Overcoming Indifference: A Day of Peace on the Horizon of the Jubilee Year
The Holy See has been celebrating the World Day of Peace for 49 years, and since 1968 it has been launching a message on this great aspiration.
January 27, 2016-Reading time: 2minutes
For 49 years, the Holy See has been celebrating the World Day of PeaceSince 1968, he has also published a message dealing with some aspect related to this great aspiration. After that time, the efficacy of this effort has been proven. Although the document of the Popes could hardly put a definitive end to the confrontations, it does shed light on their causes and encourages us to combat situations incompatible with peace.
The theme chosen by Francis this year, calling to overcome indifference in order to conquer peace, points to the globalization of a tendency that is the cause of injustice and violence, and contradicts man's fundamental vocation to fraternity, as the Message says. The Pope understands that the condition for overcoming indifference towards others is to overcome it in our relationship with God; for this reason he calls for conversion of heart. But he does not cease to appeal firmly to the States to carry out concrete and courageous actions in favor of the most vulnerable people, together with adequate and far-reaching policies.
The theme of the Day is fully consonant with the general framework of the Year of Mercy, which has just begun. The Jubilee is already becoming an occasion for profound changes of attitude. It invites us to do so by means of visible and effective signs of various kinds. This is the case of the Holy Doors, which throughout the world invite people to walk and complete the path that leads to an encounter with the tenderness of God; or the invitation to approach the sacrament of Confession, which is even closer at this time, since reconciliation with God presupposes a direct experience of his mercy. Events such as the announced canonization of Mother Teresa of Calcutta also have the character of strong signs, capable of moving us. Dressed in her simple habit, revealing her consecration to God and to the service of the poor, she exemplifies the practical meaning of mercy in one of the principal forms in which it is expressed. And it is also an invitation to discover the possible expressions in which the works of mercy are concretized today, in our conditions.
Many memories will remain in my memory the day I leave the seminary. One that stands out is an endearing and instructive one: the visits to an old people's home, where several elderly or sick priests stay. The beginning of the Year of Mercy has reminded me of these pleasant occupations.
This is my sixth year in the seminary. I have been a deacon for two months now, and my time is now divided among the seminar (from Monday to Friday) and the parish (on weekends). Every year, the rector of the seminary, when distributing the pastoral assignments to the seminarians, assigns some of them the task of going to these residences, and in particular that of taking an interest in the priests present, accompanying them, attending to the various services they need, etc.
In my second year I was sent to a nursing home run by nuns. We usually go in pairs, but that time I had to go alone. I remember that on the first day, standing up, before entering, I entrusted myself to the Blessed Virgin. I didn't know what I could do there, or how. It is always fortunate to know that the Lord is with us at all times, and all the more so if, as in this case, there is a chapel and a tabernacle. We always have, in every new situation, at least one person we know, and this, for those of us who find it difficult to take the first step, is always a source of confidence.
I would walk around the residence, observe, get to know the people and, through them, I would ask questions and I will be part of it. He prays for me and advises me wisely from his experience. Occasionally we take a trip to a Marian shrine to pray the rosary together or make a pilgrimage; at those times, I think, is when we are most strongly united. Another surprise was meeting in the residence the priest, now deceased, who celebrated my sister's wedding.
They pass through our lives pouring out the grace of Christ, showering us with his blessings, and there comes a time when, precisely because of this, because they have given themselves fully to Christ, they have been left alone... But no! God is with them, and they already foresee here the eternal happiness that awaits them in heaven, and it is reflected in their faces. We do them a great favor by approaching them, by sharing our time; but much greater is the treasure they have and can leave us, if we take advantage of it.
Some exemplary cases
There is a sick and practically blind priest who has written more than half a dozen books. Naturally he needs help, but his limitations do not diminish his interest in books and his enterprising spirit. Some other priests and seminarians help him as much as we can. And perhaps that same passion has helped him to overcome the temporary situation of decay that he had a few years ago, produced by his illnesses.
