Colloquia Theologica Ottoniana

The article analyses Pope Francis’s teaching on theology, as presented primarily in the apostolic letter in the form of a motu proprio, Ad theologiam promovendam, situating this document within the broader context of papal teaching. In the Bishop of Rome’s thought, two closely interconnected contexts emerge in relation to his theological reflections. The first involves the notion of hope, especially in connection with the upcoming Jubilee Year of 2025. The second is the broader current of contemporary liberation theology, which resonates with the Pope, partly due to his cultural background and personal experience. Francis thus emphasizes that theology should serve not only the Magisterium, but the entire People of God, including all those to whom it is addressed—that is, the whole world. Such service requires theologians to be practical, attentive to the lived experience of the faithful, and committed to dialogical transdisciplinarity. According to the Bishop of Rome, good theology is born from the faith of the People of God and, at the same time, serves this faith by structuring and deepening it. It is a theology marked by dynamism and openness, which does not allow itself to be confined solely to established doctrine. The theologian, however, can maintain a proper balance—between drawing on the past, being rooted in the present, and looking forward to the ultimate fulfillment of the world—only when the Christian understanding of hope remains at the centre of their vision.