{"id":229764,"date":"2026-06-06T02:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-06-06T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/fundacioncarf.org\/?p=229764"},"modified":"2026-06-05T12:58:07","modified_gmt":"2026-06-05T10:58:07","slug":"ramiro-pellitero-sacerdote-profesor-teologia","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/fundacioncarf.org\/en\/ramiro-pellitero-sacerdote-profesor-teologia\/","title":{"rendered":"Don Ramiro Pellitero: a life dedicated to theology, evangelization and the University of Navarre"},"content":{"rendered":"

Physician by training, priest<\/a> Ramiro Pellitero has developed a career deeply linked to the University of Navarra and to the study of theology, always with a focus on the transmission of the faith, dialogue with contemporary culture and attention to people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In this special interview we bring together both conversations: the one originally published by Omnes, focused on the evangelization<\/a> today, and the one carried out by the University of Navarra on the occasion of his retirement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Interview in Omnes<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00abEvangelization is not a debate of ideas, but an encounter with Jesus Christ.\u00bb<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Judging by the slogan (\u201cRaise Your Eyes\u201d) and the logo of the pastoral visit of Leo XIV to Spain<\/a>, The message he wishes to convey revolves around beauty, unity and acceptance. On the other hand, in Spain, as in many other countries and environments, we live in times of polarization and conflict, which can discourage those who try to share their faith. In this context, we interviewed Prof. Ramiro Pellitero, professor of Pastoral Theology at the University of Navarra<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How can we understand evangelization (the proclamation of the Christian faith) today, so that it becomes a source of light and not a source of dispute?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

One key is to understand that evangelization is not a mere transmission of intellectual information or a debate of ideas, but a living encounter with the people of the world. the person of Jesus Christ<\/a>,that transforms human existence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the face of conflicts, ecclesial discernment acts as a compass for reading the \u00absigns of the times\u00bb and carrying out the proclamation of the faith, taking into account the concrete reality of persons and cultures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In order to evangelize the world in an authentic way, the Church as a whole and each of us must first allow ourselves to be evangelized continually by the Holy Spirit<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When we face social challenges or internal divisions, what role does the discernment you mention play?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ecclesial discernment is not an organizational technique, but a shared spiritual practice that allows any Christian community (be it a family, a school or a parish) to recognize what the Spirit is saying in relation to problems or projects that arise. It can be seen as a Christian exercise of the classical virtue of prudence, in its true meaning of guiding action.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In a synodal Church, this dialogue helps to interpret life and human reality in the light of the \u201c....\u201ckerygma<\/a>\u201d(the proclamation of Christ), helping to make decisions that really drive the mission.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What personal attitudes would help reduce tension in such polarized environments?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fundamental attitudes such as humility for personal conversion and a sincere disposition to listen are required. We must first listen to God in prayer and to the Church in her magisterium; it is also vital to listen to ourselves and to others.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This \u00abpedagogy of discernment\u00bb reminds us that God communicates with us gradually, with what the Fathers of the Church call divine \u00abcondescension,\u00bb adapting himself to our human capacity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are those who feel alienated from the Church because they see it as a set of rigid norms. How can we show them that the Gospel message is truth and love, and that it calls for closeness to people?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Absolutely! We must privilege the \u00abway of beauty\u00bb (Via Pulchritudinis<\/em>). Faith education is effective when it attracts the human heart by showing the radiance and goodness of Christian truth. Moreover, we must overcome the dichotomy between doctrine and life, recognizing that daily existence is a \u00abtheological place\u00bb where God continues to speak, through the events of life and the prayer<\/a>, We can do this with the help of the luminous criteria of the ecclesial tradition and the language of faith.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A training<\/a> The catechumenal style, as it was done in the first centuries (i.e., with an initiatory style), not only instructs the mind, but also helps to mature the identity and sense of belonging.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the digital environment, where discussions are sometimes aggressive, how can we be heralds of peace?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Digital culture is a new \u00abareopagus\u00bb that challenges us to be communicators of faith. In this communication, testimony (\u201cmartyria\u201d) has primacy, which is more eloquent than words and can be offered in the midst of daily activities, without the attitude of giving lessons, through friendship and cultural and social tasks, with serenity and a positive sense.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

St. Paul VI famously said: \u201ccontemporary man listens more to witnesses than to teachers\u201d. As Pope Francis repeated, we must use the \u00abliving language\u00bb of mercy, acting as a \u00abfield hospital\u00bb that heals wounds and makes itself accessible to the most distant, focusing everything on the salvific love of God. On the other hand, none of this detracts from the value of reasoning and intellectual formation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Finally, how do we maintain a balance between being faithful to Christian doctrine and being sensitive to current problems and personal situations, without falling into extremes that take us out of reality?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

