Dominican Order

Interview with Bro Gerardo Cioffari, OP, Master in Sacred Theology (Magister in Sacra Theologia)

Gerardo Cioffari, OP, a son of the Province of St. Thomas Aquinas in Italy, who received the degree of Master in Sacred Theology (Magister in Sacra Theologia) from the Order of Preachers in 2024, considers that an innovative proposal of the Order in theology cannot do without starting from Marie-Joseph Lagrange, Marie-Dominique Chenu, Yves M. J. Congar, Edward Schillebeeckx and Gustavo Gutiérrez, “each one in a different but certainly complementary aspect.” He emphasizes this in the following interview with the Ordo Praedicatorum media, in which he also addresses the issue of theological dialogue and the contribution it can make to peace in the world.

Magister in Sacra Theologia^[1]

What does it mean to you to have received the degree of Master in Sacred Theology from the Master of the Order?

The meaning I have given to my recognition as Master of Sacred Theology by the Master of the Order of Preachers is in a double register: the human register and the theological-intellectual register. On the human level, I must say that this title was a surprise for me from the very first moment—that is to say, from the moment the brothers returning from Naples for the Council of Province communicated it to me as his initiative, until I received by e-mail the document signed by the Master General. To tell the truth, the initiative of my brothers gave me more joy than the obtaining of the title itself because it showed me the community’s affection, even though I had ended up under the observation of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, then led by Cardinal Ratzinger. It is true that all the brothers of the General Curia who came after me were very close to me, but I was pleasantly surprised by this initiative. From a theological and intellectual perspective, such recognition suggests to me that the Order is proceeding in fidelity to Vatican II, assimilating more and more the ecclesial principles inaugurated by Pope John XXIII, reinforced by Paul VI, and reaching up to the present Pope Francis. The latter has spoken of a theology to be done on one’s knees. My experience as a historian of theology confirms to me that this is the only way, the way of awareness of the limits of theology, which still navigates in the field of mystery.

In your opinion, how can interreligious dialogue be further developed and what contribution can it make to peace in the world, in Europe, and in particular in Ukraine?

Today’s reliance on theological dialogue is largely unfounded because it is based on the mistaken belief that others use the same conceptual parameters as we do. In reality, progress is fallacious because the agreements rest on ambiguous terminology that pleases everyone. The result, after 40 years of dialogue, is that there is still no document of the Orthodox Church that recognizes the validity of the Catholic baptism. St. Thomas Aquinas was aware of the limits of dialogue when he stated that theological reasoning must take into account changes in the meaning of words (such as “hypostasis,” which in antiquity meant “substance” and later “person”) and above all the different categories of thought: “symbolica theologia non est argumentativa” (In I Sent. Dist. 11, q. 1, a. 1; see EDI Sent. Vol. 1, 624). The great value of the theological dialogue does not lie in the almost non-existent theological advances, but in the fact that we continue to meet. We are beginning to give charity that primacy over the faith that Saint Paul spoke about. It would be necessary to take an additional step among the faithful to help them embrace Christian brotherhood, despite theological differences. Today, however, even a genius like St Thomas would find it difficult to propose a comprehensible theology, because not only has communication between peoples become much more complex, but it is also seriously contaminated by the adherence of the Catholic, Orthodox and Protestant Churches to secular concepts—as the Ukrainian crisis has shown, where instead of being concerned about human lives the Churches have allowed themselves to become entangled in the logic of “who is to blame,” as if, when the other is to blame, we are justified in supporting the war that our rulers deem just. Yet, Jesus came not to save states, but people. Israel’s sacrosanct right to defend itself is no more sacrosanct than the lives of so many innocents. It is a question of primacy of values. Today it is increasingly difficult to preach the Gospel because values that are not reconcilable with the Gospel have been installed in our minds and hearts. This is why Pope Francis encounters so much resistance among Catholics, who allow themselves to be wrapped up in secular concepts such as “just” war (just for whom?) or legitimate self-defense (even if it causes massacres). Few, like Pope Francis, have realized that the word “peace” has become hollow, as for many it simply signifies the victory of the “just” side (i.e., the side one supports). With Pope Francis, the Order should focus more on the Gospel, and less on the political correctness of the so-called international community. For me, what counts is the person redeemed by Jesus, not the defense of the homeland (“negotiation” is much better than “just peace” because the concept of just is extremely conditioned by politics, and therefore favors massacres of innocents). Although the reason for the Russian tradition of eastern Ukraine seems obvious to me, as is Israel’s right to exist as a state, I do not like to side with either in the conflict. I do not believe that a “just” war justifies the slaughter of so many innocents.

