Contenuti per la categoria: Catholic church

Christian conception of history in Carl Schmitt’s Thought

ABSTRACT: The aim of this essay is to analyse the Christian conception of history in Carl Schmitt’s thought, already developed in his previous works, but again recalled and reworked in the 1950s, in order to hinder the technological drift of society. In particular, in outlining this new and different temporal horizon, Schmitt, on the one hand, recalled the solitary and prophetic intuitions of Donoso Cortés and, on the other, the mysterious figure of the katéchon, or rather, one of the most meaningful concepts of Schmitt’s theological-political Weltanschauung.

SOMMARIO: 1. Un nuovo e terrificante scenario - 2. Tramonto o rinascita dell’eone cristiano? - 3. Katéchon versus Éschaton.

Mutual Collaboration in the Service of the Human Person between the Catholic Church and States after the Second Vatican Ecumenical Council and the Villa Madama Agreements

ABSTRACT: The article examines the ways of expressing the sana cooperatio between the Holy See and the political community in the aftermath of the Second Vatican Council and the Villa Madama Accords. It will focus on the its characteristic traits as emerging from the pontificates of John Paul II, Benedict XVI and Francis and then examine the instruments of cooperatio, in particular the role of the Secretariat of State, the papal nuncios and the concordats.

SOMMARIO: 1. Premessa - 2. Chiesa e comunità politica all’epoca dei tre papi “stranieri” - 2.1 Giovanni Paolo II - 2.2 Benedetto XVI - 2.3 Francesco - 3. Gli strumenti della sana cooperatio.

The Supervision of the economic administration of the Roman Curia

ABSTRACT: This paper analyses the new system of supervision of the economic administration of the Roman Curia introduced by the Apostolic Constitution Praedicate Evangelium. Then, it focuses on the role that has been recently assigned in this area to the ‘Istituto per le Opere di Religione’ (IOR) and on that of the Vatican penal jurisdiction, both of which constitute highly innovative elements.

SOMMARIO: 1. Le fonti normative della riforma - 2. Gli organismi di vigilanza - 3. Le plurime tipologie di vigilanza - 4. Analisi del nuovo sistema di vigilanza sull’amministrazione economica della Curia Romana - 5. Il ruolo peculiare dell’Istituto per le Opere di Religione - 6. La duplicazione del sistema di vigilanza tra Curia Romana e IOR - 7. Aspetti positivi del sistema e sue criticità - 8. Vigilanza canonica e supplenza della giurisdizione penale vaticana - 9. Osservazioni conclusive.

The perspective of 'Praedicate Evangelium' regarding liturgical abuses

ABSTRACT: The paper examines the transformations made by the Ap. const. Praedicate Evangelium [= EP] regarding the contrast of liturgical abuses. Beginning with the problem of celebratory propriety that emerged in the context of postconciliar disbandment, it first examines the essential features of the case of abusiveness (the frequency of the conduct, the erroneous presumption of justification for the conduct, and the prominence of the authoritative condition) and, then, the main magisterial and papal directive interventions. Article 66 PB outlined a specific supervisory function on the part of the Congregation for Worship. PE, indulging the criterion of decentralizing co-responsibility, stimulates awareness of its own attributions and the specific responsibility of the bishops in ensuring the observance of liturgical norms. Article 96 EP therefore makes explicit the duties of the episcopal office and the supporting and assisting role of the Dicastery. The elimination of abusiveness is expressly linked with increased liturgical formation. The normative change does not change the essence of ecclesial discipline; however, it requires a qualitative leap in the pastoral solicitude of bishops (the most significant contribution is the deontological call). An in-depth theoretical and practical study of the problem of liturgical abusiveness, without trespassing on casuistry, can help complete the cultural and regulatory turnaround underway.

SOMMARIO: 1. Il sentito problema della correttezza celebrativa - 2. L’inquadramento della fattispecie abusiva - 3. Gli interventi magisteriali e direttivi pontifici - 4. La disciplina dell’art. 66 della ‘Pastor bonus’ - 5. Il nuovo approccio di ‘Praedicate Evangelium’ - 5.1. Il contesto della riforma curiale - 5.2. L’art. 96 di ‘Praedicate Evangelium’ - 5.3. La responsabilità episcopale - 6. L’opportuno collegamento con la formazione liturgica - 7. Un mutamento disciplinare o attitudinale?

Environmental protection in the Catholic social teaching

ABSTRACT: This short essay aims to analyse the evolution of the Catholic social teaching regarding environmental protection. Starting from a famous article by T. Lynn White in 1966, the Judaic-Christian doctrine on the men-nature relationship has been frequently qualified as a strongly anthropocentric one, being also considered as an ideological premise of men's exploitation of the environment and, as a consequence, of the actual ecological crisis. This contribution, moving from the analysis of the Catholic social teaching on environmental safeguard and of some relevant theological, historical and social issues, explains why this idea needs to be rejected and try to imagine which role the Catholic Church, and Christianity in general, can have in facing the environmental crisis in the future.

SOMMARIO: 1. Introduzione - 2. Il rapporto uomo-ambiente nel contesto teologico contemporaneo - 3. Nascita e primo sviluppo del magistero pontificio in materia di tutela ambientale. - 4. Questione ambientale, interesse sociale e responsabilità morale - 5. Cultura, morale e rispetto dell’ambiente - 6. Le prospettive di una ecologia integrale - 7. Riflessioni conclusive.

