His Very Reverend Eminence Cardinal
Darío Castrillón Hoyos
Prefect of the Congregation for the Clergy
Address
ON THE OCCASION OF THE INAUGURATION OF THE VIDEO-CONFERENCE COURSE
In the context of the permanent formation of the clergy
Vatican, 29 september 2001
"
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and God of all encouragement!" (2 Cor 1, 3)The Holy Father, in his solicitude for the priesthood and interpreting the will manifested by the Episcopate in the Synod of the year 1990, conveyed to the Church the need for a permanent formation of the Catholic Clergy.
With today’s world video-conference the Congregation for the Clergy, in the reception of the wish of the Pope, and after an accurate technical preparation, intends to offer –via the internet – an instrument to further deepen the knowledge and the love of Jesus Christ, the "Rex Pacificus", his message and his Church.
In ten places of the five Continents thirteen theologians will convene simultaneously to probe into the theme: "Christology: developments and problems. From the Second Vatican Council to present time."
It has been decided to begin with Christology because "
Jesus Christ has a significance and a value for the human race and its history, which are unique and singular, proper to him alone, exclusive, universal, and absolute. Jesus is, in fact, the Word of God made man for the salvation of all" (CONGREGATION FOR THE DOCTRINE OF THE FAITH, Declaration "Dominus Jesus", August 6, 2000, n.15).On behalf of the Congregation for the Clergy participate professors: H.Exc.. Mons. Rino Fisichella,H.Exc.. Mons. Angelo Scola, Mons. Bruno Forte and Father Jean Galot, S.I.
From Africa. H.Exc. Joseph Aké from Abidjanand Prof. Stuart C. Bate OMI from Johannesburg;
from America,Prof. Silvio Cajiao S.I. from Bogotà (Celam) and Prof. Michael Hull from New York;
from Asia, Prof. Luis Antonio G. Tagle from Manila and Prof. Aloysius Chang S.I. from Taipei.
from Europe, Prof. Alfonso Carrasco Rouco, from Madrid.
From Oceania, Prof. Gary Devery OFM Cap. from Sydney and Prof. Alapati L. Mataeliga from Samoa;
The high-level scientifically oriented Conferences will progress within the realm of theology, in faith with the Teachings of the Catholic Church. .
The Congregation has chosen the theologians amongst those of Rome’s Pontifical Universities. Other theologians were presented by their Ordinaries.
The world clergy, the religious and the laymen who wish to deepen absolute notions of theology with a scientific approach will find a precious instrument for their formation.
The Congregation for the Clergy is grateful to the Holy Father, the theologians and to all those who made this programme possible with their generous collaboration.
In this situation made dramatic by tensions on the international scene let us raise our pleas to
the one God, "Lord of heaven and earth" (Lk 10:21), almighty and merciful. The unicity of God is a truth which Christians inherited from the children of Israel and which they share with Muslims: it is faith in the one God"(John Paul II, Homily in Astana, September 23, 2001).We wish to join the words recently expressed by the Holy Father in Central Asia and pray "
that the fundamental good of peace may reign in the world" (John Paul II, Angelus at Astana, 23 September 2001. We are sure that the deepening of the truth of Christ is the strongest foundation for peace.