Pastoral Theology

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Pastoral theology is the science of the care ofsouls. This article will give the definition of pastoral theology, its relations to othertheological sciences, its history, sources, and contents.

Definition

Pastoraltheology is a branch of practicaltheology; it is essentially a practicalscience. All branches oftheology, whether theoretical or practical, purpose in one way or another to makepriests "theministers ofChrist, and the dispensers of the mysteries ofGod" (1 Corinthians 4:1). Pastoraltheology presupposes other various branches; accepts the apologetic, dogmatic, exegetic, moral, juridical, ascetical,liturgical, and other conclusions reached by theecclesiastical student, and scientifically applies these various conclusions to thepriestly ministry.

Relation to other theological sciences

Dogmatictheology establishes theChurch as the depository ofrevealedtruth and systematizes the deposit offaith which Christ entrusted to HisChurch to hand down to all generations; pastoral theology teaches thepriest his part in this work ofCatholic andChristian tradition ofrevealedtruth. Moraltheology explains thelaws of God andof the Church, the means of grace and hindrances thereto; pastoral theology teaches the practical bearing of theselaws means, and hindrances upon the daily life of thepriest, alone and in touch with his people. Canon law collects, correlates, and co-ordinates thelaws of theChurch; pastoral theology applies thoselaws to the care ofsouls. In brief, pastoral theology begins, where the othertheologicalsciences leave off; takes the results of them all and makes these results effective for thesalvation ofsouls through the ministry of thepriesthood established byChrist.

History

The name pastoral theology is new; thescience is as old as theChurch itself, as appears from the manifold instructions given byJesus to HisApostles for the care ofsouls (Matthew 10:6 sqq.;Mark 6:8 sqq.;Luke 9:3 sqq.;10:4 sqq.;22:35) and from the pastoral letters ofSt. Paul and the very detailed instructions they give to Timothy and to Titus in regard to the sacred ministry. The writings of the Fathers, from theApostolic age onward, are replete with pastoral instruction.St. Ignatius of Antioch [A.D. 110 [Harnack]) scatters such advice throughout his epistles — see, for instance, "Ad Magnesios" (Harnack's ed., "Patres apostolici", II, 29). The letters ofSt. Cyprian (A.D. 248) are, many of them, either wholly or in part written about the care ofsouls (cf. P.L., IV, 194 sq.) — "Qui Antistites in ecclesia eligendi?", "Qualis esse debeat vita sacerdotum?" etc. His"De lapsis" (P.L., IV, 477) is a classic among pastoral instructions.St. Gregory Nazianzen (A.D. 389), explaining his flight toPontus, tells hisideas of thepastor ofsouls in "Oratio apologetica de fuga sua", a work sometimes called "De sacerdotio" (P.G., XXXV, 408), and sets down pastoral care as a greatscience and art, "Ars quædam artium et scientia scientiarum mihi esse videtur hominem regere". Other landmarks in the history of pastoral theology areSt. Ambrose, "De officiis ministrorum" (P.L., XVI, 25);St. John Chrysostom, "De sacerdotio" (P.G., XLVIII, 623);St. Isidore of Seville, "De institutione clericorum", "De institutionibus monachorum", "De regulis clericorum" (P.L., LXXXIV, 25, 45, 77);St. Bernard's letters and treatises "De consideratione", "De moribus episcoporum", "De conversione ad clericos" (P.L., CLXXXII, 727, 809, 833). The great classic among patristic works on the care ofsouls is "Regulæ pastoralis liber" (P.L., LXXVII, 13), written bySt. Gregory the Great (c. A.D. 590) to John,Bishop ofRavenna.