A priest with the soul of an artist also resided there for a time, until his death. In his final period he was psychically handicapped by a severe illness. As long as he was conscious we cared for him with all possible affection, and also when he ceased to recognize people. I have always felt that the whole diocese is indebted to him for his efforts to recover and restore valuable old images.
Other priests have no special distinction, apart from having left almost sixty or seventy years of their lives in the pastoral care of the faithful. How many people must have reached heaven thanks to the good shepherding efforts of these priests! It seems to me that the mercy shown by them, day after day, is no small mercy, regardless of whether it can be counted among the charitable works in favor of the poor.
It might be thought that they have already done much for the Church and that, at their age, there is no more for them to do; but that would be a mistake. I am thinking of one of them, who is still alive, and how he spends the hours of his time praying without rest. Who can say that the hours he spent in his active pastoral work were more valuable than the prayers that now go up to heaven from his lips and from his heart? And, apart from this specific case, how much they all pray! Especially for vocations to the priesthood and consecrated life.
A well-known priest recently underwent cancer surgery. It was a long (eleven hours) and complicated operation, which, thanks be to God, went well. After the first days of uncertainty, he gradually recovered despite his advanced age. I tell this story because, during his long convalescence, a close relative was present; it was not possible for her to take care of the priest day and night by herself. But with good will and a little sacrifice, everything can be arranged. In this case, by relying on the reality of a priestly fraternity lived with care.
A group of priest friends established the necessary shifts to take care of the sick person, so that he would always be accompanied. It did not seem easy at the beginning, given the work that each one of us had to do; but with God's grace and that "plus" of sacrifice that I say, everything worked out. The nurses at the hospital were amazed at the number of priests who came to take care of the sick.
One of them told me how much interior good it did his soul to take care of this brother priest; to see his patience, his supernatural sense, even his good human humor, was an unforgettable lesson for him. And all of them experienced the same. It is always richer to give than to receive.
Mauricio Macri received representatives of the Argentine Episcopal Conference. The fight against drug trafficking was the main topic.
January 27, 2016-Reading time: < 1minute
On December 18, the new Argentine president, Mauricio Macrireceived in his office representatives of the Argentine Episcopal Conference. The fight against drug trafficking took center stage. The bishops handed him two documents: "The drama of drugs and drug trafficking".of 2013, on the negative impact of drugs on society; and "No to drug trafficking, yes to a full life".The report, published in November of this year, presents the phenomenon as a matter of the new political agenda, linked to corruption and the crisis in the security forces.
In one of its paragraphs, it warns that the advance of the drug is "incomprehensible without the complicity of power. The Church has been one of the key social agents in keeping the issue on the agenda. In the last election for the governorship of the province of Buenos Aires, the discussion on drugs was, perhaps, the determining factor in tipping the balance in favor of María Eugenia Vidal and opening the doors for the Cambiemos Front to national power".
"Although the episcopate did not postulate partisan references, the denunciation sustained with constancy since 2009 affected with greater force the now outgoing government. The Church's proposal is a comprehensive approach because "in the peripheral areas, in some neighborhoods and villas, the drug dealer has become a social referent; an independent space is created there, alien to the authentic culture".
Social issues of prime necessity put the Church close to the people and forcefully providing a public service: its participation in the pluralistic society of the 21st century moves in the fast lane when it builds these positive channels, through which the spiritual message can flow into previously reluctant fields.
Argentina entered into the change with the electoral victory of the Cambiemos Front. The country left behind twelve years of government kirchnerista which outlined a path towards an increasingly virulent "statization" that tried to impose a biased and unidirectional cultural view on the worldview of life and society.
The decision path of the Argentine people looked towards the need for a change. This manifests not only the option of a party, but the look of a people that at some point reacts as self-defense of its own nature. It confirms once again that the people can be patient but at a certain moment they react and ask for a change in the direction of things.
