To Catholic Theology Professors of Chur, Lucerne and Freiburg (13 June 1984)

On Wednesday, 13 June 1984, the Holy Father addressed the Catholic theology professors of Chur, Lucerne, and Freiburg, to whom he said, “The encounter and knowledge of the God of love who reveals himself, it is up to theologians to foster the intelligence of it for believers, to make discover its beauty to every man who seeks the source and the meaning of his life.” 

Dear Professors,

1). After having met all the representatives of the academic world of this country, I am happy to be able to devote a moment to you, professors of the three Catholic Faculties of Theology in Chur, Lucerne and Fribourg. I remember with pleasure having been, a few years ago, your guest at the University where we are once again gathered.

Having carried out your task for a long time, it was with interest and sympathy that I listened to the President of the Theological Commission of the Swiss Episcopal Conference and your Deans present the situation, the functioning and the concerns of your institutions.

Since time is of the essence, allow me to enter “media in res” and offer you some thoughts on the specific activity of the theologian and, more briefly, on the formation of future priests.

2.) The task of the theologian places him on the threshold of the mystery of God. Thus thanksgiving animates him and contemplation inspires him while the effort of the intelligence is deployed to open to man the meaning of hope. For God reveals himself, he gives himself to be known; God loves man and the world, he gives himself to be loved. The Word, true light, enlightens every man, he has given the power to become children of God ( Io . 1, 9.12). The presence of God, we discover it by faith and love that the Spirit places in our hearts with the dynamism of hope (Cf. Rom . 5, 5). The encounter and knowledge of the God of love who reveals himself, it is up to theologians to foster the intelligence of it for believers, to make discover its beauty to every man who seeks the source and the meaning of his life. The Word of God is given to us as an expression of the founding events in the history of salvation, the meaning of which it reveals; it expresses the plan of God revealed to man: the Church never ceases to transmit his message. Among those who receive Scripture as a gift without measure, united to the Church which bears it and presents it in Tradition, you have the mission of scrutinizing its inexhaustible riches in order to help your brothers to find there “the way and the truth and the life”, that is, to advance towards Christ himself (Cf. Io . 14, 6). Servant of the truth of God, the theologian participates in the Church in the great act of tradition which continues throughout history. Responding today to the call of Peter, in the midst of his brothers and before the world, he “gives account of the hope which is in (him)” (Cf. 1 Petr . 3, 15).

The theologian also hears the multiple calls of the world, of this restless and changing world in which we live. Uncertain of his future, contemporary man gropes; often he no longer clearly discerns the meaning of his history or the criteria of his behavior. Faced with the religious fact, he questions himself with a growing critical requirement. The faith of believers is put to the test. More than ever, in the service of his brothers, the theologian participates in the paedagogia fidei : he illuminates questions, new or old, by opening the gaze to the light of God. His approach consists less in indefinitely extending the scope of the field of investigation than in situating partial problems in their true perspective around the center of faith. Today the spiritual life, the action and the witness of Christians need to be supported by a renewed intelligence of the mystery of God, of Christ and of the Church, before being able to approach in a relevant way the multiple questions of praxis.

And there is one area where the collaboration of theologians is particularly important, as you know, it is the work pursued in favour of the unity of Christians: it is good that each one contributes to it in truth, at the same time clearly conscious of his own ecclesial identity and bearer of his doctrinal, moral and liturgical heritage, and at the same time open, respectful of the identity of others.

3.) Theology is situated at the scientific level; it can only find lasting credibility through the rigor of its approach. This requirement leads to the meeting of all the investigations that we designate globally under the title of “human sciences”: a set of methods and discoveries on history, language, society, psychology. Expressing the Christian message today, theology resorts to what these human sciences bring it, and this is useful for answering contemporary questions and making the Word heard on new grounds.

However, the critical function of theology must be exercised here: it is a matter of operating an attentive discernment. Currents of thought, techniques of investigation do not have to take precedence over the Message. No language can become normative in itself, because God cannot allow himself to be enclosed in a closed system of thought and the discourse on God cannot be assimilated to any other discourse. The Word of God precedes ours and no generation will ever exhaust its scope. The object of theological discourse is the living and personal God: Revelation gives us an understanding of his reality and his work, but it is in no way in our power to dominate them by our grasp. Theology knows its limits, because it is conscious of the grandeur of what it treats.

The balance of theological discourse and the very rigor of its research would be compromised if the instruments of thought available today were not lucidly confronted with those that contributed to previous developments. It is thus necessary to know and practice what the philosophical heritage brings to the exercise of reason. In order for it to be faithful to itself, theology needs a good command of all the disciplines that are useful to it, with lucid attention to the specific nature of their contribution.

If it is integrated into the intellectual life of our time, the act of the theologian is just as much in line with the continuity of the living Tradition, and is placed on the trajectory traced by the Word of God, throughout history.