During theMiddle Ages, there was not yet a separated and systematizedscience of pastoral theology.Scholasticism did not recognize thisscience apart from other branches oftheology. Dogma and moral were so taught as to include the application of their conclusions to the care ofsouls. Still, even then writings of the greatDoctors of the Church were at times purely pastoral; such were the "Opuscula", 17-20, ofSt. Thomas Aquinas;St. Bonaventure's "De sex alis seraphim", "De regimine animæ", "Confessionale"; the "Summa theologica" (Books II, III), together with the "Summa confessionalis" ofSt. Antoninus,Bishop ofFlorence. At the same time, writers onmystical theology (see V.MYSTICAL THEOLOGY) have often entered into the domain of pastoral theology. Not until the period of theCounter-Reformation did thescience of pastoral theology take its present systematized form. During the latter half of the fifteenth century, in certain places, pastoralduties were very much neglected. By the dawn of the sixteenth century, the care ofsouls was to manypriests and not a fewbishops a lost or a never-acquired art, with the result that thelaity were ready to throw off what was deemed to be a uselessclerical yoke. In such places, a reform of theclergy was sorely needed. TheCouncil of Trent set itself to bring about atrue reformation of thepriesthood.Catholicbishops andtheologians followed the lead of the council. The result was the treatment of the care ofsouls as ascience by itself. During the following centuries oftrue reform and of battle withfalse reform, the most scientific treatises on pastoralduties andrights were written.John of Avila,Louis of Granada, Peterde Soto, Claude le Jay (Institutiones practicæ), Neumayr (Vir apostolicus),Possevin (Praxis curæ pastoralis), Segneri,Olier, Molina, Toledo (De instructione sacerdotum),Cardinal Cajetan,St. Charles Borromeo (Instructio pastorum), the works ofSt. Francis de Sales, of Rodriguez, of Scaramelli — such are a few of the scientific treatises that did much to illumine and to strengthen thepastors of theCounter-Reformation, In 1759St. Alphonsus Liguori issued his great pastoral theology, "Homo apostolicus". He epitomized the conclusions reached by him in his "Moral Theology", applied these conclusions practically to the work of hearingconfessions, and added four appendices bearing specifically upon such pastoralduties as the direction ofsouls, the assistance of the dying, the examination of those to beordainedpriests, and theduties of confessors andpastors in regard to their own as well as their flock's sanctification. This work, together with the legislation ofBenedict XIV in the matter ofdiocesansynods, gave a great impetus to thescience of pastoral theology.

Sources

Tradition and theHoly Bible, in so far as they portray the ideal Priest, Teacher, and Pastor, and hand down to us Hisideas for the care ofsouls, are the first sources of pastoral theology. As evidence of Tradition the decrees ofgeneral councils are of the highest moment. Next come pontifical Constitutions —Bulls, Briefs, and Motu Proprios; decrees ofRoman Congregations; the works cited in Sanford-Drum, op. cit. below; the various sources of dogmatic andmoral theology and of canon law, in so far as they bear directly or indirectly upon the care ofsouls. Decrees of various provincial councils anddiocesansynods together with pastoral letters ofarchbishops andbishops are also among the sources whence pastoral theology draws. Forecclesiastical legislation, one must follow the "Acta Apostolicæ Sedis", a monthly official bulletin published inRome; thepromulgation oflaws authentic interpretations, decisions andrescripts of theRoman Curia is now effectedipso facto by publication in this periodical. For past decisions the variousdecreta authentica of differentRoman Congregations must be consulted. Such are "Thesaurus resolutionum Sacræ Congregationis Concilii", from 1718 (Rome); "Decreta authentica Congregationis Sacrorum Rituum" (Rome, 1898); "Decreta authentica sacræ Congregationis Indulgentiis Sacrisque Reliquiis Præpositæ", from 1668 to 1882 (Ratisbon); Pallottini, "Collectio omnium decretorum Sacræ Congregationis Concilii" (Rome, 1868); Bizarri, "Collectanea Sacræ Congregationis Episcoporum et Regularium" (Rome, 1863, 1885); "Collectanea Sacræ Congregationis de Propaganda Fide" (Rome, 1893, 1907). A handy reference work in this matter isFerraris, "Prompta bibliotheca", together with its supplement edited by Bucceroni (Rome, 1885). Ojetti, "Synopsis rerum moralium et juris pontificii" (Prato, 1904), is also useful. For the pastoral care ofreligious communities,necessary information may be obtained from Vermeersch, "De religiosis et missionariis supplementa et monumenta", together with the periodical supplements thereto (Bruges, 1904--), and Dom Bastien, "Constitution de Léon XIII sur les instituts a voeux simples et leur relations avec les autorités diocésaines" (Bruges), a work which has been translated into English by Lanslots (Pustet, New York). Periodicals giving current direction and information as to the care ofsouls are: "Acta Sanctæ Sedis" (Rome, from 1865), now discontinued; "Analecta juris pontificii" (Rome, 1833; Paris, 1869), replaced by "Analecta ecclesiastica" (Rome, 1893-1911); "II Monitore Ecclesiastico" (Rome, 1876); "The American Ecclesiastical Review" (Philadelphia, 1889); "The Irish Ecclesiastical Record" (Dublin, 1865); "Nouvelle Revue Théologique" (Tournai, 1869); "Theologischpraktische Quartalschrift" (Linz); "Zeitschrift für katholische Theologie" (Innsbruck, 1877).

