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Wrocławski Przegląd Teologiczny

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Systematische Theologie

Liturgy and the Moral Path: Via Ethica in the Context of Joseph Ratzinger/Benedict XVI’s Thought

DOI: https://doi.org/10.52097/wpt.9860  [Google Scholar]
Veröffentlicht: 2026-05-16

Abstract

The aim of this article is to demonstrate the organic interconnection between liturgy and the Christian moral path (via ethica) in the context of contemporary moral challenges, particularly within the realities of postmodernism and digital culture. The subject of investigation is the thought of Joseph Ratzinger/Benedict XVI on the worship of the Church and its relationship to the via ethica, examined within the framework of demonstrating the credibility of Christianity. In existing studies of his thought, this connection has been indicated, but not adequately considered in terms of fulfilling the tasks of fundamental theology/new apologetics. This gives the present study a novel dimension and allows for a clearer delineation of the relationship between liturgy and ethos as a bridge for dialogue with the contemporary world. The introduction outlines the research context and formulates the problem of the relationship between the Church’s worship and the moral path. The first part of the article presents the concept of the via ethica and its connection with the liturgy, particularly in the light of the Christ’s pro-existentia. The second part examines the shaping of the via ethica in the perspective of the liturgy, with particular emphasis on the concept of the “logization” of the life – proposed as an alternative to the “algorithmization” of existence. The third part identifies dialogicality as a structural analogy between the worship of the Church and the Christian ethos – an analogy that may serve as a bridge for those inquiring into the credibility of Christianity from a moral standpoint. The conclusion summarizes the main findings, highlighting the role of the liturgy as an important hermeneutical tool in theological and pastoral reflection on the via ethica.

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