The relationship that this new partisan sign had with the Christian culture could already be seen in the time when they were governors of Buenos Aires. There, positive elements were seen as well as elements that marked a distance from the fundamental Christian principles. An example of the latter is that it was the first corporation to approve the civil union of people of the same sex.
For several decades, Argentina has been going through social and cultural variation in stages of ten years. Party situations set courses that generate changes and then come others that turn in the opposite direction. While it is true that alternation is positive, when it is marked by ideological lines, it does not allow for stable growth. Argentina owes itself a more stable and permanent national project.
Another challenge facing the nation is the initiation of its Bicentennial, 1816-2016 which celebrates 200 years of independence from the Spanish crown. It is a significant event and we hope that it will also be a historical space for reflection and identity for the future. Another activity that the Church is preparing is the National Eucharistic Congress to be held in the historic city of San Miguel de Tucumán. Some one hundred thousand people will gather there to celebrate the mystery of Jesus, Lord of History, alive and present in the Eucharistic bread.
2016 will be an important year but with many social, cultural and economic fluctuations. The Church is facing a very strong time with many pastoral challenges: the drama of drug trafficking has been a strong claim of the episcopate, the national identity for education as an urgent task, the experience of the Jubilee of Mercy will be like the backdrop of gestures and actions among the people, the experience of the Eucharistic Congress as an exceptional opportunity to communicate the urgent need for national reconciliation. There are new winds of change in Argentina, but they must serve to respect the poor who suffer a lot; new winds for a new era that must not forget that power is service.
Make a mess, but in order. A thorough revolution in Paraguay
The students of the National University of Asuncion have undertaken a courageous campaign to end corruption at the University. Thanks to them the rector is in jail and many deans have resigned from their posts.
We are living in a historic period in Paraguay. The protagonists: the young people! This is no small thing. They are undermining the rotten structures of corruption in education. It all started with a sit-in by high school students from a school run by the Jesuits. The request was very unspecific: a better education. This form of protest became generalized in other public and private schools and culminated in a call for a big march.
At the same time, the newspaper Last Minute published a news item reporting that the rector of the National University of Asunción (UNA), Froilán Peralta, charged twenty million guaraníes for professorships that he did not teach. The newspaper also reported a series of fraudulent appointments made by the rector. The scandal did not go unchallenged. On September 18, the president of the nation signed the law that obliges to regulate all public information. Thus, the salaries of public officials, among them the teachers of the UNA, appeared on the Internet.
On that day, there was a large protest by hundreds of students from public and private schools with the slogan Paraguay does not shut upThe slogan that would give name to the student movement. At night, the university students presented themselves in front of the rector's office of the UNA to demand the resignation of the rector. A series of demonstrations began, which at first gathered hundreds of university students, but eventually mobilized thousands of students who took over the university in a peaceful manner. The media supported this mobilization from the beginning.
In addition, other economic mismanagement in other faculties became known. The students denounced these irregularities and demanded accountability. They demanded the resignation of the deans found to have committed acts of corruption and the dismissal of the Board of Directors. A three-week vigil was held.
In the meantime, the prosecutor's office intervened, at first slowly due to political interests. The university students exerted pressure and closely monitored the steps taken by the prosecutors. At the beginning, the rector was found guilty and was prosecuted and imprisoned for breach of trust. The other authorities and officials who resigned also had their "dirty laundry". More than one hundred people in charge of various University agencies were charged.
High school students continued with their protest. The situation was complicated by the collapse of the roof of a public school. Fourteen students were injured. In addition, other irregularities were discovered, such as the non-delivery of school kits. A new protest march took place and the Minister of Education agreed to meet with the high school student leaders. However, she did not give an answer to the students' demands: school ticket, student kit, school snack, teacher training (it is found that many teachers do not have the necessary accreditations to teach). Finally, they demanded the use of 7 % of the GDP in education, as stated in the Constitution. It was believed that until then only 3.5 % had been spent, then it was found that even less had been spent, only 2.3 %. The high school students agreed to a meeting with the president, who also failed to give the expected response. Demonstrations followed until they finally got what they wanted. For their part, the university students demanded a change in the university statute, since it was so ambiguous that it allowed mismanagement of the budget.
