Eight hundred years ago St. Francis of Assisi requested an indulgence for those who went to the Portiuncula: a clear precedent for what Pope Francis desires in the Jubilee of Mercy.
Just on August 2, 2016, in the middle of the Holy Year of Mercy, it will be the 800th anniversary of the Porziuncola, the place for which St. Francis of Assisi asked Pope Honorius III, at that time in Perugia, to grant a plenary indulgence for all those who would frequent this place and go to confession. It would be the first time that an indulgence would have been given outside Rome, Santiago, St. Michael of Gargano and Jerusalem. Above all, forgiveness of everything would have been granted free of charge. As the Diploma Theobald, after some hesitation, the Pope agreed, but immediately a cardinal in his entourage urged him to limit the terms of the indulgence: "Bear in mind, sir, that if you grant this man such indulgence, you would destroy those overseas."
Perhaps if the request of St. Francis of Assisi had been accepted, there would have been no occasion for the reform that Luther had brought about by the abuse of the question of alms and indulgences. Although restricted, St. Francis obtained something and was able to announce it: "My brothers and sisters, I want to take you all to paradise!". Eight hundred years in advance he had obtained what is now normal, that is, to obtain complete remission of guilt simply by repenting, confessing and going to church.
On the occasion of the Pope's visit to Armenia, the Ambassador to Spain writes for PALABRA an analysis of the significance of Francis' trip to his country.
– Avet Adonts
– Supernatural Pope's visit to any country, as in this case to Armenia, is a great honor and a very important event. Despite the fact that the Armenian Apostolic Church is an independent Church, historically very warm relations have been established with the Catholic Church, and in particular with the Holy See, which continue to be preserved and developed.
Even today, these relations continue to develop actively. As fundamental pieces that exemplify mutual respect, it is worth mentioning the placement in 2005 of the statue of St. Gregory the Illuminator (or the Armenian), Apostle of Armenia and founder of the Armenian Church, in one of the external niches of St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican, being the first time that the statue of a saint of Eastern rite was placed among the founding saints that surround the exterior of St. Peter's Basilica; and the official recognition of the Armenian cleric and philosopher St. Gregory of Narek as a Doctor of the Church by Pope Francis at the Mass officiated for the Centenary of the Armenian Genocide.
Literally two or three days ago the motto of Pope Francis' visit to Armenia was communicated, which reads. Visit to the first Christian country. In this way, Pope Francis picks up the baton from Pope John Paul II, who visited Armenia in 2001 as part of the events commemorating the 1700th anniversary of the adoption of Christianity in Armenia. As His Holiness Pope Francis indicated in his Message to Armeniansat the Mass celebrated on April 12, 2015, Armenia was "the first among the nations that throughout the centuries embraced the Gospel of Christ"..
In 301 Armenia, adopting Christianity as the official state religion, became the first Christian country in the world. For centuries, being surrounded by non-Christian countries and empires, the Armenian people underwent many hardships, multiple wars, but remained steadfast in their decision. They never questioned their Christian faith. The Pope's visit to Armenia is a tribute to the Armenian people and their millennial history, as well as a call for peace for the region and the world.
This visit is also prioritized by the Vatican. That is evident from the program of the visit. The Pope will spend three days in Armenia: from June 24 to 26. In addition to the capital Yerevan and the Holy See of Armenia, Echmiatsin, he will also visit Gyumri, the second largest city of the Republic, as well as pilgrimage sites of great religious significance on the territory of Armenia. His Holiness the Pope will be received by the highest political and religious authorities of Armenia.
Avet Adonts is Ambassador Extraordinary and Lenipotentiary of the Republic of Armenia to the Kingdom of Spain.
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From June 24-26 Pope Francis will tour Armenia on an apostolic journey that is expected to be a new milestone in ecumenical relations. The trip will conclude with the signing of a joint declaration with the Catholicos of the Armenian Apostolic Church.
–Miguel Pérez Pichel
Pope Francis' arrival in Armenia on June 24 is part of his visit to the country. call to evangelize both in the geographical and existential peripheries. It is also part of the need to promote ecumenical dialogue and strengthen ties between the Catholic Church and the Armenian Apostolic Church. In this sense, Pope Francis proclaimed the Armenian religious saint Gregory Narek as Doctor of the Church on April 12, 2015 during the Mass celebrated in St. Peter's on the occasion of the centenary of the Armenian genocide.
Armenia is a country of 3,060,631 inhabitants and an extension of 29,800 square kilometers, bordering Turkey, Georgia, Azerbaijan and Iran. The Armenian population is mainly orthodox. The 94,7 % of the population belongs to the Armenian Apostolic Church (of orthodox tradition). 4 % are Catholic or Protestant, 1.3 % are Yazidis and there is also a small Muslim community.
The Armenian Apostolic Church has its origin in the evangelization by the apostles Bartholomew and Thaddeus. Armenia adopted Christianity as its official religion in 301 during the reign of Tiridates III thanks to the work of St. Gregory the Illuminator. It is therefore the first country in the world to proclaim itself Christian. In 428 the Sassanid Persian Empire conquered the kingdom, although the Armenians managed to guarantee their religious freedom and a certain autonomy. In 506 the Armenian Christians accepted monophysitism. In the 7th century the Islamic caliphate, which arose on the Arabian Peninsula, absorbed Armenia. The country managed to establish a wide autonomy from Arab power after a revolt in 780. It regained its independence in 885. From that date on, the Armenians had to deal with the expansionist pretensions of Byzantines and Arabs, as well as with the invasions of Turks, Mongols and other Asian peoples. This situation left the Armenian kingdom exhausted before the rising Ottoman power at the end of the Middle Ages.
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During these days, an exhibition can be visited in the capital of Seville that dismantles, with images, the main arguments of those who justify abortion.
– Rafael Ruiz Morales
On May 13, the feast of the Virgin of Fatima, the Valentín de Madariaga Foundation, in Seville, hosted the inauguration of the Expovidaan itinerant exhibition promoted and supported by the organization Right to Live which will remain open to the public until June 13.
Before a good number of participants, Dr. Gador Joya kicked off with a reflection on the current situation of the right to life in Spain, subtly framed in the current pre-electoral period.
The exhibition has been arranged in the privileged setting of the main courtyard of what was the U.S. pavilion during the 1929 World's Fair, around which the elements that make up the exhibition are located.
The eight life-size reproductions of the different stages of evolution of the fetus in the mother's womb are striking, making visible and tangible a reality that, beyond opinions and going beyond any ideological positioning, has an entity of its own. Together with these, an interesting discourse, mainly graphic, opens with the compilation of scientific data related to the gestation of the human being, after which, under the epigraph "The other holocaust", reveals the stark techniques employed in the elimination of human life through the practice of abortion.
It continues to show the silenced physical and psychopathological consequences suffered by women subjected to this intervention.
The exhibition sends a resounding message: the woman, the mother, must be a death penalty-free zone.
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On May 22, the annual Day of Prayer for Vocations to the Contemplative Consecrated Life was celebrated. In Spain there are 9,153 nuns and monks.
– Enrique Carlier
On Sunday, May 22, the Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity, the celebration of the Pro orantibus DayThis is the day on which the whole Church prays to the Lord for vocations to the contemplative consecrated life.
In tune with the Holy Year convoked by Pope Francis, this year's motto was. "Behold the Face of mercy", and its objectives: to pray for consecrated men and women in the contemplative life, as an expression of recognition, esteem and gratitude for what they represent; to make known this specific vocation, so current and necessary for the Church; and to promote initiatives to encourage the life of prayer and the contemplative dimension in the particular Churches through the participation of the faithful in some monastery celebration.
819 monasteries On the occasion of the Pro orantibus Daythe Secretariat of the Episcopal Commission for Consecrated Life has published a set of certainly revealing data on the numerous representation of the contemplative life in Spain, to the point that our country counts with "one third of the total number of monasteries worldwide".
The Secretariat also points out that "the most numerous presence is female contemplative life, with a total of 784 female monasteries and 8,672 nuns." (these data refer to December 2015). The Poor Clares and the Discalced Carmelites are the congregations with the highest number of contemplative nuns in Spain and in the whole Church.
We refer here to autonomous monasteries, with a direct link to the bishop of the diocese in which they are located.
The men's monasteries are governed by regulations similar to those of religious life, which is also reflected in the specific apostolic mission they carry out.
As of December 2015, Spain had 35 male monasteries and a total of 481 monks. The monasteries with the most monks are the Benedictine and Cistercian monasteries.
In this Pro orantibus Day We also pray for hermits and hermitesses, who live their contemplative spirituality in an even more solitary way. There are some who live this hermit life hidden from the eyes of men, residing in remote places in various Spanish dioceses.
By diocese Toledo is the diocese with the most female monasteries with 39, followed closely by Seville, 37; Madrid, 32; Valladolid, 27; Burgos, 26; Valencia, 25; Pamplona and Tudela, Granada and Cordoba, with 22; and Malaga 19.
For its part, Burgos is the diocese with the most male monasteries: 4, followed by Madrid with 3 and the Canary Islands, Orihuela-Alicante and Pamplona and Tudela with 2.
On the occasion of the day, Archbishop Vicente Jiménez Zamora, Archbishop of Zaragoza and president of the Episcopal Commission for the Consecrated Life, pointed out that "Within the Church, the consecrated life and, in a special way, the consecrated contemplative life, is called to be a living transparency of the merciful Face of Christ".
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From the last report of the Episcopal Conference on the option of the student body for Catholic religious education, the notable increase in the number of high school students is positively surprising.
– Javier Hernández Varas y Diego Pacheco
With the prospect of the elaboration of an educational pact to be implemented after the general elections, here are some considerations regarding the teaching of religion that should be kept in mind when drafting such an important document of such transcendence for the future of our students.
In a first argument of a statistical nature, it should be taken into account that, in spite of the current situation that originates objective difficulties that have repercussions on the deterioration of the religion class, 63 % of the students continue to want to receive Catholic religious instruction. In the 2015-16 academic year, out of a total of 5,811,643 students enrolled in it, 3,666,816 students have enrolled in it.
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In the digital era in which we live, we cannot deny the risks we run, but neither can we fail to see the great opportunities that lie ahead.
An irreversible theme: social networks. Politicians, televisions, radios, companies, businesses, etc., everyone has taken them on in such a way that these realities are no longer conceivable without them. They are also a challenge and an opportunity for Catholic entities.
A challenge because they influence (for better and for worse) our lives. An opportunity because in relation to evangelization they offer us previously unthinkable advantages.
The Church's mission is undoubtedly of a spiritual nature, but its activity has a beneficial impact on the economy. This is demonstrated by the latest studies published by the EEC.
– Enrique Carlier
In recent weeks and within the context of the income tax declaration campaign, the Spanish Episcopal Conference (CEE) is carrying out a praiseworthy work of transparency by providing the public with abundant information not only on the activities of the Church and how it uses the 250 million euros it receives each year from taxpayers, but also on the economic impact of all its cultural, charitable, liturgical and educational activities.
Certainly, it can be said that Spanish society has hit the jackpot with the Church, with its rich cultural heritage and with all the activities, initiatives and efforts of individuals and ecclesial institutions that later revert -either directly or indirectly- to the benefit of all. No one with a little objectivity doubts this reality. The difficult thing is to quantify it. And that is what the EEC, particularly its Vice-Secretariat for Economic Affairs, is now working on.
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On May 20, 1985, John Paul II gave a homily at a Mass with artists in Brussels: "The Church has long since made a covenant with you [...] Do not interrupt this extraordinarily fruitful contact! Do not close your spirit to the breath of the divine Spirit!". This dialogue between art and the Church was undoubtedly an important concern of John Paul II. In Brussels, he addressed the problem of the artistic representation of God.
The representation of the divine mystery is a basic problem of Christian art. It also concerns the way to represent the Holy Spirit. Artists have to decide in which symbolic language the reality behind the visible things can be most adequately expressed. Nor is the representation of the Holy Spirit obvious in the history of art.
The first iconographic representations of Pentecost emerged in the 5th century as a consequence of the dogmatic decisions of the Councils of Nicaea (325) and Constantinople (381). In any case, the most important formula for the Holy Spirit in the images of late antiquity was the dove (Mt 3:16), in accordance with the great importance of the biblical witness in the faith of the early Church. Also in contemporary art, the most frequent image of the Holy Spirit is the dove.
In the third and fourth centuries, ecclesiastical writers had allegorically referred the dove to Christ or to the human soul, and it had the same meaning in the reliefs and paintings of the sepulchral art of that time. But since the biblical truth of the triune God was elevated to dogma of the Church, (381), in the images the dove was reserved for the Person of the Holy Spirit. In the images, the rays that surround it or depart from it indicate its condition of divine gift.
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Austria has 8.7 million inhabitants, and last year it took in 90,000 refugees: with the exception of Sweden, no other country in the European Union has taken in so many. AMAL is one of the Christian-inspired associations where people who want to help and support refugees collaborate.
AMAL is an Arabic word meaning hope. The association mainly accompanies families of Christian migrants, mostly from Syria and Iraq, who have already been granted asylum by the state and will remain in the country.
Imad, his wife Ghadir and their three children, ranging in age from 4 to 8 years old, are very grateful for AMAL's work. They are a Catholic family from Damascus, where Imad had a good job as a company manager. But the war came, and the persecution of Christians. The family fled to Austria on an eventful journey. "When we arrived in Austria, we explained to everyone that we were Christians. They were very surprised: here they did not know that there were Christians in Syria. We had to explain to them first that yes, indeed, there are Christians in Syria!"says Imad.
The Bolivarian left is in retreat in Latin America, drowned by its own excesses: mismanagement of the State, corruption, abuse of power, personalism and the economic crisis.
– Juan Ignacio Brito
The political star of the Latin American populist left is fading. A decade ago it shone brightly; today it has been driven from power, its hours are numbered or it is under severe threat in the countries where until recently it dominated without counterweights. The deterioration of the economic situation, the weariness of the population with a polarizing discourse, the rampant corruption and the exhaustion of personalisms have finally put in check a political tendency that promised to free Latin America from its chains and has ended up generating hatred and more poverty. It is not strange that the Bolivarian left has criticized the decision of the Brazilian Senate to open an impeachment trial and suspend President Dilma Rousseff for 180 days, denouncing it as a "coup d'état". This is a common accusation in the political vocabulary of progressive populism. Without going any further, Nicolás Maduro, the Venezuelan president, resorted to it to justify his decision to decree a state of economic emergency and call for a "coup d'état". "recover the productive apparatus, which is being paralyzed by the bourgeoisie."through takeovers of companies. The objective, according to Maduro, is "defeat the coup d'état".
Juan Ignacio Brito isDean of the School of Communication, Universidad de los Andes, Santiago, Chile.
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Canada: ten million square kilometers, second largest country in the world, thirty-six million inhabitants, 40 % Catholics... Ten provinces in the south and three national territories in the east, and three national territories in the south. Grand NordThe periphery: a periphery with some of the largest and most depopulated dioceses in the world. Their bishops speak to us.
Fernando Mignone-June 16, 2016-Reading time: 5minutes
In Canada there are 62 dioceses of the Latin rite and ten of the Eastern rite. On January 25, Pope Francis transferred six dioceses in the Canadian North to ordinary canonical legislation. That is, they will no longer receive financial support from Rome as missions. But since they obviously need it (only two of the 32 communities in the Northwest Territories are self-sufficient), the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB) is studying solutions. On January 25, the president of the CCCB, Bishop Douglas Crosby, OMI, of Hamilton (Ontario), reminded us that the Pilgrim Church is missionary by nature. "As Catholics, we have entered a new phase in our history. Now, all together, we must continue our common effort to find new ways to sustain and extend our presence and service in Northern Canada.".
Yukon Territory
Bishop Hector Vila was born in Lima in 1962. On February 7 of this year he took possession of the 725,000 square kilometers of the Diocese of Whitehorse, where 42,000 people live, of which 8,000 are Catholics. "Distances are a challenge. The farthest mission is a thousand kilometers away. In winter, with 40 or 50 degrees below zero, there are areas that are absolutely incommunicado.". On one occasion, the previous bishop had traveled to a very distant location on a Holy Thursday. The problem was that it coincided with a field hockey final, so that only one person went to the Mass in Cena Domini. "Going to church on Sundays is relative here: the priest may arrive after a long trip, but maybe there is a bingo game that is a priority for people, rather than Mass."
"Another challenge is that there are five priests and me for 23 parishes and missions. It's difficult to cover them, except in Whitehorse, where I reside. Depending on the proximity to Whitehorse, you go to those places once or twice a month. This fact opens a distance between the Church and the people. Sometimes we send priests who come from outside and stay for a year or two but then go back to their dioceses. It is not possible to form community".he laments. The need for shepherds is great. "In the summer season, in some places like Dawson City, there is more attendance. Tourists go to look at nature and the number of worshippers increases. But when the people leave the city, go fishing or hunting deep in the woods..., Mass attendance decreases a lot.". Therefore, "There is a lack of pastoral presence and each community has its own difficulties. In some places there are suicides, cases of drugs, alcohol...".
However, "In the Teslin community it's different. They have the elders [elders, leaders] who always come to Mass. This community relies on the work of Sister Trudy, from the Canadian public association of the faithful. Madonna Housewho has been in the diocese for 62 years. years. For 20 or 30 years Trudy has been visiting the community, the elderly, in any need. This pastoral presence has meant that when I visited them, I found a well-formed community.".
Northwest Territories
Mark Hagemoen, whose Diocese of Mackenzie-Fort Smith covers 1,500,000 square kilometers, tells how on Sunday, May 1, he arrived in a village where he baptized ten faithful and confirmed 65 others. He had been in another village shortly before, whose chapel the villagers had repaired after it had been destroyed in a flood. Bishop Hagemoen was able to give 17 first communions. There had not been any there for 20 years. "It was a great way to reopen that chapel, which was overflowing. Our people love to celebrate the sacraments and funerals. I have 8 priests, 5 religious sisters, and a young man, of Vietnamese origin, who will be starting his first year at Christ the King Seminary near Vancouver in September.". This pastoral work benefits a population of 50,000 people, half of whom are Catholics. Half a dozen indigenous languages and dialects are spoken (some of them endangered), in addition to English and French.
Bishop Hagemoen was born in Vancouver in 1961 and was ordained a priest on May 12, 1990. He was rector of a small Catholic university and a passionate mountaineer when he was appointed bishop in October 2013. "Laudato si' speaks in a special way to this town".he says, "as many of his faithful are hunters and fishermen; but the caribou are disappearing due to climate change, and mining must yield to the Creator's demands, according to several elders".
A few days ago I connected by cell phone with Bishop Hagemoen while he was on tour in the Western Arctic. "I frequently visit our 32 communities, only 5 of which are parishes. When I arrived, less than three years ago, 7 had no cell phone towers; today they all have..."This is a blessing, since it means better communication, and at the same time it is a misfortune, because it favors cultural homogenization, materialism and hedonism. "We have, in the city of Yellowknife two Catholic elementary schools and a Catholic high school, subsidized by the state.". They are the only ones in the diocese. Yellowknife is the capital of the territory, and was visited by St. John Paul II. That Pope tried to meet with indigenous people in Fort Simpson, (population 1,300) on his tour of Canada in September 1984, but fog prevented him from landing. He diverted to Yellowknife, from where he promised by radio to those waiting for him that he would return. He did so on September 19 and 20, 1987.
Nunavut Territory
The Diocese of Churchill-Hudson Bay, with an area of almost 2,000,000 square kilometers, encompasses the northern part of the province of Manitoba and a large part of the Nunavut Territory, whose ice cap reaches the North Pole. There are 35,000 people living in Nunavut; 85 % are inuits (Eskimo). There are about 10,000 Catholics in the diocese. They speak Inuktikut, a language in which many religious magazines are published.
Bishop Anthony (Tony) Krotki, a Missionary Oblate of Mary Immaculate, was born in 1964 and ordained in 1990 in Poland. He then went to Nunavut, where he was ordained bishop three years ago. It was not easy to reach him by telephone because a snowstorm prevented him from traveling to his destination after administering confirmations in Whale Cove. He is in charge of 17 parishes, 8 priests (4 are Polish Oblates) plus Bishop Emeritus Reynald Rouleau OMI, two religious sisters (in Whale Cove) and a seminarian of Polish origin who will be ordained a diocesan priest in 2017. He will then have two priests incardinated in the diocese. He speaks passionately of going to the periphery. "If they accept you, they themselves take you to the peripheries. It may be a situation at home, such as the loss of a loved one, when the family is so bad that they need your presence to be and walk with them.".
This town has great difficulties. "Our people were nomadic, they traveled. Today, in the villages we have, they can no longer travel because they have a house that is built. It's hard for the youth to cope with their situation; what do you do; you don't have a job, you don't have much of a job possibility. You will have to go somewhere else to study, but when you finish and you have a diploma, where do you work if your community has 300 or 600 people? There are no jobs for anybody. And then there is frustration. So life is very difficult. They're always looking.".
Bishop Krotki asks the missionaries to "We want them to be present in every moment of the families' lives. Families are the most important thing for us. We see that everything starts in the family. The families here are very large, and they are connected to distant communities, a thousand or two thousand kilometers away. They have to be strong to stay connected to relatives they can't visit.".
That is why the Church must adapt to this particularity. "We missionaries have to embrace their way of life, their customs, their history, and that's not easy when we have another culture. We have to create a space for the new that we see in the Arctic. And our people who live here realize who can embrace their culture, customs, traditions, way of living and surviving. Can all missionaries do that? I have met some who could not. We encounter the periphery on a daily basis. And especially when young people have a hard time, to survive, to live, when their life hangs by a thin thread." (referring to the fact that there are many suicides, especially among young people).
"In my experience, it is the people who tell me where I have to go, where the peripheries are, what I have to do. Sólo necI need to listen. I think that today's missionaries must be attentive. Otherwise, we will not be able to do all the good that is asked of us"..
The authorFernando Mignone
Montreal / Toronto
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We recalled some important moments in the recent history of the Church with Bishop Szymanski, who at 94 years of age has been a first-hand witness to some milestones, such as the Second Vatican Council in which he participated.
– Lourdes Angélica Ramírez, San Luis Potosi
On October 8, 1965, Pope Paul VI closed the Vatican Council IIThe meeting was attended by 2,540 bishops from all over the world. Arturo Antonio Szymanski Ramirez, 94, Archbishop Emeritus of San Luis Potosi (Mexico). He is a cultured and simple man, whose intelligent narrative is interspersed with a jovial humor that is contagious. With sympathy he reviews personal memories of those years.
You were a Council Father and met Benedict XVI and John Paul II. What can you tell us about them? -Benedict XVI is a wise man who tried to put doctrines in order. He was a Pope who did a lot for the Church. I was amazed. He is German and had been a teacher. I met him at the Second Vatican Council. In the first session of the Council, Ratzinger was an advisor to Cardinal Josef Frings, Archbishop of Cologne. But already in the second session he was appointed the Council's theologian because they saw that he had a lot of capacity. In the Council, Cardinal Alfredo Ottaviani, who was of the Roman current, and Cardinal Frings, who was of the renovating current of the Church, were fighting. It was very interesting, because they were both half-blind, and at the Council one could see how they would fight each other in the Council hall and after the discussion, the two of them would go half-blind, holding hands, to the cafeteria where we all used to go next to St. Peter's Basilica.
At the Council I went to learn what the episcopate of the whole world thought. I was with Africans, with Chinese... The talks during meals were very enriching.
Cardinal Wyszynski, who was the primate of the Polish bishops, invited everyone with a Polish surname to lunch and he invited me, because of my surname, but I was not Polish [laughs]. And I went to the lunch, in a street near the courthouse, near the Vatican. I arrived and when it was time to go to the table, Wyszynski, who was like a prince for the Poles, sat at the head and he sat me on his right and on the other side a young bishop called "Lolek". And we were eating, talking..., in short, we became very good friends and when we finished eating the Cardinal asked me if I had brought a car. I told him: "I came in a cab." He then told "Lolek", "Take it away.". "Lolek" was Karol Wojtyła, of course. So he gave me a ride in a little Fiat and we became friends. And we tried and looked for each other and everything. He was about my age, a little older than me. I liked him because he was very approachable. Then we wrote to each other and suddenly, when the conclave to elect the successor of John Paul I, one day Cardinal Corripio, who was not a cardinal then, spoke to me and told me: "I was very friendly: "Hey, didn't you hear on the radio that Papa came out with a very strange last name, 'Woj-something'. I think he must be an African.". And I turned on the radio and heard that my friend had been elected Pope. I sent him some letters telling him that I was glad that the Pope was my friend. And when he went to Rome I wrote to him telling him that I was going and he always invited me to concelebrate, or to lunch or breakfast. Whenever I went he always invited me. The Pope was my friend, and he was my driver.
Several months have passed since Pope Francis' apostolic trip to Mexico. What is your assessment? -The Pope is the man of the Church for this moment, and the visit is, we all realized, the visit of a Shepherd. He came as a Shepherd, he did not care if they were sheep or goats or God knows what. He spoke to everyone as members of the human family and came to do what he has often said: to live the liturgy of encounter. In order to live the liturgy of encounter, each one of us must know our personality, our temperament. With the temperament that God has given us, we should be people of good character, so we should not be quarrelsome. Knowing each one's character, we must realize that we are not equal, that we are diverse. Therefore, we must live diversity, and in diversity we must deal with those who believe and those who do not believe. With everyone. We are diverse. What do we have to do? Seek the common good, and that is the theology of encounter that the Pope came to realize now that he was in Mexico.
