AMERICA/CHILE - First international refresher course in theology to enable priests respond to present day issues and the challenges of moral theology: “ongoing formation aims at increasing the priest's awareness of his share in the Church's saving mission”

San Bernardo (Agenzia Fides) - San Pedro Apóstol major seminary in the diocese of San Bernardo (Chile), in collaboration with the faculty of theology of the University of Navarra and annexed Superior Institute of Religious Science has organised a 1st International Refresher Course in Theology for priests, from 3 - 11 January. The course is offered to diocesan and religious priests of Chile and other countries and will consider present theological issues especially moral theology and the challenges it faces in the 21st century.
The pastoral initiative stems from the need to provide ongoing formation for the clergy, “Ongoing formation aims at increasing the priest's awareness of his share in the Church's saving mission…
."By this formation, the priest is helped to become aware of the seriousness and yet the splendid grace of an obligation which cannot let him rest, so that, like Paul, he must be able to say: "If I preach the Gospel, that gives me no ground for boasting. For necessity is laid upon me. Woe to me if I do not preach the Gospel!’ (1 Cor 6, 16)” (PDV, 75).
The course focuses on three subjects of theological interest: moral theology, challenges to theology and issues deriving from theology and modern culture.
The sessions of theology will consider the causes of the crisis in moral theology in the 20th century; movement of renewal of moral theology; moral theology as imitation of Christ. Topics connected with the challenges of theology include: “A Council to live, an epoch to understand”, “teaching of recent theology: teachers and dissidents”, “Two theological pontificates”, “The Church and other Christian confessions ”, “the situation of ecumenical dialogue”, “Contributions from other Christians and theologians”, “The Church and other religions: the impact of the ‘Dominus Iesus’ document”, “Evangelisation in Africa (Islam and animism)”, “Evangelisation in Asia (oriental religions)”, “The Church and the secular world: Christianity, democracy and relativism”, “Renewal of the political theory of democracy”, “The Church and new evangelisation”. (RG) (Agenzia Fides 18/12/2007; righe 25, parole 352)