Little by little, the students of the UNA are achieving their objectives. They succeeded in having the dean of the Polytechnic faculty, Abel Bernal Castillo, appointed interim rector. Of the fifteen deans of the university, he was the only one trusted by the students. Together with the students, the new rector has taken a series of measures in the required direction. It is something transcendental in the country: today, with transparency, it is possible to know exactly the situation of each one.
The motto is #UNA don't shut up. Someone said that this event is, for our country, almost as important as the fall of the Berlin Wall for the communist countries. We spoke with Mauricio Portillo, 5th year veterinary student and president of the Student Center.
How did it all start?
-He started with the sentata of the high school students. In Veterinaria we started to demonstrate on the same 18th, after the students' march. From there we went to demonstrate in front of the Rectorate. The one who was rector was dean of our faculty for 21 years. There was a lot of corruption, diversion of money, he had his people, and whoever opposed him was excluded. Some students who demonstrated against them could not finish their studies there and had to go to a private university. There was talk of a reign of terror (he was protected by an influential politician). The professors who were against the rector were afraid.
First we were the veterinary students and then we called those from other faculties who were involved in the cause. At the beginning we were about two hundred students, then many more joined us. From then on we called a vigil that lasted three weeks. There were representatives from each faculty. Almost all the faculties joined the cause, except for three faculties considered the most corrupt.
I stayed almost 20 days sleeping in the faculty under tents. It was necessary to keep watch to prevent the burning of documents. Then we waited for the prosecutor's office to come and take the documents (there was not much confidence in the performance of the members of the government).
Then came the domino effect
-Yes. Corruption started to break out in the different faculties. Students demanded the resignation of the dean and the entire Board of Trustees. In Veterinaria, many members of the Board of Directors resigned in addition to the dean.
Was there good coordination among the students?
-Every day, the ten representatives from each faculty met.
How were acts of violence prevented?
-We came to the conclusion that the people who were there were the civilized ones. Then there were infiltrators but they were identified and under observation. The logistics were very good, the food was distributed to all the security posts, the page #UNA don't shut up reported hourly and a digital university newspaper from the law school updated the news.
Did you expect this success?
-We were confident because we had a lot at stake. The situation in the classrooms was very tense. In the last few weeks, some students were warned not to talk to me, because I shared my ideas on social networks. I didn't know if I could talk to some classmates.
Now we have to trust the prosecution
-Yes. In any case, there is a copy of everything the prosecutors took at the National Computer Center, which is at the University. Besides, there is a group of students who are following the whole process. What we are waiting for is that the new directors are of our confidence. There are few people who are not part of the system.
So far, what have they achieved?
-There is now a person in charge of the office who is trusted. In 60 days there will be elections for the new Board of Directors. Many of them are under indictment. Other countries in South America are expectant of what is achieved, because in their countries they also have a lot of corruption at the level of education. By fighting for their rights, goals can be achieved.
Fabrizio Ayala is a high school senior at San José High School.
How did the mobilization of high school students begin?
-Secondary movement was the beginning of the movement Paraguay does not shut up. It began with the sentata of the students of the Jesuit Colegio Cristo Rey, advised by FENAES and UNEPY, two student organizations. They, the students of the national schools, were already accustomed to protest because they are the ones who suffer the most. We have a roof, housing, food, but they do not have it so easy.
In the meetings between students from different schools we decided to demand six points: the student ticket, the school kit, lunch and snack, a structure for schools, increased investment in education and improved teacher training. While the marches were taking place, school roofs were falling down, school kits were not being distributed and corruption was rampant. At one point there was some fear.
Ultimately, our motivation was the belief that the basis for development is health and education.
To begin with, I consider that this review should differ from others, in order to preserve the reader's curiosity on this occasion. It would not be appropriate to tell plot elements of the film, precisely so as not to ruin the surprise effect.
