The article addresses the dogma of the Perpetual Virginity of Mary, which poses a challenge for contemporary theology, especially in the context of feminist sensitivity. The author analyzes the historical and theological meaning of this dogma and attempts to reinterpret it in a way that could become significant for today’s Church. The text consists of three main parts: a reconstruction of the original meaning of the dogma in its physical and spiritual aspects, considering the historical context in which the doctrine was developed; a critical analysis of feminist proposals for reinterpretation, with particular emphasis on the concepts of Elizabeth Johnson; and an attempt to answer the question of whether and to what extent it is possible to reconcile the traditional understanding of Mary’s virginity with the postulates of feminist theology. The author uses a historical-theological method, referring to the writings of the Church Fathers, council documents, and contemporary Catholic and feminist theology. The main conclusion is that the perpetual virginity of Mary, understood in both a physical and spiritual sense, constitutes an integral part of the Church’s deposit of faith. Despite controversies, its reinterpretation in a feminist spirit can yield positive results, provided that fidelity to the original meaning of the dogma is maintained.
Review of the book: Justin David Strong and Ruben Zimmermann, eds., Animals in the New Testament: Perspectives from Animal Studies and Ancient Contexts (The Library of New Testament Studies 701. London: Clark, 2025). Pp. xvi + 277. 120 USD (hardcover). ISBN: 978-0-5677-1582-1 (hardcover), 978-0-5677-1583-8 (PDF), 978-0-5677-1584-5 (EPUB).
Luigi Giussani’s teaching on the religious sense of man is one of his most unique and enduring contributions. For him, the religious sense is best understood within the context of its relationship to, and contradistinction from faith. Although on a simplistic and superficial reading it may seem that the two concepts simply coincide, this is not the content of Giussani’s teaching. The aim of this paper is to explore how Giussani marked the difference between man’s religious sense and faith, demonstrating that these two distinct realities exist in a complementary and reciprocal enriching, yet essentially asymmetrical relationship. Through analysing Giussani’s presentation of these two phenomena, we observe that the religious sense is understood not as something that must simply be demonstrated rationally prior to the assent of faith, a sort of praeambulum fidei, but rather as a praeparatio fidei, a preparation— which is not merely a preceding activity, occurring chronologically prior the encounter with Christ and the arrival of faith, but which coexists with the experience of faith and also, in a specific sense, arises as the fruit of that experience.
This article examines the preferential option for the poor as an ecclesiological principle in the light of Pope Leo XIV’s exhortation Dilexi te. The analysis begins with the biblical witness to God’s particular concern for the marginalized, a theme that continues in the Church’s mission and evangelizing activity. Special attention is given to the Church’s commitment to those in need, presented as a key dimension of ecclesial renewal and a sign of fidelity to the Gospel amid contemporary social and spiritual challenges. Methodologically, this study employs a close theological reading of the exhortation, correlating its key themes with the broader biblical and magisterial tradition and interpreting them within an ecclesiological framework. This approach makes it possible to identify the internal coherence of the document and its implications for the Church’s self-understanding. The main conclusion of the analysis is that the preferential option for the poor is not merely an auxiliary pastoral guideline but a constitutive element of ecclesial identity, shaping the Church’s mission, spirituality, and structures in a way that reflects the very logic of God’s self-giving revealed in Christ.
The present article attempts to provide a synthetic approach to the issue of resurrection, particularly the “resurrection in death” model developed by the German exegete and theologian Gerhard Lohfink (1934–2024). The article’s focus is strictly biblical and theological, and its structure begins by presenting the biblical foundations of the doctrine of resurrection, including the resurrection of all the dead. Next, it presents the fruit of Lohfink’s reflections on resurrection, known in theology as the “resurrection in death” model. The final section of the article presents a Catholic assessment of the presented model and comprehensive conclusions. To achieve these goals, a comparative method was used to juxtapose and analyze the biblical sources on the resurrection, followed by a theological method treating the teaching of the Church and the Magisterium as one of its guiding principles. The analyses presented in this article lead to a conclusion that, on the one hand, highlights Lohfink’s exegetical contribution in relation to the truth of the resurrection, and, on the other hand, demonstrates the incompatibility of the “resurrection in death” model with the Catholic doctrine.
