https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/147458 Tue, 23 Jun 2026 20:04:39 GMT 2026-06-23T20:04:39Z https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/147637 Title: The missionary conversion of diaconal work Authors: Van den Bossche, Stijn Abstract: This contribution bears the stamp of an essay and is born of a new working context rather than of theory and study. Indeed, after thirteen years in charge of the renewal of catechesis within the Bishops’ Conference of Belgium, I started working in March 2020 as the person responsible for policy with regard to Christian identity, pastoral and ethics at the organisation Zorg-Saam. [extract] Thu, 01 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/147637 2026-01-01T00:00:00Z https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/147636 Title: Priest and priesthood for the 21st century Authors: Svobodová, Zuzana Abstract: Reflecting firstly about the priesthood as a phenomenon of human society, and only after that considering the question “Who is the Christian priest?”, I want to emphasise the most fundamental role of the priests, i.e., to be a mediator. Therefore, the first question is phenomenological, trying to ask about the “thing” (priesthood) itself. After analysing that and considering the key role of the priest, the Christian meaning of priesthood will be discussed. Following that, the practical questions “How can someone prepare to be a good priest?” and “Who and how can someone be helped to live priesthood well?” are stated and examined. The chapter is concluded by asking about the main challenges for Christian priests in the 21st century, especially in central Europe, and whether experiences from living in totalitarian regimes in the 20th century can enrich the vision of the Christian priesthood. [extract] Thu, 01 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/147636 2026-01-01T00:00:00Z https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/147632 Title: The church cannot but be Catholic : a proposal from the parables of the lost sheep and the lost coin in Luke 15 Authors: Sciberras, Paul Abstract: The two peculiarly Lucan parables in Luke 15,4-7 (the lost sheep) and 15,8-10 (the lost coin) are just one instance where the evangelist conveys the message of the universality of salvation, so distinctive of his portrait of Jesus, the heart of the Third Gospel. [extract]. Thu, 01 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/147632 2026-01-01T00:00:00Z https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/147631 Title: The community of the shaken : on the vocation of the Church Authors: Koci, Martin Abstract: Human experience is described in many ways. Yet there exists a common thread that weaves through the fabric of every individual’s journey – the experience of being shaken. This philosophical category reflects the very essence of our human condition: the constant grappling with our finitude, the perpetual quest for meaning, and the restless yearning for inner transformation. No human being escapes the condition of being shaken; rather we are thrown into this situation of being-in-the-world. This chapter will argue that among the vast array of human institutions, the Church is uniquely positioned to embrace, cultivate, and transform this universal pre-theological experience of “shakenness” shared by all life pilgrims. Even more radical, the care for being shaken is (and has even been) situated in the very heart of the Church’s mission and vocation. The Church’s commitment to the truth of the Incarnation paves the way to integrate this common individual experience and elevate it to the theological realm. If the Church is not only the product but also the truth of the Incarnation, it must form a community of the shaken. Especially now, in a context of advancing secularization in the west which could be translated as the post-Christendom age and the epoch of disintegrated Church, it seems necessary to re think the very nature of the vocation of the Church. [extract] Thu, 01 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/147631 2026-01-01T00:00:00Z