After the main season of the liturgical year, which, centered on Easter, lasts for three months - first the forty days of the Lent and then the fifty days of the Easter Season - the liturgy proposes three feasts that have a "synthetic" character: the Most Holy Trinity, the Corpus Christi and finally, the Sacred Heart of Jesus. This last solemnity makes us consider the Heart of Jesus and, with it, his whole person because the heart is the summary and the source, the expression and the ultimate background of thoughts, words and actions: "God is love." (1 Jn 4:8). When, with the communion antiphon of this solemnity, we place our gaze on the pierced side of Christ, of which St. John speaks (cf. 19:37), we understand the Evangelist's very strong affirmation in his first letter: "God is love.". "It is there, on the cross, that this truth can be contemplated. And it is from there that we must now define what love is. And, from that gaze, the Christian finds the orientation of his life and his love." (Deus caritas est, 12).
Sacred Heart
The Feast of the Sacred Heart makes it easier for us to open our hearts, helps us to see with our hearts. It is good to remember that the Fathers of the Church considered that the greatest sin of the pagan world was its insensitivity, its hardness of heart, and they often quoted the prophecy of the prophet Ezekiel: "I will take away your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh." (cf. Ez36:26). To convert to Christ, to become a Christian, meant to receive a heart of flesh, a heart sensitive to the passion and suffering of others. It is also Pope Francis who, in our own day, forcefully reminds us that a globalization of indifference is spreading more and more: "In this world of globalization we have fallen into the globalization of indifference. We have become accustomed to the suffering of others, it has nothing to do with us, it doesn't matter to us, it doesn't concern us!" and that is why he asked with intensity: "God of mercy and Father of all,awaken us from the slumber of indifference,opens our eyes to their sufferingand deliver us from insensitivity, the fruit of worldly well-beingand from closing in on ourselves". (Francis, Prayer in memory of the victims of migration, Lesbos, 16-IV-2016).
We must be imbued with the reality that our God is not a distant God untouchable in his bliss. Our God has a heart; indeed, he has a heart of flesh. He became flesh precisely so that he could suffer with us and be with us in our sufferings. He became man to give us a heart of flesh and to awaken in us a love for those who suffer, for those in need. As St. Josemaría graphically said: "Notice that God does not declare to us: instead of the heart, I will give you a will of pure spirit. No: he gives us a heart, and a heart of flesh, like that of Christ. I do not count on one heart to love God, and on another to love the people of the earth. With the same heart with which I have loved my parents and I love my friends, with that same heart I love Christ, and the Father, and the Holy Spirit and Holy Mary. I will never tire of repeating it: we have to be very human; otherwise, we cannot be divine either." (It is Christ who passes, 166).
Tears of Jesus
An admirable manifestation of this heart of flesh of Christ is that our God knows how to weep. This is one of the most moving pages of the Gospel: when Jesus saw Mary weeping over the death of her brother Lazarus, even he could not hold back his tears. He experienced a deep shock and burst into tears (cf. Jn 11:33-35). "The evangelist John, with this description, shows how Jesus unites himself to the sorrow of his friends by sharing their grief. The tears of Jesus have puzzled many theologians over the centuries, but above all they have washed many souls, they have soothed many wounds" (Francis, Vigil of Tears, 5-V-2016). In the face of bewilderment, disconsolation, tears, from the co- reason of Christ flows prayer to the Father. "Prayer is the true medicine for our suffering" (idem).
Ask for forgiveness of sins
In the Holy Mass there are many moments in which we encounter the prayer to the Father in the face of suffering and pain for sins committed, the true source of all evil. One of them is the prayer that the priest addresses to God at the conclusion of the penitential act of the Mass: "May almighty God have mercy on us, forgive us our sins and bring us to eternal life". This formula is already found in the 13th century manuscript of the Archive of Santa Maria Maggiore, and we also find it, in a similar way, in the 10th century Roman-Germanic Pontifical, among the prayers that, in the ordinances of public or private penance, accompanied the penitent's confession.
These words of supplication to God addressed by the priest, in which he asks in a general way for the forgiveness of sins ("dimissis peccatis nostris"), manifest his role as mediator, which corresponds to him insofar as he sacramentally represents Christ, who always intercedes for us before the Father.
In considering that role of mediator, of intercessor of the priest, we can consider some words of Pope Francis in which he reminds priests of the need for the gift of tears. "In what way does the priest accompany and make grow on the path of holiness? Through pastoral suffering, which is a form of mercy. What does pastoral suffering mean? It means to suffer for and with people. And this is not easy. To suffer as a father and a mother suffer for their children; I would even say, with anxiety....
To explain myself, I ask you some questions that help me when a priest comes to me. They also help me when I am alone before the Lord. Tell me: do you cry, or have we lost our tears? I remember that in the old Missals, those of another era, there is a beautiful prayer to ask for the gift of tears. The prayer began like this: 'Lord, you who gave Moses the command to strike the stone so that water would flow, strike the stone of my heart so that tears would flow...': that was more or less the prayer. It was very beautiful. But how many of us cry before the suffering of a child, before the destruction of a family, before so many people who cannot find their way... The cry of the priest... Do you cry? Or have we lost our tears in this presbytery? Do you cry for your people? Tell me, do you pray the prayer of intercession before the tabernacle? Do you wrestle with the Lord for your people, as Abraham wrestled: 'What if there were fewer? What if there were 25? What if there were 20?...' (cf. Gen 18:22-33). That courageous prayer of intercession... We speak of parresia, of apostolic courage, and we think of pastoral projects, this is fine, but parresia itself is also necessary in prayer. Do you struggle with the Lord? Do you argue with the Lord as Moses did? When the Lord was fed up, tired of his people and said to him: 'You be still... I will destroy them all, and I will make you the leader of another people. No, no! If you destroy the people, you destroy me too'. They had the pants! And I ask a question: Do we have the pants to fight with God for our people?" (Francis, Address to the clergy of the diocese of Rome, 6.III.2014) How much good it would do us to pray this short prayer with the spirit of intercession of which the Holy Father speaks to us, with a true heart of flesh!
Our sins
Returning to the prayer, with its verb in the subjunctive, it expresses a wish or promise, so that the formula is presented as a supplication addressed to God. In this context, the Missal expressly recalls that this absolution lacks the efficacy proper to the sacrament of Penance (cf. Roman Missal, GIRM, n. 51). A final detail of this formula of absolution is the use of the first person plural ("we... our sins... take us") which shows that the priest, who had joined the assembly in the general confession, now also feels in need of the propitiatory value of the Eucharist and seeks to dispose himself to the fruitful participation of the Holy Mass through a suitable spirit of penance. The priest intercedes before the Father, but he is also a member of the People of God. Like any member of the faithful who participates in the celebration, the celebrant recognizes himself as a sinner, needing to dispose himself fruitfully to the celebration, confessing that he is a sinner and invoking the purification that comes from God. As St. Augustine recalled: "I, brethren, because God has willed it, am certainly his priest, but I am a sinner, and with you I beat my breast and with you I ask forgiveness" (St. Augustine, Sermon 135, 7). Thus, the whole Church "is at once holy and always in need of purification, and constantly seeks conversion and renewal" (Lumen gentium, n. 8).
This brief prayer reminds us that I ask God for forgiveness, for only He can grant it to me, and at the same time, I ask forgiveness with the whole Church and for the whole Church. In this way to celebrate is really to celebrate "with" the Church: the heart is enlarged and one does not do something, but is with the Church in conversation with God.
In the presence of political leaders, kings, ambassadors and international representatives, Pope Francis received the 2016 International Charlemagne Prize at the Vatican.
– Giovanni Tridente
"A new European humanism". With this dream, expressed "with mind and heart, with hope and without vain nostalgia, like a son who finds in mother Europe his roots of life and faith."Pope Francis concluded his impassioned speech on the occasion of the presentation of the Charlemagne Prize, which he received on May 6 in the Sala Regia of the Vatican City.
In the presence of political leaders, kings, ambassadors, and international representatives, the Pope has evoked the memory of of the founding fathers of Europe, recalling how they themselves knew how to "to seek alternative and innovative ways in a context marked by the wounds of war"..
To make this dream of a new humanism effective, it is necessary to rediscover, according to the Pope, three capacities. The first is to know how to "integrate"because "rather than bringing greatness, wealth and beauty, exclusion causes baseness, poverty and ugliness."not in vain "the European identity is, and always has been, a dynamic and multicultural identity"..
It is also necessary to know how to re-find the "capacity for dialogue".recognizing "the other as a valid interlocutor". and looking "the foreigner, the migrant, the one who belongs to another culture as a subject worthy of being listened to, considered and appreciated.". Finally, it is necessary to return to "generate"perhaps by resorting to "new economic models that are more inclusive and equitable, oriented not for a few, but for the benefit of the people and society".
Other awardees:
2016Francisco 2009: Andrea Riccardi 2008Angela Merkel 2004John Paul II 1999Tony Blair 1988Helmut Kohl
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The Patriarch and the Pope: an ecumenism of solidarity
May 13, 2016-Reading time: 2minutes
The recent visit of Pope Francis and Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew to the island of Lesbos has highlighted how open ecumenical relations contribute to the advancement of human rights. Here is an assessment from the Patriarchate of Constantinople.
– John Chryssavgis
The significance of the joint visit to Lesbos on Saturday, April 16, by the highest representatives of the Christian Churches of the East and West cannot be downplayed. And its impact on the refugee crisis should not be diminished, despite its spiritual and symbolic dimension, as well as its apolitical nature and refreshing spontaneity.
This was the fifth time the two leaders have met, and the second time they have made a joint pilgrimage since the election of Pope Francis in 2013. On each of these occasions both have expressed solidarity with people suffering from war, persecution, poverty and hunger, as well as from the ecological repercussions of social injustice. Francis and Patriarch Bartholomew have emphasized on several occasions, and from the very beginning of their relationship, that they understand well the role of the Church in the world. They know what matters, or at least what should matter to the Church; and they understand that the Church's responsibility and ministry must be present in the world.
Many of the encounters of these two extraordinary men have been spontaneous. For example, when the Patriarch attended the inaugural Mass of the Pope's pontificate in March 2013, it was the first time in history that such a thing had happened: not since the 20th century or since the Council of Florence in the 15th century, not since the schism (or split) between the Roman Church and the Orthodox Churches; it had never happened before.
Just a year later, when Francis invited Presidents Peres and Abbas to the Vatican in June 2014, he spontaneously asked Bartholomew to extend the invitation with him to these two political leaders. It was also a way of reminding them that the religious must transcend the political and that violence cannot be sustained in the name of religion.
John Chryssavgis Archdeacon of the Ecumenical Patriarchate; theological advisor to the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople Bartholomew.
The remarkable novelty of Pope Francis' visit to the refugees on the Greek island of Lesbos is not only in his message of mercy. It is also a truly ecumenical journey.
In its very quick trip to Lesbos -he was on the island for only five hours-, Pope Francis has given us an important testimony on the humanitarian emergency of refugees. The then Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger wrote several times that in Europe we are moving back towards a form of "neo-paganism", and explained that one of the characteristics of ancient paganism was "insensitivity". It was Christianity that taught us to pity and to consider the suffering other as our "neighbor". Now, in our old Continent, less and less Christian, we see and read reactions from so-called Christian leaders, and also from other people, characterized by this "insensitivity".
Francis thus explained the purpose of the trip to the Greek island: to draw the world's attention to this serious humanitarian crisis.
– Giovanni Tridente, Rome
It is a very tired Pope who speaks to journalists on the return flight from Lesbos, the Greek island that has become a gateway to Europe for so many migrants and refugees fleeing famine and wars in the countries on the opposite shores of the Mediterranean. There, in the refugee camp of Moria, where several hundred are housed, Francis - together with His Holiness Bartholomew, Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople, and His Beatitude Ieronymos, Archbishop of Athens and of all Greece, has shaken handsOne by one, more than two hundred people, mainly children. A day that has been "for me too strong, too strong...". In the background, the Pope had announced on the way out that he would be "a journey marked by sadness": "we are going to meet the greatest humanitarian catastrophe after the Second World War".He had told reporters accompanying him.
The purpose of the trip, which lasted a few hours and was organized in a few days, was communicated by the Pope himself to the refugees: to be with you and to tell you that you are not alone, in addition to "to draw the world's attention to this grave humanitarian crisis." e "implore the solution of the same.": "We hope that the world will pay attention to these tragic and truly desperate situations of need, and respond in a way worthy of our common humanity.". He encourages them not to lose hope: "The greatest gift we can offer each other is love: a merciful look, a request to listen and understand each other, a word of encouragement, a prayer.". A visit among the "last", to sensitize the powerful, in the sign of ecumenism.
After shaking hands, hugging people and kissing children, Pope Francis, Patriarch Bartholomew and Archbishop Ieronymos signed a joint statement, calling for the attention of public opinion for this "colossal humanitarian crisis caused by the spread of violence and armed conflict, by the persecution and displacement of religious and ethnic minorities, as well as by the dispossession of families from their homes, violating their human dignity, freedoms and fundamental human rights.". If, on the one hand, it is necessary to restore to these people the levels of security and the return to their homes and communities, it is necessary to continue to make all necessary efforts to "to assist and protect refugees of all religious denominations.". In other words, the priorities of the international community must be the protection of human lives and the adoption of inclusive policies for all.
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A "monument" to mercy in every diocese, as a living reminder of the Jubilee: Pope Francis entrusted this desire to the faithful at the end of the Prayer Vigil with the followers of the spirituality of Divine Mercy, celebrated on April 2 on the sagrato of St. Peter's Basilica.
–Giovanni Tridente, Rome
The idea, to be specified with the bishops, is to build, where possible, structural works where mercy is lived, such as a hospital, a home for the elderly, a family home for abandoned children, a school where necessary, a community for the recovery of drug addicts... as a concrete initiative and sign of the Holy Year.
The Holy Father himself, in his address to the Vigil, spoke of the fact that God never tires of expressing his mercy, "and we should never get used to receiving it, seeking it and desiring it.". A very fruitful circumstance was this year's celebration, since it coincided with the eleventh anniversary of the birth to heaven of St. John Paul II, who as Pope instituted "Divine Mercy Sunday" in fulfillment of a request of St. Faustina Kowalska.
Referring to "so many faces" that God assumes through his mercy, the Pope has spoken of the fact that "it's always something new that provokes awe and wonder.". Mercy, he added, expresses "above all God's closeness to his people."which "manifests itself primarily as help and protection." and therefore as an attitude of "tenderness": "a word almost forgotten and of which today the world - all of us - need".. Certainly, the ease with which it is possible to speak of mercy corresponds to a more committed requirement for "to be witnesses of that mercy in the concrete"..
Among the other faces of mercy, the Holy Father also emphasized compassion and sharing. "as compassion and communication": "Whoever receives it the most, the more he is called to offer it, to communicate it; it cannot be kept hidden or retained only for himself.". On the other hand, "knows how to look into the eyes of each person".which is precious to him because it is unique. This merciful dynamism is also something that "can never leave us alone"but what not to be afraid of.
During the Holy Mass celebrated the following day on the sagrato of St. Peter's Basilica, Francis has invited the faithful to "read and reread" the Gospel, "book of God's mercy."which remains open and in which everyone will have to continue to write "the signs of Christ's disciples, concrete gestures of love, which are the best testimony of mercy".. The Pope has invited us to be cautious in our daily life. "inner struggle between the closed heart and the call of love to open the closed doors and to come out of ourselves.". In this regard, we should look to the example of Christ, who, after having passed through "the closed doors of sin, death and hell, he also wishes to enter into each one to open wide the closed doors of the heart.".
"Many people are asking to be heard and understood."added the Holy Father. For this reason "the Gospel of mercy, to proclaim it and write it in life." you need "people with patient and open hearts", so many "'good Samaritans' who know compassion and silence before the mystery of the brother and sister; he asks for generous and joyful servants who love freely without expecting anything in return.".
Thirty years have passed since Pope St. John Paul II initiated World Youth Days. Karol Wojtyła died in April 2005 and it is possible that, eleven years later, many of the young people who will attend the XXXI WYD in Krakow in July are already unaware of his extraordinary figure. These pages help to get to know his intellectual legacy, centered on the value of the person, of love and of the body.
– Juan Manuel Burgos
The thought of Karol Wojtyła/John Paul II as a philosopher, theologian and poet is both extensive and profound. He offers contributions on a wide variety of issues: from women (Mulieris dignitatem y Letter to women) to his nation, Poland, or the homeland. He understood, for example, that society should be founded on participation and not on alienation, and that the system-prójimo should take precedence over the system-community; he defended at the United Nations his vision of human rights and international relations; and he considered the family to be "communio personarum".
Here, as a matter of space, we will deal only with his most fundamental contributions and those to which he devoted more space in his writings.
From poetry to philosophy But in order to be able to interpret and value his thought, it is necessary to know first his interesting intellectual history. And that history begins with poetry. In fact, his first text published, under a pseudonym, is the poem On your white grave: "Over your white tomb/ mother, my love extinguished, / a prayer from my filial love: / give her eternal rest."
The young Wojtyła mourns his dead mother while beginning his studies in Polish philology at the Jagiellonian University in Krakow. His literary and artistic vocation was so strong that he continued to write poetry until his death (Roman triptych), but, above all, the call to the priesthood prevailed in the context of a Poland occupied by Nazi troops. It was thus that he came into contact with philosophy and, more specifically, with Thomism. "At the beginning it was the great obstacle. My literary training, centered on the human sciences, had not prepared me at all for the theses and scholastic formulas that the manual proposed to me, from the first to the last page. I had to make my way through a thick jungle of concepts, analyses and axioms, without even being able to identify the ground I was treading on. After two months of clearing vegetation, the light came and the discovery of the deep reasons for that which I had not yet experienced or intuited reached me. When I passed the exam, I told the examiner that, in my opinion, the new vision of the world that I had conquered in that melee with my manual of metaphysics was more precious than the grade obtained. And I was not exaggerating. What intuition and sensibility had taught me about the world until then, had been solidly corroborated" (Do not be afraid, André Frossard, pp. 15-16).
Wojtyła consolidated his training as a Thomistic philosopher (and theologian) at the. Angelicum He was invited to do a thesis on St. John of the Cross, another of his great sources of inspiration. But when he returned to Krakow, something relevant happened: he was asked to write his habilitation thesis on the phenomenologist Max Scheler, then very fashionable. It so happened that Scheler, although a disciple of Husserl - and, therefore, framed himself in modern philosophy (far removed from Thomism) - proposed an ethics that seemed to have many points of contact with Christianity. Wojtyła decided to analyze this question, which proved decisive in his intellectual evolution. "I truly owe a lot to this research work. [the thesis on Scheler].. The phenomenological method was thus grafted onto my previous Aristotelian-Thomistic training, which has allowed me to undertake numerous creative essays in this field. I am thinking in particular of the book Person and action. In this way I have been introduced to the contemporary current of philosophical personalism, the study of which has had repercussions on the pastoral fruits" (Gift and Mystery, p. 110). The study of Scheler, in fact, put him in contact with contemporary philosophy, showing him that it possessed valuable elements that should be integrated into it, and that the best way to achieve this was philosophical personalism.
When Karol Wojtyła formulates this conviction, his path of intellectual formation is over. From here he will begin his own itinerary with a very precise starting point: the person.
Juan Manuel Burgos is a full professor at the CEU - San Pablo University.
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The Missionaries of Mercy, appointed by Pope Francis in the context of the present Jubilee Year, are another tool to bring sinners closer to God's forgiveness, to welcome the repentant and to invite to conversion. Jesús Higueras, parish priest of Santa María de Caná (Pozuelo) and Missionary of Mercy, explains their functions.
– Jesús Higueras Esteban
For children preparing for their First Communion, and for many of the young people who participate in Confirmation catechesis, Pope St. John Paul II is a historical figure, recent yes, but not connected to any of their life experience. For previous generations this holy Pontiff is the Pope of our youth, the Pope of our vocation, the Pope who has marked the main milestones of the first part of our life. Because of his Polish origin, he was deeply sensitized to the revelations of St. Faustina Kowalska, to the point that we could say that he is the Pope of Divine Mercy.
Contemplation of Mercy Therefore, we can see as a continuity with the Pontificate of John Paul II the desire expressed by Pope Francis at the beginning of Lent 2015 to convoke a Jubilee Year dedicated to the contemplation of the Mercy of God. It is an idea that he has repeated to us since the beginning of his Pontificate. Already in his first Angelus on March 17, 2013 he told us: "Let us not forget this word: God never tires of forgiving. Never. 'And, Father, what is the problem?' The problem is that we get tired, we don't want to, we get tired of asking for forgiveness. He never tires of forgiving, but we, sometimes, we get tired of asking for forgiveness. Let us never tire, let us never tire. He is a loving Father who always forgives, who has a merciful heart for all of us. And let us also learn to be merciful to everyone. Let us invoke the intercession of Our Lady, who held in her arms the Mercy of God made man".. He has repeated this message in different ways over the years.
But we were all surprised by the Pope's announcement in number 18 of the Bull Misericordiae Vultus in which he said that "During Lent of this Holy Year, I intend to send out the Missionaries of Mercy. They will be a sign of the Church's maternal solicitude for the People of God, so that they may enter deeply into the richness of this mystery so fundamental to the faith. They will be priests to whom I will give the authority to forgive also the sins that are reserved to the Apostolic See, so that the breadth of their mandate may become evident. Above all, they will be a living sign of how the Father welcomes those who seek his forgiveness. They will be Missionaries of Mercy because they will be the artisans of an encounter charged with humanity, a source of liberation, rich in responsibility, in order to overcome obstacles and take up again the new life of Baptism. They will allow themselves to be led in their mission by the words of the Apostle: 'God subjected all to disobedience, that he might have mercy on all' (Rom 11:32). All, then, without excluding anyone, are called to perceive the call to mercy. Let the missionaries live this call conscious of being able to fix their gaze on Jesus, 'merciful high priest and worthy of faith'" (Rom 11:32). (Hb 2, 17). These words encapsulate all that the Pope expects of us so that the Mercy of God may be felt everywhere during this Year. This new figure of the "Missionaries of Mercy" brings the Jubilee and the graces that accompany it closer to the Eternal City.
First of all, he says that this experience is ecclesial, it is the Church that sends us, we do not go on our own but, like the Apostles, we are also sent to "to announce a year of the Lord's favor". The Church, as Mother, wants to watch over all her children, both those who live in the paternal house and those who, for very different reasons and in very diverse circumstances, have distanced themselves from her. This is a year for everyone, whether from near or far, to listen to the message of salvation of Jesus Christ, Son of God, a message of mercy and understanding.
Jesús Higueras Estebanisparish priest of St. Mary of Cana.
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No one doubts that the crimes of Daesh constitute a full-fledged genocide. But a clear condemnation from the international community was missing.
– Miguel Pérez Pichel
It is difficult to calculate the numbers of the barbarity of Daesh (also known as Islamic State) against religious minorities in Iraq and Syria (Christians, Yazidis, Shiites and other minorities), or simply against those who dissent from their extreme practices, regardless of their creed. The first-hand testimonies that reach us through witnesses who manage to flee the territory under Daesh control are very revealing: mass killings, mutilations, enslavement, rape...
In February, the European Parliament called for an end to the genocide caused by Daesh. MEPs condemned the serious human rights violations perpetrated by this terrorist group and its extermination techniques, particularly against members of religious and ethnic minorities. In March, it was US Secretary of State John Kerry who stated that Daesh's crimes against the Iraqi and Syrian population, in particular against members of religious minorities there, constitute violent genocide. Finally, in April, the House of Commons of the British Parliament approved, by 278 votes in favor and none against, to declare and confirm that a real genocide against Christians, Yazidis and other religious minorities is taking place in Syria and Iraq.
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The refugee crisis directly affects Europe. Pope Francis, who has been with refugees on the island of Lesbos, has addressed this problem in an important speech to the Diplomatic Corps accredited to the Holy See.
Mass emigration to Europe is a new phenomenon caused by war, poverty and the threat of terrorism in areas of high geostrategic sensitivity, such as the Middle East.
Fatima prepares the centenary of the apparitions with prayer, penance and conversion
The Church in Portugal is preparing to celebrate, in a year's time, the apparitions of Our Lady at Fatima. What does the message of Fatima mean for today's Christian?
The succession of times brings us closer to the centenary of the apparitions of the Blessed Virgin Mary at Fatima. Preparing the celebration of a centenary is not an easy task, but it is more difficult to know, understand, accredit and live the determining events that make Fatima the altar of the world, as St. John Paul II said. The centenary takes on a deeper meaning, because it is not a matter of celebrating the past or the history, but of rediscovering the designs that the eternity of God desires for the temporality of man.