This article explores lay participation in discernment and governance across various aspects of the Church’s life, considering the prospects for development and the theological limits of the proposed solutions. First, the current situation is established by outlining the roles of the pope, bishops, parish priests, lay faithful, and consecrated persons. Subsequently, the paper examines the foundations of the theology of the laity. The next part of the paper presents a discussion of the theological boundaries of lay co-responsibility: the distinction between ordained and non-ordained ministries, the need for discernment rooted in the Holy Spirit, and adherence to the Magisterium of the Church. The final section offers a preliminary outline of potential structural reforms to enhance lay participation in the Church. These include the introduction of synodality at every level of ecclesial life, lay involvement in the selection of candidates for Church offices (bishops and parish priests), and accountability of all ministers, including the clergy, before the community. The study involved an analysis of documents, as well as a synthesis and comparison of data relating to theological and pastoral approaches. The paper concludes with a call for collaboration between clergy and laity (including consecrated persons) in discernment and governance within the Church, while maintaining the hierarchical-communal and sacramentalcharismatic structure of the Church.
This article examines the sequence of seven biblical songs enumerated by Origen in the Prologue to the Commentary on the Song of Songs and in the first Homily on the Song of Songs, in comparison with the rabbinic tradition of the “Ten Songs” attested, among other sources, in the Mekhilta de-Rabbi Ishmael. While the rabbinic list represents a midrashic mode of enumeration structured by lexical and chronological criteria and oriented toward Israel’s historical and eschatological destiny, Origen reconfigures enumeration into a sequence culminating in the Song of Songs as the nuptial hymn of the Bridegroom and the Bride. Through close textual analysis and engagement with prior scholarship, the article shifts the focus from questions of direct dependence or influence to the internal hermeneutical function of enumeration. It argues that, in Origen’s Prologue, the ordered sequence of songs operates as a mystagogical device, articulating stages of spiritual ascent that lead the soul toward mystical union with the Word of God. The analysis concludes that Origen’s sevenfold schema does not preserve a rabbinic tradition nor simply diverge from it but represents a creative reconfiguration of a shared exegetical form, transformed to serve a distinctively Christian theology of spiritual pedagogy and ascent.
The Johannine Jesus addresses his mother using the vocative γύναι/“woman” at the wedding at Cana (2:4) and at the Cross (19:26). Scholars are divided over the precise implications of a son addressing his mother as γύναι, since no clear parallels exist in Greek literature. This paper examines how the evangelist’s reference to Jesus’ mother as μήτηρ and Jesus’ own address to her as γύναι function within these narratives, suggesting that they construct a dual identity for Jesus’ mother. Examples drawn from 4 Maccabees help to illuminate the implications of γυνή and μήτηρ when used in reference to a mother. In addition, the study engages documentary papyri that attest to instances in which a mother is addressed as κυρία, thereby challenging the assumption that maternal address was restricted to the term μῆτερ alone.
Review of the book: Tomasz Stępień, The Idea of Divine Providence in Ancient Thought (transl. Elżbieta Puławska) (European Studies in Theology, Philosophy and History of Religions 38; Berlin: Peter Lang, 2026). Pp. 265. ISBN 978-3-631-91114-3.
This study aims to describe the experiences of a Polish mystic who lived in the 19th and late 20th centuries, based on her writings. Through research involving comparisons, analyses, and a synthesis of her revelations, it has been possible to identify and highlight the diversity of Blessed Marcelina Darowska’s (1827–1911) inner life and achievements, which place her among contemplative and apostolic mystics. Her writings reveal her mystical experiences, as well as her reflections and observations on other souls. The mystical experiences described in this study, drawing on her “Pamiętnik” [Diary], “Notatki” [Notes], “Zapiski” [Other Notes], and the treatise “Kartki” [Cards], show a certain convergence between the “Diary” and the “Notes.” The mystical experiences of Darowska occurred during deep contemplation. The mystic also practiced asceticism and frequently received the sacraments of penance and the Eucharist. An analysis of her writings reveals the numerous fruits of her profound experience of union with God, including visions, revelations, “conversions of hearts,” mystical marriages, prophetic gifts, readings of souls, and numerous graces that strengthen spousal love and facilitate the inner development of the human soul. The characterization of the mystical experiences of Darowska allows us to conclude that the profound inner experiences she describes place her among the great Christian mystics.