4.) .... in English :  The exercise of his mission links the theologian closely with the whole of the Church. For the People of God he interprets Sacred Scripture and explains Tradition in unity with the Magisterium. His work is related to the Magisterium, but does not merge with it. Let us listen to this above all from the Second Vatican Council, which says in its Constitution on Divine Revelation: "It is evident . . . that sacred Tradition, Sacred Scripture and the Magisterium of the Church, according to the wise plan of God, are so interrelated and integral that none can exist without the others and that all together, each in its own way, through the action of the one Holy Spirit, effectively work for the salvation of souls" ( Dei Verbum , 10). The Council here expresses a fundamental methodological rule of theology: it is based on everything that has been entrusted to the Church - on the deposit of faith handed down (depositum fidei) - and on the decisions that the Church's teaching authority has made throughout history.

In the light of the grace of the Holy Spirit, these different functions complement each other. The Pope and the Bishops, in union with him, have the primary task of proclaiming the faith and of ascertaining the authenticity of its expressions. By virtue of their episcopal office, they strengthen the mission of theologians and exercise a regulatory function over them. In fraternal dialogue and through open and trusting encounters, it should be possible to gain a better understanding of the questions and possible concerns of both sides. It is in this spirit of trusting solidarity that I have come to you today.

Such mutual solidarity is all the more necessary because the theologian's task is difficult and fraught with risk. Among other things, he must study controversial questions; that is his duty. But since he does not act on his own initiative or serve a single group, he is not called to be a judge but a loyal collaborator of those who, through their office, have the task of unity for all; he must also be able to accept that from his level he cannot solve all the problems that confront him.

Such demanding work, in accordance with the rigor of science, must be combined with the humble attitude of a disciple of the Lord; it must start with the inner acceptance of the fact that freedom of research does not mean total autonomy, but must be directed towards its object and serve the people of God. The responsibility for the "paedagogia fidei", the education of the faith, has been entrusted to us by a greater than us, by Christ; for this reason we must pay particular attention to the "weak" and the "poor". Most research results would benefit from being examined by other scholars beyond the boundaries of a theological school or country before being presented to the general public. Care must be taken not to confuse those believers who are less educated in matters of faith by exposing them to theses which are not officially recognized and are sometimes still immature, without sufficient differentiation.

5.) I know that your task is not easy. It demands of you all the more selflessness the more passionately you carry out your mission. Therefore, always be aware that the object of your research and teaching is the revelation of God for the salvation of mankind. The basis of your commitment is also to be a disciple of Christ, our Lord and Savior, in accordance with your activity: you will receive the decisive light on your path through prayer, in the contemplation of the mystery of Christ. There you will find true wisdom. When you allow yourself to be seized by Christ in faith, you discover that serving him, the only Master, can be a source of profound joy. When you allow yourself to be guided by the spirit of love, you discover the happiness of true freedom ( 2 Cor . 3:17).

You have been blessed with many spiritual gifts. In proportion to these gifts, you are called to be witnesses of Christ in this world, where many people are looking for the light of faith, where many brothers and sisters are even called to the decisive witness, martyrdom.

6.) As witnesses of the Church's faith, you have a particularly important responsibility in that you have been commissioned by the Swiss bishops to ensure the theological training of candidates for the priesthood in their dioceses. In this way you are providing a first-rate service to the Church. You know that this is also very dear to my heart, because I am thinking of all those communities to which these seminarians will one day be sent and which are counting on their service.

They guide these young people to read Sacred Scripture profitably, to discover the riches of Tradition and to develop a critical understanding of human problems. It is an advantage that the university level of these studies enables young people to strengthen their discernment and to acquire reliable scientific methods by familiarising them with theological research.

In your faculties, seminarians share their theological formation with other students who do not intend to become priests. This gives both the opportunity to distinguish the special role of the priesthood instituted by Christ from the various ministries that lay people can perform in the Church. It is therefore important to study in particular with the students the ecclesiology of the Council and the theology of the sacraments and the priesthood.

They also know, however, that these two paths of formation cannot be completely mixed. Because of the special commitment for which seminarians are preparing and their imminent entry into the presbyterate of their diocese, they must already live in a priestly atmosphere during the years of preparation for priestly ordination. They need independent spiritual direction in a seminary where prayer, liturgical life and meditation on the priesthood are given a great deal of space. Such an institution, in which they live together from the beginning of their studies, promotes their bond with the Bishop and the priests of the diocese. It is even desirable that they have pastoral experiences which will enable them to know their future ministry and to strengthen their response to the particular priestly vocation. Their formators should testify that being a priest is not something we choose, but is called to it, that the priesthood is one of the most beautiful ministries entrusted to us by God and that this life consecrated to the Lord can lead to joy! May the testimony of theological teachers contribute to the formation of authentic servants of the Gospel in the priesthood of the Church!

7.) In conclusion, I would like to take up the words of St. Paul: "We should be considered as servants of Christ and stewards of the mystery of God. And stewards are required to be faithful" ( 1 Cor . 4:1-2). May God grant that you may be found faithful in the fulfillment of the fundamental tasks that the Church has entrusted to you, combined with the joy of serving people in the spirit of Christ! I am happy about this meeting with you today and ask the Lord with all my heart to bless you.

© Copyright 1984 - Vatican Publishing House

Copyright © Dicastery for Communication - Vatican Publishing House