Fatima's experience
We are accustomed to look at Fatima starting from fractioned, partial or watertight realities. For some, the historical and sociological dimensions will be emphasized, recognizing the plurality and the numerous origin of thousands of people who, in the last century, have frequently come to Fatima. For others, sociology specializes in data on attendance at Masses, confessions, pilgrimages and other religious activities. In the sphere of faith, there are those who look at this "religious phenomenon" without giving credit to it; others distance themselves by not accepting the multiple forms of manifestations of popular piety or the simplicity with which many pilgrims know how to manifest their most sincere and natural love for the Blessed Virgin. Another group, no less reduced, summarizes the experience of Fatima to the practice of pious acts and of a mass religiosity, but forgetting that Fatima is not outside the theological dynamism and, consequently, of the salvific plan of God for humanity and for the concrete life of every man and woman of all times.
Concretizing what is being said, it becomes clear and evident that the centenary of the apparitions of Our Lady in Fatima has to be analyzed from a wide, total and transversal point of view. Strictly speaking, it must be clarified that the apparitions of Fatima are a true and profound lesson of Theology, where the encounter of God with man continues to be a necessity of manifestation of His Love and Mercy, creating conditions for man to accept the salvation already operated in Christ. Thus, the apparitions of Fatima are a guarantee and an invitation to live more fully the gift of faith in concrete circumstances, in concrete dynamisms and in concrete lives.
The historical context
The so-called "private apparitions" cannot be understood simply as responses to human problems. It is necessary to understand them as an appeal of God in the course of time so that the radical nature of the Gospel and the proclamation of the Good News are not drowned out by the circumstances in which they are inserted. This is how the historical context of the apparitions of Fatima can be understood.
The little shepherds were born at the beginning of the 20th century, during the last years of the Portuguese monarchy. The republic is aggressively implanted in Portugal by a revolutionary, armed and anticlerical elite that intends to change the socio-cultural fabric of the Portuguese nation. The first republican laws disentailed all church property, the clergy were persecuted, the religious orders and brotherhoods that had survived liberalism were extinguished and public religious events were prohibited. On the other hand, Europe had become a battlefield; the world was fighting the First World War and the Russia of the Czars was giving rise to the Bolshevik revolution.
In the face of what Our Lady identifies as "the evils of the world", the message of Fatima comes as God's answer to the risks that threatened to collapse Humanity. At the same time, it is important to dwell on some of the characteristics of the recipients of the message (the three children): they belonged to poor families, and were innocent, truthful and pious. Before the apparitions they will reveal astonishment, trust, curiosity, some cultural ignorance and, at the moment when the republican authorities take them prisoner and threaten them, they remain faithful to the truth of which they were witnesses.
What is Fatima?
It would be easier to say that Fatima is no longer since May 13, 1917. On that date it ceased to be a village isolated from the whole world and inhabited by good and simple people. With the apparitions of the Blessed Virgin everything changed: Fatima remained a reference in the eyes of believers and non-believers.
Fatima is one of the best places for the encounter of people and of people with God. In the past, it was said that the message of Fatima was a lesson of profound theology of the encounter of God with man and, consequently, the Shrine of Fatima manifests this encounter with the plurality of people and sensibilities that come there. Thus, the shrine of Fatima became a Atrium where thousands of people move, driven by the most diverse motivations or intentions.
The sanctuary of Fatima is not only experienced in social, spatial, architectural and cultural variety. It is also a true lung of spirituality. Catholics of all nations, proofs of love of all possible genders, sensitivities of all kinds with the beginning and the end of their gaze on the Virgin Mary mingle there. Even if the message of Fatima is not very well known, which would clarify the reason, it is necessary to understand that the thousands of pilgrims who come to Fatima are carried by the heart, in a heart to heart encounter. The certainty of the presence of the Mother of God in that place is what people seek, with the certainty that there everything is different because everything is a witness of the presence of the Virgin.
Starting from the consideration that Fatima is a place of special encounter with our Mother, it is possible to testify to the plan of God's Love that does not cease to turn our hearts back to His Love in every way. Contacting with the message of Our Lady in Fatima, especially with the Memories Lucia, we dwell on the dialectic of heaven and earth, of the world of God and the world of man, of dialogue and revelation, of certainty and doubt. The remoteness in which Humanity found itself is resolved by the closeness of God who sends the angels to prepare the meetings of the Virgin with the little shepherds, and replaces the hardness of the adults with the docility of the children to the voice of the Virgin.
Starting and finishing point
In our time, in which everything is once again submerged in a distancing of mankind from God, the message of Fatima can fall victim to different interpretations. Therefore, rather than looking at interpretations, we must assume the attitude and dynamism of Love.
To summarize Our Lady's message at Fatima, three words suffice: prayer, penance and conversion. There, Our Lady invites us to a life of intimacy with the Lord and lived totally in Him; she moves us to make acts of penance that manifest our love for Him in reparation for the sins of men; and she invites us to change, to experience a continuous conversion where Love is our only certainty.
For all these reasons, the centenary of Our Lady's apparitions at Fatima leads us to want our lives to be lived in total trust in God and in Our Lady's Immaculate Heart. The Heart of the Mother becomes, then, the point of departure and the point of arrival of our hearts, where the Virgin gives us the assurance that "My Heart will be your refuge" (June apparition) so that we do not lack the certainty revealed in the July apparition: "¡Pt last, My Immaculate Heart will triumph!".
The authorRicardo Cardoso
Vila Viçosa (Evora, Portugal)
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Vincent Van Gogh is undoubtedly one of the essential artists of the 19th century. His paintings -and his letters- impress us and thousands of our contemporaries today, because they say a lot, to the point that they can even speak to us of God. That is why he is a frontier painter, today more current than ever.
In the surprising novel by Markus Zusak, The book thief (2005), little Liesel tries to describe to young Max, imprisoned in a cellar, what the sky looks like that day: "Today the sky is blue, Max, and there is a huge elongated cloud, uncoiled like a rope. At the end of the cloud, the sun looks like a yellow hole." After listening to the story, the young man sighs with emotion. He has been able to picture heaven in Liesel's words.
Perhaps this is what moves and excites us when we contemplate the paintings of Vincent van Gogh (1853-1890), who knew how to capture the soul of the simple and everyday things in order to be able to express them in his work: "Art is sublime when it is simple."she writes to her brother Théo. When we read her letters - which are the best self-portrait of her soul - we discover the history of a passion, the inescapable call to the place where beauty allows no distractions: "How many times in London, coming home in the evening from Southampton Street."writes to him on October 12, 1883, "I stopped to sketch on the docks of the Thames."or the wheat fields under the sky of Arles, which were taking away his heart: "...".They are vast expanses of wheat under overcast skies, and I was not hard pressed to try to express the sadness, the extreme loneliness." (10-VII-1890).
If we were to try to decipher the story of Vincent van Gogh's life, his material limitations and miseries would undoubtedly overwhelm us with their marked sadness: "It was too long and too great a misery that had disheartened me to such an extent that I could no longer do anything." (SEPTEMBER 24, 1880). However, his soul was nourished by a happiness incomprehensible to most, a privilege of exquisite and lucid spirits; in the same letter he will add: "I couldn't tell you how happy I am to have taken up drawing again." (24-IX-1880). The passion for his art allows him to continue producing beauty, even from the abyss of a devastating illness: "I got sick." -he wrote on April 29, 1890. "at the time I was making almond blossoms. If I could have kept working, I would have made other flowering trees, as you can guess. Now the flowering trees are almost over.". The privilege that the present enjoys over the past allows us to know that the trees he painted, those almond blossoms, had already entered the history of works full of beauty; but despondency had also reached his heart, the academic world had turned its back on him and loneliness had unhinged him.
Van Gogh had a deep desire to know himself, to make clear what things troubled his soul, what uncontrollable passions cornered him: "I am a passionate man, capable and subject to do more or less foolish things that I sometimes regret." (VII-1880); this would explain why he wrote to his brother Théo some 650 letters and why he painted 27 self-portraits: "It is said, and I willingly believe it, that it is difficult to know oneself; but it is not easy to paint oneself either. That's why I'm working on two self-portraits at the moment, also for lack of another model." (October 5 or 6, 1889). In his letters he sketched a self-portrait as eloquent in his descriptions as are his paintings: "I want to say that even if I encounter relatively great difficulties, even if for me there are gloomy days, I would not want, it would not seem fair to me that someone should count me among the unfortunate.".
Van Gogh was a great reader, in love with books and knowledge."I have an irresistible passion for books. Need to instruct myself as to eat my bread." (VII-1880)-, with a desire for self-improvement that never left him: "I spent more on colors and fabrics than on me." (5-IV-1888). The work gives him an overflowing joy: "I feel in me a force that I would like to develop, a fire that I cannot let extinguish, that I must stoke." (DECEMBER 10, 1882). And the eagerness to perfect his art even made it possible for him to reflect on his work: "Life goes by like this, time doesn't come back, but I work hard at my job, precisely because I know that the opportunities to work don't come back". (10-IX-1889). As if to support his conviction, he quotes a phrase from the American painter Whistler: "Yes, I did it in two hours, but to do it in two hours I had to work for years." (2-III-1883).
Reminiscing a Goethe's poem of 1810: "If sight were not like a sun, I could never look upon it; if in us were not found the power of God Himself, how could the divine enrapture us?"It is shocking to recall the candor of Van Gogh's soul in his early years, when the love of God was his protection and his refuge. In 1875, from Paris, Vincent told Théo that he had rented a room and had put paintings on the wall, among them Bible Reading by Rembrandt. In the letter he describes and interprets the scene of the painting: "It is a scene that brings to mind the words, 'Truly I tell you, when two or three beings are gathered in my name, I am in the midst of them'" (JULY 6, 1975). It is a moment in which dreams squeeze his soul and in which love for Christ rejoices his heart in search of that light that will shine later in his work: "You know that one of the fundamental truths of the Gospel is. let the light shine in the darkness. Through the darkness into the light." (NOVEMBER 15, 1975). Vincent's heart was steeped in love for God. He had wanted to be a pastor and missionary in his youth and only devoted himself fervently to painting in the last ten years of his life.
From the diaphanousness of a mind and heart that had not yet suffered the ravages of illness, Vincent, the artist who loved books, the one who preferred to buy brushes and colors rather than food, could assure with moving conviction, the presence of God in all that is beautiful and good: "In the same way it happens that everything that is truly beautiful and good, of inner, moral, spiritual and sublime beauty in men and in their works, I think that this comes from God and that everything that is evil and wicked in the works of men and in men themselves, is not from God and neither does it seem good to God." (VII-1880). Half a century later, Simone Weil in Waiting for God will write in the same vein: "In everything that arouses in us the pure and authentic feeling of beauty there is really the presence of God.".
The Argentine writer Roberto Espinosa recently visited the church of Auvers-Sur-Oise, "that gothic church where his religious heart has been moved". and where the remains of the artist rest: "After wandering aimlessly in search of the 'monument', on a wall and between two mausoleums, two tombstones stare unblinkingly at the midday sun: Ici repose Vincent van Gogh (1853-1890) and at his side, Théodore van Gogh (1857-1891). A tapestry of ivy shelters the pain of fraternal graves".. Neither of them had reached the age of forty. Their souls united, between missives and brushes, in search of eternity, of the colors and the light of God.
We call it skybecause it evokes transcendence, infinity, the overcoming of the limit. We also say "vision of God", beatific visionbecause God, whom we see, is infinitely blessed, happy. The expression communion It is also valid to speak of man's immortal destiny, because it is a close union with God that does not eliminate the human subject, a union between two who love each other: the Creator and the creature. One could also say happinessperfectbecause with God man finds a definitive satisfaction. The term paradiseThe "sealed garden" expresses well the material and corporeal delight that awaits men who have been faithful to God. We also call it glorybecause it denotes honor, wealth, power, influence, light. And finally, the Johannine expression eternal lifelife that God instills in man when he creates and saves him, but in this case the life of Godand therefore eternal, permanent as God is.
Eternal life and faith in Jesus Christ
According to the New Testament the gift of eternal life depends on faith in Jesus Christ. "Everyone who sees the Son and believes in him has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day." (Jn 6:40). "Whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me possesses eternal life." (Jn 5:24). In other words, for those who believe in Jesus Christ, eternal life, the life of God, already begins in this life. Perhaps for this reason we can speak, as does a document from the seventh century, the "Bangor Antiphonary", of "eternal life in the glory of Christ.".
In his encyclical Spe salviBenedict XVI wonders whether the promise of eternal life is really capable of moving man's heart and motivating his life. "Do we really want this: to live forever? Perhaps many people today reject faith simply because eternal life does not seem desirable to them. They do not want eternal life at all, but the present life, and for this, faith in eternal life seems to them rather an obstacle. To go on living forever - without end - seems more like a condemnation than a gift... But to live forever, without an end, would only be ultimately boring and in the end unbearable." (n. 10). For many, in fact, heaven leads to the thought of perpetual boredom. Is the promise of perpetual emptiness worth risking one's life for? "I am not afraid of death." writer Jorge Luis Borges once said. "I have seen many people die. But I'm afraid of immortality. I'm tired of being Borges." (The immortal). This feeling touches the hearts of many men when they hear of the hereafter.
Divinization
And at the same time, the response of faith is not complex. On the contrary. Eternal life, heaven, is the fruit of the infusion of divine life in man, which opens in faith and is consummated in glory. Man, said the Fathers of the Church, is "divinized," made divine (2 Pt 1:4). Man shares fully in the divine life, without ever reaching the point of be God, without being confused with the divine nature. In this sense, the happiness of heaven is not something that results from being in the "company" of God, from being present in the divine environment, because it is a participation in the very life by which God is happy. God is, the First Vatican Council teaches us, "in itself and from itself perfectly happy.". Therefore, if man were not perfectly happy forever in heaven, God would be to blame. Like lovers, God does not say to us: "You will be happy with me", but: "I will make you happy". This is a holy and divine determination. Jesus himself says to the righteous at the final judgment: "Well done, good and faithful servant; since you have been faithful in a little, I will give you an important position: enter into the joy of your lord"(Mt 25:21,23). Man participates in the life and joy of God; this is why he becomes happy forever, without fail. Man praises God, certainly, but he is also praised by God, and he remains enchanted by the eternal affection of his Father God. And so on forever.
But another difficulty remains. If man is united with God to the point of experiencing the divine life as his own, should it not be said that he has been absorbed by God, fused in Him, without his own personality? Is man not like a grain of salt that falls into the divine ocean and dissolves without leaving a trace of his individuality? This is an important question for Christian anthropology: if man loses his personality in God in heaven, then what value will his personhood have in this world? It is interesting what the Catechism of the Catholic Church: "To live in heaven is 'to be with Christ'. The elect live 'in Him,' even more, they have there, or better, find their true identity thereits own name". (n. 1025).
Fullness for man
Where the idea that the divinized finds himself fully realized in God is best expressed is the doctrine that the righteous come to to God, they enjoy the beatific vision. The vision expresses not only union, but also separation, distinction. One does not see that which is too close to the eyes. Sight requires objectivity, otherness, distance. Thus, St. Paul says in his letter to the Corinthians: "Now we see as in a mirror, confusedly; then we will see eye to eye. My knowing is now limited; then I shall know as I have been known by God." (1 Cor 13:12). And also in the first letter of St. John: "We are now the children of God, and it is not yet manifest what we shall be. We know that when he shall appear, we shall be like him, because we will see you as you are" (1 Jn 3:2).
Thus, when man sees God with a light that God himself infuses him with (the lumengloriae), fully enjoys the divine life, without the mediation of anything seen, that is to say, face to face. He enjoys forever. And he does not want to, nor can he, cease to contemplate the eternal feast of divine life. He will remain freely with God forever.
The authorPaul O'Callaghan
Ordinary Professor of Theology at the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross in Rome.
The decline in priestly vocations is a major challenge for the Catholic Church in the United States. The arrival of foreign priests also requires an effort of adaptation on the part of both the faithful and the clergy.
May 13, 2016-Reading time: 2minutes
There are many issues facing the leaders of the Catholic Church in the United States: religious freedom, the emerging Hispanic majority, the horror of sexual abuse by some priests... However, there are other very significant challenges facing the Church. One of them is the growing shortage of clergy.
While the number of active priests obviously varies from diocese to diocese, overall the decline has been striking. According to statistics from the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate (CARA), there were a total of 58,000 priests in the United States in 1970, with an average age of 35. In 2009, the number was 41,000 priests, with an average age of 63. At the same time, the Catholic population continues to grow at a rate of between 1 % and 2 % per year.
To make matters worse, CARA estimates that between 2009 and 2019, half of the current active priests will retire. The good news is the number of priests being ordained per year: five hundred. The bad news is that these new priests replace only one-third of the priests who retire or die.
Throughout most of the history of the Catholic Church in the United States there has been a shortage of native-born priests, and most of that shortage has historically been filled by foreign priests. In recent years there has been an increase in priests from Africa, Asia and Latin America. Approximately 25 % of the diocesan priests currently serving in the United States were born outside the country; but, because of immigration restrictions, they typically remain here for about five years.
This influx of foreign priests has been a blessing, but it can also be a challenge. Preparing priests to serve in a distant country, different in customs and attitudes, presents one challenge. Another is preparing U.S. priests and parishioners to receive and understand these foreign priests.
The question facing the leaders of the Catholic Church in the United States in the next decade is how to continue to meet pastoral needs in the face of an expected reduction in the number of clergy. Increasing the number of permanent deacons, increasing the responsibility of the laity in pastoral tasks, and making greater vocational efforts to grow the number of seminarians may be part of the solution.
Holy Week in Pontevedra is not that of Valladolid or Seville but, in spite of everything, I was surprised by the number of young people who took to the streets in an area of Spain where the outpouring of emotion is not exactly the usual gesture. As I watched the processions pass by, I thought about how many young people are capable of being moved by the beauty of a suffering Christ without this having a significant impact on our lives. Processions are not an invention of Christianity. polis already carried their gods on their shoulders. European man's admiration for the spectacle is in the genes, the opportunity to glimpse the supernatural reality of the religious symbol is in the soul. There is nothing more terribly beautiful than a dying God, ask Unamuno, Velázquez or Mel Gibson. But for a Christian, the death of Christ is not a spectacle, it is something that must be lived from within.
The wonder of processions lies not in their capacity to electrify the senses, but in the possibility that the tension of the senses can move the soul to share the cross of Christ. There are two fundamental perspectives in the Passion: that of the spectator and that of Simon of Cyrene. The spectator contemplates a scene that can provoke laughter, indifference, repulsion or admiration; he will always keep a distance from the beauty he contemplates, so that it will hardly have an impact on his life. Simon of Cyrene does not know how Christ's road to Calvary was, he could not paint it, nor describe it as so many artists have done; but he does know well the exact weight of that Cross, the burning of the splinters stuck in the flesh or the exhausted panting of Jesus. In the processions of Holy Week, in the classes at the University, with our friends or acquaintances we always adopt a role of the two previous ones, many times, letting our genes play a trick on us.
With the approval of Pope Francis, the new "Norms on the administration of the assets of the Causes of beatification and canonization."The new laws, which have repealed those dating back to August 20, 1983, established under the pontificate of John Paul II, will be in force. They will be in force ad experimentum for three years.
In the letter in which, with the signature of the Cardinal Secretary of State, the decision is reported, the renewed role of vigilance that will be exercised by the Apostolic See is immediately emphasized so that all the causes that arrive in Rome - after the closing of the diocesan phase - do not suffer obstacles or brakes due to too high expenses and fees. These rules, therefore, affect the correctness of the administrative management and the transparency of the various acts that lead to the inscription of a Servant of God in the book of saints. Whoever proposes a Cause of beatification and canonization - diocese, religious congregation, institute, etc. - must constitute an economic fund in which all the offerings and contributions received for the support of the same cause will converge. In the same sense, it should appoint an Administrator of this "pious cause fund", a function that can also be carried out by the Postulator General.
Among the tasks that correspond to the new figure are those of scrupulously respecting the intentions of those who have offered donations for the cause; keeping regularly updated accounts, and drawing up annual financial statements - both preventive, before September 30, and consumptive, until March 31 -, which must then be approved by the so-called "Actor", that is, by the proposer of the cause. Once approved, these balances must also be sent to the Postulator. In the case of General Postulations - as is typical in religious orders - it is specified that they must keep separate accounts for the different causes.
Another novelty introduced concerns the supervision of the administration of these goods, which will be exercised, depending on the case, by the diocesan bishop, the major superior, the episcopal conferences or, where foreseen, the Apostolic See itself. This supervision will extend to all economic movements concerning the cause, as well as to the revision and approval of the annual balance sheets.
The highest supervisory authority remains the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, which must be informed in a timely manner and can request financial information and documentation at any time, as well as verify the balances acquired. The control will also include the respect of the fees and the various expenses according to the rates established by the same Congregation for the Roman phase of the cause.
Whoever, for whatever reason, does not respect all these rules or commits abuses of an administrative-financial nature may be sanctioned by the Congregation, as provided for in the Code of Canon Law (alienation of ecclesiastical goods, extortion, corruption).
A further innovation concerns the constitution of a "Solidarity Fund" in the Congregation, into which, in addition to the free offerings, possible leftovers from the various causes, once the canonization has been celebrated, will be collected. It will be destined to support those causes that, having reached the Roman phase, find it difficult to support the costs of the process. It will always be at the discretion of the Congregation to accept possible requests for contributions from the proposers of causes, which must always be endorsed by the bishop and, in any case, by the competent ordinary.
The contributions that the proposers must enter for the Roman phase of the causes are established by the Congregation and communicated to the Postulator, and then must be entered at different times, depending on whether it is recognition of martyrdom or heroic virtues, or recognition of the presumed miracle.
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Without the reform of hearts, structural reforms would imitate criteria that do not take into account the nature of the Church: this basic idea underlies the Pope's words and witness.
April 13, 2016-Reading time: 2minutes
Three years into Francis' pontificate, the Church has unfinished business: the reform of the financial and economic institutions of the Holy See has been completed, work is underway to reform the Roman Curia and the media. On the occasion of the anniversary of the election, criticism has been heard that much more was expected in the reforms, and that there is much to be done.
It is true that the Church is "semper reformanda"must always be reformed in a process that never ends. But the greatest reform, which should be daily and not only for the hierarchy but for all the faithful, is fidelity to the Gospel, so that this message is better and better proclaimed and witnessed, leaving behind incrustations, prejudices and schemes that risk becoming ideology. Along with witnessing, announcing and teaching, the Church has to convert and always look at its origin, without becoming an NGO or a power group: to reform itself every day. What the Pope, with his witness of mercy and tenderness, his example, his gestures and his words, asks of the whole Church and of those who listen to him without prejudice is a great reform, which is not first of all a "structural" reform, but a reform of hearts. Without this, any structural reform is doomed to failure.
The Pope's words clearly indicate that the reform of hearts, "pastoral conversion," is a necessary condition for structural reforms, not a consequence of them or something separate. There is a risk that the Pontificate's message will be reduced to a slogan, as if it were enough to change a few key words: terms such as "peripheries" have become fashionable. The Pope's witness, in fact, suggests to everyone an evangelical radicalism, without which the reforms would imitate business criteria and could fall into technicalities that do not take into account the nature of the Church, which cannot be compared to that of the transnationals, as Benedict XVI often repeated in the past.
Decrees of canonization: Mother Teresa of Calcutta will become a saint on September 4
Mother Teresa of Calcutta, the Albanian nun who founded the Missionaries of Charity, will be canonized on Sunday, September 4. The decree was signed by Pope Francis during the Ordinary Consistory held at the Vatican on March 15.
On the same occasion, the dates for the canonizations of four other future saints were also made official: on Sunday, June 5, the Polish priest Stanislaus of Jesus Mary and the nun Maria Isabel Hesselblad, foundress of the Order of St. Bridget, will be elevated to the glory of the altars. And on Sunday, October 16, will be proclaimed saints José Sánchez del Río, martyred in 1929 in Mexico when he was only 14 years old, and José Gabriel del Rosario Brochero, a very popular priest in Argentina to whom Pope Francis is very devoted.
Mother Teresa's canonization had already been announced months ago as being near precisely during the Jubilee of Mercy, for the witness of service to the last that characterized her entire life and for her apostolate among the poor, the sick, and in general the "last and the forgotten". Her humility, notwithstanding the immense good she has done in the world, led her to define herself as a "woman of mercy". "little pencil in the hands of God."She found the strength for this immense charitable work, often in situations truly close to the limits of human dignity, in prayer. Mother Teresa was also the first Nobel Peace Prize laureate, received in 1979, when in her famous speech in Oslo on the occasion of the award ceremony she made a moving appeal against abortion: "Please don't destroy the children, we will take them in.") to be elevated to the honor of the altars.
The story of Maria Isabel Hesselblad, foundress of the "Brigids", is also linked to the most needy; she emigrated to America when she was very young to help her family financially, worked as a nurse in a large hospital in New York, and there she experienced pain and suffering. Later, in 1904, she reconstituted the Order of St. Bridget in Rome; during the Second World War she gave refuge to many persecuted Jews and transformed her home into an oasis of charity. Today she is venerated as Mother of the poor and Teacher of the spirit.
The apostolate of the Pole Stanislaus of Jesus Mary dates back to 1600, exercised as a preacher and confessor, until the foundation of the Congregation of the Minor Marian Clerics, which has among its purposes the suffrage for the needy souls in purgatory.
