Umiar w gorliwości ‒ gwarantem pokoju. Pasterskie wskazania Grzegorza z Nazjanzu

Abstract

Gregory of Nazianzus, being a witness of many conflicts in the Church, was able to esteem the greatness of the gift of peace. He was also aware of the fact of how great an effort must be made in order to maintain it. That is why he expressed care for order in the community in many ways. He appealed for mutual kindness, he pointed out the reasons which disrupted goodness in the Church and summoned for the elimination of intemperance, which, being harmful in all aspects of human life, gathered particular fruit in the context of inappropriately understood human fervor. The present report, being a presentation of the criteria as determined by the Cappadocian Father, is helpful in maintaining order and peace in the community (by keeping an appropriate measure of human fervor), and is included in the stream of research on the pastoral dimension of the activity of Gregory of Nazianzus as well as on his ecclesiology. It has as its assignment to bring closer to contemporary man the constantly current teaching of the author, which can serve in helping in the proper functioning of the Church today, so often characterized by internal divisions and disagreements.