And the force awoke. For those who were awaiting the arrival of the seventh installment of the saga of Star WarsThere is only one thing to say: the wait was worth it. Director J.J. Abrams has been very clear that the key was to return to the magic of the original trilogy. He has taken the elements of Greek tragedy, Roman legends and the myths of King Arthur and has built an adventure that leaves you wanting much more.
To begin with, I consider that this review should differ from others, in order to preserve the reader's curiosity on this occasion. It would not be appropriate to tell plot elements of the film, precisely so as not to ruin the surprise effect: any detail, no matter how small, could advance some of the many novelties that await viewers throughout the 135 minutes of footage. In any case, the story is well put together.
Now, notwithstanding these restrictions, it is possible to count that Star Wars: The Force Awakens the legend almost thirty years after it left off. Return of the Jedi (1983). The peace and stability of the New Republic is again threatened by an enemy abducted by the dark side of the force, and the task of the Resistance will be to confront him to achieve a new balance in the Galaxy. And it will be in this context where a new awakening of the force appears.
These new elements are accompanied by old acquaintances. At different points in the story we meet all the characters from the original trilogy. Without fear of being nostalgic, seeing Han Solo, Leia and Luke again is worth the price of admission. However, the glorious thing about this new experience is that the plot does not rest solely on them, but takes advantage of the characteristics to exploit the new characters and clears the way for them to take the torch of the saga in the next sequels.
Sitting in the cinema before this new installment is undoubtedly a new experience, but not without countless reminiscences referring to previous moments in which our imagination has already flown to those galactic worlds.
Some viewers may see in the force an approximate supernatural explanation of things, but it is not advisable to miss the development of an excellent adventure that also has very interesting historical and political nuances.
The film brings back the magic to a saga that changed the way of making and watching movies. It is the return of cinematographic art to a revolution enjoyed decades ago by a whole generation of young people.
On December 8, the reform of the canonical process for causes of matrimonial nullity came into effect. This is a far-reaching juridical and pastoral reform, which continues to seek justice and truth.
January 9, 2016-Reading time: 3minutes
Pope Francis, already known as the Pope of mercy, has recently issued a law reforming the canonical process to be followed in causes for the nullity of marriage. This new regulation is contained, for the Latin Church, in the motu proprio Mitis Iudex Dominus Iesuswhich came into effect on December 8, the feast of the Immaculate Conception of Mary and the beginning of the Year of Mercy.
The coincidence of dates is no coincidence; on the contrary, it is very significant that this new regulation, very dear to the Pope, was born in the context of the convocation of the Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy and of a Marian celebration.
It is clear to no one that the ecclesiastical Tribunal, where the causes for the declaration of canonical marriage nullity must be processed, must be a place of maternal and merciful welcome for those brothers and sisters who have suffered the pain of a failed marriage.
For this reason, the new law is undoubtedly born with a strong vocation of pastoral service in favor of the faithful who go through these difficulties and also of their families, who suffer with them. This follows from the reflection made by the bishops at the recent Extraordinary Synod on the family convened by the Pope in October 2014, where loud and clear voices were raised so that the process of declaring nullity be "faster and more accessible" for all the faithful.
In this regard, the final report of the subsequent Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod, held in October 2015, includes the obligation of pastors to inform the faithful who have had a failed marriage experience about the possibility of initiating the process for the declaration of nullity, with special concern for those who have already entered into a new union or a new cohabitation. In this way, we can say that the Synod wanted to facilitate the access of the faithful to ecclesiastical justice.
The main challenge, then, is to shorten the distance between the Church's justice and the faithful in need of it. Charity also demands a reasonable celerity, because slow justice is not justice, it is unjust, since it generates in the faithful a feeling of abandonment and hopelessness that distances them from the Church and leads them to take paths that are not always desired, much less sought after.