We can visualize the Christian mission as an ellipse with two focal points: one is the loyalty <\/a>to the salvific plan of God (the revealed divine will) and the other, attention to the concrete and complex condition of history. This tension is fruitful and calls for an integral formation that unites doctrinal solidity with human maturity and social sensitivity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As I pointed out earlier, it is important to take into account the conditions of people, so often vulnerable, and of cultures, with their lights and shadows. It is also important to encourage the dialogue that can enrich us, while at the same time shedding new light and helping us to go deeper into the issues - listening to how others see them - and to purify our intentions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In addition, many issues do not have a single solution and can be approached in different ways. On a highway, you can go faster or slower, on one side of your lane or the other, but without getting in the way or endangering your own or other people's lives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Christian life is a highway that can be very well illuminated. By uniting the Word of God, whose fullness is Christ, with the action of the Holy Spirit (Word and Spirit form the \u201cdouble mission\u201d that comes from God the Father), faith becomes an interior reality or \u00abconnaturality\u00bb that enables us to see more clearly, to judge events better, to choose to do good wisely and to live more fully. Proclamation of the faith and Christian experience, doctrine and life, are thus united in our existence. Participating in evangelization is a service to all so that they can discover that life in Christ is a path of fullness and beauty.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\"Ramiro<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Interview at the University of Navarra<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI take the University with me and I thank God for having allowed me to participate in this task, in this place and at this precise time in which we live.\u201d<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Don Ramiro Pellitero<\/strong>, On April 24, he gave a lecture on the occasion of his upcoming retirement, which was attended by faculty, administrative staff, students, family and friends. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Titled \u2018Theology of the laity according to Yves Congar\u2019.\u2019<\/strong>, The conference presented the evolution of the French Dominican theologian's thought on the lay faithful. He pointed out that, in a first stage, especially in 1953 with his book Jalones para una teolog\u00eda del laicado, Congar described the lay person as a Christian who seeks God through the things of the world, but \u201cin a way still dependent on a somewhat clerical vision\u201d, as a result of centuries in which \u201cthe laity were granted only a passive place\u201d. In that context \u201cwork, family, cultural and political tasks had no properly theological value\u201d and the mission of the Church was conceived as directed exclusively to the Kingdom of heaven without giving due value to human history. Although Congar strove to correct this perspective, and had a decisive influence on the theology of the laity, he left an impression of a certain insufficiency, when it came to explaining the vocation<\/a> and mission of the laity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Professor Pellitero pointed out that this vision was transformed by the Second Vatican Council, which conceived the Church as \u201ca great sacrament of salvation offered to the world\u201d and affirmed that \u201cthe mission of the Church is the responsibility of all Christians\u201d. He emphasized that the lay faithful, since then, were described as those who \u201csanctify themselves from within civil society, jobs and families, friendly relationships and culture\u201d, having as their mission \u201cto order temporal realities to the Kingdom of God\u201d, in complementarity with the ministry of priests and religious life. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

He also pointed out that for Congar, after the Council, the Church was built not only by the hierarchy, but also by a multitude of services and other \u201cministries and charisms\u201d, and that \u201cwe all do everything, but in different ways\u201d. And he explained that this perspective was taken up in a mature way in Christifideles laici, where it was pointed out that what is proper to the laity is the \u201csecular nature\u201d, by which they are sanctified in and through temporal realities and are Church in the heart of the world: \u201cIn them, being and acting in the world are not a mere external framework in their journey towards God, but constitute that journey itself\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Throughout several decades of dedication to teaching, research and personal counseling, Ramiro Pellitero<\/strong> has developed a career deeply linked to the University. Physician by training, priest<\/a> and theologian, his academic and life journey reflects a constant: the desire to understand and transmit, with rigor and closeness, the keys to the faith and its dialogue with contemporary culture.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From his beginnings as a student to his consolidation as a professor in various faculties, his experience is marked by attention to people, intellectual openness and a clear vocation of service to the Church and society.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"iglesia
Seminarians attend a theology class at the University of Navarra's Ecclesiastical Faculties.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

How did you come to the University?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

After medical school and my military service, which was mandatory at the time, I moved to Rome<\/a>. There I finished my baccalaureate studies in Theology, which I had already begun. Then I came to Pamplona<\/a> to pursue a degree in Theology. I had previously met the University of Navarra on some occasions. And I was attracted to its atmosphere of serenity and seriousness. That is why I was very happy to have the opportunity to do these studies. When I finished my thesis, I was ordained a priest. A little earlier I had started teaching as an assistant in Systematic Theology. After a year in Barcelona with pastoral assignments, I returned to the Faculty of Theology<\/a>. 