In the light of history, and considering the situation of today’s society, which Dominican theologians, in your opinion, can help to reflect on today’s theology?

For two centuries (18^th-19^th), with a few exceptions (such as Lacordaire), the Church and the Order avoided dialogue with the world, allowing the rationalist Enlightenment, by then victorious, to become tinged with anti-clericalism. At the beginning of the 20^th century, the Order regained momentum, despite deadly suppressions. Fortunately, in the difficult times of modernism, it has been able to draw from its midst men of great theological depth. So, we do not have to struggle hard to find models to follow in proposing theology to today’s world. As far as I am concerned, the following models have inspired me: Marie-Joseph Lagrange († 1938), Marie-Dominique Chenu († 1990), Yves M. J. Congar († 1995), Edward Schillebeeckx († 2009), and Gustavo Gutiérrez († 2024), each in a different but certainly complementary aspect. Reading Lagrange, I was particularly struck by his courage in pointing out the errors in the Old Testament and New Testament texts the St. Jerome had already indicated in Antiquity. Although he too ended up under the stratosphere of accusations of modernism, he knew how to find the right balance, with fidelity to the Church and without violating the laws of historical method, i.e., respecting the historical and philological sciences. I got to know Chenu during the few months I spent at the Istina Centre researching Russian theology. What struck me most was that, despite his advanced age and difficulty walking, his enthusiasm for attempting a history of theology in the service of society was absolutely youthful. I met Congar at several conferences on ecumenism, and I felt attuned to his theological world because, although he leans towards speculative theology, he almost always supports it by framing it historically. The historical framework is fundamental to understanding the meaning and scope of a dogmatic truth. Not to mention that his studies often touch on topics dear to the orthodox. I first met Schillebeeckx (whom I knew in passing as a young man) while taking theology courses at the Angelicum. At that time, he was being investigated in Rome because of the terms he was proposing as a substitute for transubstantiation. It seemed to me a sensible proposal and more in keeping with the dialogue with philosophy that prevails today. At the Angelicum it was discussed rather critically, which I regretted because being a brother I expected a more sympathetic reaction. As for Gutiérrez, I remember the strong impact that reading his book on Bartolomé de Las Casas, En busca de los pobres de Jesucristo (In Search of the Poor of Jesus Christ), had on me. A curiosity: When a friend told me that, at the General Curia, the Doctrine of the Faith’s file on me was next to that of Gutiérrez, I felt a surge of pride and satisfaction. These five Dominican thinkers have guided me, and therefore I believe that an innovative proposal of the Order in theology cannot do without starting from them. Unfortunately, our Order does not have a strong tradition of esprit de corps, apart from a few cases such as fidelity to St. Thomas or the school of Salamanca.

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Gerardo Cioffari, OP, was born in Calitri (Italy) on 1 December 1943. He was ordained priest in 1970. He graduated in Orthodox Theology at St. Vladimir’s Theological Seminary in New York in 1973 and in Oriental Ecclesiastical Sciences at the Pontifical Oriental Institute in Rome in 1977. As a member of the Order of Preachers, to which the Holy See has entrusted the Basilica of St. Nicholas in Bari, he directs the Centro Studi Nicolaiani and oversees the rich archives of the Basilica as well as the Library. Professor of the History of Russian Theology and of the History of Eastern and Western Theology at the Ecumenical Institute of Bari (Pugliese Theological Faculty), he is the author of many studies on Russian philosophical and theological thought. He has lectured in St. Petersburg, Moscow, and Kyiv, and has participated in numerous Catholic-Orthodox congresses. Towards the end of the 1970s he began historical research on St. Nicholas and his move to Bari; then, in 1990, he founded the journal “Nicolaus”, of which (in the historical-theological version) he is still the editor. Besides his ecumenical studies, he has published research on the history of the Order such as “Storia dei Domenicani nell’Italia meridionale” (History of the Dominicans in Southern Italy), “Domenicani nella Storia” (Dominicans in History) and “S. Domenico. Fondatore dei Frati Predicatori” (St. Dominic. Founder of the Friars Preachers).

[1] It is an honorary degree granted by the Master of the Order, following the recommendation of the General Council in accordance with certain requirements for the granting of this degree. The title dates back to 1303, when the Pope of the time, Benedict XI, a Dominican, created this degree so that the Order of Preachers could grant the faculty of teaching theology. Today it is an honorary and exclusively academic title, but it is the highest recognition of excellence in the sacred sciences within the Order of Preachers.

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