The figure of José Gabriel del Rosario Brochero immediately brings to mind the first Argentinean Pope. Much loved by his people, the priest lived in Argentina between the 19th and 20th centuries, and was known as the "gaucho priest" because - like the ranchers in his country - he traveled immense distances on a mule to be close to everyone. In 2013, on the occasion of his beatification, Francis described him as a shepherd with the scent of sheep, a priest "who became poor among the poor". and became "a caress from God to his people"..
Another new Latin American saint is José Sánchez del Río, martyred in 1928 at the age of 14, during the revolt of the "Cristeros" against the anti-Catholic persecutions ordered by the then Mexican president Calles. Captured by government soldiers, he did not renounce his faith despite torture and mistreatment, screaming to the death: "¡Long live Christ the King!". On its body would be found this writing: "Dear Mom, I have been captured. I promise you that in paradise I will prepare a good place for all of you."concluding: "Your Joseph dies in defense of the Catholic faith for the love of Christ the King and the Virgin of Guadalupe.".
New decrees
Pope Francis has also authorized the Congregation for the Causes of Saints to promulgate other decrees concerning the miracles attributed to the intercession of Blessed Manuel González García, who was Bishop of Palencia and founder of the Eucharistic Reparatory Union and of the Congregation of the Eucharistic Missionary Sisters of Nazareth; Blessed Isabel de la Trinidad, professed nun of the Discalced Carmelite Order; the Servant of God Maria-Eugenio de Jesus Niño, also a professed monk of the Discalced Carmelites and founder of the Secular Institute of Our Lady of Life; and the Servant of God Maria Antonia de San Jose, Argentinean founder of the Beaterio de los Ejercicios Espirituales in Buenos Aires.
In addition, the decrees of heroic virtues of the Servants of God were authorized for Stefano Ferrando, a Salesian who was Bishop of Shillong and founder of the Congregation of the Missionary Sisters of Mary Help of Christians; Enrico Battista Stanislao Verjus, titular bishop of Limyra, belonging to the Congregation of the Missionaries of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus; Giovanni Battista Quilici, parish priest and founder of the Congregation of the Daughters of the Crucified; Bernardo Mattio, also a parish priest; Quirico Pignalberi, professed priest of the Order of Friars Minor Conventual; and of the Servants of God Teodora Campostrini, foundress of the Congregation of the Minimal Sisters of Charity of Mary of Sorrows; Bianca Piccolomini Clementini, foundress in Siena of the Company of Saint Angela of Merici; Maria Nieves Sanchez y Fernandez, professed religious of the Daughters of Mary of the Pious Schools.
Penitential Liturgy at St. Peter's
On March 4, Pope Francis once again celebrated a penitential liturgy in St. Peter's Basilica for the initiative "24 hours for the Lord".The first of its kind, a worldwide campaign to help rediscover the Sacrament of Reconciliation during Lent, was carried out. It is not by chance that he himself has resorted to confession, before confessing some of the faithful.
"Today more than ever, especially we Pastors, we are called to listen to the cry, perhaps hidden, of those who wish to meet the Lord".Francis said during his homily, adding that "we must certainly not diminish the demands of the Gospel, but we cannot run the risk of spoiling the sinner's desire to be reconciled with the Father, because what the Father expects before anything else is the son's return home.".
Catholics in the world are on the rise
In recent days, statistical data concerning the Catholic Church in the period 2005-2014 have been released, from which it emerges first of all that the Catholic faithful have grown in recent years by 14.1 %, at a higher rate than the world population (10.8 %). Obviously, the growth is very diverse in each continent: for example, it is very high in Africa (41 %) and Asia (20 %), good in America (11.7 %) and somewhat scarce in Europe (2 %), where Catholics represent 40 % of the population.
With regard to the distribution of Catholics in the world, the primacy goes to America (48 %), followed by Europe (23 %), Africa (17 %), Asia (11 %) and Oceania (1 %).
There has also been an overall increase in the number of priests (+2.3%) to 415,792, with differences also according to geographic area: in Africa and Asia there has been an increase of 32.6 % and 27.1 % respectively, while in Europe there has been a decrease of 8 %. The evolution of the number of seminarians is analogous, and since 2005 has increased from 114,439 to 116,939, thanks above all to the emerging continents, Asia and Africa.
The number of women religious in the world is 668,729, while the ecclesial component that has grown the most in recent years (+33.5 %) is that of permanent deacons, who have increased from 33,000 in 2015 to 45,000 in 2014.
Ethics in the company: a serious, clear and profitable spiritual accompaniment
The Social Doctrine of the Church affirms that personal perfection and holiness are possible in the business world. But certain approaches and behaviors can also lead away from God. Hence the desirability of a spiritual accompaniment that offers clear criteria of justice and charity, and suggests ways of living Christian spirituality in this area.
Work in the company occupies a very important place in many people's lives, both in terms of time spent and existential aspects. This work can fill a large part of the minds of those who participate in its activities-sometimes also outside working hours; it can also generate moods in one way or another; it affects the family, both in economic terms and in personal contribution; it is a continuous source of relationships with other people-colleagues, clients, bosses; and, most importantly, work in the company affects relationships with God.
Indeed, certain approaches, attitudes and behaviors in business can lead us away from God or, on the contrary, can lead us to sanctify these realities, to bear Christian witness and to sanctify ourselves. Here we can apply some luminous words of the last Council: "Those who are engaged in often tiring work must find in these human occupations their own improvement, the means of helping their fellow citizens and of contributing to raising the level of society as a whole and of creation." (Lumen Gentium, 41).
All this leads us to affirm that those who, in various ways, work in the company need spiritual accompaniment in aspects related to this facet of their lives.
A serious approach to this spiritual accompaniment in the work of the company requires knowing, at least minimally, what companies are and how they function, as well as the most frequent moral problems that arise in them.
We will deal with all of this below, and then conclude with a set of ideas that can be useful for an adequate spiritual accompaniment of people in this area of business.
The company's raison d'être
The company has a raison d'être that gives it moral legitimacy. And this raison d'être is not "to make money", as might be claimed from a very simplistic, and perhaps somewhat cynical, view of the company. The company must make money at least to survive, and also to grow and continue to make productive investments and create jobs. But just "making money" - or in more precise terms "creating wealth" - is not enough to give moral legitimacy to the company. This is also done very effectively by the drug mafias.
The legitimacy of the company, like that of any social institution, comes from its contribution to the common good. The Church, as stated by St. John Paul II, "recognizes the positivity of the market and the company, but at the same time indicates that these must be oriented towards the common good". (Centesimus Annus, 43). In this line, he added that "the purpose of the enterprise is not simply the production of profit, but rather the very existence of the enterprise as a community of men who, in various ways, seek the satisfaction of their fundamental needs and constitute a particular group at the service of society as a whole." (cf. ibid., 35).
For his part, Pope Francis has not hesitated to speak of the vocation of the entrepreneur, adding that this vocation is the vocation of the entrepreneur. "It is a noble task, as long as it allows itself to be challenged by a broader sense of life; this allows it to truly serve the common good, with its efforts to multiply and make the goods of this world more accessible to all". (Evangelii gaudium, 203). And in his last encyclical, the present Pope, while condemning not a few corporate abuses, insisted that corporate activity "it is a noble vocation aimed at producing wealth and improving the world for everyone." (Laudato si', 129).
Businesses run with ethical and Christian criteria certainly contribute to the common good and, ultimately, improve the world in various ways: they efficiently produce truly useful goods and services; they provide decent jobs that allow for the personal development and support of workers and their families; they make possible the activity of other businesses and professionals; they create wealth that is partly passed on to society as income, taxes and perhaps donations; they innovate and generate knowledge that, in some way, contributes to the good of society as a whole; and they provide an effective channel for the fructification of savings.
San Francisco de Guayo: a mission for the Warao Indians of Orinoco
The Tertiary Capuchin missionaries are the ones who have given stability to the mission of San Francisco de Guayo, founded in 1942. Today, through a church, a hospital and a school, it serves a thousand and a half Warao Indians in the labyrinthine delta of the Venezuelan Orinoco.
Marcos Pantin and Natalia Rodríguez-April 13, 2016-Reading time: 7minutes
Hernan has just returned to Caracas from his medical internship. It has been a seven-hour river trip and a ten-hour road trip from the mission in San Francisco de Guayo. Exhausted, he speaks with pause, weighing the words, as one who needs to discern between the experiences and some somber reflections that occupied him during these months.
The Guayo mission brings together some 1,500 indigenous people of the Warao ethnic group (canoe people), who live in palafitos (constructions on stakes on flood-prone land) on the banks of the Orinoco delta, in the extreme eastern part of the country. Venezuela. It has a small hospital, a church, a school and little else. The mission hospital serves about twenty small communities scattered in a labyrinth of water and jungle. They do not speak Spanish. In their palafittes without walls, the Waraos have no drinking water other than what they collect from the rains. They feed on fish, tubers and corn arepa.
The Waraos are the most peaceful of the pre-Columbian indigenous peoples. They dispersed throughout the delta fleeing from the warrior tribes. The men dedicate themselves to fishing and the women take care of the children and make handicrafts that they sell as best they can. Despite the growing enculturation, the gap between the two worlds remains huge. This is what haunts the young doctor as he describes Guayo's mission below.
In critical conditions
There is no permanent doctor in the village. Only those of us who are on internship. The continuity of medical care relies on three nurses, two of whom are Capuchin missionary nuns. The nearest general hospital is several hours away. Sometimes we see more than a hundred patients a day. Some of them come rowing for more than three hours from their settlements scattered throughout the delta.
Gradually we were taking charge of the situation. These communities are in serious survival problems. Some have been wiped out by two prevalent diseases: tuberculosis and HIV.
Almost half of those born will not reach five years of age. The very high infant mortality is due to dehydration, mainly caused by diarrhea. In addition, the water brought in by state tankers is not entirely healthy.
The general situation of shortages in public hospitals is cruelly exacerbated in Guayo. Treatment for tuberculosis and HIV is expensive and scarce.
Little by little we understood that it was a patient struggle: we had to keep the illusion burning despite the difficulties and do everything we could. The waraos are not very effusive in their expressions of gratitude. At first we were shocked, compared to what happens in the rest of the country where patients, grateful, do not fail to repay the doctor in some way. But even though we did not fully understand this cultural difference, we were driven by the desire to serve.
We had long conversations with the villagers. We would enter the palafitos to share and enter their world. In Guayo, time flows intermittently. There are periods of intense activity in the hospital or in the extreme communities, and very calm hours at dusk.
The attractiveness of the service
However, we should not imagine a gloomy outlook. The difficulties are interwoven with hope. It is paradoxical, but Guayo is a magnet for big hearts. On the opposite bank lives a French couple. Louis is a doctor and Ada an anthropologist. They have been in the village for twelve years. They love the waraos and they have done a lot of good. They ran an inn where they had a water treatment plant that also supplied the town. As tourism declined, the government confiscated the plant. Now they make do with a tiny facility.
There is never a shortage of trainee doctors. One afternoon, on my way back from my rounds of some communities scattered along the canyons, absorbed in my thoughts, I almost stumbled upon some children drawing pictures on the boards of the walkways between the palafitos. It was a contest to win gifts for Epiphany. It had been organized by Natalia, a medical student who, after her internship, had returned from Caracas with a shipment of clothes, medicines and toys. Natalia did her medical internship in another community, but she used to come to Guayo to lend a hand.
Capuchin Tertiary Sisters of the Holy Family
The mission of San Francisco de Guayo was founded by Father Basilio de Barral in 1942. A scholar of the Warao language, he published a catechism and several didactic works in this language. The Capuchin tertiary missionaries arrived later and have given permanence to the mission.
Sister Isabel López arrived from Spain very young, in 1960. She came with nursing studies and has practiced for several decades in the delta. She has seen the town grow and evangelization expand. Today the hospital in Guayo bears her name, but that doesn't matter much to her. I was very impressed by Sister Isabel. As she walks leisurely through the village, she spreads optimism and hope all around her. One afternoon I was coming back from a tour of the communities, deflated; grotesque images and memories were swarming over me like a cloud of mosquitoes filling a mangrove swamp at sunset. Isabel saw me coming and pretended to meet me. I don't quite remember what she said, but it restored my enthusiasm. I am still amazed at the skill with which she handed out candy to the children who tugged at her habit as we chatted.
Some confidences
Natalia was able to record some of Sister Isabel's confidences in an improvised interview that I transcribe here.
Said the sister: "Look, without the love of Jesus Christ I would do nothing. Jesus is the center of my consecrated life, of my spiritual life and of my community life. Without Him I would do nothing. He is my support, that's why I'm here, and look how happy I am, with the age I am. It is an extraordinary thing. Listen to me, doctor: if I were born again, I would be a Capuchin Tertiary of the Holy Family and a missionary. One hundred percent missionary, and with a smile, because I have always been very cheerful and I have never lost my smile. A little older, yes, because one is older, but the smile is not lost.
The initial motivation for coming here was evangelization, to make Christian people, because in Guayo there was nothing. The current motivations are still the same or even greater. I have a lot of hope, a lot of concern for the people, for what we are seeing in Guayo: the sickness, the poverty, the children who are dying.
There are those who criticize the missionaries for being too paternalistic. But I can't help it, that a child comes to my house and I don't give him a piece of candy? Children and the elderly are my predilection. And the little ones look at me and see something: affection. I would like to have many things to give to children, even if they say I am paternalistic or maternalistic".
Natalia then asked Sister Isabel what her fears or most difficult moments had been. She responded as follows: "I have not had many difficult moments, I have been very happy and I always feel happy. Difficult moments? Well, seeing such great poverty, seeing people dying. The river impresses me a lot. Seeing the water, you get into a boat and you don't know... I have experienced many dangers on the river. But very few difficult moments. I have had a lot of joy, very happy, very dedicated.
I'm not tired. People say Isabel is a goldfinch. But I am seventy-seven years old and sometimes my strength is lacking. It shows at work, but of course, very well. I don't feel old. I feel the same. I was telling you: after 56 years, it seems like yesterday and I haven't done anything. I haven't left the Delta.
A doctor in the Orinoco delta
In order to practice medicine in Venezuela, each student must complete a year of supervised internships. These are generally carried out in poor areas, but there is the possibility of working in the city and receiving some financial compensation. There is no shortage of students looking for the toughest areas and conditions in the peripheries.
Alfredo Silva studied medicine at the Central University of Venezuela, in Caracas, and is about to finish his internship working for the indigenous people of the Orinoco delta, in that tangle of canals where the river melts before reaching the Atlantic. We asked him a few questions.
Why did you decide to do your internship here?
-I came to the delta for the first time during the Easter vacations in 2006. It was for a volunteer program organized by my school. We did social work and catechetical activities. The place and the people won me over.
I went back for two months in 2014, during my sixth year. I brought with me Jan, a fellow student. It was very enriching. We felt useful. We saw how our efforts paid off. We could help a lot and give opportunities to those who had none.
At the beginning of 2015 we decided to do our final year internship here. It was not easy. We were short of money. Other destinations offered financial benefits, while coming here requires raising funds and always putting something of your own. But medicine had gotten deep inside us and pushed us to serve. For years I have been thinking of joining Doctors Without Borders, an NGO that provides humanitarian aid in areas affected by war or natural disasters. But here we have faced situations comparable to those in terms of mortality, food conditions and serious diseases.
How have your motivations evolved during these months?
-A professor suggested that we launch a study on the tuberculosis and HIV that devastate these communities. The academic aspect calmed many of our relatives, who were worried about the difficulties we would face. The results of the study could give us access to postgraduate studies.
As the months passed, the misery we touched daily reaffirmed our motivation to serve as we advanced in our research. It is the way to face this sad paradox: the Waraos live in the destitution of the indigenous world, but they are plagued by the evils of today's society.
What have been your best moments?
-It's something you don't look for. Rather, you are surprised to be happy, fulfilled, working in the most miserable places. The need of others makes you feel useful.
Months ago we visited a family where mother and daughter were suffering from tuberculosis. The eldest son was suffering from malnutrition. We made the necessary arrangements to get the necessary medical treatment, which took a long time to arrive. When we returned to the site, only the son had survived. In this grim condition we were able to save the boy. It is very hard, it takes time to sink in, but it can also be very enriching.
What have been your fears?
-When you witness such strong situations, you want to help and do things. It is the fear of not being able to help, because you are fighting against something that is beyond you. This involves a constant struggle to stay motivated. It's scary to think that when you leave, it will eventually collapse.
The Waraos are very receptive to our help, but resources are insufficient. They always need more. If you serve a community, they will expect you to come every day. But medicines are limited. The nearest hospital is too far for them to paddle a canoe. If I were to try to describe the Waraos, I would say they are born survivors. They have few tools, but a lot of patience to cope with today's world. Yet they struggle with the joy and simple charm of the pristine. They are still trusting, noble, welcoming.
If you went back in time, would you go back?
-Yes, of course, totally. I have no regrets. Many good things have happened and I have learned a lot. You realize that you don't need so many things to live.
"Without the Episcopal Conference, the path of the Church in Spain is incomprehensible."
The Spanish Episcopal Conference (CEE) is celebrating its 50th anniversary. On that occasion, there will be two international congresses: one in June, on the nature and history of the Episcopal Conferences; and another in autumn, on Paul VI, the Pope who instituted them. We spoke with Cardinal Ricardo Blázquez Pérez about the anniversary and other current issues.
The Episcopal Conferences arise from the Second Vatican Council, which concluded on December 8, 1965. Only two years later, the first Plenary Assembly of the Spanish Episcopal Conference began, which lasted from February 26, 1967 to March 4. It was held at the Casa de Ejercicios del Pinar de Chamartín de la Rosa, in Madrid.
The first statutes were approved on February 27 and ratified by the Holy See that same year. On February 28, the Archbishop of Santiago, Cardinal Fernando Quiroga Palacios, was elected the first president of the EEC. And on March 1, the official constitution of the EEC took place.
About this half-century of the Conferences and about the Spanish Conference in particular, we wanted to talk to its president, Cardinal Ricardo Blázquez, who also kindly answered us, as usual with him, to other current issues affecting the Church in Spain.
What is your assessment of these fifty years of the life of the Bishops' Conferences? Have they lived up to the expectations of the Council? -There are two institutions of the Church born in the context of the Second Vatican Council, namely, the Synod of Bishops and the Bishops' Conferences, which in my opinion have been very fruitful in the fifty years since the Second Vatican Council. They have been very effective instruments for the implementation of the Council.
Regarding the Spanish Episcopal Conference, the same day the Second Vatican Council was closed, the bishops wrote a letter, signed in Rome, where they expressed their determination to establish the Episcopal Conference as soon as possible. It was a prompt decision that showed the receptive attitude of the bishops of the Church in Spain to the Council.
Since then, its documents have been numerous. The Conference has constantly accompanied the dioceses and their faithful in reflection and orientation. Undoubtedly, the Council was right in creating the Episcopal Conferences, and ours has been attentive at every historical juncture and has given very considerable help, which should be acknowledged and thanked.
Do you consider that the authentic ecclesiological nature of the Conferences has taken hold inside and outside the Church, or is there still some confusion? -Probably the ecclesiological significance of the Bishops' Conferences has not yet been adequately perceived by many. In fact, I have received letters from people who assumed that the President of the Conference was the "head" of the bishops and had authority over the dioceses in Spain. Sometimes they are surprised when they are answered that only the Pope has authority over the bishops; and that in each diocese the bishop has the responsibility to guide it; and that the Conference is a help, if you will, very qualified, for the bishops.
In our specific case, has the Spanish Episcopal Conference contributed effectively to the coordination of the Spanish bishops? -My conviction is that the organs of the Episcopal Conference have acted with an awareness of their responsibility and of the precise scope of their manifestations. It has certainly contributed to promote the union among the bishops and the coordinated pastoral action of the dioceses. Welcoming the Council, orientations in more complicated moments, communion among the bishops and convergent pastoral action of all... in these and other points, the Spanish Episcopal Conference has rendered an invaluable service. The functioning of both the Plenary Assembly and the other personal and collegial bodies has been, in my experience, correct. The actions of the Conference will probably have been more brilliant at some moments and more discreet at others, but it has always acted in fulfillment of its mission.
On the other hand, the bishops are not in favor of an absorbing action of the Conference. They recognize the role of the Conference, but do not want it to encroach on the responsibility entrusted to them. It is true that at certain times the challenges posed to the Conference have been more urgent and delicate, to which it was necessary to respond promptly and seriously.
What would have been the most relevant milestones of these fifty years of the EEC's life? What main achievements would you highlight? -In my opinion, the first ten years or so of the Conference were decisive in responding to the reforms called for by the Council and in bringing the Spanish Church into harmony with the Council's Declaration on religious freedom, at the time of what we have called the transition. The Church, with the guidance of the Council, was able to provide valuable help to Spanish society and the political community in those years. As is well known, there were misunderstandings, difficulties and also collaboration.
In these fifty years the Conference has helped all the bishops and their dioceses in all fields of pastoral action: doctrine, liturgy, catechesis, charity, Church-State relations, attention to priests, religious, consecrated persons, lay people, associations of the faithful, seminaries, missions, education, etcetera. Without the Episcopal Conference, the long history of the Church in Spain is incomprehensible. The various diocesan action plans and the pastoral letters of the bishops bear witness to this valuable assistance.
Any anecdotes or significant experiences from these five decades? -I have fond memories. I was ordained a bishop in 1988; when I participated in the Plenary Assembly for the first time, I felt how the collegial affection was also a warm welcome and fraternal affection from the bishops. I was received in the Assembly not only as someone who by right took part in it, but above all as someone who was cordially received. I have learned from other bishops that they also had a similar impression. Bishops are united not only by pastoral duty, but also by bonds of affection and a personal attitude of sharing their work and hopes.
According to the current Pastoral Plan of the EEC, what are the main difficulties facing the Church in Spain? -For a long time the bishops have been convinced that evangelization in our present situation, the new evangelization, is the most urgent and fundamental challenge facing Catholics in Spain.
The transmission of the Christian faith to the new generations is a decisive task. The family, in this task as in the education of children in general, is irreplaceable. We are concerned about religious indifference and forgetfulness of God. The last Pastoral Plan, approved a few months ago, is moving in this direction. We wish to make a revision that leads to a pastoral conversion of the forms, of the institutional channels, of the difficulties and of the joyful experiences in this order.
Fostering communion in the Church, witnessing to the Gospel, celebrating the sacraments with greater authenticity and being consistent in the service of charity and mercy to all, especially the poorest, most marginalized and distant, are tasks that we have been fulfilling and wish to intensify.
In March 2005 you were elected president of the EEC; the March 13 from 2010On March 12, 2014, he was re-elected for a second term as president of the episcopate. Always in March, what is your assessment of these last two years at the head of the EEC? -I would add another date in March in my personal biography: on March 28, 1988, the nuncio informed me of the Pope's decision to appoint me bishop.
I have noticed a warmer communion among all of us. Missionary realism leads us to accentuate our trust in the light and strength of the Lord in order to face the daily work for the Gospel. Hope was in other times - for example, in the years of the Council - was enhanced by euphoria; in our times, genuine hope is deeply tested. We are focusing on the fundamental tasks and attitudes want to be more humbly evangelical. Our weakness urges us to trust in the strength of Christ. Pope Francis, with his life and words, helps us effectively.
In recent years the number of priestly vocations in Spain has been growing slightly. How do you see the vocational panorama? -For a long time now we have been suffering a severe vocation crisis for vocations to the priestly ministry and the consecrated life. There are some exceptions which, compared to the years of extraordinary abundance, are not so bad. There are some religious communities that are more vigorous, but in general we suffer from a shortage. This scarcity does not mean a decline in fidelity. Sometimes there is an upturn, but I do not think it is significant from the point of view of vocational take-off. The crisis of seminarians is probably a crisis of priests, and the crisis of priests is a crisis of Christian communities.
The work for priestly vocations has been very intense for many years. The most sensitive sufferings of the bishops are related to the seminaries. Pastoral work for vocations must involve families, catechesis, parishes, apostolic movements and communities. We need a "vocational culture", that is, a broad environment, a network of coordinated efforts and Christians converging in this pastoral field.
The subject of Religion continues to suffer in some places, especially due to the different application of the law in the different Autonomous Communities. Why is it rejected by some? -Parents have the right to educate their children in their convictions; the cultural environment in which we live theoretically recognizes this right, but does not always act consistently to put it into practice.
The subject of religion in school is not a privilege, but a right that is in fact a service to students, families and society as a whole. It is a reasonable solution to make it compulsory for state schools and free choice for parents and possibly for their children. But this form of action is not always loyally respected, so why is it that, when there is such a high proportion of applications, this truly democratic request is sometimes denied?
It is also understood that the fulfillment of this right to religious education requires a quality in the teaching of religion. I would ask for more respect for the right of parents.
For example, what do you think of the fact that the Constitutional Court has still not resolved the appeal against the abortion law? -Publicly, as President of the Episcopal Conference, in a speech at the opening of the Assembly and on other occasions, I have expressed my opinion on the matter. It is this: I do not understand, I do not know why the law that was appealed when we were in the opposition was not changed when we had the opportunity to govern.
The right to life, from the womb to natural death, is an inviolable right. The edifice of human rights is shaken when the most fundamental of rights is not respected. As Pope Francis has repeated, the mother who finds herself in a distressing situation to receive her unborn child must be helped. The Church has some resources to help, and even if they are limited, they are effective. There are centers that provide a decisive service to the life of the child and the confidence of the mother.
