Thinking the Family. Some Lines in 20th-Century Philosophy

Współczesność pod wieloma względami nie jest początkiem, ale końcem. Podobnie jak w przypadku społeczności i rodziny. Dzisiejsze czasy nie są pierwotne, lecz wtórne. Dlatego, aby je zrozumieć, musimy najpierw zobaczyć ich pochodność. To zagadnienie zostało opracowane na podstawie wielu tekstów autorstwa Alasdair MacIntyre i Hansa Sedlmayra. Aby w dziwnym „dwudziestym wieku” odzyskać dawną siłę myślenia wspólnotowego i rodzinnego, należy skoncentrować się na solidnym rozumieniu instytucji. Arnold Gehlen, ze względu na swoją cenną pracę Urmensch und Spätkultur, w której m.in. w miejsce „bytu” wprowadza pojęcie instytucji, jest proponowany jako niezwykle pomocny w zrozumieniu wiążącej mocy instytucji. Ponadto wskazuje się punkty wyjścia do myślenia o rodzinie, ze szczególnym uwzględnieniem książek i przemyśleń takich autorów, jak m.in. C.S. Lewisa, Roberta Spaemanna i Martina Heideggera.

The Canonical, Legal and Liturgical Consequences of the Redefinition of the Sacrament of Marriage in the Old Catholic Churches

Both the Roman Catholic Church and the canonical Orthodox Churches, or Churches associated with the Union of Utrecht, include marriage in the seven sacraments. Nevertheless, there is no agreement between them regarding the minister of the sacrament, the possibility of a second marriage after divorce or clergy marriage. In recent years, tensions in individual ecclesial communities have also been exacerbated by canonical legalization of same-sex relationships. This issue concerns, in particular, the Churches whose bishops are part of the International Conference of Old Catholic Bishops. In the West European Old Catholic Churches of the Union of Utrecht there is full agreement that homosexual orientation is one of the variants of human nature. Old Catholics Theologians believe that the condemnation of homosexuality which we find in Scripture resulted from the state of knowledge at the time and related cultural connotations. They point out that modern science shows this phenomenon in a completely different perspective, based on the results of scientific research unknown to either the Biblical tradition or the Tradition of the early Church. The consequence of this was the opening of the debate on their nature and on the possibility of blessing same-sex relationships.

The Young Generation on Family and Marriage in Social Media

The purpose of this article is to find out what young people think about the image of the family and marriage they have encountered in social media. The publication will present the results of research using the diagnostic survey method. The use of this method allowed for the collection of data necessary to solve specific research problems. The research was carried out on 116 secondary school students, including 84 girls and 32 boys. All respondents are residents of the Warmińsko-Mazurskie voivodship. The research involved a survey on the respondents’ perception of the image of marriage and family that reached them through social networks. In addition, the respondents' views on the possible impact of the discussed image of marriage and family on people who are in adolescence were analysed, as well as a description of photos, graphics and jokes that the respondents remembered. The conclusion presents the results from the conducted research. It presents the postulates concerning both the possibility of using the positive potential of social media and the negative phenomena related to the growing popularity of websites, which very often promote anti-values and undermine the traditional role of marriage and family.

Some reflections on marriage and family in (post) modern social space

The article attempts to consider the issues of the position of marriage and family in the post-modern social space. Today's society is characterized by a hedonistic, consumerist lifestyle. Traditional values and religious worship are negated. Postmodernity develops the cult of individuality and presents man with an offer of multiplicity and various choices. The article presents issues related to the cult of individuality, and the topic of marriage and family, in the context of postmodern threats. In the first part of the article, the author deals with the subject of postmodern society and the problem of terminology. The second part of the article deals with the issue of individuality and family presence. In the third part, the author outlines some of the threats to marriage and family in relation to the teachings of Pope Francis.