What would you highlight from your career years?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I would highlight the personalized attention that I received as a student, and that later, as a teacher, I tried to give to my students. Also, the professional approach to the issues, the open-mindedness, the desire to serving the Church<\/a> and to society, love and care for priests and priests' families, and the seminarists<\/a> that was instilled in me from the beginning. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

How do you remember your early days at the University? <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I remember that I began to teach in the baccalaureate of Theology, in a subject that was then undergoing a great renewal: Pastoral Theology. I had excellent tutors (especially Pedro Rodr\u00edguez and Jos\u00e9 Luis Illanes and other professors such as Jos\u00e9 Mar\u00eda Casciaro, Lucas Francisco Mateo Seco and D. Jos\u00e9 Morales), who encouraged me to confront the works of the great theologians of the 20th century without losing sight of the theological tradition of Christianity, something I have always been grateful for, because at that crossroads is the source of what we do today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I have always liked languages, and I was encouraged to cultivate them more seriously. I have lived with great interest the implementation of the Internet and online work and the facilities that this means to weave networks from here in many countries.
 
What do you like most about your job?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I have always felt very comfortable at the University. I have taught, in addition to the Faculty of Theology, in other faculties: in Philosophy, in Sciences, in Nursing. Because of my previous career, in Santiago de Compostela, where I had been an intern student of Histology and Pathological Anatomy first, and then of Neurology; and also because I had collaborated in the chaplaincy of the Clinic of the University of Navarra for four years, I have always had a relationship with the Faculty of Medicine. And in my last academic stage, also with the Faculty of Education and Psychology. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is fortunate, although sometimes it is not easy, to be able to combine teaching with research and caring for students; and also, as a priest, to be able to help many people in their relationship with God. The international atmosphere of the University helps a lot in all this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Facultades<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

How would you define your time at the University as a teacher?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I have always enjoyed teaching, perhaps because there were several teachers in my family and their second surname was \u201cteacher\u201d. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

When teaching, I have tried to prepare something new each time, thinking about the needs of the students. I have tried to deliver what I had received and in the same way: to facilitate their way, placing them little by little where I was arriving, without ceasing to demand what corresponds to them. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In this regard, I remember that, on the occasion of a congress in Rome on the Catechism of the Catholic Church, I had the opportunity to meet the then Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, the future Pope. Benedict XVI<\/a>. When I introduced myself by saying that I came from the Faculty of Theology at the University of Navarra, his immediate reaction was quite expressive: \u201cAh, good professors...\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How would you describe your research work?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I had the opportunity to do a postdoctoral stay in the United States, specifically in Washington D. C., where, in addition to doing research on the theology of American Hispanics, I collaborated for a few summers in teaching at the Catholic University of America, dependent on the Episcopal Conference of that country. Before and after, I have returned from time to time to the United States, always with great interest, especially in catechetical subjects. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I have also spent a lot of time in Latin America (Mexico, Guatemala, Chile, Colombia...), where, in addition to collaborating on the priestly formation<\/a>, I have been able to participate in the implementation of postgraduate programs for school religion teachers. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the Faculty of Theology I was assigned to develop a curriculum for Pastoral Theology and, later, to help in Ecclesiology. In both tasks I have tried to have and transmit an overall vision of the subjects I was assigned to teach. I have also been interested in the Pedagogy of Faith, and I have been fortunate to contribute to the work of the Higher Institute of Religious Sciences, following in the footsteps of Jaime Pujol and Francisco Domingo. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I have tried to live with passion the challenge of a theology that is faithful to the received tradition and, precisely for this reason, open to the continuous renewal required to respond to the evangelizing needs of our times. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

What did you like most about the University?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The opportunity to learn. I try to live the idea that one begins to be a university student the day one enrolls, but then one does not stop (or should not stop) being a university student. As a Christian, the joy of working for unity of life and with a clear purpose of service. As a priest, I have had many experiences of almost touching God's action in people. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

What do you take away from the University?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I carry it inside me, especially the gratitude to God for having allowed me to participate in this task, in this place and at this precise time in which we live. And to so many people who day by day carry it forward. I have excellent memories of the administration and services personnel. For many reasons, I have a special affection for the clinic. I also have many other people that I do not know personally but who I know are as fundamental to the University as the great professors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What does the last class mean to you? What do you want to convey to your students with it?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is one more occasion to share with you something that may be useful to you, and to address your concerns. They say that education is one of the tasks that really helps to improve the world. Of course, the first one that helps is the teacher. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I would like to remind you that God guides history, life and human thought, gently respecting our freedom and seeking our correspondence, in order to make us grow above all in love. And that university work, with its interdisciplinary dimension, is always a fascinating task. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

For a priest who works or studies here, it is also a daily occasion to prolong the celebration of the Eucharist on that unique altarpiece that is the campus and the whole work of the University, as he said St. Josemar\u00eda<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Table of Contents<\/strong><\/p>