How do you see the socio-economic and unemployment situation in our country, and do you think that enough is being done for the most disadvantaged? -It is a difficult question, because it includes an ingredient of generosity to share and a factor of technical work that complicates things. The Bishops' Conference deals with this question in the Pastoral Instruction "The Church at the service of the poor", which was made public in April in Avila.
The percentage of unemployed, especially young people, is very high in our country, although we must recognize the slow and steady decline in recent years. Let us deepen in the Year of Mercy our attention to the poor and unemployed, with a clear awareness that the goods of creation are for all humanity. Let us cultivate solidarity among all, with those near and far; and let us unite our technical efforts without falling into ideologies that obscure both the problems and the solutions. High unemployment is a task that concerns everyone and that affects many people, depriving them of the necessary resources and the due recognition of their dignity. How can young people form a family without sufficient resources?
How do you see the current political situation? -I view the situation with concern, not so much because of the unprecedented political map resulting from the general elections of December 20, but because of the immense difficulties shown by political leaders to approach, talk and jointly seek the most appropriate solution. It is saddening when one day after the other they get into a fight with each other and postpone the irreplaceable dialogues to find a solution that will give us all serenity and confidence.
It is not up to the Episcopal Conference to point out where the path should lead; we express our respect for all parties and we do not exclude or veto any of them. The citizens, who are also us, have voted and we respect the verdict of the ballot box. We are willing to collaborate with the government that is formed for the good of society. The causes of justice, freedom, reconciliation and peace are also our causes, both for general ethics and evangelical demands.
From various political parties voices are raised in favor of a repeal or revision of the agreements of the State with the Holy See. Are these statements of concern to the EEC? -I would ask why this question appears in the public square whenever proposals for the future are made by some groups. Do the Agreements do so much harm to society? Have they not been a reasonable formula on the road to respectful and concordant relations? Are the Agreements an easy resource or a lure to heat up tempers? Are these political manifestations about denouncing the Agreements, breaking them, revising them? The public opinion should be spoken clearly and not in a foggy atmosphere that introduces confusion.
On the other hand, the current Agreements are in harmony with the Constitution, forged in a climate of consensus and approved by all Spaniards. Our history cannot consist of weaving and unweaving, as Penelope did, sowing insecurity and uncertainty.
We reflect on the response that Christians are giving to the arrival of refugees in European countries. Are we letting ourselves be driven by fear or are we acting in accordance with the Gospel?
Miguel Pérez Pichel-April 13, 2016-Reading time: 3minutes
The rejection by Catholic social organizations in Spain and other European countries of the agreement between the European Union and Turkey for the return of refugees who irregularly enter the Schengen area responds to an act of humanity, values and commitment to evangelical teachings. The Church (and its members) cannot look the other way when hundreds of thousands of families with small children try to flee war, violence, slavery, misery....
It is true that action must be taken to ensure that the flow of migrants does not cause chaos at the borders. In fact, the complaint of the transit countries (Greece, Hungary, Austria...) is not about opening their doors to those fleeing, but about the lack of coordination within the European Union.
In this regard, the document made public by CaritasCONFER, the Social Sector of the Society of Jesus and Justice and Peace (later joined by other social institutions) offer solutions. Among others, it proposes "enable safe and legal access routes to Europe". as a way to fight against mafias; or "to establish a new system of distribution of the refugee population in Europe that is fair to the States and to the refugees.".
The response of Catholics can only be to welcome those who flee, those who seek refuge and a future. Europe's attitude can shame, provoke scandal. The Bishop of San Sebastián, José Ignacio Munilla, was very clear: Europe is "betraying their Christian roots." by signing the agreement with Turkey.
Nor should we forget that the war and the Daesh offensive in Syria and Iraq have hit not only Sunni Muslims, but have also caused the death and flight of hundreds of thousands of Christians, Yazidis and Shiites. Should we forget about them? The Church helps all refugees regardless of their creed, of course. But in a special way, it must come to the aid of our brothers and sisters in faith. Among the refugees who arrive in dinghies on the shores of Greece and then travel thousands of kilometers on foot to reach Germany, France or Denmark, there are also Syrian and Iraqi Christians. Christians who live in refugee camps or in reception centers alongside their Muslim compatriots. Christians who often suffer discrimination from other refugees and who feel abandoned in countries they thought were their brothers and sisters, but which nevertheless reject them. The Church is also with the Christian refugees. A Church that, in a praiseworthy ecumenical act, together with Protestants and Orthodox, helps all those who arrive: churches have been made available to welcome them, hundreds of volunteers have been mobilized, collections have been made, they have been given a voice?
The action of Christians is not a simple paternalistic act of charity, the result of the "sentimentalist" and "do-gooder" culture that seems to rule in certain sectors of European society. Such attitudes are all very well to mobilize society immediately in the face of a humanitarian crisis, but they end up being forgotten as soon as the media focus their attention on another issue. The Christian response goes beyond this. Organizations such as Caritas or Aid to the Church in Need have been helping refugees in their places of origin in Lebanon, Syria or Iraq for years. The advance of Daesh in Syria and Iraq has emptied these countries of Christians. In Syria, Christians have fled to Turkey, Lebanon and to areas controlled by the Bacher Al Asad regime. In Iraq, they have taken refuge mainly in Iraqi Kurdistan and Jordan.
Bishop Juan Antonio Menéndez of Astorga, a member of the Episcopal Commission for Migration, acknowledged that the refugee situation poses a series of challenges for the Church: "A humanitarian challenge that involves the defense of the dignity of life and of the person of refugees and forcibly displaced persons, support for family reunification and the reception, hospitality and solidarity with refugees. An ecclesial challenge that is expressed in the pastoral and spiritual care of Catholics of the Latin and Eastern Rite, in ecumenical and interreligious dialogue. A cultural challenge that commits us to build a culture of encounter, peace and stability"..
Let us hope that we, the citizens of Europe, can also take up these challenges to prevent Europe from betraying its traditional Christian values and ceasing to be Europe.
Anyone who thinks that the arrival of refugees mainly from Syria and elsewhere in the Middle East is a temporary situation is mistaken. People will continue to flee Syria as long as the war continues. How should European countries respond? Are we providing the right humanitarian response?
Miguel Pérez Pichel-April 13, 2016-Reading time: 5minutes
Nothing seems to indicate that the war in Syria is going to end soon. Even a possible pact between Al-Assad and the Syrian opposition will not mean the end of the war, as it would still be necessary to defeat DaeshThe situation will remain highly unstable even if the war ends and Daesh is eradicated. The situation will remain highly unstable even if the war ends and Daesh is eradicated. Syria and Iraq have great difficulty in regaining control over their territory. Rebuilding their administrative structures will require a long process of reconciliation and an economic rescue to bring stability to the country. As long as there is no peace in Syria and the country is not rebuilt, hundreds of thousands of refugees will continue to arrive in Europe.
Refugees
Europe has a vast frontier bordering some of the world's poorest regions, dictatorships and countries at war. At the same time, the territory of the European Union enjoys levels of welfare and freedom that are the envy of millions of people in Africa and the Middle East. Given this reality, what is surprising is that European politicians are surprised by the arrival of millions of refugees from Syria (located a few hours by plane from any European capital) and that after five years of war in the Middle East they have not foreseen a migratory process.
But to understand the magnitude of the challenge facing Europe, it is necessary to take into account a fact of Eurostat (the European Statistical Office): Syrians account for only 31 % of asylum seekers in the European Union since 2014. The rest are refugees from Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan..., or from African countries such as Eritrea, Somalia, Nigeria and many others. In total 1,500,000 asylum seekers. If we add to them all those who have entered without registering at the borders, we have more than two million people who have entered Europe fleeing war, persecution and misery in 2014 and 2015.
In 2015, more than one million migrants (mostly refugees) reached the Greek and Italian coasts by crossing the sea in precarious rubber dinghies, as indicated by Frontex (the European agency in charge of external border management). Of that million, more than 870,000 have used the eastern Mediterranean route. The majority are Syrians, Iraqis and Afghans. The distance between the Turkish coast and the Greek island of Lesbos is ten kilometers. This distance is short, but the fragile boats crowded with people (each boat carries between 40 and 60 migrants) are not always able to withstand the crossing and end up shipwrecked. We all remember the images of drowned refugees on the beaches of Turkey.
Migrants and refugees pay large sums of money to mafias in exchange for transportation, directions on how to apply for asylum and documentation. The average cost of a passage for a family in a rubber dinghy that may sink is €10,000. The Turkish-Greek and Turkish-Bulgarian land border is another access point to the European Union.
Schengen Area
The massive influx of refugees has overwhelmed national authorities. Some countries have decided to partially suspend the Schengen agreement (adopted in 1985 and which made it possible to create a European area without borders). This suspension has left hundreds of thousands of refugees stranded in the border areas of Macedonia, Croatia, Austria and Hungary, living in the open.
The lack of coordination between European states led to chaos. At first, European governments were inclined to help the refugees. German Chancellor Angela Merkel refused to limit the number of asylum seekers on German territory. The final destination of asylum seekers is mainly Germany. In September 2015, the European Union adopted an agreement allowing the reception of 120,000 refugees spread across different countries. However, that agreement still remains unfulfilled and refugees are still living in refugee camps in Greece, or in sports centers and reception centers in Germany, Austria, Denmark and other countries.
Agreement with Turkey
The pressure of a part of public opinion, which is fearful of the arrival of refugees, and the conviction that the exodus will not stop in the short term, has led the governments of the European Union to seek an agreement with Turkey to act as a "buffer state". Angela Merkel defended the negotiation with the argument that Europe could not act unilaterally. "If we fail to reach an agreement with Turkey, Greece will not be able to bear the burden for long."he said.
The agreement reached between the European Union and Turkey in March means that, from now on, refugees will have to apply for asylum in Europe from Turkish territory. Those who arrive on European soil without having done so will be returned to Turkish territory. This measure will not affect refugees who were already in Europe before the agreement. In exchange, Turkey has obtained a commitment from the European Union that its entry into the Union will be promoted and that the process for Turkish citizens to gain access to the Schengen area without the need for a visa will be accelerated. European countries will also give Turkey 6 billion euros in aid to help it deal with refugees.
The aim is to make the option of crossing the Mediterranean by dinghy less attractive and to encourage migrants to arrive in Europe with their status already regularized. The big question is whether this agreement respects European legislation on the right to asylum. The directive 2013/32/EU states that "a Member State may extradite an applicant to a third country [...] only if the competent authorities are satisfied that an extradition decision will not result in a direct or indirect refoulement in violation of that Member State's international and Union obligations." (Article 9, paragraph 3).
Article 33(1) of the Geneva Convention establishes that "no Contracting State shall expel or return a refugee in any manner whatsoever to the frontiers of territories where his life or freedom would be threatened on account of his race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group or political opinion"..
Reactions
Catholic social organizations in Spain (Caritas, CONFER, Social Sector of the Society of Jesus, Justice and Peace, Manos Unidas...), as well as those in other countries, have expressed "its dismay and its most absolute rejection". to the agreement between the European Union and Turkey. For these organizations, the agreement means "a serious setback for human rights".. In an official statement, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), has not rejected the agreement, but has warned that when it is implemented, it will have to be implemented by the end of the year. "respecting international and European legislation". The President of the European Council, Donald Tusk, expressed himself along the same lines: "The most important thing, and it is something we will not compromise on, is the absolute necessity to respect both our European Law and International Law. It is indispensable, otherwise Europe can no longer be Europe.". In this regard, many voices have warned that the expulsion of refugees violates the founding spirit of the European Union.
In his homily during the Palm Sunday Mass in St. Peter's Square in Rome, Pope Francis referred to the situation of refugees. "I think now of so many people, so many immigrants, so many fugitives, so many refugees, those of whom many do not want to take responsibility for their fate."said the Holy Father, after affirming that Jesus suffered "indifference, because no one wanted to take responsibility for their destiny.".
Solution
The agreement with Turkey may alleviate some of the migratory pressure on the southeast of the European Union, but it will by no means solve the problem. As the Balkan route closes, other routes may open up in the coming months.
The solution lies in putting an end to the wars in neighboring states (especially in Syria), in stopping the action of jihadist groups such as Daesh or Al Qaeda, and in developing a plan for the development of neighboring countries. The European Union, undermined by the particular interests of its member states, does not seem to have the capacity to achieve these objectives. So far, the European reaction to the challenges of migration and jihadism has been slow, uncoordinated and ineffective. The challenge now is to guarantee the human rights of asylum seekers arriving on EU territory.
Under the slogan "Blessed are the merciful for they shall obtain mercy."During Holy Week, 28 young people and 6 children from Bilbao, Seville, Jerez, Barcelona, Madrid, Zaragoza and Segovia participated in the Hospital Easter organized year after year by the Brothers of St. John of God.
Luis Marzo Calvo-April 13, 2016-Reading time: 5minutes
The meeting allowed young people to experience and celebrate God's mercy through the people who suffer the most or are going through a moment of vulnerability in their lives. This edition was held at the Fundación Instituto San José in Madrid from March 23 to 27.
Eva is one of the participants of this meeting and it is the first time she participates in this proposal of prayer and service under the umbrella of St. John of God. "I signed up to participate in the Hospital Easter because I wanted to experience Holy Week in a more intense way and it caught my attention to be able to experience it in a hospital context. I had never thought about living Easter surrounded by the sick and I was curious. I think that living Easter with people who are suffering has given me the chance to rediscover the very human face of God. I have been able to contemplate these days how God was present in the small details that I have been able to perceive during the moments that I have been with some of the sick who are cared for in this center, as well as in the moments of celebration lived with them. I would like to keep many glances, small details that I have been able to contemplate during the times with the sick, and with the testimonies that I heard during Good Friday at the table of experiences where a worker of the center, a sick person who is currently in the center, a volunteer and a brother shared their testimony of mercy, and through which I could discover how faith is capable of sustaining and giving full meaning to people who are going through an illness. I took away with me a great experience of mercy, which gives me a new way of being and of living my faith, more incarnate and hospitable".
Close to those who suffer
The Hospitaller Easter is a proposal that the Brothers of St. John of God have been offering for more than 20 years to young people so that they can live and celebrate the Paschal Mystery, the center of the life of every Christian, together with other young people and from an experience of prayer, service and encounter. For us, the Brothers of St. John of God, opening our centers and communities to welcome young people who want to live these days of Holy Week is also an opportunity to live the faith with them and it deeply enriches us to be able to share and celebrate together the days of the Easter Triduum. We would like that the young people at the end of these days could take with them an experience of a Samaritan Church and close to the suffering people. In recent years we have also opened the experience of the Hospitaller Easter to families and we have seen the great richness of being able to share the faith with each one from the concrete reality they are living.
This year, the Hospitality Easter was celebrated in the San José Institute Foundation of Madrid, a social-health center of the Brothers of St. John of God whose mission is to provide comprehensive care to people with complex clinical processes in subacute and chronic phases, with a high level of dependency, on an inpatient, outpatient and home care basis. "Making young people participants in all the Mystery that is hidden behind people who are going through a process of illness helps to live life with greater depth and greater meaning. We are fortunate to be immersed daily in this Mystery that lies behind each person who is suffering a process of illness. That is why when young people come to live an experience of service we try that they can also experience it. We belong to the great family of the Brothers of St. John of God whose charism is Hospitality, so we try to welcome people in the best possible way.
The presence of young people gives us a lot of joy and for the patients it is an enrichment. Some of the patients who are admitted to our center do not have families, so we consider this type of activity to be very important because it gives us the opportunity to be with them for a while. They really appreciate the fact that there are young people who, instead of going on vacation, come to this center to participate in the Hospital Easter".says Ana, a collaborator of the San José Institute Foundation of Madrid.
Activities
For Silvia, this was the third time she joined the St. John of God Youth group with her husband and daughter to participate in the Hospitaller Easter. "I have felt at home and have been able to experience God's mercy in the encounter with the sick. I have been able to love without conditions and without calculation. I have been able to share these days of Holy Week with my family and with the great Hospitaller family with which I feel very united. Every Easter that I have had the good fortune to participate so far has been different and has helped me to recharge my batteries and to try to reread my life from the faith. I am very happy to be able to share and celebrate my faith with such diverse and pluralistic people. From this year I would like to highlight the Holy Thursday celebration we had with the sick and especially the gesture of the washing of the feet. In this simple gesture I was able to relive the experience of Jesus and the importance of abasement and of being at the service of the people who need it most"..
The meeting began on Wednesday the 23rd with a promising starting point, an evening prayer in which the young people were invited to listen to the call to happiness launched in the Gospel. Until Sunday, with the Eucharist of the Resurrection, multiple activities took place: moments of encounter with the sick in the different units of the center, tables of living experiences, reflective dynamics, prayer vigils, etc. One of the highlights, both for the participants and for the patients of the center, was the Eucharist of the Resurrection. San José Institute FoundationThe event, which took place on Friday morning, was the Way of the Cross of Mercy. We had the opportunity to accompany Jesus on the road to Calvary, keeping in mind the many men and women who today continue to carry the cross of hunger, hatred, violence, marginalization, sickness and loneliness.
"In these days so crucial for the life of the followers of Jesus, we tried to get the young people to discover and celebrate God's merciful love in the midst of a world of sickness."adds Brother Luis, one of the organizers of the Hospitaller Easter. It has been a healing experience for all of us that encourages us to live our faith from the experience of the Risen One. May we be able to bring to life the motto that has accompanied us during these days of Easter. ("Blessed are the Merciful") wherever we are.
San Juan de Dios Youth
San Juan de Dios Youth is formed by a small group of young people and brothers of St. John of God who try to offer to other young people who so desire the opportunity to come into contact with the charism of Hospitality. At the same time, we are responsible for promoting and disseminating values and attitudes that foster awareness and commitment to the world of health and marginalization. For this, we offer during the year some spaces and times for commitment, service and reflection from the faith and Hospitality. More information about the Hospitaller Easter and about us can be found at:
Spotlight rekindled the debate on clerical abuse and the Church's response, stressing the importance of information and dialogue.
April 13, 2016-Reading time: 2minutes
On February 11, the film was released in Argentina. Spotlight and the movie theaters were flooded with painful silence. Although showing the evil we failed to prevent hurts the heart, it also provides an opportunity to repair and inform. The final plate, which shows cities where complaints have been registered, includes several Argentine ones. The Profile Newspaper He recalled five cases with final convictions: Sasso, Rossi, IlarazPardo and Grassi.
A few days later, Spotlight won the Oscar for Best Picture and producer Michael Sugar questioned the Pope when thanking him for the award: "It's time to protect children and restore faith.". The situation was strange because he referred to the subject as if he was notifying the Pontiff for the first time.
How can this be explained? Perhaps because the social criticism that had its climax in 2010 had been giving way before the sequence of good measures taken by the Church and the appearance of cases referring to various spheres of society, whose most recent chapter affects the UN. This revealed the existence of a problem of all and not only of Catholics. And when problems belong to everyone, it is more difficult to recognize and confront them.
It is a fact that the reaction to violence in private spheres continues to be lukewarm. To give just one piece of information, the Observatory of Gender Violence of the Province of Buenos Aires registered 18,619 complaints of domestic violence in January of this year. A disturbing question then arises: are we being accomplices of all this hidden social violence, perhaps because we do not want to see it?
Returning to the point, the issue of clerical abuse had been shelved as a story and each new case could be interpreted in the framework of the "zero tolerance" policy that he initiated John Paul IIThe film, promoted by Benedict XVI and consolidated by Francis. But the film and its spin-offs brought the issue back into the public conversation and the responsibility of the Church was again questioned.
It thus offers the opportunity to share anew a narrative that explains the crisis, its causes and the forceful response that has placed the Church at the forefront of prevention and care for victims. It is striking that many Catholics still lack that work of synthesis - the fruit of study, reflection and exchange of opinions - which is fundamental in a world of unstable consensus, partial data and permanent claims. To contribute to social dialogue, formation is not enough: it is necessary to be informed and to communicate with quality.
The Administrative Court of Appeals (TCA) of Uruguay has issued a historic ruling for the rule of law. It has established guidelines and concepts that guarantee the free exercise of conscientious objection by health professionals. In this way, the right to conscientious objection, implicitly established in the Uruguayan Constitution, is protected. This right is expressly included, although under very special conditions, in the text of the law that currently allows the decriminalization of abortion. In Uruguay, for years the governing party (Broad Front) is trying to pass a law decriminalizing abortion. During his previous presidency (from March 1, 2005 to March 1, 2010), the current president of Uruguay, Tabaré Vázquez (re-elected on March 1, 2015), vetoed a law that had been passed by parliament, based on the scientific reality that from conception there is an human life.
Finally, in 2012, during the presidency of José Mújica, the new law in force was approved. This law presents as an exception the possibility of not penalizing the performance of an abortion. This is clearly stated in Article 2 of the law: "Voluntary termination of pregnancy shall not be penalized and consequently Articles 325 and 325bis of the Penal Code shall not be applicable, in the event that the woman complies with the requirements set forth in the following articles and it is performed during the first twelve weeks of pregnancy."
Therefore, it is currently possible to perform abortions without being penalized only when performed in accordance with the procedure and guarantees expressly provided by law and within the first twelve weeks of pregnancy.
In addition, the right of the physician to exercise conscientious objection was expressly included in Article 11 of the law. Therefore, there is no negative consequence for the conscientious objector physician to exercise a right that the law itself guarantees him/her.
One month after the enactment of the law, the Ministry of Public Health issued the decree regulating it. This decree contradicted in many aspects the particularities of the law. At its core, it illegitimately limited and restricted the right to conscientious objection on the part of physicians who did not wish to participate in the abortion procedure.
A group of physicians, who felt that the aforementioned decree violated the doctor-patient relationship and their fundamental rights to practice their profession while respecting their conscience, initiated a lawsuit to assert their rights.
Thus, in August 2015, the ATT put an end to a situation of manifest illegality and lack of certainty generated by the Ministry of Public Health in the past government period. The ATT ruling established guidelines and concepts that guarantee the free exercise of conscientious objection for health professionals as provided for in the Constitution and the law.
This is a historic resolution because, in addition to confirming the protection of freedom of conscience, it approves the existence of mechanisms for adjusting through the courts the excesses of the Executive Branch in the face of a law approved by Parliament.
The discordance between the Ministry of Public Health and the approved law regarding the scope of conscientious objection was evident. Therefore, the Ministry wanted to change the text of the law by regulatory means, incurring in a manifest illegality that led the TCA to repeal the law with general and absolute effects. In other words, it erased the contested articles from the legal system from its very inception, thus affecting not only the plaintiff physicians, but all physicians.
The judgment recognizes that the right to conscientious objection derives from the fundamental rights of the individual, both in relation to the right to freedom of conscience and the right to human dignity. The judges upheld the main points of the lawsuit.
However, during the whole period that it took for the Court's decision supporting the position of the objecting physicians to arrive, there was a lot of pressure from some authorities of the Ministry of Public Health. Physicians were labeled as false objectors or as not fulfilling their duties in the health system. Attempts were also made to give a restrictive view of the right to conscientious objection, opposing it to the supposed right of women to have an abortion. It has had such a wide repercussion in the media that in several of the country's departments and cities all the gynecologists practicing there are now conscientious objectors. Therefore, abortions cannot be performed in these places, unless the authorities send doctors willing to perform them.
In times when society wants to approve at all costs the supposed rights of some social groups, the legal system supports those who in conscience think otherwise and see their freedom violated, and taking the strength of true rights, they show that no one can demand that they renounce the inner light of their conscience.
Bishop Juan Carlos Bravo: "I want priests with spiritual and human qualities who love the people".
Bishop Juan Carlos Bravo reviews his career as a priest and bishop, and talks about the challenges facing the Church in Venezuela. We met with him after the 105th Annual Plenary Assembly of the Episcopal Conference of Venezuela to talk about the Pastoral Exhortation "The Church in Venezuela". Assuming the reality of the homeland and its implications for Venezuelan society.
The Pastoral Exhortation "Assume the reality of the Homeland".published following the 105th Annual Plenary Assembly of the Episcopal Conference of Venezuela from January 7 to 12, is a call for peace and forgiveness. In it, the bishops call for "to work for dialogue, reconciliation and peace. We invite all our institutions to implement, with creativity and courage, gestures and actions that make us live and taste with joy and sacrifice, the fruits of solidarity and fraternity: greater attention to the poor, to the sick, to raise with creativity initiatives for peace and to fill the gaps in the face of shortages of food and medicine, such as 'solidarity pots' or any other form of attention to the needs of the community.". After the meeting we were able to talk with Bishop Juan Carlos Bravo, Bishop of Acarigua-Araure.
Monsignor, at 48 years of age, you are one of the youngest bishops in the country.
-Look, I did not want to be a bishop. The nuncio called me and I flatly refused. He was surprised by the determination of my answer. He sent me to pray and think. He called me again and I refused again. I told him that never in my life have I ever wanted, sought or desired to be a bishop. He replied that Pope Francis is looking for bishops who neither want, nor seek, nor desire to be bishops. I insisted that I am a peasant, from the neighborhood and I am not good for that. He answered me: Pope Francis is looking for bishops who have the smell of sheep. In the end I accepted out of obedience. Behind it was the will of God.
