Pope presses theologians to be in tune with challenges of daily life and talk with non-believers

By FRANCES D’EMILIO
Associated Press

VATICAN CITY (AP) — Pope Francis is pressing Catholic theologians to be more in tune with the challenges of ordinary people. In a document that Francis issued on Wednesday, he also encouraged theologians to dialogue with different Christian confessions and other religions as well as with non-believers. He said he was updating the statutes for the Pontifical Academy of Theology since the last revision was issued nearly 25 years ago. Francis says theology must confront “profound cultural transformations.” Today’s theologians, in the pope’s words, must not end up in “isolation and insignificance.” The largely advisory academy was established in the early 18th century.