Pope Leo XIV calls on theologians to integrate faith with all sciences, warning against fragmented knowledge and urging creative fidelity to the Gospel.
Newsroom (26/11/2025 Gaudium Press ) In a pointed address to the International Theological Commission on Wednesday, Pope Leo XIV insisted that theology must not remain isolated from the broader landscape of human knowledge, declaring that “there is no science that theology may ignore” if the Church is to confront the urgent challenges facing humanity.
Speaking during the commission’s plenary assembly in Rome, the Pope praised the theologians’ recent document marking the 1,700th anniversary of the First Ecumenical Council of Nicaea, describing it as an “authoritative text” that also serves as theological preparation for his upcoming Apostolic Journey to Türkiye, where the historic council was held in 325.
Established by St. Paul VI in 1969 to guide post-Vatican II theological renewal, the commission was reminded by Pope Leo of its core mission: to discern the “new things” emerging in history while proclaiming with “creative fidelity” the Gospel delivered “once for all.”
Echoing concerns once voiced by Pope Benedict XVI about the “excessive sectorization of knowledge” and the exclusion of metaphysics from the human sciences, Leo XIV argued that such fragmentation ultimately harms both scientific progress and the development of peoples.
“Just as there is no faculty that faith does not enlighten, so there is no science that theology may ignore,” he stated, urging theologians to apply rigorous method alongside three essential dimensions of reflection.
First, he called for a deepened awareness of the “catholicity of our faith,” drawing enrichment from the diverse cultural expressions of local Churches worldwide.
Second, he stressed interdisciplinary collaboration among theological disciplines to ensure concepts are expressed authentically and accessibly for the evangelization of every culture.
Third, invoking Doctors of the Church including St. Augustine, St. Bonaventure, St. Thomas Aquinas, St. Thérèse of Lisieux, and St. John Henry Newman, the Pope insisted that genuine theology is inseparable from prayer and lived holiness. “Only a life conformed to the Gospel,” he said, “can make our witness to Christ and the mission of the Church credible.”
Describing theology as scientia fidei — the “science of faith” — Pope Leo charged the commission to contemplate and radiate the “perennial and transformative light of Christ” amid history’s changing currents.
By cultivating a “well-rounded study” that embraces all branches of human inquiry, he concluded, theologians are uniquely positioned to offer decisive contributions to discerning and resolving the profound challenges confronting both the Church and the world.
- Raju Hasmukh with files from Vatican News
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