Graduated Students in 2009 - ISTITUTO DI STUDI ECUMENICI SAN BERNARDINO

Five theses have been defended in 2009. On the 27th of February 2009 Don Giuseppe Gerlin presented his thesis titled: Albino Luciani’s openings to Ecumenism. Between fidelity to Church tradition and conciliar renewal. This research investigates Albino Luciani’s pastoral teaching to verify any possible essential features of his opening towards Ecumenism. Among Luciani’s writings we never find any theological treatise and only a few scientific studies, nor any specific reflections on Ecumenism. However we can single out a number of openings and above all a cultural sensitivity to be interpreted as having an Ecumenical relevance.

On the 20th of May 2009, Enzo Collodo and Marianita Montresor set for their Licentiate examination. The former discussed his thesis titled: An Ecumenical teaching? The Episcopacy of Monsignor Andrea Pangrazio in the Archdiocese of Gorizia (1962-1967). The Ecumenical dimension is gathered in his appeal for a generalized call to welcoming, facing and opening towards everyone, even before any engagement relative to dialogue amongst Churches; this last concept is clearly expressed in his teaching only in a brief synthesis of Unitatis redintegratio reproposed in the discussions following the closure of the Council in the context of a general analysis of conciliar documents and especially, even before this moment, on the occasion of the annual speeches for the Prayer Week for the unity of Christians.

Marianita Montresor, instead, presented her thesis titled: An Ecumenical spirituality of today: Luigi Sartori’s model. Sartori believes that an authentic Christian spirituality can only be “Ecumenical” by this meaning not one spirituality among many, rather a spirituality for all Christians because it is mirrored in the life formulated toward God, Love ensuing from genuine faith. It is a question of living in the deep acknowledgment of a partiality which becomes invocation, wait of accomplishment: all viatores towards fulfillment of Love.

On the 17th of December two more students concluded their study curriculum at our Institute: Dusan Djukanovic and Alberto Di Janni. The former’s work is titled: Saint Nikolaj, bishop of Ohrid and Zica (1880-1956).The man of the dialogue. Not a secondary personage of the Serbian Church in the xx century, Saint Nicolaj above all noted for his role in the promotion of the Serbian Church in the Western world and for his commitment in the Ecumenical movement. The research offers numerous elements for the understanding of a prominent personage and of a dimension of the Serbian Orthodox Church practically unknown in Italy and for this reason it appears very useful for comprehending the dynamics of participation of the Orthodox world to the Ecumenical dialogue.

Finally Alberto Di Janni expounded his research: Ecological Theology and its Ecumenical consequences. J. B. McDaniel and D. Edwards. The thesis analyses and compares the work and thought of two Christian theologians of different confession, both involved with the ecological theme. One is Denis Edwards, an Australian diocesan priest, teacher of Theology in Adelaide. The other is Jay B. McDaniel, an American Methodist, director and lecturer at Hendrix College in Arkansas, also committed to the World Council of Churches.