What was your formation and first pastoral assignments like?
-I entered the seminary with the Diocesan Operators. I studied philosophy in Caracas and theology in Minneapolis (USA). I studied at the Tantur Ecumenical Institute in Jerusalem during the Gulf War. It was a unique experience that strengthened me in my choice of life and in my personal following of Jesus Christ.
I was ordained in Ciudad Guayana in 1992 and worked ten years in the Curia. I went to Mexico for four summers to study Pastoral Ministry. Tired of the organizational work I asked to go to a remote village, where nobody wanted to go. I ended up in Guasipati in the far east of the country. I stayed there for twelve years until my episcopal appointment.
He has also been the pastor of a remote village for twelve years....
-It was the most important experience of my life. There were more than 40,000 souls scattered over 8,500 square kilometers. They had not had a priest for fifty years. At the beginning I took the motorcycle and went everywhere: markets and hamlets, farming fields, getting to know the people, visiting the sick. That helped me to reach all the sectors and organize parish life.
More than organizing the ecclesial structure, the essential thing was the deep relationship with the people. I began to love them very much. I used some "different" initiatives to enter into their lives. I was an elementary school teacher in a very dangerous neighborhood where no one wanted to work. I had the time but, above all, I wanted to show that in order to transform society and people, we had to start from childhood.
I dedicated many hours to the peasants and the poor villages. I worked with them. So we were able to promote them and bring them into the sacramental life, into the life of the church. I had assumed that I would stay there forever. And the people felt that I belonged to them. So when I was asked to become a bishop, I was the first to be surprised. Some in the town considered it a betrayal. It hurts a lot. It is a very strong resignation. I came to Acarigua to exercise my ministry with the same affection, the same intensity and the same love that I put in Guasipati. The same day of the inauguration I went to lend a hand in a neighborhood that had been flooded.
Can it be said that community spirituality is the driving force of pastoral action?
-But for me the most important thing is where we want to go. The great challenge is to make the Church the home and school of ecclesial communion.
The Pope invites "to feel the brother of faith in the profound unity of the Mystical Body and, therefore, as 'one who belongs to me', to know how to share his joys and sufferings, to intuit his desires and attend to his needs, to offer him a true and deep friendship.". Without this disposition, the structures and everything we do will be meaningless and will end up empty. Therefore, our option must be personal holiness and the proclamation of the Kingdom.
If our personal relationship with God is deep, constant, and we discover God in our brothers, community action will not be empty, soulless. We are trying to promote in the whole diocese the spirituality of communion: including priests, religious, evangelizing agents and everyone.
Pope Francis encourages us in the same direction when he says that we should not proclaim ourselves but proclaim Jesus Christ. This spirituality must start from the word of God and from a personal encounter with Jesus Christ.
What about priests and seminarians?
-For me, the spiritual and human quality of the priest is fundamental. I want priests who love people. Our raison d'être is service, but sometimes we are not up to the task. We have a project to inspire in the seminarians this spirit of communion. We want them to have spiritual accompaniment, help in their discernment, to form a clear option for Jesus, for holiness, for the Gospel and to be formed inserted in the reality of parish life.
I also want priests to be prepared, to be trained, when they are inserted in a parish for at least three years. Once they organize it, and dare I say, they are able to leave the parish organized in such a way that it can function without a pastor for at least two years, then they deserve to go and study. And when they return they should come to serve the poorest. Because if what we study does not serve us to serve the poor, it does not serve us at all.
Luis, a student of Social Communication, is taking pictures. He follows the interview carefully and asks Bishop Bravo:
How can we young people, who do not have an ecclesiastical title, bring our friends closer to God and the Church?
-This is precisely the point: for me the most important thing is not to be a bishop or a priest. For me, the most important thing is that I am baptized, and that is what makes me a Christian. To the extent that we rely on our Christian condition, we can be heralds of Jesus. Sometimes we think we are "somebody" in the Church when we achieve a status.
Latin America is a mostly young continent, and we must approach them through their own media, particularly social networks.
For his part, Francis knows how to engage with young people and speaks to them in their language. "I want mess". We have to develop a youth pastoral done by the young people themselves: protagonists of their own evangelizing action. Young people have an immense faith and a great hunger for God.
What have been the moments when God has been closest to you?
-I try daily to discover where God has passed through my life today. There are two prayers that help me a lot. Charles de Foucault's: "Lord, here I am. For all that you make of me I thank you.".
And the other prayer is by John XXIII: "Lord, this is your Church, it is in your hands, I am tired, I am going to sleep.".
Sometimes I am asked if this or that issue keeps me awake at night. I don't want problems to keep me from sleeping and I say: "Lord, this is your Church, it is in your hands, I am tired...". With my words I tell you: "That's your problem and let's see what you do to fix it.". I believe that God understands this language. I am also often amazed at the impact our ordinary behavior has on people. It is when God reminds me: in the midst of your miseries you are an instrument to do great things in God.
On September 4 of the Jubilee Year of Mercy, Mother Teresa of Calcutta will be canonized. Born in Albania with the name Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu, her life is linked to India, where she was an example of mercy and founded the Congregation of the Missionaries of Charity.
Brian Kolodiejchuk-April 4, 2016-Reading time: 8minutes
I would like to share some reflections (though not all that could be said) on how Mother Teresa understood and lived the mercy of the Lord in her life and work. The apostolic works of the Missionaries of Charity family are precisely the corporal and spiritual works of mercy.
Pope Francis says that the etymological meaning of the Latin word mercy is "miseris cor dareto give his heart to the poor, to those who are in need, to those who suffer. This is what Jesus did: he opened wide his heart to the misery of mankind"..
Note that mercy involves both the inner and the outer: the heart and then show the mercy of the heart in action, or as to the Mother Teresa liked to say, to show "love in live action"..
At Misericordiae Vultus (the official document establishing the Jubilee of Mercy), Pope Francis said that mercy is "the fundamental law that dwells in the heart of each person, when he looks with sincere eyes at the brother he meets on the path of life".. The Pope goes on to say that his desire is to "may the years to come be impregnated with mercy so that we can go out to meet each person, bringing the goodness and tenderness of God".. This implies that our attitude should not be one of "top down". That we do not feel superior to those we serve, but rather that we consider ourselves part of the poor, identified with them, at their level.
Pope emeritus Benedict reminds us of this in his encyclical letter Deus Caritas Est, 34: "Practical action is insufficient if in it one cannot perceive love for man, a love that is nourished in the encounter with Christ. Intimate personal participation in the needs and sufferings of the other thus becomes a giving of myself: so that the gift does not humiliate the other, I must not only give him something of myself, but also myself; I must be part of the gift as a person.".
A wonderful example of this
"Your heart." (Mother Teresa's), said the Sister Nirmalathe immediate successor of Mother Teresa, "was great as the heart of God Himself, full of love, affection, compassion and mercy. Rich and poor, young and old, strong and weak, wise and ignorant, saints and sinners of all nations, cultures and religions found a loving welcome in her heart, because in each of them, Mother Teresa saw the face of her beloved Jesus.".
Like Mother Teresa, before showing mercy to others we must recognize our own misery and our need for mercy. The last book of the Bible has these words: "For you say, 'I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing'; and you know not that you are wretched and pitiable, and poor, and blind, and naked." (Rev. 3:17). We can call this the "Calcutta of the heart", the "Calcutta of my own heart".
Sister Nirmala tells us that "Mother was convinced of her poverty and sin, but she trusted in the tender and merciful love of Jesus. [...] Mother always felt the need for God's mercy - how merciful God is to give us all these things he has given us - and so she was grateful to God.". Mother Teresa herself said: "Jesus, who loves each of us tenderly, with mercy and compassion, works miracles of forgiveness.".
Following St. Paul, we can distinguish three stages in the recognition of our weakness and interior poverty. The first step is to recognize our weakness, poverty, vulnerability and brokenness. Secondly, that we may accept our weakness. Finally, that we may even come to glory in it.
As we mature spiritually, we gradually acquire total distrust in ourselves and gain absolute trust in God. As Father Jean-Pierre de Caussade tells us, "this complete distrust of ourselves and trust in God, leads us to that 'inner humility' which is the permanent foundation of the spiritual edifice, and the main source of God's graces for the soul.".
Mother Teresa's extraordinary humility was demonstrated in her ready attitude to forgive and forget. This was a reflection of the mercy and forgiveness of the Master who "he has not come to call the righteous but sinners." (Mt 9:13).
Mother Teresa had a very profound and practical teaching on forgiveness and forgetting: "We need a lot of love to forgive and we need a lot of humility to forget, because forgiveness is not complete unless we also forget. [...] And as long as we do not forget, we have not really forgiven completely. And this is the most beautiful part of God's mercy. He not only forgives but he also forgets, and he never brings the subject up again, just like the father (in the parable) who never reproached the son. He did not even say to him: forget your sins, forget the evil you have done... And the Father himself ran away with joy. These are living and wonderful examples that we should share.".
Mother Teresa herself put this teaching into practice. One of her acquaintances had done something very wrong and was having difficulty facing his guilt and shame. So he told Mother Teresa the whole story. This person related: "Mother first asked if anyone knew about this and I told her only the priest who had heard my confession. Mother looked at me with so much love and so much tenderness in her eyes... She said, 'Jesus forgives you and Mother forgives you. Jesus loves you and Mother loves you. Jesus only wanted to show you your poverty. Now, when someone comes to you with the same thing, you will have compassion for that person'. I asked Mother Teresa not to tell anyone, and she tenderly promised not to. She never asked me: why did you do that, how could you do that? Nor did she say: Aren't you ashamed? You caused a big scandal. She didn't even say to me: don't do it again.".
As we know, in the Sacrament of Confession we encounter God's mercy directly and personally.
Mother Teresa approached the sacrament of Reconciliation faithfully and regularly, even during her frequent travels. "Even while traveling from house to house, Mother remained faithful to her weekly confession and preferred to do so with the ordinary confessor of each community where she was going to be."explains Sister Nirmala. For Mother Teresa, confession was not a habit or routine, but each time it was a new encounter with God's mercy and love. She understood very well the importance of confession.
On one occasion he said: "The devil hates God. And that hatred in action is destroying us, making us sin, making us participate in that evil, so that we too share in that hatred and (this one) separate us from God. But that's where God's wonderful mercy comes in. You just have to back up and say I'm sorry. That's the beautiful gift of confession. We go to confession as a sinner with sin and we come out of confession as a sinless sinner. That's the tremendous, tremendous mercy of God. Always forgiving. Not only forgiving, but loving..., gently, lovingly, lovingly, patiently. And this is what the devil hates in God, the tenderness and love of God for the sinner.".
Humble works
Turning now to our way of demonstrating mercy in action, Mother Teresa wanted the material and spiritual works of mercy to be carried out as "humble works".. She did not want to do "big things"but "humble works". with great love.
Someone once asked Mother Teresa a question: "When you say poverty, most people think of material poverty.". Mother Teresa responded: "This is why we speak of the unwanted, the unloved, the neglected, the forgotten, the lonely... This is a much greater poverty, because material poverty can always be satisfied with material things. If we pick up a man hungry for bread, we give him bread and we have satisfied his hunger. But if we meet a man who is terribly lonely, rejected, discarded by society..., material assistance will not help him. For to eliminate that loneliness, to eliminate that terrible pain, he needs prayer, he needs sacrifice, he needs tenderness and love. And that is very often more difficult to give than material things. That is the reason why there is hunger not only for bread, but there is also hunger for love. Nakedness is not just the lack of a piece of clothing; there is nakedness because of the loss of human dignity. And homelessness is not just not having a house to sleep in, it is being homeless, being rejected, unwanted, an outcast from society.".
The interviewer continued: "We've seen you and the Sisters doing for the children these very small things and with such tenderness; just in the way you treat them. And it was very inspiring, could you talk about that?". Mother Teresa responded: "It is not how much we do, or how big things are, but how much love we put into what we do. Because we are human beings, the action seems very small to us, but once it has been given to God, God is infinite and that small action rises, it becomes an infinite action. Because God is infinite, there is no measure for God, just as there is no time for God. God isGod can never become was. Likewise, God's love is infinite, full of tenderness, full of mercy, full of forgiveness, full of kindness, full of consideration. It is enough to meditate on the things that God thinks in advance for us, being so amazing how He, who has the whole world, heaven and earth to think about and yet is so particular about the simple, little things that can bring joy to someone. He inspires one person to give that joy to another person, to someone in need.
That is God's action in the world, God's love in action. And today God loves the world through us. Just as He sent Jesus to show the world how much He loved it. And today Christ is using us, us, you. He wants to try to show the world that He is, and that He loves the world, and that we are precious to Him. As Isaiah said, 'you are precious to Him, I have called you by name; you are mine. The water will not drown you. The fire will not burn you. I will forsake the nations for you; you are precious to me; I love you.' And that tenderness of God's love, and His compassion and mercy and forgiveness, are so beautifully expressed when He said that 'even if a mother can forget her child, I will not forget you. I have carved you in the palm of my hand'. Just think that every time that you, that we, call out to God, there we are in his palm and he looks at us, so closely, with such tenderness, with such love. This is prayer..
Mother Teresa, throughout her life, had her critics. They were individuals or groups who tried to oppose her mission or her plans for various reasons. She never considered any of them her enemy, nor was she ever offended. Her desire to be one with Jesus offers us a key to understanding her own attitude toward people who, as far as her actions were concerned, could easily qualify as potential "enemies" in the way she viewed them. In a meditation she wrote for her sisters, Mother Teresa explains: "See the compassion of Christ toward Judas. The man who received so much love, yet betrayed his own Master, the Master who kept the 'Sacred Silence' and would not betray him to his companions. Jesus could have easily spoken out in public, as some of you do, and told others the hidden intentions and deeds of Judas. But he did not. Mnd rather showHe showed mercy and charity; and instead of condemning him, he called him 'friend'. And if Judas had looked into the eyes of Jesus as Peter did, today Judas would be the fruit of God's mercy. Jesus always had compassion"..
As great as Mother Teresa's faith was, she was always aware that it was God's grace at work in her life. She considered it a grace of God to be able to accept grace and she recognized God's action in her life. She said: "I must know what God has done for me. His great love for me is what keeps me here. Not my mmerit. The answer must be the conviction: it is the mercy and grace of God"..
I end with a reflection by Eileen Egan, a very close friend of Mother Teresa since the 1960s: "Mother Teresa took Jesus at His word and accepted Him with unconditional love in those with whom He chose to identify Himself. With the hungry, with the homeless, with the suffering. She wrapped them in mercy. Mercy, after all, is just love in the guise of need, the love that goes out to meet the needs of the loved one. Could it not powerfully change life in our times for the better if millions of His followers took Jesus at His word?".
While the mercy of God is infinite, evil always has a limit: and this is precisely the mercy of God. An article on the human logic of forgiveness, and on the divine logic of the Sacrament of Penance.
Joan Costa-April 4, 2016-Reading time: 8minutes
Pope Francis, in the bull Misericordiae Vultus n. 9, comment: "Forgiveness of offenses becomes the most evident expression of merciful love and for us Christians it is an imperative that we cannot do without. [Forgiveness is a force that revives us to a new life and gives us the courage to look to the future with hope.. Forgiveness is, therefore, an eminent expression of the works of Mercy, something like the heart of Mercy.
When I ask people what they are looking for when they approach the sacrament of confession, the answers are usually along the following lines: to start over, to take a weight off my shoulders, to regain peace of conscience, to find peace, to seek strength and consolation, to receive good advice... I would now like to give an example related to the university world, a time when young people are very much in love and male/female relationships are very intense. Well, let's imagine that there is a girl who takes very good notes; on seeing this, a boy befriends the girl in order to get those notes. However, there is someone who tries to ask for the notes in order to attract the girl's attention and make friends with her, so that she will notice him. These are two very different positions, and it seems obvious to me which one would please the girl more, at least from the point of view of female self-esteem.
When in confession we seek strength, peace of mind, advice..., then what we are looking for are "notes". But Jesus, in confession, tells us: you ask me for notes, but I give you something much more valuable: myself, to live in your heart and let you live in mine. It is God whom we should seek when we go to confession.
Confession is not a mere laundry either. This happens when we go to render an account, to have our stains removed without a true conversion of heart, because we do not understand sin as a lack of love and confession as an act of love.
Know how to love. Primerear
The dynamics of love has, among others, two dimensions: the other and the good of the other. True love needs both. Whoever seeks and desires only the other person, but does not at the same time seek the other's good, would be pure selfishness; and conversely, if he were willing to seek his good but did not desire his closeness, such dedication would become a humiliation.
A graphic way of defining love would be the mutual belonging of one in the other. That is to say: you are my life, and therefore, if I do not have you in my heart I lack something, I cannot be fully me, and I cannot be happy. On Evangelii Gaudium (n. 24) there are some words that form a sequence to understand the different demands of love: "primerear, get involved, accompany, fructify and celebrate".. They are a very accurate way to describe love.
Who should begin to forgive: the victim or the aggressor? In the practice of our behavior we often find that if the one who has offended us comes to ask for forgiveness, then we would be willing to forgive him, but self-love prevents us from starting the path of reconciliation. However, what happens is that if we are not able to take the initiative, this means that we do not care about the other person. Here it is appropriate to bring up that word that Pope Francis often mentions: "primerear"to take the initiative. If I am not willing to take the initiative, it means that what you offer me does not interest me; in short, I am not interested in you, and I have stopped loving. Whoever is not capable of taking the initiative in forgiveness, does not love. Forgiveness, on the other hand, follows the logic that "having you in my heart is valuable to me"; and the one who loves the most, the one who has the biggest heart, must begin to ask for forgiveness.
Recognition
When the other person comes to ask for forgiveness from the heart, you realize that what he or she is saying is: what you offer me-your friendship, your affection, your closeness-is valuable to me, a gift and a source of joy. In this sense, asking for forgiveness is a way of valuing the other.
Not being able to primerear to reconcile with the other manifests a humiliating indifference. Ask for sorryOn the contrary, it is one of the most beautiful ways to show the one we have offended that we need him, that we want to keep him close to us, that he is dear to us. Asking for forgiveness is the recognition of the other as valuable.
Forgiveness also includes the recognition of the offender. When the offender comes to ask for forgiveness, the offended one, in welcoming this initiative, in fact shows his true love: that you come is also a gift for me. When you were far away I also suffered; I longed to have you in my heart, thank you for coming. Welcoming forgiveness is, therefore, the most beautiful way to exalt the other. Forgiveness becomes the act by which we restore the other's dignity in our eyes. Your dignity is to live in my heart. This is what the Lord tells us whenever he forgives us. Forgiveness (being forgiven) always exalts, never humiliates either one or the other. In forgiveness, as in love, no one loses and everyone wins. Let us remember the parables of the merciful father, of the lost sheep.
Acknowledging guilt
The recognition of guilt is necessary to be forgiven. Forgiveness requires for the "purification of the memory" that the guilt is recognized and the request for forgiveness is made explicit, otherwise the situation will not be fixed. To ask for forgiveness it is not strictly necessary to verbally manifest the guilt, but it is necessary to clearly show repentance. Those who suffer from excessive self-love find it difficult to ask for forgiveness explicitly, often using non-verbal language, which is sufficient for those who know them.
In the face of the forgiveness offered, the recognition of guilt makes it possible for it to disappear immediately. For this reason, it is necessary that we never justify a fault, however small it may be, for this prevents it from being overcome, and it will remain latent. By recognizing it, forgiveness will also reach its fullness; the evil will be destroyed, and nothing will remain of it. Sin, evil, distances hearts, but once we have forgiven each other, there is nothing to distance us from each other: forgiveness is the most powerful force in history in the fight against evil.
I remember a man who was dying. He asked a priest he knew to mediate with his son because they had not spoken to each other for more than thirty years. They made the necessary arrangements and the son agreed to visit his sick father. When they entered the hospital room, the father stood up, hugged him, and they both began to cry... and there was nothing left of the evil that the two of them had caused each other over so many years. We recognize, we embrace each other and nothing remains.
He who holds a grudge in his heart has not truly forgiven. Indeed, he who does not forgive will never be truly free. God gave us the freedom to love, and the inability to forgive manifests a lack of freedom. There is no freer person than the one who is able to forgive. The human being should have a good drainage incorporated in his heart so that nothing remains of resentment, hatred, malice or bad feelings towards the other. The best way to achieve this is to look to Christ and learn to love.
Guilt and evil as an offering
The Lord, whenever we ask for forgiveness, answers us: "Your evil is a gift to me, because it serves me to show you that I love you also with all your evil; that I love you much more than you thought I did, and the evil you have committed is now, for me, the means I have to put you on record that I love you much more.".
In fact, some define mercy in light of the etymology of the words that make up the term: "You give me your misery and I offer you my heartbeat". Evil then becomes an offering, a way and a real manifestation of my love for the other.
Forgiveness, the great destroyer of evil
Human beings are made in the image of God, and He is Love. Our dignity and vocation are at stake in love. We are made to love and to be loved. We also know that through original sin the Evil One installed in the world the two most powerful destructive bombs in history: pride and selfishness; they are the denial of love, of our dignity and of our vocation. Both attitudes mean saying to the other: I don't care about you, I'm not interested in you. We go from being loved to being abused or used. These two bombs undo everything, because they have a great destructive capacity: individuals, families, peoples and nations, and the Church herself.
But at that very moment, God instituted the great neutralizer, the antivirus, against all this destructive force: forgiveness. Thanks to forgiveness, humankind has a well-founded reason for hope. All the evil of history, placed before the gaze of God who pronounces his forgiveness, is reduced to nothing, is annihilated. That is why the world always has hope. Now, before this beautiful truth of a God who forgives unconditionally, no one can despair, considering his life a failure, because every life of every person, through the mystery of the Cross of Christ, is the recipient of that "I forgive you" by which all evil is annihilated.
Evil, we can affirm, has a limit, and this is the mercy of God; while, for its part, God's mercy is infinite. God, in the words of St. Teresa, "neither tires nor gets tired"He always has the last word in history through his forgiveness.
The joy of interpersonal communion
The final point of forgiveness is the joy and happiness of knowing that I am loved by those I love. Interpersonal communion, having those we love in our hearts, feeling loved by those we love, is what makes us happy. Therefore, to have God, Love, in one's heart is the greatest gift that exists on earth and in eternity. Whoever has God, has everything. God alone is enough.
On the contrary, he who does not forgive will never be happy. Pride and selfishness make happiness on earth impossible. It is urgent to transmit a great lesson: the importance of the family and of looking at and welcoming Christ in order to teach people to love.
How many times should we forgive?
Peter must have had a huge heart when he asks if he should forgive up to seven times, a number not only large, but related to fullness. Jesus, however, reminds us that he must forgive "always," seventy times seven.
There is a double reason why we must always forgive. First, because the day I say "I no longer forgive," I am also saying that I no longer care about you, that I no longer love you, which means that I no longer recognize you as a person, whose dignity is to be loved for oneself. At the same time, when I do not forgive, we do not live according to our vocation, which is to love. Non-forgiveness implies a double injustice. Another thing is the necessary help of grace, without which we are not able to forgive.
And the second reason is that, if I say "enough, I no longer forgive you", in fact I have never really loved you, because I have only been willing to forgive you up to this limit; I have not accepted you, but what I was willing to assume from you. If I do not always forgive, I have neither truly loved you nor do I care for you from now on.
The meaning of penance
At the end of confession, we receive a penance. Does this mean that God is spiteful? What is the meaning of penance or satisfaction in forgiveness? Let us go back to an example: a child makes a mischief at school, breaking a glass door. The mother, in front of the principal, the first thing she would do would be to ask for forgiveness, even if she is not the guilty one; what happens is that she "is" in a certain way in the son and he in her. By feeling forgiven by the director, she understands that she has also forgiven the child. The same thing happens on the Cross with the Son: he personally asks for forgiveness, like the mother, because he has assumed all the sin of the world, and by God the Father offering his forgiveness, in Christ we have all been forgiven.
However, the debt for the damage is still outstanding. She assumes that she must pay and empties the billfold in the presence of her son who, moved and realizing the consequences of his action, decides to take out the few coins he has in his pocket. Should the mother accept them? Yes, for two main reasons: because if she did not do so, she would be belittling and disregarding the child's offer, and because it would be a lack of love. At the same time, by accepting, she makes him more aware of his own responsibility, and makes him more human. Those coins are penance. Analogously penance can be understood. After receiving forgiveness, what I can do for Jesus is penance. It is not the rancor of a God who passes the bill, but an act of delicate love on the part of God who values the gesture of love. In this way, God loves us by accepting our love, and he thanks us for it.
In the Jubilee Year of Mercy, and in preparation for WYD in Krakow, it is clear that an explicit reference, a deeper knowledge of Sister Faustina Kowalska, cannot be missing.
Ignacy Soler-April 4, 2016-Reading time: 7minutes
In Sister Faustina Kowalska (1905-1938), the saintly apostle of the Divine MercyThe visionary - and above all the hearer - of the Merciful Christ, reveals to us the infinite treasures of God's Love. It is logical for the reader to wonder about her. Who was she? What is her biography? What does her life story tell us? Diary? Perhaps it is good to situate the figure of this saint within her mission. Faustina Kowalska, a simple woman from the great Polish countryside, belonging to the Congregation of the Sisters of the Mother of God of Mercy, was chosen to announce Divine Mercy in a renewed way.