Contents

From the days whenSt. Gregory the Great wrote his classic "Regulæ pastoralis liber", theduties that make for the care ofsouls have been conveniently divided into those of the teacher, of the minister of the sacred mysteries, and of the shepherd; pastoral theology purposes to impart theknowledge of theseduties and of the treatise known as "pastoral medicine", the medicalknowledge requisite for the proper care ofsouls.

Under the head of teacher are treated theduty of teaching, the qualities of the teacher, his training, the models of teaching left us by the Fathers andDoctors of the Church, as well as by distinguished preachers and catechists, and the occasions and forms of instruction suited for the various needs of thefaithful, young and old, literate and illiterate. TheCouncil of Trent, in the fifth session, lays down a twofoldduty of the teacher, to preach onSundays and festivals, and to givecatechetical instruction to children and to others who have need of such instruction.Benedict XIV, in his Constitution, "Etsi Minime", calls special attention to this latter most importantduty.Pius X, in hisEncyclical on the teaching ofChristian doctrine (15 April, 1905), insists once again on the paramount need ofcatechetical instruction. Allparishpriests, and all others to whom the care ofsouls is committed, must teach thecatechism to their young girls and boys for the space of one hour on allSundays and holy days of the year without exception, and must explain to them what one is bound to believe and practise in order to be saved. These children shall, at stated times during each year, be prepared by more extended instruction for the Sacraments of Penance and Confirmation. Daily instruction duringLent, and even afterEaster, will make the young children of both sexes ready for their firstHoly Communion. Moreover, an hour everySunday and holy day shall be devoted to thecatechetical instruction of adults. This lesson incatechism, in plain and simple language, is to be given over and above the Sundayhomily on the Gospel and the children's instruction inChristian doctrine.

As minister of the sacred mysteries, thepriest must not onlyknow the nature of thesacraments, so far asdogmatic theology explains it, besides what is needed for their valid administration, as taught inmoral theology, but must also possess such additionalknowledge as may serve him in his spiritual ministrations — for instance, in attending the sick, in advising what is lawful or unlawful in critical operations, especially in such as may affect childbirth; in directing others, whennecessary, how tobaptize the unborn child; in deciding whether to confer extreme unction or othersacraments in cases of apparent death, etc.

Finally, aspastor, a variety ofduties have to be mastered, which keep growing and varying in number constantly with the complicated conditions of modern life, especially wherever there is a tendency to mass people together in large cities, or wherever migration to and fro causes frequent change. This, perhaps, is the main part of pastoral theology. The organization ofparishes; the maintenance of a church and other institutions that grow up around it; the management ofparishschools; the formation ofsocieties for men andwomen, young and old; the vast number of social works into which apriest in a modern city is almost necessarily drawn — all these points furnish material for instruction, which, as the fruit of experience, can rarely be conveyed through books. Usually thepriest acquires sufficientknowledge of all these things from prudent directors as he goes through hisseminary course, or from his own experience under a competentpastor; but gradually an extensive literature on these subjects has accumulated during the past half century, and it is the systematization of such writings that constitutes pastoral theology.

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