Posted by The WORD in other words (2021) by Fr Joseph Miras SVD (Canada)
Monday 3rd Week of Advent
Gottlieb Söhngen, Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI’s professor of Fundamental Theology in Munich, was opposed to the proclamation of the dogma of the Immaculate Conception. But he said, “If the dogma is proclaimed, I will remember that the Church is wiser than I.”
A Catholic theologian is someone who expounds the truths of the Catholic faith first as a believer and second as an intellectual or academic researcher. His faith-seeking understanding drives him/her to the innermost depths of God’s mysteries. In 1990, the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith issued an Instruction On the Ecclesial Vocation of the Theologian (Donum Veritatis), which outlines the role of theologians, the mission of the Church’s pastors, and the proposed relationship between pastors and theologians. Adhering to the spirit of this instruction makes a theologian credible to practice his craft.
Securing the credibility of a theologian is no different from the situation of other professionals who must practice with authority as derived from hurdling exams: the bar for lawyers, medical boards for physicians, licensing boards for teachers and accountants. Even funeral directors and manicurists must have the authorization to practice their skills and know-how.
When Jesus started his ministry, his teaching and healing were questioned by religious authorities, as in today’s because they could not find any sign or indication or authorization of his ministry. He was not a priest. He did not belong to a priestly class. He was not a trained preacher, healer, or exorcist. He was a simple man. He had no credentials but himself as One Solitary Life would say. The only affirmation or validation of his credential was, after he long died, a visible change in the way humans behave and relate to each other. Wisdom comes slow and matures in time. God’s ways are learned.
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