Biography of Saint Faustina
Sister Maria Faustina was the third daughter of a poor and large peasant family from Głogowiec, a village near the city of Łódź. She was born in 1905 and her name was Helena.
It was a hot Sunday in June 1924. It was dusk in Łódź. Her sisters Gieni and Natalia invited her to a party. Helena was not very eager, but they bought her a ticket. A young man asked her to dance. She tried to evade by saying she didn't know, but at his insistence, she gave in. In the middle of the dance she froze, apologized and left the party with the excuse of a sudden headache. Later he would write in his Diary: "As the dance began, I suddenly saw Jesus on the side. He appeared as if on the Way of the Cross, in pain, without clothes, full of wounds. And as if He were a jealous young man, He asked me in pain: 'How long will I have to keep suffering for you, how long will you keep deceiving me?'".
First picture of the Divine Mercy painted from the indications of Saint Faustina.
At that moment everything in his life changed. The encounter with Christ marked him with a sign that lasted forever. It was something sudden, unexpected, and overwhelming. From that moment on "only Jesus and I are left".as he would later note in his Diary. When she left the party, she immediately went to the nearest church, St. Stanislaus of Kostka. There he asked for forgiveness, remained in silent prayer asking what he should do and listened for the second time to the voice of the Lord within him: "Go immediately to Warsaw; there you will enter a convent.". At the age of eighteen, and without her parents' permission, she arrived in Warsaw, a city totally unknown to her, and sought a convent. The superior of the Daughters of Divine Mercy was convinced of her vocation and accepted her as a postulant. Maria Faustina entered as a postulant in 1925 and during her thirteen years as a religious she lived in different convents and cities. In Krakow (Łagiewniki) she spent most of her time as a postulant and her last two years of life. In Warsaw he began his journey. In Płock, on February 22, 1931, Jesus spoke to her for the first time while she was already a nun.
In the Diary Fautina, several constants can be appreciated. In the first place, the apparitions of Jesus, which are marked in a concrete time and place that indicate the objective veracity of a personal apparition. Then it is striking that the Merciful Jesus always appears to communicate something. Another constant is the presence of the spiritual director. At the beginning it was Father Józef Andrasz SJ.
With the apparitions of Jesus came to Sr. Faustina the question of whether she should create a new congregation dedicated to imploring mercy for the world. In Łagiewniki she meditated on it, but she would not do anything without the approval of her spiritual director, who was Father Józef Andrasz. The latter advises him to remain in the order and from there to proclaim the message of Divine Mercy.
Sister Faustina took with great joy the continuous changes of house. In Vilnius she had a lot of work and many difficulties, but that was not what worried her. The most important thing that happened to her had to do with her spiritual life. Faustina finally found the priest for whom she had prayed so much: a spiritual director who also served as a support for her in putting the Lord's will into action. This confessor was Michał Sopoćko, now Blessed. When she recognized in Father Sopoćko the priest she had previously seen with the eyes of her soul, she once again heard within herself the words of Jesus: "This is my faithful servant, he will help you to fulfill my Will here on earth.". In 1934 Faustina fell ill with tuberculosis and, at the express request of her spiritual director, she began to write her Diary. In 1936 he moved again to Krakow and there he lived, suffered and died, in 1938, in a simple and holy way.
Portrait of Saint Faustina Kowalska.
Divine Mercy Message
The message proclaimed by the saint brings with it new forms of worship that are born of God's express will. We can list five forms.
1) The image with the inscription "Jesus, in You I trust" is the figure of the Merciful Jesus, one of the most famous depictions of the crucified and risen Christ in the history of the Church and the world. He was in his room, in the convent of Płock, when he received the commission to paint the picture. It was February 22, 1931.
Narrates in his Diary: "In the evening, while I was in my cell, I saw the Lord Jesus dressed in a white robe. He had one hand raised in blessing, and with the other He was touching the robe on His breast. From the opening of the tunic on his chest, two large rays were coming out: one red and the other pale. After a moment, Jesus said to me: Paint an image according to the model you see, and sign: Jesus, I trust in You. I wish this image to be venerated first in your chapel and then in the whole world.".
Two years passed since the assignment in Płock and Faustina did not succeed in carrying out the mission. Having completed her perpetual vows, in 1933 she was sent to Vilnius. There, Father Michał Sopocko introduces her to the artist Kazimierowski, who, with Faustina's precise indications, paints the picture. Once finished, in spite of the artistic and religious value of the work, which is now in the sanctuary of the Divine Mercy in Vilnius, Faustina was not satisfied and wrote in her Diary: "I went to the chapel and cried a lot. I said to the Lord: Who can paint your beauty? And then I heard these words: The greatness of this image is not in the beauty of colors and canvases, but in my grace.".
A few years after Faustina's death, in 1943, on the instructions of Father Józef Andrasz, the painter Hyla made a second model. This is the miraculous image in the chapel of the convent of the Sisters of the Mother of God of Mercy in the sanctuary of Divine Mercy in Krakow-Łagiewniki, occupies a special place in the iconography and the cult of Divine Mercy. It is an image of Christ highly venerated by the faithful, and famous for the numerous graces received, and whose copies and reproductions can be found everywhere on all five continents of the world.
2) The Feast of Divine Mercy on the second Sunday of Easter. In the Diary we can read what Jesus says to Sister Faustina: "I desire that the first Sunday after Easter be the Feast of Mercy. I desire that the Feast of Mercy be a refuge and shelter for all souls and especially for poor sinners. On that day the bowels of My mercy are open. I pour out a whole sea of graces upon the souls who approach the fountain of My mercy. The soul who goes to Confession and receives Holy Communion will obtain total forgiveness of sins and sorrows. On that day, all the divine floodgates through which graces flow are opened.".
Cardinal Francis Macharski was the first to include the Feast of Mercy in the liturgical calendar for his archdiocese of Krakow (1985). This was followed by a number of Polish bishops in their dioceses. At the request of the Polish episcopate, Pope John Paul II instituted this feast in 1995 in all the dioceses of Poland. On the day of Sister Faustina's canonization, April 30, 2000, the Pope instituted this feast for the whole Church.
3) Chaplet to the Divine Mercy. A common five decade rosary is used to pray this prayer. It begins with an Our Father, a Hail Mary, and a Creed. At the beginning of each decade on the large beads of the Our Father it is said: "Eternal Father, I offer You the Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Your Most Beloved Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ, for the forgiveness of our sins and those of the whole world.". In the small beads of the Ave Maria is repeated: "Through Your sorrowful Passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world.". At the end of the five tens of the crown, it is repeated three times: "Holy God, Holy Mighty One, Holy Immortal One, have mercy on us and on the whole world.".
In the Diary we find these words of the Lord addressed to Faustina: "Encourage people to say the Chaplet I have given you. Whoever recites it will receive great mercy at the hour of death. Priests will recommend it to sinners as their last refuge of salvation. Even if the most hardened sinner has recited this Chaplet at least once, he will receive the grace of My infinite Mercy. I desire to grant unimaginable graces to those who trust in My Mercy. Write that when they say this Chaplet in the presence of the dying, I will place Myself between My Father and the dying. él, not as a Just Judge but as a Merciful Savior"..
4) The hour of Mercy, at three o'clock in the afternoon. About this hour of Mercy, the Lord said to Sister Faustina: "At three o'clock, pray for My mercy, especially for sinners, and if only for a very brief moment, immerse yourself in My Passion, especially in My abandonment at the moment of My agony. This is the hour of great mercy for the whole world.". It is about keeping in mind the moment of Jesus' agony on the cross, that is, to accompany him praying at three o'clock in the afternoon.
There is no specific prayer proposed for this hour, you can pray the Way of the CrossIf time does not permit due to obligations, at least, for a few moments, wherever we are, try to unite ourselves with Him as He agonizes on the Cross. The Chaplet can be one of the ways to live the Hour of Mercy, making a distinction since the Chaplet is addressed directly to God the Father, and the prayer in the Hour of Mercy to Jesus.
5) The propagation of the devotion to the Divine Mercy. "To the souls who spread devotion to My mercy, I protect them throughout their lives as a loving mother does her newborn child and at the hour of death I will not be for them Judge but merciful Savior."This promise, recorded in the Diary of St. Faustina, was made by Jesus to all those who proclaim Mercy in any way. To priests, the Lord made an additional promise: "Tell My priests that the most hardened sinners will soften under their words when they speak of My unfathomable mercy, of the compassion I have for them in My Heart. To the priests who proclaim and praise My mercy, I will give prodigious strength and anoint their words and shake the hearts to whom they speak.".
Cardinal Mauro Piacenza, Major Penitentiary, reflects on the words of Pope Francis in issue 14 of Misericordiae Vultus: "Mercy is the main beam that supports the life of the Church".
I would like to dwell on these words with which the Holy Father has pointed out the essential link between Mercy and the life of the Church: "Mercy is the main beam that supports the life of the Church." (n. 10 of the Bull of Convocation of the Holy Year).
The main beam is an absolutely "essential" element in any building, together with other architectural elements, without which it would have no reason to exist.
First of all, it presupposes by itself the existence of a building, and invites us to consider the Church, which we confess as Catholic and Apostolic, and therefore missionary and structurally "going forth", also in its dimensions of Unity and Holiness: it appears as the "...".Domus aurea"The golden house, the spiritual building, in whose construction we are used as living stones (cf. 1Pt 2:5), and whose only foundation is Christ himself (cf. 1Cor 3:11).
We will be able to dwell attentively on the structure of the main beam to the extent that we are interested in crossing the threshold of this building and inhabiting it as our definitive House. This is the Temple destroyed by men and rebuilt on the third day (Jn 2:19), not made by human hands. It was opened to us in Baptism, through the work of the Holy Spirit. In this House, human existence attains and embraces its proper meaning in an integral way, presenting on the altar that oblatio rationabilisThe spiritual worship, which offers, in union with Christ the Lord, the living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God (cf. Romans 1:1).12,1).
Our Lady of Mercy, by the Master of Marradi.
From this "Domus aurea"In this spiritual and historical edifice which is the Church, Christ himself is the Door, the Way. In him, life is continually illumined by the light of "Christ-Truth," which enters freely and illumines everything through the uninterrupted teaching of the Apostles and their successors, in communion with Peter. In its interior, the Life of Christ is communicated to the multitude of the brethren, reborn from the one source, the bosom of Holy Mother Church. They are inhabitants of the Domusbut also living stones used in the construction of the Building. This Life is communicated in an eminent way in the banquet and in the Eucharistic-sacramental sacrifice, a real pledge of the eschatological one, which unites all and raises them to the presence of the Father, by virtue of the one Cross of Christ.
It is therefore one Church, the Church that Christ, Crucified and Risen, has generated and has generated for more than two thousand years; the place of the true, new and eternal life that we have received, of the saving communion with the Son of God made Man; a saving communion that represents the only and true goal of the whole mission of the Church.
Looking at the reality of the Church in the theological-sacramental perspective, let us consider the richness of the image used by the Holy Father in a threefold perspective.
Visibility and splendor
In the first place, the main beam is presented as a structural architectural element, essential for the whole building and each of its parts. With the limits proper to any analogy, we can affirm that mercy is, and has always been, well "visible" as a main beam throughout the history of the Church.
Abandoning the metaphor, there has never been a time when the Church has not proclaimed with conviction the Gospel of mercy, since the day of Pentecost, when St. Peter, leaving the cenacle, responded to the crowd that with pierced hearts asked what they should do: "Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus, the Messiah, for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is to you and to your children, and to those who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God shall call to himself." (Acts 2:38-39).
Now this proclamation of divine mercy, unlike the master beams of this world, decorated to please the observer, has no need of ornaments, because it has in itself all its splendor. As the Apostle affirms: "I myself, brethren, when I came to you to proclaim to you the mystery of God, I did it not with sublime eloquence or wisdom, for I never boasted among you that I knew anything but Jesus Christ, this crucified One." (1Cor 2,1-2).
If it is true that the Church has had to face several times over the centuries the perennial temptation of man to save himself autonomously, she has always responded, defended and reaffirmed before everyone the absolute gratuitousness of Mercy, which certainly requires sincere repentance, but remains infinitely greater than any human ugliness.
Thus, the Church, to the Donatism of the fourth century, which wanted the exclusion of the lapsi of communion, he responded with the readmission of repentant brothers and with the fundamental doctrinal truth of the ex opere operato. To the Pelagianism of the 5th century, it responded with the Augustinian deepening of the doctrine of Grace. To the Cathar-Albigensian heresy of the twelfth and thirteenth centuries, it responded, in the preaching of the mendicant orders, with the goodness and unity of creation, integrally assumed and saved by Christ.
Francis receives the sacrament of Confession, March 13, 2015.
To the Lutheranism of the 16th century, he responded by reaffirming the real efficacy of justification by grace, the truth of the Sacraments - especially those of the Eucharist and Reconciliation and, by obvious consequence, that of Holy Orders - and the goodness and sufficiency of attrition to obtain the forgiveness of sins. In addition, by extraordinary heavenly blessing, the Domus Aurea The most beautiful fruits of that time could be seen in the lay saints, religious, mystics, pastors and missionaries of that time: just think, for example, of St. Philip Neri, St. Ignatius of Loyola, St. Charles Borromeo, St. Francis de Sales, St. Camillus de Lelis, St. Teresa of Jesus... and the list could become a dictionary!
In the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, the Church responded to Jansenist legalism and rigorism with the moral doctrine of the preventive, simultaneous and successive action of grace, which has its most precious fruits in St. Alphonsus Liguori and in the holy shepherds of the twentieth century. To the modernism of the last century, which claimed to elevate itself to be the only real interpreter of man, it responded with the texts of the Second Vatican Ecumenical Council, which reaffirmed Christ-God as the only real fullness of every man and the Church as a divine and human reality at the same time, in its irreducible sacramental, liturgical and missionary dimensions.
To the dictatorship of philosophical and religious relativism of contemporary times, the Church responds by reaffirming the universal salvific uniqueness of Christ and His cosmic Truth, in which history, the whole of creation, the nature and dignity of man and, finally, his irreducible freedom before the offer of salvation are inscribed.
It would be short-sighted, therefore, to try to anchor the proclamation of God's love and mercy in the most recent epoch of the Church (perhaps in the last fifty years), contrasting it perhaps with ghostly long centuries of "clerical terror" in which too much was said about the Judgment of God and the punishments of hell. Certainly, we must always avoid any dangerous unilateralism; moreover, in order to correct any exaggerations, we cannot resort to other exaggerations. I believe that a real attention also in preaching to the divine prerogatives of Omnipotence and Judgment can only help the proclamation of Mercy. It is much more interesting, in fact, the free choice of love and mercy that God makes in His Omnipotence, than the idea of a God "obliged" to be merciful, without always choosing it, in the face of every man, every circumstance, every concrete sin.
Budget and structure
Once we have identified the main beam of Mercy as a clearly visible architectural element in the building of the Church, we can analyze its presuppositions and its function. Let us speak first of the presuppositions, because every main beam is not, at the architectural level, "of thrust" but "of support". It is a horizontal element, which supports an upper part, but unloads its weight on two vertical arms also distributing the weight of the upper structures. What are the two presuppositions, the two "supporting columns" of the architrave of mercy? What are the supports without which it could not be supported? Many may be astonished, but we must first of all affirm that, theologically speaking, "mercy" is not an "original" attribute of God.
Let me explain. With St. John the Apostle, we must confess first of all that "Deus Caritas est - God is Love. We can and must affirm that God, by sending His Son made Man in Jesus of Nazareth, Lord and Christ, dead and risen, has made us know that He is, in Himself, Love: Love of the Three Persons. Such intra-Trinitarian Love, however, cannot be configured in Himself as mercy, because it knows no "ontological hierarchy" among the Three Divine Persons, who are equal in the one and same Nature. The idea that the Father should "have mercy" on the Logos or the Holy Spirit would not be at all acceptable!
When, then, can we begin to affirm, with the Psalm, that "his mercy endures forever".(Ps 135). When God creates.
When God creates the spiritual and the material cosmos and, above all, when He creates man, He participates at the same time in one and the other. God, who is a communion of Persons, in Himself in relation with Another distinct from Himself, can also create, conceive something that is "totally other" from Himself. Creating the intelligent and free human person, He loves outside of Himself. He loves the free man, and calls man to love. This Love of God, addressed to us and recognized by us, is, on a level that we could call creatural, "mercy". Love absolutely gratuitous because it is divinely free, which rests on what is "wretched" because it is infinitely far from divine perfection.
Mercy, therefore, has as its double presupposition the divine freedom that creates and the very existence of created man. By the will of God, it is irrevocable, so much so that not even in eternal damnation, which man inflicts on himself by his sin and final impenitence, does God deprive condemned souls of the merciful gift of being and existence. The Most Holy Trinity, Blessed and Perfect in Itself, has willed to bind human existence to Itself forever, and we, then, will truly be able to sing with the angels: "The Holy Trinity, Blessed and Perfect in Itself, has willed to bind human existence to Itself forever."eternal is his mercy"!
The image I have adopted presents, on this point, all its limits, because the uncreated and eternal freedom of God and the created and temporal freedom of man cannot be conceived in an equal way, and are not ontologically coessential. Divine freedom is subsistent in the absolute sense and is not in need of anything; man's freedom, on the other hand, is created and depends essentially on divine freedom, and is indispensable for the mystery of mercy only because God wants it by creating it.
But there is a further level of mercy, which not only brings man into existence, but also enters into relationship with created man. Man, in fact, even though he is made by God and for God, decides to sin, that is, to direct his freedom against the Creator, thus staining himself with an infinitely grave guilt, from which he will not be able to recover with his poor strength.
It is here then that, by divine Will, the new and great initiative of Eternal Love is developed within the space of creation: "In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; the virgin's name was Mary." (Lk 1:26-27). After having formed the people of Israel, after having revealed the Law to them and thus having shown them their sin, God turns to Mary to save us.
From the encounter between uncreated divine freedom and the created and immaculate freedom of Mary Most Holy, who welcomes the angel's Annunciation, a new and definitive mercy arises: the Incarnation of the Word. The Son of the Eternal Father takes our flesh in her and thus binds himself in a new and indissoluble way to human nature and, in the mystery of his Incarnation, Death and Resurrection, becomes forever "the" mercy. In Christ the divine intimacy is definitively opened to us: he sacrifices himself on the Cross for our sin, offers us salvation and makes us personally sharers in his own life.
The Church, the universal sacrament of salvation and minister of mercy, is built on the divine mercy of the divine-human Heart of Christ, inasmuch as it is a continuation, in space and time, of the living presence and saving work of Christ.
Then, within the life of the Church, through the apostolic ministry, which participates in the one, eternal and supreme Priesthood of Christ, the main beam of mercy, in a certain sense, is "prolonged" as, by the grace of vocation, a man's created freedom responds to the gift of Christ's call and offers himself to his service, in the fascinating adventure of the ministerial Priesthood. The whole Church is then as it were "woven" of this mercy, and on it she develops her whole life. The Petrine ministry itself is born of the mercy of Christ, who, after the triple profession of love that followed the triple betrayal, entrusts his own flock to Peter: "Yours." -St. John Paul II has repeated to us. "it is a ministry of mercy born out of an act of mercy of Christ". (Ut Unum Sint, n. 93).
Irreplaceable and essential function
It remains for us to delineate the function of the architrave. Sustained by the mystery of divine freedom and the response of human freedom that welcomes salvation, mercy in turn sustains the whole life of the Church; one could say that it is "at the beginning" of the Church's life, in a double sense.
First of all, the life of the Church develops by an ever new act of the mercy of Christ who, through the ecclesial ministry, consecrates the baptized and communicates his very life to them. Secondly, such a principle does not consist in a "chronological beginning" that can later be left behind, but in an "ontological principle": the life of the Church is sustained and guided by the grace of Christ, welcomed in listening to Apostolic teaching and prayer, nourished and perfected by the Most Holy Eucharist, restored and strengthened by sacramental reconciliation.
Considering precisely Reconciliation, we see how mercy can "happen" sacramentally only in the encounter between two co-involved freedoms: the divine and the human. Divine freedom is given, definitive, irrevocable, and every time a minister is willing to offer it, it becomes sacramentally accessible. Human freedom, on the other hand, is expressed in repentance, in the pain of the sin committed together with the resolution not to commit it again in the future, and in the accusation that opens the heart of the sinner to the saving truth of Christ. In the time of this pilgrimage, human freedom always preserves the power tremendum to accept the mystery of divine mercy and allow oneself to be inwardly renewed by it, or to reject it, thus showing how the very Omnipotence of God loves above all else precisely our freedom, to the point of pouring into it all the riches of His Heart as soon as it makes a gesture of opening up; and He respects the human choice that tragically decides not to let itself be loved or, what is the same thing, does not decide at all. God never does violence to anyone!
The mercy that works in sacramental Confession will only liberate and spread the grace of the sacrament of Baptism, the first source and perennial principle of the mercy that builds up the Church.
I believe that only this integral realism in relation to divine mercy will be able to awaken and sustain the long-awaited new evangelization, announcing without fear or complexes the truth of Christ the Savior. Today it is more necessary than ever to "provoke" the freedom of man, who will finally find himself before the most unprecedented and great fact of history: God made man, dead and risen, who lives in our midst.
In this work of evangelization, may the Immaculate Virgin Mary, perfect work and most pure reflection of divine mercy, sustain us! ante praevisa merita! May she teach us the total and ever new availability to the will of Christ; thus the truth that Mary Most Holy contemplates in the blessed eternity will always appear more and more in the eyes of our hearts: God, in creation and redemption, is mercy, is all mercy, is only mercy! n
The authorCardinal Mauro Piacenza
Major Penitentiary
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Cinema: Risen (a fictionalized account of the Resurrection)
The plot fundamentally serves the clear purpose of the screenplay, which is none other than to tell the story of Christ's resurrection. But the script has the "apologetic" virtuality of telling that fundamental Christian truth from the eyes of a non-believer.
Diego Pacheco-March 13, 2016-Reading time: 2minutes
Risen (Risen) Leadership: Kevin Reynolds Script: Kevin Reynolds USA, 2016
This film, which the actors starring Joseph Fiennes and Maria Botto presented in mid-February at the Vatican Film Library, will be released in Spain on March 23, in the middle of Holy Week. It is certainly a very opportune moment, because the film, written and directed by the American Kevin Reynolds (Waterworld y Robin Hood, Prince of Thieves), narrates in a novelized form the events following the death and resurrection of Christ; specifically, the enormous difficulties that, logically, the centurion Clavius, played by Fiennes, faces to fulfill the impossible assignment he has received from his superiors: to find out where the missing body of Jesus is and to recover it.
The plot fundamentally serves the clear purpose of the screenplay, which is none other than to tell the story of Christ's resurrection. But the script has the "apologetic" virtuality of telling that fundamental Christian truth from the eyes of a non-believer, Clavius, who progressively verifies how the non-appearance of Christ's body, despite his intense search, has no more reasonable explanation than the unanimous testimony of the witnesses of the resurrection.
Clavius undertakes his task convinced that he will succeed, but then his doubts increase, to the point of completely rethinking not only the order he has received, but also his deepest convictions. Although as a military man he feels inclined to obey the command of his superiors, without questioning it, later, on the occasion of his inquiries, the film will show the personal transformation experienced by the main character, when he has no choice but to face the evidence of the resurrection, and consequently the person of Christ and his doctrine of salvation. Clavius will be challenged to a profound change of convictions. The culminating moment of this personal transformation occurs in the film when the Roman officer who has put Jesus to death meets the resurrected Jesus himself four days after his death.
The character of Mary Magdalene, played by Argentine actress Maria Botto, is also interesting for the certainty of the testimony she offers about the resurrection of Jesus and the sense of peace she conveys.
The film, which was partly shot in Almería, uses practically no special effects, except for a few moments.
In Mexico, Francis has left a message: it is possible to change, to work together to achieve a better reality; a message that is not only valid for Mexico. And a lasting image remains: the Pope praying in silence in front of the Virgin of Guadalupe.
March 7, 2016-Reading time: 3minutes
Pope Francis was in Mexico for only five days. But if we were to examine everything he said during his visit, we would be astounded by the diversity and richness of his message. Of all Francis' trips, Mexico's was undoubtedly the most emphatic: a sort of compendium of the themes he has dealt with during his pontificate. The Pope had the opportunity to speak on each of the issues that have been at the center of his agenda: exclusion, ecology, migration, family. But on this occasion he added others to the list and offered an interconnected vision of all of them in the light of the Gospel.
Those who expected a political benefit from his trip were disappointed. With great skill, the Pope managed to slip away from those who wanted to take advantage of his visit to take water to their mill; I am referring to certain individuals and groups within the federal government, local governments, political parties, opposition groups, the media and large corporations. The most important aspect of his pastoral visit was not in the political order but in the moral and, above all, spiritual order.
The Pope said nothing we didn't already know about Mexico's problems: its ills are plain to see. Mexico is a nation burdened by poverty, corruption and violence. As a result, many Mexicans -fortunately, not all, it would be unfair to generalize- have fallen into lethargy, indifference and fatalism. But perhaps the worst of our vices is cynicism. In the crowded auditoriums where Francis offered this serious diagnosis, people who should feel alluded, sang and applauded, as if the Pope was talking about another country, another planet.
