/library/oar/handle/123456789/38547 2025-11-15T00:42:04Z /library/oar/handle/123456789/92833 Title: Preparation for a valid celebration of a canonical marriage Abstract: Undoubtedly, every couple wants to celebrate a valid canonical marriage but the question arises: Do they really know what they are celebrating? Most of us married people and those who are preparing to get married in the Church either do not know or have a very vague idea of the demands put forward by the Church in order to celebrate a valid canonical marriage. This was confirmed by Pope Francis and by the priests I have interviewed in the course for the writing of this dissertation. Knowing and willing what the Church wills for the spouses are of utmost importance for living out a life-long commitment in the light of God's command. Chapter one of this dissertation spells an overview of the major developments in dogmatic theology regarding the nature of matrimony throughout the ages. Chapter two explores the normative demands and legal requirements of the Code of Canon Law 1983 in order to celebrate a valid canonical marriage. While Chapter three speaks of the preparation process and the need of a coherent approach by the Church towards matrimony through a method by which preparation and regulation will be fused in one body, not anymore two separate entities. This has been also expressed by a number of priests whom I have interviewed. Their insights are invaluable to come to the understanding of what needs to be done by the Church in Malta to compel spouses to live out a fruitful and loving self-giving relationship. This is imperative if the Church wants to evangelize the world regarding the doctrine of matrimony. This is spelled out beautifully in the Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modem World ‘Gaudium et Spes’. The Christian family springs from marriage, which is an image of the partnership of love between Christ and the Church, it will show forth to all men Christ's living presence in the world and the authentic nature of the Church by the love and generous fruitfulness of the spouses, by their unity and fidelity, and the loving way in which the members of the family cooperate with each other. Description: M.A.MATRIM.CANON LAW&JURISPR. 2018-01-01T00:00:00Z /library/oar/handle/123456789/40202 Title: The quest in the Hebrew Scriptures for the “prophet like Moses” in the light of Deut 18: 9-22 Abstract: As the title implies, this thesis aims at identifying who the “prophet like Moses”, promised in Deuteronomy 18:15, 18, is. This thesis first of all studies the wider context of the text of Deuteronomy 18:9-22, and seeks to identify the Sitz im Leben in which this text was written. Then, it analyses the figure of Moses and the traditions surrounding his person. Sifting through the layers of traditions, this work concludes that it was indeed the Deuteronomistic School, late during the Babylonian Exile, that vested Moses with the prophetic garb. The intention was to create strong propaganda in favour of the great prophets of the past, who after all, were proven right when they foresaw and foretold the Exile. With this background in mind the author of Deuteronomy 18:9-22 sought to give authority to the prophets by aetiologically tracing the origins of prophecy back to the Sinai/Horeb Covenant, where the people explicitly called for Moses to mediate for them. In short, Moses was the one to receive the ultimate revelation of God, the one who spoke with YHWH face to face, indeed, mouth to mouth. The Torah was revealed once, but it had to be interpreted and applied. It would then be the task of the prophets to continue interpreting and applying the Torah to the concrete evolving situations within the life of the community, much like Moses used to do in Exodus 18:15-16. The exegesis of Deuteronomy 18:9-22 reveals that the text underwent various stages of development. Built upon an older to’ebah law prohibiting the offices, which was probably part of Urdeuteronomium, the Deuteronomistic author extended and transformed this law into the Deuteronomic law of the prophets. This law, together with the other laws of offices running from Deuteronomy 16:18-18:22 and penned towards the end of the Exile, aimed at reforming the offices of power, setting clear criteria for when the return into the Land would occur. Deuteronomy 18:15 and 18 promise a “prophet like Moses”. This study concludes that the syntax of the text implies that Moses was the first within a line of prophets. Every other authentic prophet in Israel would fall within the title “prophet like Moses”. Whilst this is true, the strong parallels that exist between the texts of Deuteronomy 18:18, Jeremiah 1:7,9, and Exodus 3-4, show that there was a clear redactional intention in depicting Jeremiah as the “prophet like Moses” par excellence. As this study shows, the correspondence between the divine affirmation