Prophetic vocation belongs to the essence of the bond between man and God. In the creation story, God speaks words and everything comes into being, He inscribes his law into the world, and tells the first people how they should behave. That act of speaking to man is continued first by prophets in the Old Testament and then by Jesus Christ who commissions his disciples to go and proclaim the Gospel (cf. Matt 28:19-20). The Church has been fulfilling this commission to the present day to the present day The aim of this article is to indicate that it is the constitutive element of her nature to preach in the name of God. Evangelization, as John Paul II expressed it in the encyclical Sollicitudo rei socialis (No. 41), is the nature of the prophetic mission of the social teaching of the Church. She cannot stop preaching the Gospel, since this would constitute a deprivation of a part of her nature. Thus, it is important to properly understand the place of the Church in society and among its structures and institutions. False concepts of the presence of the Church in public space result in the criticism of both the positions taken by her [the Church] and her assessment of social phenomena. This, therefore, requires taking up discussion and explanation of the issues of her prophetic mission, most especially her social teaching.

This article examines the anthropological cognitive aspects of the contemporary theological thought of Hans Urs von Balthasar, with particular emphasis on the analysis of the relationship between agathology and theodrama. Starting from the Swiss theologian’s theatrical and literary inspirations, the key link between agathology and agogics is established which, in turn, explains why the Basel theologian chose the good as the starting point for his theodramatic reflections. Conversely, it is shown that theodrama cannot be exhausted in theoagatology. In order to understand the depth of theodrama, an extended analysis of the dialogical aspect and the issue of the drama of choice is necessary. However, the essence of theodrama is discovered only when the central role of the paradox related to the problem of mysterium iniquitatis is considered. The theodramatic approach to this mystery and the proposal of the Swiss theologian regarding the positive view of this problem in the light of the indefinite finality paradox immersed in the mystery of the cross are subjected to thorough analysis here.

This paper presents a detailed analysis of the work of Theodoret of Cyrus, the theologian and representative of the fifth-century Antiochian exegetical school, entitled Cure of the Greek Maladies, with reference to the passages presenting the question of pagan worship and, more specifically, his [Theodoret’s] position towards it. The Antiochenian understands perfectly well that literature, culture and philosophy are the meeting point between Christianity and Hellenism. He does not explicitly reject the entire output of Greek culture, because he believes that an attempt to reconcile Christianity with Hellenism is possible, but without the participation of pagan worship. Christianity’s superiority to Hellenism must undoubtedly be granted. The author of the apologia offers the pagans a remedy to cure themselves of the disease of conceit. Theodoret of Cyrus condemned, among other things, secret practices and bowing to statues (III, 84; III 85), rejected bloody and impious sacrifices (VII, 3; VII, 10; VII 22; VII, 24), warned not to confuse the cult of martyrs with supplication offerings to the dead for the well-being of the living (VIII, 33; VIII 34), and was critical of the Greek oracles (X, 2-3; X, 9). In order to show more fully the issue referred to in the theme, the historical and social context of the apologia are analysed and the circumstances of the formation of the author’s own reason and spirituality are also discussed.

The idea of revelation is closely related in theology to the concept of mediation. This article analyzes the meaning of the concept of revelation and its relation to the category of mediation in the theological thought of Paul Tillich, one of the great Protestant theologians and philosophers of the twentieth century. Tillich’s doctrine of God assumes inconceivable closeness and, at the same time, transcendence of the Ultimate Reality. However, it also assumes that God reveals Himself to man through the elements of temporal reality. The first part of the article therefore deals with Tillich’s understanding of revelation. In the next part, the question of the final form of God’s revelation, which, according to Tillich, is Jesus Christ is analyzed. Finally, in the concluding third part, the concept of revelation will be presented in the key of mediation. Through revelation, the incomprehensible God mediates in the world so that man can recognize His [God’s] closeness and presence. The revelatory mediation in this optics does not mean that the immediate closeness of God is denied but both leads to, and discloses, it.

This paper presents the image of St. Joseph in one of the sermons preached by Joseph Ratzinger on the occasion of the 60th anniversary of religious vows by two sisters from the Congregation of Our Lady of Sorrows. The special character of this approach lies in the fact that the main source of inspiration for the Bavarian Theologian is a relief from the Baroque altar located in a specific and largely unknown church in Portugal. The preacher – thanks to the reading of certain elements contained in the sculpture of St. Joseph – was able to emphasize aspects that had so far remained invisible: a readiness to do God’s will, going on a pilgrimage in faith or resignation from one’s own plans made to the point of heroism. Ratzinger’s interpretation, reinforced with references to Sacred Scripture, confirms the value of the presence of a work of art among theological topics.

This paper has an ambitious aim: to predict the future of the Church. How can anyone undertake such an enterprise since the one thing we know for certain about history is omnia aliter, that is, everything will be different than we once imagined. However, such a project is not as unfeasible as it seems. In the footsteps of literary critics, economists, historians, political scientists, philosophers, and theologians, we sketch some of the most likely shifts in the light of already-observable trends using the finest hermeneutics available. First, we interpret the most significant global trend today: secularization (sections 1). Second, we present and evaluate current models for the future of the Church, paying particular attention to the Magisterium of Pope Francis (sections 2). Finally, we predict likely developments in the area of spirituality (sections 3). In setting out to write academically about futuristic topics, we are aware that one looks to the future not so much to predict it accurately, as to shape it.

In the third decade of the twenty-first century, the “cathedral” of Catholic theology has suffered some structural assaults and the way forward is a contemporary “hot topic”. This paper argues against the idea, common among Catholics of the millennial generation, that we simply need to “reboot” the system to 1959 and restore the framework of “Strict Observance Neo-Scholasticism”. Instead, it suggests that attention needs to be given to the structure itself, to issues in fundamental theology, and the relationships or “joints” in the framework of Catholic theology, along the lines recommended by Joseph Ratzinger and others in his theological circle.

The paper provides a comparison of minimum air temperature (TN), maximum air temperature (TX), mean air temperature (T _mean) and a few derived temperature indices for Herschel Island (Qikiqtaruk) in the Yukon Territory, Canada for the periods 1899–1905 and 2008–2014. A significant increase in the TN was noted at +4.2°C, which was a larger increase than that for both T _mean (+3.7°C) and TX (+3.5°C). Air temperature increased the most in October, November, and December. In addition, the length of the frost-free season increased by 26 days and the length of the growing season increased by 25 days from the early 20th century to the early 21st century. The increase in the TN also triggered a change in the plant hardiness zone where Herschel Island is located. However, the daily air temperature range declined over the course of the study period as well as the annual total of heating degree days and the number of exceptionally cold days. No statistically significant change in the number of freeze-thaw days was found for the studied periods.