Financing of the Holy See, transparency of destination and patrimonial administration

ABSTRACT: The essay analyzes the topic of the economic and financial management of the Holy See’s patrimony and in particular the reforms implemented during the pontificates of Benedict XVI and Francis which ensure greater transparency of financial operations. In carrying out its universal mission, the Church relies on transparent and efficient asset management. All those who manage the Church’s patrimony must administer it wisely, avoiding the performance of speculative operations in order to preserve the economic value of the assets, which are instrumental to all Church activities. Because of this, the Vatican judicial system has also been strengthened to prevent and eventually repress abuses in the management of ecclesiastical patrimony. It must be stressed, however, that, excessive garantism in the management of Vatican finances could risk hindering the Holy See’s activities. In this sense, the essay also reflects on the advisability of bypassing the ordinary system of financial transparency in peculiar circumstances in order to guarantee the Holy See’s evangelization activities.

SOMMARIO: 1. Introduzione - 2. La gestione finanziaria - 3. Le norme di gestione patrimoniale della Santa Sede: dalla Pastor Bonus alla Praedicate Evangelium - 4. Riflessioni conclusive.

The art treasures of the Vatican in the Lateran Treaty

ABSTRACT: Drawing inspiration from a recent initiative by the Pontiff, the contribution focuses on the peculiar juridical condition of the art treasures kept in the Vatican City, resulting from a series of provisions of the Lateran Treaty, other international conventions and recent Vatican legislation on the protection of cultural heritage. The result is a complex and articulated regulatory framework that underlines the role of the Holy See as a custodian and guarantor of one of the greatest historical and artistic heritages of humanity.

Sommario - 1. Un gesto ecumenico di papa Francesco - 2. L’art. 18 del Trattato lateranense - 3. L’articolato quadro normativo attuale - 4. Suggestioni e questioni emergenti - 5. I tesori d’arte del Vaticano e la loro peculiare condizione giuridica - 6. Osservazioni conclusive.

The Institutions of Justice in “Praedicate Evangelium” *

ABSTRACT: This paper deals with the novelties that the new constitution on the Roman Curia “Praedicate Evangelium” has introduced in the regulation of the tribunals of justice of the Apostolic See. The change of name, the order in which they are regulated, the competencies assigned to them, their independence, among others, are the topics treated here, as well as some consequences that derive from them.

Resumen: 1. Organismos de justicia: orden de presentación y significado del nuevo título - 2. Los organismos de justicia como instituciones curiales - 3. La misión de los organismos de justicia - 4. Organismos ordinarios de justicia independientes entre sí - 5. La Penitenciaría Apostólica - 6. La Signatura Apostólica - 7. La Rota Romana - 8. Conclusión - Bibliografía.

The “Church Mission” in the Concordats after the Vatican Council II

ABSTRACT: The Concordat Policy of the Holy Seat went through an unexpected development after the Vatican Council II. The agreements subscribed over the last decades have indeed engaged with lots of European Countries, and the range expanded to the African and Asia continent. The new geography designed to this agreements also matches with innovations in the structure and content of them. This essay aims to analyze this innovation and its strict connection with the documents of the Vatican Council II, enlightening how this has determined a more theological view of the objectives through which the freedom of the Catholic Church defines and details itself. While the concordats of the first half of the past century accompanied, followed and enlarged the trajectory of the Church rights towards spiritualization, this new phase is, indeed, characterized by a theological placement of the interests, whose freedom is indeed the object of the protections granted by the Concordats, which are briefly expressed by the lemma “Church Mission”, found in the first articles of the Concordats. This lemma, in the conciliar texts, is characterized not only by a theological dimension, but also by its direct connection with religious freedom.

Sommario: 1. Una premessa - 2. I precedenti e il contesto dottrinale - 3. I documenti conciliari - 4. La “missione della chiesa” negli accordi concordatari tra XX° e XXI° secolo - 5. Per qualche annotazione conclusiva.

Vatican geopolitics, political institutions and episcopal ordinations in the People's Republic of China. Reflections on State-Church Relations

ABSTRACT: The agreement between the Holy See and the People's Republic of China, concluded in 2018 ad experimentum, has been extended until 31-12-2024.Relations between the Vatican and the Holy See do not follow a linear trend, due to the recurring attempts of some Chinese clergy-so-called patriot clergy-to accept appointments as Diocesan Ordinary without the mandate of the Holy See. In such cases, the relevant regulatory provisions entail excommunication latae sententiae. This contribution, analysing some historical precedents such as the struggle for the endowments and the separation of the constitutional clergy in the period of the French Revolution, proposes an interpretation of the events to understand the Holy See's attitude in the remission of the excommunication to the patriot bishops: the realisation that Catholicism was no longer a phenomenon limited to the European world. The centre of gravity of the Church's influence is irreversibly declining towards non-European areas.

SOMMARIO: 1. Premessa - 2. Introduzione al tema - 3. Ius publicum ecclesiasticum sinicum - 4. L’accordo del 2018 tra Santa Sede e Repubblica Popolare Cinese - 5. Il primo quadriennio di applicazione. Riflessioni critiche - 6. Storia e controstoria - 7. Le radici medievali dei rapporti tra Chiesa e Stato: tra Gregorio VII ed Enrico IV - 8. L’età moderna. Le aperture del vescovo G.B. Chiaramonti per una 'democrazia cristiana'. Gli 'articoli organici' del periodo napoleonico - 9. Storia e modernità nelle relazioni tra Chiesa e Repubblica Popolare Cinese.