La “ecología” en el pensamiento de los Padres de la Iglesia

Hablar de la “ecología” en los Padres de la Iglesia es hablar de la teología de la creación. En el siglo II, la Iglesia tuvo que enfrentarse a las corrientes, internas y externas, que veían el origen del mal en lo creado, en la materia, en el cuerpo. Son obras de un demiurgo imperfecto identificado con el Dios del Antiguo Testamento. Los autores cristianos como Ireneo argumentan que todo lo creado viene y es querido libremente por Dios. Las tres Personas de la Trinidad dejaron su impronta en la creación. Pero la vocación de la creación no consiste en jugar un papel pasivo, pues participa activamente en la historia de la salvación. El pan y el vino, las primicias de la creación, se convierten en el Cuerpo y la Sangre de Jesucristo. El cristiano, por tanto, debe cuidar de la creación que le habla del dinamismo trinitario, anima a aspirar a la santidad y comparte con él el camino a la salvación.

Il cammino di Giuseppe verso la giustizia evangelica nell’ottica di Mt 1,18-25

Nello studio presentato della pericope Mt 1,18-25 l’Autore cerca delle risposte alle domande che seguono. L’Evangelista non vuole forse dire in essa che Giuseppe che esegue l’ordine del Signore pronunciato dall’angelo (1,24-25) si lascia già guidare dalla giustizia evangelica, chiamata in seguito da Gesù «giustizia superiore» (5,20)? Se è così, non lo indica forse qui come tipo ideale di Israelita biblico giusto che vive la volontà di Dio per coloro che sarebbero voluti divenire discepoli del Messia e Figlio di Dio, che desiderano vivere una «giustizia superiore» nella Chiesa da Lui edificata (16,18)? E quindi Matteo non vuole con ciò dire che il processo di metanoia, che Giuseppe visse nell’incontro con il Verbo di Dio, è l’anticipazione del cammino di metanoia della Buona Novella predicata da Gesù ai suoi discepoli (4,17), e tramite gli stessi, a tutti i popoli fino alla fine del mondo (28,16-20)? Lo studio esegetico-teologico condotto consente di constatare che l’Evangelista Matteo in tale evento mostra effettivamente Giuseppe che visse la sua metanoia personale, sotto l’influenza della Parola del Signore udita e, grazie ad essa, divenne il tipo ideale di uomo di giustizia evangelica per coloro che nel futuro, sotto l’influenza del Vangelo della «giustizia superiore» predicato da Gesù, avrebbero desiderato divenire discepoli di Emmanuele e Salvatore nella Chiesa da Lui edificata.

The priesthood of Christ in the light of John Paul II’s letters to priests for Maundy Thursday

The long pontificate of John Paul II was a time for the Church to continue reflecting on the fundamental themes that constitute the identity of the community of Christ’s disciples. Among many subjects, the priesthood appears to be a special topic: on the one hand, through the pope himself and his pastoral activity, and on the other - through a series of documents devoted to the priesthood. This article will present the person of Christ as a priest since it is the starting point for reflection on the priesthood as such. In the mind of the Polish Pope, Christ is the only priest who connects His priesthood with the sacrifice on the cross. This sacrifice includes the perfection of mediation between God and people, and simultaneously, the completion of what Christ possesses eternally as the Son. Sonship, mediation and the priesthood are topics that should be considered together as they not only interpenetrate but also complement each other. Such a broad approach to the subject, however, is limited to the analysis of the Letters to priests for Maundy Thursday.

Theology of the family in the final documents of the General Latin American Episcopal Conferences

The final documents from the General Conferences of the Latin American Bishops (CELAM) held in Medellín (1968), Pueblo (1979), Santo Domingo (1992) and in Aparecida (2007) present the fruits of reflecting on the situation of the family in South America, Central America and the Caribbean, as well as its role in the Church and its importance in shaping social life. Consequently, one can speak of a Latin American theology of the family, which draws its impetus from the teaching of the universal Church, and at the same time has specific features. It is distinguished by the emphasis placed on the subjectivity of families in the saving mission of the Church and treating them as a “theological key”, opening the way to getting to know God's mysteries. It is a practice-oriented theology that gives concrete guidelines to families and their pastors. The character of Latin American theology of the family is influenced by the pastoral context and theological trends, born in South and Central America (liberation theology, indigenous theology and theology of the people). Latin American theology of the family is therefore not a repetition of the contents of the Magisterium of the universal Church, but their original interpretation, taking into account the social situation and the needs of people living in it.