In the face of this discouraging scenario, Francis offered the enduring message of Jesus Christ: put God at the center of your life, love your neighbor, learn to forgive, do not negotiate with evil. Mexico is a largely Catholic country. One would expect these rules of life to be known by all or almost all. However, the sad truth is that Mexico is far from Jesus Christ. Who are those responsible? One could point to bad elements within the government, the oligarchy, the intellectual elites and even the ecclesiastical hierarchy. But I don't think there is much point in looking for culprits. Somehow, all Mexicans share, to a greater or lesser extent, the responsibility for our miseries. Instead of lamenting our misfortunes, we should look to the future. This is what Pope Francis invited us to do: to leave conformism behind, to believe in the possibility of change, to work together to build a better reality. There are Mexicans who are already committed to this project. Let us hope that the Pope's message motivates others to walk along this path of hope.
It would not be easy to choose the most important moment of Pope Francis' trip. The Masses in San Cristobal de las Casas -dedicated to the indigenous peoples- and in Ciudad Juarez -dedicated to migration- were very emotional and of a powerful social content. The two cities are geographical extremes of Mexico that also symbolize the extreme nature of the nation's reality. Even before his arrival, Francis stressed the importance of his pilgrimage to the Basilica of Guadalupe. Perhaps the most enduring image of his stay is that of the Pope praying in silence before the Virgin. Mexico is a fortunate people because of the permanent presence of the Virgin Mary of Guadalupe. In the hardest moments of our history, she has offered comfort to those most in need. She has also been a unifying agent of nationality. Mexico cannot be understood without the Guadalupana. But then a disturbing question arises: why, if we Mexicans are so Guadalupanas, have we distanced ourselves from Jesus Christ? Have we been bad children of the Virgin? Have we abused her mercy? It is difficult not to suppose that there is some truth in these conjectures. However, it would also be unfair not to recognize the difficult historical conditions in which Mexicans have had to struggle against all kinds of adversities. As Francis said, Mexico is a long-suffering country.
Mexico is the second most Catholic country in the world. Beyond the particular incidents of Pope Francis' trip to that nation, a complete evaluation of his visit will have to take into account the integral context of his pontificate. In the meantime, let us not lose sight of the fact that what Pope Francis said in Mexico is not only valid for Mexico: it is a universal message that should be heard by all humanity. Mexico gave the Pope the unique opportunity to formulate a speech that should serve as a guide for a world like ours, sunk in uncertainty and despair.
The authorGuillermo Hurtado Perez
Philosopher, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México.
After the Council. The two fronts of criticism of the Church.
In the mid-twentieth century, the Church was accompanied by two persistent critics. The first was the old liberal critique, which came from the Enlightenment. The second was the Marxist critique, originating fifty years earlier.
Until the time of the Council, the two lines of criticism had remained external to the Church, but when the Church wanted to open itself more to the world in order to evangelize it, they became internalized in a certain way and had an important effect on some post-conciliar drifts.
The Western Front
Liberal criticism was already a well-established criticism, incessantly repeated and centered on the clichés set by French anti-clericalism, from Voltaire. They saw and wanted to see in the Church a remnant of the Ancien Régime, a "reactionary" institution, backward and obscurantist, anti-modern and anti-democratic, defender of superstition, oppressor of consciences and opposed to the progress of science and liberties. And they repeated it incessantly, generating the characteristic anticlerical hatred of the radical left, which Marxism also picked up later. This anticlericalism had had very harsh expressions, open persecutions, closure of Catholic institutions and massive expropriations, throughout the 19th century and was renewed in the first third of the century, with the secularist laws in France (1905), Mexico (1924) and the Spanish Republic (1931). To this was added the religious persecution opened after the Russian revolution (1917).
After the Second World War, the general climate improved, but in the most advanced countries of Europe - Switzerland, Germany, the Netherlands - criticism persisted from the most secularist intellectual sectors, from radical and materialistic scientific circles to liberal circles of a more or less Masonic character. They constantly repeated the same topics already consecrated: the Galileo case, the wars of religion, the intolerance of the Inquisition and the ecclesiastical censorship (the Index), until they stamped in the consciences an image that still lasts.
All this provoked an uncomfortable sensation of confrontation between modern culture and the Christian faith. And it put the Church in a certain way on the defensive: on the political defensive, where it could seem that the lost privileges of the Ancien Régime were being yearned for and vindicated, and on the intellectual defensive, where it could seem that the growth of science and knowledge necessarily generated the retreat of the Christian faith: Christianity could only remain among the ignorant. It was the classic accusation of obscurantism.
It was known that criticism was, in many cases, unfair. But it generated discomfort and discomfort. And for the more culturally sensitive Christians it made them see more clearly their own inadequacies, and look at them with impatience and, at times, incomprehension: the intellectual poverty of many ecclesiastical studies, the scarce scientific formation of the clergy, the rancid flavor of some inherited customs that had little to do with the Gospel: benefices and canonries, ecclesiastical pomp, baroque, grotesque manifestations of popular piety, privileges of the civil powers or of the old nobility, etcetera.
The Church has done an immense cultural work everywhere and has always counted on privileged minds, and for this reason the scornful criticism of those who considered themselves representatives of progress was all the more painful. With the desire for conciliar renewal, there was a growing sensitivity to one's own defects in order to achieve a more effective evangelization and also to achieve a new cultural and intellectual dignity, to be acceptable to the Western intellectual elites and to make a place for oneself in modern culture. This affected in a particular way the most intellectual episcopates: Holland, Germany and Switzerland; and, to a lesser extent, Belgium and France, which would take the lead in the Second Vatican Council. It was legitimate, but it needed discernment.
The Eastern Front
There is another front, which we can call the Eastern front, because it reminds us geographically of the situation of Russia in the East of Europe. In reality it was not a geographical front, but a mental front, and the problems were not directly with the immense Union of Soviet Socialist Republics; it was, in reality, internal, in each country. It is the presence of communism. Berdiaev, a Russian thinker who fled to Paris after the Russian revolution, rightly saw communism as a kind of Christian heresy, a transformation of hope: an attempt to make paradise on earth, to reach the perfect society by purely human means.
Communism is the most important of the revolutionary socialist movements, although it should not be forgotten that fascism and Nazism were also socialist and revolutionary. It had spread at the end of the 19th century as a consequence of the massification and mistreatment of the working population after the industrial revolution. The growth of a poor sector, of workers uprooted from their places of origin and their culture, and grouped in the belts of the big industrial cities, had been the breeding ground for all the socialist utopias since the middle of the 19th century. Marxism was one of them.
The Marxist charm
He succeeded in gaining a foothold because he had behind him a general theory, simple but apparently compact, about history and the structure of society. It attracted many intellectuals and ignited a revolutionary mysticism. First, it reached radicalized sectors; then, also intellectuals who wanted to place themselves in the vanguard of the future; and, finally, it was a great temptation for Christian movements, which felt challenged by this current that was going to change history. So it seemed.
Marxism is, in its origin, a philosophy; or rather, an ideology. An attempt to understand historical and social reality, resorting - it must be said - to rather elementary explanations about the formation of society and to a kind of utopian vocation for a better world. The principles of Marxist economics, purely simple, could not account for reality, and proved incapable of constructing it when they were put into practice, but its social ideals caught on in the revolutionary movements and managed to move an idealistic sector, which succeeded in triumphing in some countries, above all in Russia. There, with all the economic and political weight of an enormous society, it became communism and spread throughout the world, by political and propagandistic means.
Bleeding paradoxes
The truth is that with the benefit of hindsight one can judge the tragic ridiculousness of almost everything: of doctrine, expectations, etcetera. And the achievements are striking for their mixture of megalomania and gray inhumanity, apart from an inexhaustible history of outrages. But two things cannot be denied. The first, that he had an enormous political success. The second, that he had the mystical aura of taking the side of the most disadvantaged. He was the voice that spoke on behalf of the poor. Or, at least, so it seemed and so they wanted it to seem.
What was so shocking was that, at the same time, the movement was tightly directed by the police and propaganda apparatus of such unmythical characters as Stalin, with a dictatorial and totalitarian regime unparalleled in history, and with arbitrary rule, purges and atrocities beyond compare. Incredible paradoxes. Reality, as is often repeated, surpasses fiction.
Ecclesial impact
The fact is that the Church was, on the one hand, challenged to see some sectors of the proletarian population who, having been uprooted from their places of origin, had lost their faith and were being badly reached. On the other hand, it felt a kind of temptation, which grew throughout the twentieth century until the crisis of the system. The more socially sensitive Christians felt admiration for the Marxist commitment ("they really give their lives for the poor"). It must be said that this was also due to a constant propaganda that distorted the situation and concealed its sinister aspects, fiercely persecuting and denigrating any dissident or critic.
The fact is that the Marxist wing criticized the Church as an ally of the rich and an accomplice of the bourgeois system it wanted to overturn. And, at the same time, it tempted those with a greater social conscience. This produced an enormous and growing impact on the life of the Church throughout the 20th century. Especially in the most committed sectors: the Christian lay organizations and some religious orders.
In the sixties, it became an epidemic that affected the Christian bases of the entire civilized world. And it would have a long epigone in some aspects of liberation theology, until it was resolved with the fall of communism (1989) and the discernment that made the Congregation for the Doctrine of the FaithThe Council was chaired at the time by Joseph Ratzinger.
Discomfort and ambiguity of the world
In short, it was an uncomfortable situation on both fronts, although it only made sensitive minds uncomfortable. And it had this double dimension: a feeling of a purely defensive attitude, and a feeling of the shortcomings of evangelization. There was certainly a question of intellectual and Christian honesty, if one wanted to evangelize the modern world. It was not possible to evangelize without listening, making amends for one's own mistakes and recognizing the good and the just in others.
But it is not possible to use the word "world" without confronting the deep echoes that this word awakens in Christian language. For, on the one hand, the "world" is God's creation, where human beings work honestly; but it also represents, in the language of St. John, everything in man that is opposed to God. The two things are not really separable, because there is no such thing as the purely natural: by its origin everything comes from God and is ordered to God, and after sin, there is nothing naturally good and innocent unless God saves it from sin. God alone saves: neither critical intelligence nor utopia saves.
Need for discernment
It is true that there were many things to fix in the Church, and external criticism made us see what, at times, we did not want to see. But it was necessary to discern. The (enlightened-Masonic) world was rightly irritated by clericalism, laziness and ecclesiastical pomposity, but it was also irritated by the love of God and the Ten Commandments.
For its part, the Marxist world accused the Church of caring little for the poor. And it was right, because everything is little, although no human institution has been as concerned about the poor as the Church in all its history. And it was also necessary to discern, because Marxist mysticism had a touch of idealistic romanticism, but it was encouraged by blatant propaganda and directed by an immense machinery of power, which only sought to impose a world dictatorship, with the good intention of making everything better.
They wanted to create an ideal world, a paradise, where, as in the Soviet Union, the Church would have no place. Moreover, they were willing to go beyond anything, because, for them, the end justified the means. History would show, once again, that the harsh reality could not be changed by any utopia, although perhaps no other utopia in history made such violent pressure to change it. In the meantime, many Christians changed their hope. They preferred the hope conveyed by Marxist propaganda, which promised heaven on earth, to the hope conveyed by the Church, which only promised heaven in heaven, although it also called for commitment to earth.
The memory of Benedict XVI
In his first and famous address to the Curia in December 2005, Benedict XVI considered "Those who hoped that with this fundamental 'yes' to the modern age all tensions would disappear and the 'openness to the world' thus achieved would transform everything into pure harmony, had underestimated the inner tensions and also the contradictions of the modern age itself; they had underestimated the dangerous fragility of human nature, which in every period of history and in every historical situation is a threat to man's path. [The Council could not have intended to abolish this contradiction of the Gospel with regard to the dangers and errors of man. On the other hand, there can be no doubt that it wished to eliminate erroneous or superfluous contradictions, in order to present to today's world the requirement of the Gospel in all its grandeur and purity. [Now this dialogue must be carried out with great openness of mind, but also with the clarity of discernment of mind that the world rightly expects of us at this very moment. Thus today we can turn our gaze with gratitude to the Second Vatican Council: if we read it and accept it guided by a correct hermeneutic, it can be and become more and more a great force for the ever necessary renewal of the Church".
To continue reading
Marxism. Theory and practice of a revolution Fernando Ocáriz. 220 pages. Ed. Palabra, 1975
Marxism and Christianity Alasdair McIntyre. 144 pages. New Beginning, 2007
Marxism and Christianity José Miguel Ibáñez Langlois. Ed. Palabra, 1974
Twenty million people come every year to pray before the Virgin of Guadalupe. Francis also wanted to visit the Queen of America and stop to talk to her as a son does with his mother.
March 7, 2016-Reading time: 2minutes
The recent Pope Francis' trip to Mexico focuses the world's attention on the Guadalupe event. The most evocative image of the trip was, by the way, the long silent prayer of the Pope in front of the most venerated Marian image in the world, which was mysteriously formed in the poor tilma of the Indian Juan Diego.
Look at Mary, Virgin of Guadalupeand let himself be looked at by her: this is what the Pope did. He bent over his people, whom this mixed-race image holds in his lap: this is what he invited the bishops of the country to do, caring for everyone, but especially for those who suffer in body and spirit, for the victims of poverty and violence.
Francis himself had said it before his departure: the trip to Mexico was for him, in the first place, the possibility of praying in front of the Virgin of Guadalupe, the Virgin whom twenty million people visit every year, to go to her lap, the home, the "little house" of all Mexicans (and Latin Americans). With her, Francis, the first Pope of this continent, wanted to stop to look at her and let himself be looked at, to talk like a son with his mother. The image of the Pontiff seated in the dressing room, the small room in which it is possible to contemplate from close up the image that was mysteriously formed in the tilma of the Juan Diego Indianis the icon of the journey. Faith is a matter of looks, of seeing and touching. It is Mary's gaze on a Pope who recognizes the infallible "sense of smell" of the holy people of God and who draws from this gaze the strength of tenderness towards the wounds of this people. Sores that must be touched in order to be able to touch the "flesh of Christ".
At the end of the trip, during the press conference on the plane, the Pope invited us to study the Guadalupe event. He told us that the faith and vitality of the Mexican people can be explained only because it is based on this event. The Virgin of Guadalupe thus becomes an interpretative key, a hermeneutic for understanding the roots of the faith of the people, which cannot be understood without the Mother's lap.
In the homily of the Mass celebrated at the shrine of Guadalupe on Sunday, February 14, Francis explained: Mary "tells us that she has the 'honor' of being our mother. This gives us the certainty that the tears of those who suffer are not sterile. They are a silent prayer that goes up to heaven and that in Mary always finds a place in her mantle. In her and with her, God becomes our brother and companion on our journey, carrying our crosses with us so as not to be crushed by our sorrows".
"It is Christ who welcomes, who listens. It is Christ who forgives".
The Missionaries of Mercy have been sent, priests from all over the world who, during the Holy Year, have received from the Pope the mandate to forgive all sins.
There are 1,07 of them, and they come from every continent, including the distant Churches of Burma, East Timor, Zimbabwe, China and Vietnam. We are talking about the "Missionaries of Mercy", priests who on Ash Wednesday, in a crowded celebration in the Vatican Basilica, received from Pope Francis the mandate and authority, throughout the Jubilee Year, to also forgive sins that are usually reserved to the Apostolic See.
An absolute novelty of this Jubilee, foreseen in the Bull of Convocation, is the following Misericordiae vultuswhere the Holy Father describes them as "sign of the Church's maternal solicitude for the People of God, so that they may enter deeply into the richness of this mystery so fundamental to the faith"..
These Missionaries are entrusted with the task of being "artisans before all of us of a meeting full of humanity, source of liberation, rich in responsibility, to overcome the obstacles and to take up again the new life of Baptism.".
Their small number - 0.25 % of the total number of priests in the world - was designed precisely to keep the number of priests in the world at a minimum. "the value of this peculiar sign that expresses the extraordinary meaning of the event".Fisichella, president of the Pontifical Council for the Promotion of the New Evangelization, which is in charge of organizing the Jubilee, explained.
Among the sins that can be absolved are, as we said, those normally reserved to the Apostolic See. The Code of Canon Law indicates five: the profanation of consecrated species, physical violence against the Holy Father, the absolution of an accomplice in a sin against the sixth commandment, the direct violation of the secret of confession, episcopal ordination without pontifical mandate. However, it is clear from the "mandate" of the Missionaries - and this was also emphasized by Msgr. Fisichella - that they do not have the faculty to absolve from this last sin, in which they have incurred for example in the Fraternity of St. Pius X (the so-called "Lefebvrians", to whom, moreover, the Pope has given the possibility of validly confessing to the faithful), but above all in the Church in China and the bishops who in these years have been elected without pontifical mandate or who have voluntarily participated in illicit episcopal ordinations. These petitions will always be addressed directly to the Pope, after recognition and repentance for the sin committed.
To this must be added another sin (which carries a penalty of excommunication reserved to the bishop) that Pope Francis has granted the possibility of absolving to all priests, also only during the Jubilee Year, which is that of abortion, for the purpose of "as many as have sought it and in repentance of heart ask to be forgiven.". In this case, the priests are invited to know how to conjugate "words of genuine welcome with a reflection that helps to understand the sin committed, and to indicate a path of authentic conversion"..
In the meeting he had in the Aula Paolo VI with a representation of about 700 Missionaries of Mercy the day before entrusting them with the mandate, Pope Francis wanted to emphasize the "responsibility entrusted to you"to be witnesses, not only of the proximity, but also of the "way of loving". of God. And he has indicated three peculiarities: "expressing the motherhood of the Church"which "always generates new children in the faith".It nourishes them and through God's forgiveness regenerates them to a new life; "to know how to see the desire for forgiveness present in the heart of the penitent."; "cover the sinner with the blanket of mercy, that he may no longer be ashamed and that he may regain the joy of his filial dignity and may know where he stands".
"Upon entering the confessional."added the Pope, "let us always remember that it is Christ who welcomes, it is Christ who listens, it is Christ who forgives, it is Christ who gives peace.". Therefore, "let us give great space to this desire for God and His forgiveness; let us make it emerge as a true expression of the grace of the Spirit that moves to conversion of heart.". In short, Francisco explained, it is not "How can we bring the lost sheep into the fold with the gavel of judgment, but with holiness of life, which is the principle of renewal and reform in the Church" (1)..
At the Holy Mass on Ash Wednesday, giving the missionary mandate, the Pope once again encouraged them to "help to open the doors of the heart, to overcome shame, not to flee from the light. May your hands bless and lift up the brothers and sisters with paternity; through you may the gaze and hands of the Father rest on the children and heal their wounds.".
Finally, he pointed out as an example the "ministers of God's forgiveness" St. Leopold Mandić and St. Pio of Pietrelcina, whose mortal remains were exposed in St. Peter's Basilica for the veneration of the faithful precisely on those days: "When you feel the weight of the sins that confess to you, and the limitation of your person and your words, trust in the power of mercy that goes out to meet everyone as love and knows no boundaries.".
The urns containing the mortal remains of St. Pio of Pietrelcina and St. Leopold Mandić have been transferred to Rome on the occasion of the Jubilee; half a million faithful have paid homage to them. Meanwhile, there are developments in the reform of the Roman Curia and the Synod.
About half a million people filled Rome to overflowing for a week, for what has been defined as the first great Jubilee event, namely, the transfer from their respective lands of the mortal remains of St. Pio of Pietrelcina and St. Leopold Mandić, the two Capuchin friars who spent practically their entire priestly life in the confessional and for this reason have been chosen by Pope Francis as examples of the "ministers of Mercy" in this Jubilee year.
The faithful, mostly devotees of these two saints, came from all over the world and venerated them first in the Basilica of San Lorenzo Outside the Walls, where they stayed for two days, and then in the Basilica of San Salvatore in Lauro, both churches included in the Jubilee itinerary. The prayer was constant and lasted throughout the day, a sign of "a spirituality so participatory and spontaneous that it has impressed the whole city".said Msgr. Rino Fisichella.
Also very impressive was the massive procession of the urns with the relics of the two "saints of Mercy". to St. Peter's Basilica, where they remained for several more days for the veneration of the faithful, before returning to their respective places of origin.
Padre Pio Prayer Groups
Taking advantage of this Roman Jubilee period, a large representation of members of the so-called "Padre Pio Prayer Groups". -a lay spiritual movement linked to the Saint and spread throughout the world- were received in audience in St. Peter's Square by Pope Francis. They were also joined by the employees of the Suffering Relief HouseThe hospital was founded by the friar himself and inaugurated in 1956. These two works, born in parallel, were dear to the friar's heart. "in favor of the sick, their families, the elderly, the needy in general."as "place of prayer and science where the human race is gathered together in Christ Crucified as one flock with one shepherd".Padre Pio said on the day of its inauguration.
Present at the audience were the faithful of the Archdiocese of Manfredonia-Vieste-San Giovanni Rotondo, in whose territory in southern Italy are located the monastery that welcomed the friar of Pietrelcina, the hospital and the hospital of the friar of Pietrelcina. Suffering Relief House and the sanctuary erected after his death and which preserves his relics, the destination of constant and numerous pilgrimages.
On this occasion, Francis outlined a profile of Padre Pio as "servant of mercy"who has practiced "sometimes to the point of exhaustion, 'the apostolate of listening'".. Through the ministry of the Confession, the Capuchin friar has become "a living caress from the Father, who heals the wounds of sin and refreshes the heart with peace.".
For being "always united to the source: he clung continually to Jesus Crucified."has been able to transform itself into a "great river of mercy, which has watered many a desolate heart.".
The same prayer groups founded by St. Pio have become "oasis of life in many parts of the world".: "prayer, in fact, is an authentic missionwho brings the fire of love to all mankind"..
He then addressed the employees of the Suffering Relief Housewhich is now in its sixtieth year, has invited them, in addition to "treat the disease", a "caring for the sick".
With the Capuchin Friars Minor
In the same days, Pope Francis celebrated at the altar of the Cathedra of St. Peter's Basilica a Holy Mass with the Capuchin Friars Minor from all over the world, gathered on the occasion of the translation of the relics of their intercessors.
In his homily, the Pontiff focused his words on the importance of the Sacrament of Confession, of forgiveness and of the ability to grant it, which is born of a deep life of prayer, where each one discovers that he too is in need of forgiveness. "When someone forgets the need he has for forgiveness, he slowly forgets God, forgets to ask for forgiveness and does not know how to forgive."Francisco explained. On the other hand, "the person who comes [to the confessional], comes to seek comfort, forgiveness and peace in his soul.". Therefore, it is very important to "that he finds a father who embraces him, who says: 'God loves you very much' and who makes him feel it!"The same is true of St. Pius and St. Leopold, who in the many hours they spent sitting in the confessional have done the following "the office of Jesus, who forgives by giving his life"..
Reform of the Roman Curia
Also in February, the thirteenth meeting of the Council of Cardinals took place in the presence of the Holy Father, and among the topics discussed were, as usual, the aspects inherent to the reorganization of the dicasteries of the Roman Curia, as well as information on the progress of the structures created by the new structures. ex novo Francis, from the guardianship of minors to reforms in the economic field and in the canonical process on the validity of marriage.
In particular, the final proposals for the creation of two new dicasteries, the one on "Laity, Family and Life" and the one on "Justice, Peace and Migration," were approved and placed in the hands of the Holy Father for his decision. There followed a further exchange of views on the Secretariat of State and on the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments. U.S. Cardinal Sean Patrick O'Malley reported on the activity of the Commission for the Protection of Minors, over which he presides, while the juridical-disciplinary questions concerning the competencies of the dicasteries of the Curia were referred for further study. Cardinal Georg Pell was also heard, who reported on the status and performance of reforms in the economic field. Finally, the Cardinals of the Council were given the documentation on the so-called "vademecum" prepared by the Tribunal of the Roman Rota for the implementation of the reform of the canonical process on the validity of marriage.
Synodality and decentralization
The Council had begun with the study of some themes of the speech delivered by the Pontiff last October 17, during the commemoration of the fiftieth anniversary of the Synod of Bishops, when he spoke about the "synodality" and the "need to proceed with a healthy decentralization".. All these indications constitute an important reference for the reform of the Curia, and in these same days they were also the central focus of a study seminar organized by the General Secretariat of the Synod of Bishops.
The symposium was attended by numerous professors of ecclesiology and canon law from universities and ecclesiastical faculties from all over the world, who agreed on the wish for a "greater listening and involvement" of the People of God in the Synod, as reported in a communiqué. Such involvement must take place both in the preparatory phase, foreseeing "stably" a consultation of the faithful, as was the case with the questionnaire sent to the parishes on the occasion of the Extraordinary Synod of 2014, as well as offering more space for the intervention of the auditors during the assembly, even without granting them the right to vote. The faithful would also be involved in the successive phase of the "performance"where they should take care of "to translate the decisions taken at the central level into the various socio-cultural situations"..
These indications could converge in "a review of the regulations on the Synod of Bishops" and the tasks of the Council of the General Secretariat of the Synod of Bishops"., "in which the permanent character of the synodal body can be projected in a certain way".as is the case with the Catholic Churches of the East. "for an evolution of the Synod from 'event' to 'process'.".
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