Studia Pastoralne
Rocznik Wydziału Teologicznego UŚ

Youth Ministry in Germany: An Evergreen with ever new aspects
Summary
In Germany, the youth ministry is a thematic field that is reflected in various different ways since the time of the Second Vatican Council. This paper responds to these different types of reflections and develops a few pastoral-theological accesses. The German dioceses adopted on the Synod of Würzburg (1971 to 1975) a resolution about aims and assignments of the youth ministry of the Church. In 1991 the German Conference of Bishops publishes leading guidelines for the youth ministry. The aim of both papers of the Church is to lay the foundations of a theory of the youth ministry. This theory should be of good service to the practical pastoral service. Its theological foundations include anthropological (adolescents and young adults are the subject of the youth ministry), ecclesiological (the pastoral service is nourished by the act of being sent, i.e. its mission) and christological (God’s work is directly performed in the lives of young people). This paper reflects about this theology in an exemplary way by discussing three cases: First, it contemplates the service of altar servers in German parishes; second, it treats the theory of the school ministry and, third and finally, it deals with the pastoral activities of a spiritual community.

Zusammenfassung
Der Aufsatz „Praktisch-Theologische Rezeptionen im Pontifikat Johannes Pauls II.: Die Entwicklung einer Theologie der communio zur pastoralen Methodik“ befasst sich zunächst mit der Stellung der katholischen Kirche, die während des Zweiten Vatikanum eine bedeutsame Änderung durchlief. Sodann rückt die Außerordentliche Bischofssynode von 1985 in den Blick, auf welcher die communio als Zentralbegriff des Zweiten Vatikanum definiert wurde – un¬ter besonderem Mitwirken Papst Johannes Pauls II., der die Wichtigkeit einer (praktischen) Theologie der communio in der säkularisierten Welt von heute betonte. Abschließend bietet dieser Beitrag eine Zusammenfassung und einen Ausblick auf das, was nach der Amtszeit Papst Johannes Pauls II. im Hinblick auf eine Theologie der communio weitergeführt wurde und wird.
Practical theological reception in the pontificate of Pope John Paul II. The development of a theology of communio as a pastoral
Summary
The essay Practical-Theological Reception in the Pontificate of Pope John Paul II: The Development of a Theology of Communio as a Pastoral Methodology takes initially a close look at the position of the Catholic Church, which was changed during the time of the Second Vatican Council. Then the essay discusses the Extraordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops in 1985. At the Synod, communio was identified as a key concept of the Second Vatican Council’s theology. Pope John Paul II supported this development and accented the significance of a practical-theological understanding of communio for a secular world. Finally, this essay gives a summary about these concepts of the theology of communion, which were discussed during the papacy of John Paul II and are continued today in the new developments.