kingdom of God in our ecclesial, social and cultural present, plagued by multiple pandemics? In confusing situations like those of us who live in this still young 21st century, it becomes imperative to recover the apocalyptic hope to give meaning to the lives and struggles of our peoples, who stubbornly continue to believe that the Lord of life is above the gods of death. This article seeks to recover the message of Jesus to reread our history, the Word of God and the mission of the Church, as a requirement that we cannot avoid. Only from the message proclaimed and witnessed by Jesus can we give a new message in ardor, content and expressions, which serves to feed the expectation, until the fullness of the Kingdom of God.
The paternity of God in view of the denied fraternity : Analysis of Gen 4, 1-16 from the narrative method
The prototypical story of Cain and Abel, at the beginning of humanity, is not a mere moral teaching about intrafamily or intercultural relationships, but above all it contains a profound theology, that is, it reveals the face of God and its intimate relationship with the human being. The fratricide of Cain brings with it multiple consequences that affect man's relationship with the earth and includes future generations: a spiral of violence that seems to have no limits. The application of the narrative method to the analysis of Gn 4,1-16 accounts for these themes and other important details, paying special attention to the repetitions, the narrative gaps, the dialogues and silences, and the various techniques used by the hagiographer to discover the message of the text.
Historical theology in Ignacio Ellacuría
The present writing approaches the theological thought of Ignacio Ellacuría from its historical reality. Ellacuría intends to propose a historical theology capable of responding to the postulates of Latin American historicity from an embodied theology that is not alien to the theological challenges in times like ours. An understanding of historical theology comes from the same need for reality that will be a fundamental element of a critical and committed conscience. The commitment of the believer cannot be enclosed in a disembodied intimacy of the world and closed in an individualistic dimension of salvation.
Young voices in christian youth environments during the Pandemic
This research is a theological and pastoral contribution, to the analysis and interpretation, of the participation of young Christians in time of COVID-19. We asked ourselves: where were the young Christians during the pandemic? And what were they saying about these “practices” of the Church? This paper, in four stages, presenta theoretical framework; an account of the methodology of implementation and construction of instruments; the partial results; a first theological interpretation of what these “practices” say to theology, to pastoral care, to the Church in general and to the hierarchy in particular. Theological analysis uses David Tracy’s critical correlative method. Putting aside into dialogue the fracture of young people and the Church, also the regenerative and missionary participation between of young people, and on the other side with two biblical texts: the good Samaritan (Lk 10:25-37) and the multiplication of the loaves (Jn 6:1-15). It appears as evident in this work so that stopping and holding young people accountable can make a big difference.
Copyright (c) 2021 Anales de Teología https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
Context and renovation in the encyclical “Rerum Novarum” of Leo XIII
The objective of this article is to set out the context in which Pope Leo XIII’s encyclical Rerum Novarum (RN) appeared in 1891, its content and the impetus it gave to the Social Doctrine of the Church (SDC). First, the social and ecclesial scenario in which the RN encyclical came to light is presented. Second, the motivations of Pope Leo XIII in the context of the social question are described, followed by an analysis of the main aspects of the RN encyclical, such as private property, the labor relationship, just wages, the role of the state and of the Church. Finally, the impulse given by the encyclical to the DSI is presented.
Thomas More: A Marxist Saint? Private property in Utopia and its tension with the Magisterium
This paper attempts an approach to the apparent tension that exists between the concept of private property raised by Thomas More in Utopia (1516) and that developed by the Catholic Magisterium. Likewise, we will review what is proposed by Liberation Theology, who claim to overcome this opposition and reconcile faith and Marxism.
A. M. BONET DE VIOLA, Pensar la pandemia. Inspirar esperanza en tiempos de crisis, Universidad Católica de Santa Fe, Santa Fe
Más allá de los múltiples aspectos trágicos que tuvo, y aún tiene, la pandemia del virus COVID-19 a nivel mundial, también ha representado una oportunidad para la civilización occidental para comenzar a cuestionar y repensar múltiples aspectos de su ‘normalidad’ pre-pandemia. La pandemia está impulsando a la sociedad occidental a dejar de ver como siempre lo hizo instituciones tales como el mercado, el Estado, la comunidad, etc. a la luz de nuestra vulnerabilidad social.
The foundations of liturgical music: a rereading based on the notion of participatio actuosa and of communio
This article addresses the main purpose of music in the liturgy, and its mode of realization. Based on magisterial texts, the author proposes that liturgical music, being a constitutive part of the solemn liturgy, participates in the proper purpose of the liturgy itself: the public worship due to God and the sanctification of the world. Music is faithful to its munus ministeriale by guiding and disposing the People of God to actively participate in the paschal mystery that is announced, actualized and communicated in the liturgy. Due to its Christ-conforming capacity to elevate the spirit and harmonize diversity, music is a very effective means, aroused by the Holy Spirit, which enriches through singing the worship given to God and is a sign that anticipates communion with God and the men among themselves.
Copyright (c) 2025 Camilo Gouet Viveros https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
The sacrament of marriage in the byzantine rite
This article presents the theology of the sacrament of marriage in the Byzantine tradition Churches. In light of the value attributed to virginity in the early centuries of the Church (1), the concept of marriage in the Old Testament (2.1), and Roman legal norms (2.2), the author highlights the originality and significance of Christian marriage as portrayed in the New Testament (2.3). It is emphasized that, in its early stages, the marriage ceremony was liturgically united to the Eucharist (2.4). However, this connection gradually diminished under the influence of Roman civil law on sacramental practice, leading to the development of rituals separate from the Divine Liturgy, such as the rites of betrothal and crowning (2.5). These rituals, conceived in response to the legal and pastoral needs of the time, acquired profound theological and spiritual meaning, symbolizing the union of spouses as a new creation in Christ and their integration into the divine plan of salvation. Finally, the text addresses issues such as second marriages (2.6), the possibility of remarriage after divorce (2.7), and the regulations concerning clerical marriage (2.8).
Copyright (c) 2025 Krzysztof Rogula https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0