The article examines the metaphysical foundations of John Paul II’s theology of the body in David L. Schindler’s interpretation as a response to modern ontology, which separates God from creation and reduces moral law to an external command. The study employs a comparative and hermeneutical analysis of Schindler’s and Michael Waldstein’s interpretations of John Paul II’s theology of the body in order to reconstruct the ontological assumptions underlying their accounts of gift, body, and relationality. The starting point is the claim that the negative reception of Humanae vitae arose not only from moral disagreements, but from the adoption of a modern conception of the human subject as autonomous and self-sufficient. Schindler proposes to read the theology of the body through a “hermeneutics of gift,” in which creatio ex nihilo is understood as the primordial act of giving that constitutes being as receptive, participatory, and relational. The article contrasts this interpretation with Waldstein’s, who considers the “language of the body” to be the key to the theology of the body, grounding his approach in a classical metaphysics of substance. In contrast, Schindler emphasizes the ontological priority of “being-given” over “self-gift,” which implies the filial character of human existence and the constitutive role of relations. The conclusion shows that Schindler’s metaphysics of gift provides a coherent critique of modern notions of freedom and law and offers an ontological justification for the doctrine of the two meanings of the marital act in Humanae vitae
Recenzja książki: Susannah M. Larry, The Daughter’s Resistance: Lamentations and Theodicy (Hebrew Bible Monographs 119; Sheffield: Sheffield Phoenix Press 2025). Ss. 220. ISBN 978-1-914490-62-0.
John Henry Newman (1801-1890), a prominent Anglican and later Catholic theologian, a saint and Doctor of the Church, underwent a profound change of religious beliefs throughout his life. After converting to Anglican Calvinism at the age of fifteen, Newman's religious thinking gradually moved towards High Church Anglicanism before he was received into the Roman Catholic Church in 1845. This study focuses on the formative period of his ecclesiological development during his early Anglican years (1816-1830), as expressed in his letters and diaries. By examining these sources, we aim to present a synthesis of the major themes, theological influences, and the development of ecclesiological thought as it emerged within Newman's early Anglican context.
This article discusses whether Second Vatican Council is or can still be relevant today. It analyzes which aspects of the Council can be relevant, how they can be relevant, and for whom they can be relevant in the present day. Therefore, the Council documents, as well as central documents of its magisterial reception, are examined in the article. As a result, synodality appears as a major consequence of Vatican II and also as a sign of its contemporary and future relevance. This inscribes both Second Vatican Council and the current synodal path in the Tradition of the Church with its eschatological dynamic. On the one hand, the relevance of the Council for the Church in all its expressions has to be considered, while, on the other hand, a specific synodal exercise of ministries is necessary for this very relevance.
In this paper, we examine the relationship between papal primacy and episcopal collegiality by analyzing the vota submitted for the Second Vatican Council. We highlight the growing criticism of the excessive centralization of power in the person of the pope and the Roman Curia, as well as the calls for a restoration of the balance between the primacy and effective responsibility of bishops. The analysis comprises three main areas: (1) the value of papal primacy, (2) proposals for reforming its mode of exercise, and (3) suggestions for strengthening collegial structures—patriarchs, cardinals, and episcopal conferences—in the governance of the Church. Theological, linguistic, and hermeneutical methods have been used, allowing for a thorough reading and interpretation of the multifaceted source material found in the Acta et documenta Concilio Oecumenico Vaticano II apparando, Antepraeparatoria 1. We have concluded that the calls for collegiality were not a late invention of Vatican II, but had already matured within the episcopate, both in the East and West. Moreover, the reform of papal primacy and the strengthening of collegiality clearly had an ecumenical dimension and were perceived as conditions for closer relationships among the Churches.