It is evident that not every failed marriage hides a null marriage, but in any case the faithful have the right to have the Church pronounce on its validity and give peace to their consciences. Hence the reform stresses the need for information about the possibility of initiating a cause for the declaration of the nullity of their marriage to reach all the faithful; for them to feel supported and accompanied; for the difficulty of the process to be alleviated by the simplification of the formalities and by a greater preparation of the operators of the tribunals, with more room for the laity; and finally, for the economic means of each person not to be an obstacle.
Evidently, there is a risk that the public might confuse the streamlining of the process with its haste, or the shortening of the process with favoring the nullity of marriages. This will have to be explained well. It must also be made clear that a distinction must be made between what the Church does, which is to declare a marriage null and void if the judge establishes, with moral certainty, the inexistence of the bond, and what the Church does not do, which is to annul a valid marriage.
It is evident in this sense that the declaration of nullity of a marriage can never be understood as a faculty, that is, as a decision that depends on the will of the ecclesial authority. The declaration of nullity consists, as its very name indicates, in declaring the fact of nullity, if it has occurred, and not in constituting it. Precisely in order to silence erroneous interpretations in this regard, which had already arisen during the celebration of the aforementioned Extraordinary Synod on the Family, the Pope clearly stated at the end of the assembly that no intervention of the Synod had called into question the revealed truths about marriage: indissolubility, unity, fidelity and openness to life.
The reform is certainly far-reaching, juridical and pastoral, and not to risk too much it can even be said that it is unprecedented, but it must be stated without hesitation that the purpose of the canonical process remains the same - the salvation of souls and the protection of unity in faith and discipline with regard to marriage - and that the principles that sustain it have not changed, nor has the intention of seeking justice and truth.
We hope, therefore, that one of the first fruits of this procedural reform will be that the faithful will come to know and therefore trust in the justice of the Church, and that the Church will in turn become aware that the administration of justice is a true pastoral instrument that God has placed in her hands and that, therefore, it cannot be reduced to complicated and unaffordable bureaucratic structures, but must reach and be within the reach of all the faithful.
Marie-Joseph Le Guillou is a very complete theologian. He worked in the great fields of 20th century theology: ecclesiology, ecumenism, theology of the Council and theology of mystery; and he reacted with lucidity to the post-conciliar crisis.
Marcel Le Guillou was born on December 25, 1920 in Servel, a small village in Brittany (France), now part of the municipality of Lannion. His father was a non-commissioned officer in the navy (furriel) and his mother worked as a seamstress on the surrounding farms. He was a brilliant student (except in gymnastics), and won a scholarship for high school. When the family moved to Paris, he was able to enter the famous Lycée Henri IV and prepare himself for the École Normale Supérieurecenter, center top of the French education system. It is therefore the fruit of the merit award, which is one of the best things about the French Republic.
With the war and the German occupation (1939), he began to teach at the minor seminary in Lannion, where his younger brother was studying. It was there that his vocation took shape, which he attributes above all to the piety of his mother. He decided to become a Dominican. His father wanted him to finish his studies, and he obtained a degree in Classical Literature (grammar and philology). In 1941 he began to study theology at Le Saulchoir, the famous Dominican faculty in Paris. There he obtained a degree in philosophy in 1945 and in theology in 1949, and taught moral theology.
Vocation and ecumenical work
Since the first course at Le Saulchoir, he had attended along with Yves Congar to meetings with orthodox theologians and thinkers. He was very interested in it. For this reason, without leaving Le Saulchoir, he joined (1952) an institute that had been promoted by the Dominicans since 1920, and which was then renewed under the name of "Istina Center". The center is also renewing its journal on Russia and Christianity (Russia and Christianity) and gives it the same name (1954). Probably Istina is the best known Catholic journal on Eastern (Christian) theology and spirituality. Le Guillou collaborates with enthusiasm while preparing his doctoral thesis in theology, which will be, at the same time, on ecclesiology and ecumenism.
