Power versus Ministry? Recent Challenges for Priestly Formation in Responding to the Double Crisis in the Catholic Church
The author offers theological reflection on a paradigm of transforming the power of ministry proven in the beginnings of the Church: to see and serve Jesus Christ in the suffering human being. An impressive topos of this paradigm is found in the Johannine scene of Jesus’ crucifixion and burial (John...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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The Journal of Moral Theology, Inc.
2023-03-01
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| Series: | Journal of Moral Theology |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.55476/001c.72060 |
| Summary: | The author offers theological reflection on a paradigm of transforming the power of ministry proven in the beginnings of the Church: to see and serve Jesus Christ in the suffering human being. An impressive topos of this paradigm is found in the Johannine scene of Jesus’ crucifixion and burial (John 19). Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus provide interesting examples of a shift from power to ministry, which can be useful for the education and formation of future priests. Several verbs characterize the paradigm: to see, to be present, to listen, to serve, to be generous, to cooperate. The final reports from national commissions of inquiry in different countries show similar findings and propose comparable recommendations for the training of future priests. Finally, the author illustrates the implementation of some preventive measures to evaluate the suitability of candidates before entering the formation process. |
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| ISSN: | 2166-2851 2166-2118 |