Caritas of Elk Diocese celebrates the 25th anniversary of its activity. From the beginning it helps in a material and spiritual way to the poor and to those who are in need. Caritas runs many specialist units. Caritas takes care of the development of Caritas units in schools and in parishes in its diocese. Spiritual-ity biased on faith is what distinguish Caritas from other nongovernmental or-ganizations that bring help to different social groups like: poor, sick, elderly, orphans, homeless, unemployed and socially excluded because of their poverty. The main motive for Caritas’ activities is servant to the poor people in the same way we would do it to the Christ. Reference to the Christ, imitation of Christ’s example, his respect for poor people and to the spirit of solidarity and brother-hood with poor are the main points of reference in spiritual formation of Cari-tas’ employees and volunteers. Caritas of Elk Diocese takes care of ecclesial identity in its works of mer-cy. Caritas takes care not only of material and spiritual forms of help but also about christian character of its activities. This article talks about basic spirituality of Caritas, mainly the need of religious and moral formation of employees and volunteers who works for Caritas in Elk. In reference to the latest states of popes it was shown the evan-gelic sources of Caritas’ spirituality, moral imperative of the responsibility for poor and attributes of the church’s charitable activity such as: unselfishness, respect for the human’s dignity and its rights, gratefulness and solidarity.
The main objective of pastoral theologians is to develop theologically accurate and practically effective models of salvific activity of the Church, known as pastoral care. A pastoral model is a simplified, descriptive, graphical reflection of the whole or a part of the complex salvific activity of the Church, embracing both a normative and practical element of the activity, which makes it possible to analyze and evaluate it, as well as to offer some predictions for the future (N. Hepp). The aim of this article is to present the state of research concerning the current models of salvific activity of the Church within the scope of pastoral theology and to direct us towards a need to develop new models that will take the socio-cultural context into account. Nowadays, we can talk of three such models that have been scientifically discussed on a global scale (the human-divine model by F. X. Arnold, the community model by F. Klostermann, and the preferential option for the poor). It seems, then, that there is a space for a new model of salvific activity of the Church, centered on the principle of love, or alternatively, the model of dialogue.
Wraz z dość gwałtowną zmianą kursu papiestwa w Kościele katolickim powróciło pytanie o aktualność i możliwość katolickiej adaptacji teologii wyzwolenia. Wiele wskazuje na to, iż latynoska teologia kontekstu w pierwszej fazie swojego istnienia zraniona ideologią marksistowską może doświadczyć głębokiego oczyszczenia, służąc skutecznie fundamentalnej idei duszpasterskiej chrześcijaństwa: preferencyjnej opcji na rzecz ubogich i marginalizowanych. Tej misji wobec człowieka oddalonego od centrum wiary, kultury lub edukacji Kościół nie może nigdy porzucić. Wielkim wyzwaniem jest dziś przeprowadzenie roztropnego procesu rozeznawania duchów i odróżniania teologicznego ziarna od ideologicznego chwastu. Teologię wyzwolenia można oczyścić z korupcji ideologią historii, wprowadzając w jej dyskurs czystego ducha katolicyzmu. Bogate doświadczenie świętych postaci promujących misję na rzecz ubogich jest dla teologii wyzwolenia inspiracją i modelem ewangelizacji świata ludzi zmarginalizowanych i zapomnianych. Budząca onegdaj kontrowersje teologiczne i wątpliwości duszpasterskie teologia wyzwolenia powraca dziś do pierwotnego ideału – obrony godności ludzkiej w przestrzeni strukturalnej niesprawiedliwości i łamania praw człowieka.
EN
There are many indications that the liberation theology, during the first stage of its career fatally exposed to poisonous influence of Marxism, may now be going through a process of cleansing and emerge as a true pastoral concern for the poor. The challenge is to tell the theological wheat from the ideological darnel. Liberation theology may be cleansed of ideological history by injecting into it pure Catholicism. It may draw inspiration from the holy men and women who devoted their lives to the poor and return to its original idea: protect human dignity and stand up to injustice and violation of human rights.
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