Mar 29, 2024  
Loyola Marymount University Bulletin 2017-2018 
    
Loyola Marymount University Bulletin 2017-2018 [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

THSZ 9002 Missionary Disciples: Exploring the Catholic Pastoral-Theological Tradition


4 semester hours

The term “missionary disciples” was first widely used in the document of Aparecida from the Fifth Conference of the Bishops of Latin America, for which Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio (later Pope Francis) served as principal editor. The term has been proposed as a more fitting way to describe the identity of all the baptized faithful and as one which is more helpful than other categories like “clergy” or “laity.” The emergence of this term represents a significant shift in how the Church in the spirit of Lumen Gentium and other reform documents of the Second Vatican Council seeks to re-think Christian identity and ministry in terms that more closely conform to the Church’s identity and mission which is to evangelize. This course explores the question of how is this development linked to Vatican II, to the teachings of the past three popes, and to the reform which Pope Francis is carrying out today.