165. What is the Essence of Roman Catholicism?
What defines Roman Catholicism? Is there something that qualifies not only parts of it, but the whole of what Roman Catholicism stands for? Is there a core element that shapes all components in a...
View Article167. Why Do They Cross the Tiber? Stories of Evangelical Conversions to Rome
Leonardo De Chirico’s note: I am thankful to my friend and colleague Clay Kannard for contributing with this fine article to the series of Vatican Files. Clay is a pastor sent to Rome to be a resource...
View Article171. The Theology of Pope Benedict XVI: Looking for a Deeper Protestant...
Pope Benedict XVI (Joseph Ratzinger) is one of the towering figures in twentieth-century Roman Catholic theology. Born in 1927, his impressive biography includes having been a theological expert at the...
View Article172. Can the Roman Catholic Church survive two Popes? — one Catholic and one...
When Pope Benedict XVI resigned in 2013 nobody could have imagined what has been happening since: the Roman Catholic Church has one reigning pope (Francis), but also a former yet living pope (Benedict)...
View Article173. Querida Amazonia: A Reinforcement of Pope Francis’ Missiology
Progressives were disappointed. Traditionalists were perplexed. In the end, Querida Amazonia (“Beloved Amazon”), the 2020 Apostolic Exhortation of Pope Francis following the Synod on the Pan-Amazon...
View Article174. Rosary, Indulgences and Humanism. How is Italian Roman Catholicism...
A version of this article in Italian appeared on Ideaitalia (21st March 2020) Under pressure, the true and deep commitments of the heart are exposed. When facing hardships, we reveal what is really...
View Article175. Why Evangelicals Must Engage Roman Catholicism
For missiological, theological, evangelistic, and strategic reasons, Evangelicals must engage Roman Catholicism in today’s world. L'articolo 175. Why Evangelicals Must Engage Roman Catholicism sembra...
View Article176. “Totus tuus” (to Mary). The Unsettled Legacy of John Paul II One Hundred...
Marian devotion was a characterizing feature of John Paul II’s life. He believed the so-called secrets of Fatima, in which Mary played a decisive role, deviating the bullet when the Pope was shot in...
View Article177. Inter-Faith Prayers for the Pandemic to Cease? What Is at Stake is...
Can you imagine an Apostle Paul who, at the Areopagus in Athens (Acts 17), invites his listeners (followers of various philosophical schools and ancient cults) to unite in prayer, each to his own...
View Article178. Why J.I. Packer Signed “Evangelicals and Catholics Together” (1994) (and...
It is no secret that in Packer’s theological biography his involvement with the Evangelicals and Catholics Together initiative has puzzled many of his admirers. How such a solid theologian could be...
View Article179. After 150 Years of Papal Infallibility, What?
The felt danger of being assaulted by the modern world pushed Pius IX to insist that the Council clearly specify the juridical primacy of the pope as far as the leadership of the Church is concerned...
View Article180. “Season of Creation”: The New Ecological-Ecumenical Agenda?
“Season of Creation” is the latest ecumenical initiative sponsored by the mainline ecumenical bodies such as – amongst others – the Roman Catholic Church and the World Council of Churches (WCC). This...
View Article182. The Dogma of the Bodily Assumption of Mary, 70 Years After
The 70th anniversary of the day that the dogma of the bodily assumption of Mary was promulgated passed almost unnoticed. It was November 1, 1950 that Pius XII, with the apostolic constitution...
View Article181. “All Brothers”: The Unbearable Cost of Roman Catholic Universalism
L'articolo 181. “All Brothers”: The Unbearable Cost of Roman Catholic Universalism sembra essere il primo su Vatican Files.
View Article183. Defining Roman Catholicism: An Evangelical Attempt
Is it possible to capture the heart of the Roman Catholic worldview in a short description? Obviously “Roman Catholicism” is an extremely rich and complex universe. L'articolo 183. Defining Roman...
View Article184. Pope Francis, the Chaplain of the United Nations?
In observing the recent global activities of the pope, the Argentinian philosopher Rubén Peretó Rivas compared them with those of an international organization and asked whether Pope Francis aims at...
View Article185. Fides et Ratio (1998): Three Theses on the Roman Catholic Synthesis...
The publication of the encyclical letter "Fides et Ratio" (FR) on 14 September 1998 by John Paul II brought to the attention of the religious world and public opinion a theme of fundamental importance...
View Article186. Children of Abraham? Pope Francis’ Equivocation
According to Francis, “Abraham our father” is common to all: Jews, Christians and Muslims are the “descendants” promised by God to Abraham and therefore “brothers and sisters” among them. These three...
View Article187. Hans Küng (1928-2021), perhaps very little “Roman” but certainly very...
The Swiss theologian was the forerunner of positions considered at the time "extreme" or even "disruptive" which then became "mainstream". L'articolo 187. Hans Küng (1928-2021), perhaps very little...
View Article188. “When halfway through the journey of our life”. Dante Between the Bible...
The Comedy is a masterpiece that, in its extraordinary richness and complexity, reflects a culture mixed with those ingredients that made Italian culture in particular what it is: ingeniously absorbed...
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