Pope Leo XIV Tells Theologians "theological study was always connected to prayer and spiritual experience, indispensable conditions for cultivating an understanding of Revelation" FULL TEXT



Pope Leo XIV met on Wednesday with members of the International Theological Commission, as they held their plenary assembly in Rome. In his address, the Pope thanked them for their service to the Church as part of the Commission, which Pope St. Paul VI created in 1969 to guide the theological renewal of the Church after the Second Vatican Council. He expressed appreciation for their recent document examing the 1,700th anniversary of the First Ecumenical Council of Nicaea, calling it an “authoritative text” that prepares the way for his Apostolic Journey to Türkiye, where he will visit the site of the Council. 
ADDRESS OF HIS HOLINESS POPE LEO XIV
TO THE INTERNATIONAL THEOLOGICAL COMMISSION
Consistory Hall on Wednesday, November 26, 2024
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In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Peace be with you!
Your Eminence, Your Excellencies,
dear Members of the International Theological Commission ,

I am happy to meet you for the first time – even though many of you are known – after the Lord Jesus called me to succeed the blessed Apostle Peter on the chair of the Church of Rome in the ministry of unity of all the Churches.

Your annual plenary session is a fitting occasion to thank all of you, and also those who have preceded you in this service. The body of which you are a part was born from the call for renewal formulated by the Second Vatican Ecumenical Council .

Established in 1969 by Saint Paul VI , the International Theological Commission has carried out its work "with great diligence and prudence," as Saint John Paul II emphasized in 1982, giving it a stable and definitive form (cf. Mp Tredecim anni ). Renewing this appreciation, I thank you in particular for the timely publication of the document you offered to the Church on the occasion of the 1700th anniversary of the First Ecumenical Council of Nicaea: " Jesus Christ, Son of God, Savior . " This is an authoritative text, which will certainly inspire further studies and the advancement of ecumenical dialogue. Tomorrow I will begin my first Apostolic Journey to Turkey and Lebanon , during which I will go on pilgrimage to İznik, ancient Nicaea , to commemorate that historic event and ask the Lord for the gift of unity and peace for his Church.

With full confidence in your generous commitment, I wish to encourage you to continue the mission entrusted to you by the Apostolic See. Just as my venerable Predecessors followed with tenacity and foresight the path traced by Vatican II , so too I am concerned with the discernment of those " res novae " that mark the path of the human family and of doctrinal themes, "especially those that present new aspects" ( Tredecim anni ) in the life of the Church. These are realities that urgently challenge us as the People of God to proclaim with creative fidelity the Good News given to the world "once and for all" (cf. Heb 9:12) by God our Father, through the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the living Gospel of salvation: the witness we bear to him in every age is constantly renewed by the "immeasurable" outpouring of the Holy Spirit (cf. Jn 3:34). It is the Paraclete, in fact, who enlightens minds and inflames our hearts with charity, so as to transform history according to the loving will of God. From this perspective, the International Theological Commission has the task of offering insights, hermeneutics and guidance to the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith and to the College of Bishops over which I preside, cooperating in the common understanding of the saving truth revealed in Christ Jesus. In accordance with the ministry proper to theologians, who “by virtue of their own charism” participate “in the building up of the Body of Christ in unity and truth” (cf. Instr. Donum veritatis ; 1 Tim 6:20; 2 Tim 1 :12-14), your contributions can thus guide the Church's mission in fidelity to the deposit of faith.

In this spirit, I urge you to treasure not only the indispensable rigor of theological method, but also three specific resources.

I am referring, first of all, to the catholicity of our faith. As Saint John Paul II noted , "coming from different nations and having to deal with the cultures of different peoples," the members of the International Theological Commission "are better acquainted with new problems, which are like the new face of old problems, and therefore can also better grasp the aspirations and mentalities of today's men" ( Tredecim anni ). Consequently, I hope that your reflections will be enriched by the many experiences of the local Churches.

Secondly, I wish to emphasize the importance—even more evident today than ever before— of inter- and trans-disciplinary dialogue with diverse fields of knowledge and expertise. This too is a demanding and promising task for the International Theological Commission : to promote—as the Apostolic Constitution Veritatis Gaudium calls for —the "placement and fermentation of all fields of knowledge within the context of Light and Life offered by the Wisdom that flows from God's Revelation" (no. 4c). Your commitment in this regard is not only useful but necessary to continue authentically and effectively in the evangelization of peoples and cultures.

Third, I invite you to imitate the passionate wisdom of Doctors of the Church such as St. Augustine, St. Bonaventure, St. Thomas Aquinas, St. Thérèse of Lisieux , and St. John Henry Newman : in them, theological study was always connected to prayer and spiritual experience, indispensable conditions for cultivating an understanding of Revelation, which cannot be reduced to a mere commentary on formulas of faith. Only in a life conformed to the Gospel can adherence to the divine truth we profess be achieved, making our witness and the mission of the Church credible.

As Pope Francis stated , “When I think of theology, light comes to mind […]. Theology carries out a hidden and humble work, so that the light of Christ and his Gospel may emerge” ( Address to Participants in the International Congress on the Future of Theology , 9 December 2024). The light of Christ, the light that is Christ himself (cf. Jn 8:12)! Yes, Jesus Christ is the light of the world (cf. Jn 8:12): as the Second Vatican Council teaches , He is “the key, the center and the goal of all human history,” and therefore the Church continues to proclaim that all things “find their ultimate foundation in Christ, who is always the same: yesterday, today and forever” ( Gaudium et Spes , 10). As a scientia fidei , theology has first and foremost the task of admiring, then of reflecting and spreading the perennial and effective light of Christ in the ever-changing pace of our history.

Today, Pope Benedict XVI pointed out , "the excessive sectoralization of knowledge, the closure of the human sciences to metaphysics, the difficulties of dialogue between the sciences and theology are detrimental not only to the development of knowledge, but also to the development of peoples, because, when this occurs, the vision of the entire good of man in the various dimensions that characterize it is hindered" (Encyclical Letter Caritas in Veritate , 31). Among these is certainly reason, but also "our feelings, our will, and our decisions" (Francis, Address to Participants in the International Congress on the Future of Theology , 9 December 2024), which together contribute to the development of different cultures. Dearest friends, just as there is no faculty that faith does not illuminate, so there is no science that theology can ignore. Through a well-rounded study, you are therefore called to offer your precious contribution to the discernment and resolution of the challenges that confront both the Church and humanity as a whole.

Thank you, therefore, for the generous dedication with which you carry out your precious service. Entrusting you to the Blessed Virgin Mary, Sedes Sapientiae , I impart my Blessing upon you all.

Thank you.
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