of the prophetic word within the pun of Jeremiah’s first vision (Jer 1:11-12), as well as the very peculiar criterion of prophetic verification of Deuteronomy 18:21-22, seem to corroborate this conclusion. Jeremiah was the prophet to foretell the Exile, and thus was the authentic prophet. I conclude that the texts of Deuteronomy 18:9-22, Jeremiah 1:4-12, and Exodus 3-4, evolved contemporaneously, all within the efforts of the Deuteronomists to form a strong propaganda in favour of the prophets, whom the people must heed, if they are ever to be successful. Within this propaganda, we can say that Moses was the first and Jeremiah, the “prophet like Moses” par excellence, was the “last” prophet of what we can call the “Deuteronomistic Library”, with the rest of the prophets, all “prophets like Moses” towing the line. Description: S.TH.D. 2018-01-01T00:00:00Z /library/oar/handle/123456789/40170 Title: Adrienne Von Speyr's feminine approach for a Trinitarian spirituality Abstract: This study discusses the life and writings of Adrienne von Speyr (1902-1967) in the context of her Trinitarian approach to the spiritual life. Primarily an overview of her life and personality together with the presentation of other female mystics is explored. An introductory overview for Trinitarian spirituality with a special reference to the formation of the Trinitarian “grammar of gift” is presented electing three main female characteristics of obedience, receptivity and fruitfulness in the triune reflections of Adrienne von Speyr. The feminine approach is also discussed with the personified feminine ideal of Mary embodied with the trinitarian spirituality. These insights are intended to enrich the spiritual journey and reawaken trinitarian spirituality to the deep truth that God is Love presented as an aid for spiritual directors. Description: M.A.SPIRITUAL COMPANIONSHIP 2018-01-01T00:00:00Z /library/oar/handle/123456789/40169 Title: Faith as a condition for sacramental marriage Abstract: “It takes a great deal of courage to get married in the age we are living in.” Pope Francis made this declaration only a few months ago. It came from a Pope who is dedicating most of his Pontificate to the family and particularly to families in difficulties, whom he refers to as “fragile”. At the same time, he consistently inspires hope. His point of departure is actual reality, crude as it can be, and thereon he offers a transcendental opening which is beyond the capabilities of humankind alone. In this particular case, his starting point is those people who seek the sacrament of marriage, coming from different “faith” situations: some actively participate in the life of the parish; others approach the Church for the first time; some even follow a strong prayer life. On the other hand, others are guided by a more generic religious sentiment; and at times there are those who are distant from the faith, or who lack it completely. Conscious of the fragile situation of these Catholics who lack faith and approach marriage, this dissertation sets out to examine the relevant knowledge and the possibility of clarifying their personal situation, as well as their position in the Church. Chapter 1, entitled “Marriage as a Natural Institution and a Sacrament”, deals very briefly with the theology of the sacraments and the sacramentality of the Church. It also offers an overview of marriage as a natural institution and as a sacrament. This leads to a more detailed examination of Canon 1055, CIC/1983 which is the real springboard for the main theme under discussion. Chapter 2 reviews in detail the most important official Church documents that were published over the last forty years on the topic of faith/sacramentality and the sacrament of marriage. These documents carry different authorative weight but they trace the development of thought on the subject. Of greater importance is the fact that some of these documents reveal the inclination of the individual Pontiffs on this matter. Chapter 3 discusses our topic as found in canonical doctrine. In this Chapter, the most important topics are analyzed in detail. The great divide is whether faith is required or not, for the valid celebration of the sacrament of marriage between two Christians. In addition to this, there is also a critique of the various solutions provided. Chapter 4 provides an exposition of a number of rotal decisions. To render them more actual a brief history of each case is presented. The sentences chosen were intended to offer a panorama of the different grounds used in the Ecclesiastical Tribunal to examine particular cases connected with the sacramentality of marriage. In Chapter 5, as concluding chapter, the various arguments presented in the course of this dissertation are brought up and critically analyzed, and a number of recommendations are presented. Description: M.A.MATRIM.CANON LAW&JURISPR. 2018-01-01T00:00:00Z