The requirements of prophecy for a Christian ethics in secular societies

Abstract

Taking the proposal of Pope Francis that Christians commit to an ecclesial life style that implies confrontation with the challenges of the contemporary world as a starting point, this text proposes a reflection on the consequences for Christian ethics of an «exit in mission». Christian faith leads to an ethics that translates the demands of prophecy, a prophetic ethics that, at the light of the Word of God, fulfils the critical role that is proper to Christian faith. The acceptation of an ethics that integrates the critical potential of Christian faith and the prophetic demands of evangelisation will necessarily imply the inclusion of some dimensions and functions that are proper to Christian ethics.