This article addresses the issue of dialogue ad extra based on the documents of the Second Vatican Council, especially the decree on ecumenism Unitatis redintegratio and the declaration Nostra aetate on interreligious dialogue, grounding the analysis on paragraph 8 of the constitution Lumen gentium in particular. To this end, we use the conciliar texts, with references to the history of the drafting of the documents, as well as to the problems that arose during the period of reception of the Council, and how some documents on ecumenical and interreligious dialogue have addressed them. We develop this question by first elaborating on religious pluralism, to which the Council attempts to respond. Secondly, we study the ecclesiological background that made the opening to dialogue possible, taking into account particularly ecumenical dialogue and interreligious dialogue. The study allows us to affirm that Unitatis redintegratio and Nostra aetate are concretizations and extensions of the constitution Lumen gentium. Therefore, without the ecclesiological background proposed by the constitution, dialogue ad extra as proposed by the Council and developed in the postconciliar period would not have been possible.
Recenzja książki: Andrzej Piwowar, Księga Syracha. Wstęp, przekład, teksty paralelne i komentarz (Biblia Lubelska. Lublin: Wydawnictwo KUL 2024). Ss. 556. 42 PLN. ISBN 978-83-8288-180-6.
In order to outline the Council's understanding of the "dialogue ad intra," the article will first provide a brief introduction to the concept of dialogue within the Church as set out in selected conciliar documents. To illustrate the Council's ecclesiological framework for promoting dialogue, an outline of Pope Paul VI's encyclical Ecclesiam suam will follow. As documents such as Lumen gentium and Christus Dominus were the result of compromises between opposing theological factions at the Council, they sometimes offer inconsistent ecclesiological concepts, which affect later understanding of dialogue within the Church. Therefore, the ecclesiological concepts of "apostolicity" and "true equality" of all the baptised will be examined in terms of their implications for ecclesial counselling, decision-making, and accountability procedures. The final passage will present a proposal for resolving the tensions between opposing concepts of dialogue within the Church, in light of the Church's understanding of itself as a "complex reality." (LG 8)
The aim of this article is to consider a particular issue present in the constitution Gaudium et spes of the Second Vatican Council. The anthropological discourse employed in this constitution reveals a significant interest in the issue of autonomy. The present study explores the contemporary issue of the tension between autonomy and theonomy, a tension which has characterized both the teaching of the Church and modern thought and culture. The analysis outlines how the Council transcends historical conflicts in this domain, thereby establishing a forum for dialogue without relinquishing its position regarding the primacy of God in the context of human freedom. Following the presentation of the problem and the modern context, the main section of the article provides an analysis of selected passages from Gaudium et spes that are considered to be pertinent in providing an answer to the aforementioned question. This is followed by an interpretation of the results of that analysis. It has been demonstrated that the Council deviates from the confrontational presentation of theonomy against autonomy. The approach employed here is to direct attention towards the concept of concrete freedom, which is characterized by its ambivalence and limitations. This, in turn, engenders an openness to the recognition of its foundation in God. The study concludes with a summary, which also draws attention to the topicality of the issue.
This article analyzes the approaches to interpreting Revelation found in the documents of the last three councils: Trent, Vatican I, and Vatican II. The analysis was carried out using the following methods: comparative, historical-hermeneutical (Formgeschichte/Formkritik). In contrast to the scholastic, polemical, and apologetic methods of earlier councils, the Second Vatican Council departed from the dogmatic style of teaching, emphasizing a positive description of the Church, its self-understanding, and its relationship with the world, while avoiding condemnation and negation. An analysis of the conciliar texts reveals two great ecclesial traditions: legal (Tridentine, Vatican I) and pastoral-dialogical invitation (Vatican II). What we are dealing with here is an organic process of development in the understanding of the doctrine of faith.
