Not every Catholic has been versed in the more subtle distinctions of theology. And so I arrived in Rome to study the sacred science of theology thinking I knew it all and then learning that I knew – and still know – so little!
At the Dominican Univeristy in Rome you can meet this Dominican friar, who lives in anonymity, or you can even sometimes see him on the 64 bus!
He was my professor of Moral Theology and now he's the Holy Father's private theologian! The majesty of his incisive and resounding intellect convinced me from the start that he was the most brilliant professor that I had ever had the honor to study under. I was a privileged witness to his intellect and now, under his theological guardianship, the Holy Father collaborates with him daily. He is eminently Polish and Dominican, he is Rev. Dr. Wojciech Giertych, O.P.!
Even a pope seeking to avail himself of collegial and communal inquiry involving theologians goes without saying:
“We do not exclude (non excludimus) collaboration, because infallibility is not an inspiration or revelation but is granted the pope as a divine support. Therefore the pope has to employ (tenetur) – considering his office and the importance of the matter – all appropriate means to ascertain the truth and express it suitably.”
Bishop V.F. Gasser, 1213d (19th cent.).
3 comments:
He's not the Pro-Teologo, he's the Teologo. Pro is added to the teologo when he becomes a Cardinal, as used to be the case with nuncios who became cardinals during their munus.
Fr. Giertych!!!! As I live and breathe. I miss my days in his class - though if I recall correctly it was this time last year that I was sweating up a storm over his final!
It is good to see a photo of him these days, I hadn't realized that he was still at the Ang (wasn't he moving to the Vatican?) Say hi to him next time you see him for me (not that he'd remember me probably... but maybe, there weren't THAT many lay women in his class. :)
castor:
you're a legend and you put me to shame! i don't know how you know all these blessed things, but someday i hope to know more like you! i'll change it subito to just teologo.
mary:
yes, isn't he the best!? he now lives in the vatican, but has agreed to stay on the faculty at the angelicum, despite his many new duties! this was big news, and so he'll be teaching the same moral theology course this spring at the ang (watch for him on the 64!)!
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