In the first part he studies the history of the ecumenical movement in the Protestant sphere, and the orthodox positions, up to the constitution of the Ecumenical Council of Churches. He is interested in the genesis of this effort and the theological nature of the problems that arose. In the second part, he studies the history of the divisions and confessional controversies up to the beginning of the dialogue. The Catholic Church has debated in order to preserve its identity, but it is also part of its identity and mission to try to reconcile divisions. It is necessary to study how the Church has understood itself in this sense in history. In this context, the notion of communion, which will be one of the keys to conciliar ecclesiology, stands out.
After the Council, the term "communion" will be the most widely used term to define the Church and as a way of summarizing what number 1 of Lumen Gentium: "The Church is in Christ, as a sacrament, that is, a sign and instrument of intimate union with God and of the unity of the whole human race.". But this was not the case at the time. This term, which has a canonical, theological and spiritual value, has come to the fore as a result of ecumenical dialogue. Le Guillou was one of those who contributed to its diffusion. He obtained his doctorate (1958) and his thesis was published in two volumes: Mission and unity. The demands of communion (1960).
From 1952, he taught oriental theology at Le Saulchoir, and in 1957 he spent several months on Mount Athos, an Orthodox monastic republic in Greece. There, he endears himself and contemplates Orthodoxy live. All this allowed him to publish a small book The Spirit of Greek and Russian Orthodoxy (1961) in an interesting collection of short essays (Encyclopedia of 20th Century Catholics), translated into Spanish by Casal i Vall (Andorra). The book, brief and accurate, pleased the orthodox theologians of Paris, who recognized themselves in it. It is still very useful (like other titles of that surprising "encyclopedia").
The theology of the mystery and the face of the Risen One
Le Guillou was struck on the one hand by the echoes of the liturgical and biblical theological renewal, and on the other by contact with Orthodoxy. This impelled him to develop a theology that better reflected the meaning of the mystery revealed in Scripture, celebrated in the Liturgy and lived by every Christian. He then undertook a great attempt at synthesis. Christ and the Church. Theology of the Mystery (1963), where, starting from St. Paul, he makes a long historical journey on the category of "mystery", to end with the mystery in St. Thomas Aquinas. True theology is not speculation, it is part of the Christian life.
These were exciting years. He follows with interest the development of the Second Vatican Council, and assists as an advisor to some bishops. He also gave numerous conferences. The work of synthesis he had just done on the Christian mystery allowed him to contemplate the theology of the Council with great unity, and he prepared an overall essay: The face of the Risen One (1968). The subtitle reflects what he thinks: Prophetic, spiritual and doctrinal, pastoral and missionary greatness of the Second Vatican Council. For Le Guillou, Christ is the face of God in the world; and the Church makes him present; making the face of Christ transparent is a challenge and a requirement for every Christian. Everything that the Council has said is inserted there.
Difficult years
However, something is not working. During the Council itself, he observes that there are those who appropriate it, invoking a "spirit of the Council" that will end up replacing the ecclesial experience and the letter of the Council itself. He also dislikes the interconfessional celebrations, where the identity of the liturgy received is not respected. He notes the strongly political and ideological tone of some. And with Olivier Clément (Orthodox theologian) and Juan Bosch (Dominican) he writes Gospel and revolution (1968).
The street and student "revolution" of '68 was followed by the ecclesiastical protest to the encyclical of Paul VI. Humanae vitaeand to the European theological dissent is added the Latin American revolutionary tendency. But the mystery of Christ is not that of a revolutionary but that of the "Suffering Servant": for this reason, with a certain poetic tone, he vindicates the figure of Christ in The innocent (Celui qui vient d'ailleurs, l'Innocent): the saving revolution of Christ is his death and resurrection. He relies on literary testimonies to show the intuitions of salvation (starting with Dostoevsky), and goes through Scripture to rescue the figure of a savior who has incarnated the enormous paradox of the beatitudes.
Theological urgencies
In 1969, Paul VI included him in the International Theological Commission that he had just created. This allowed him to converse with great friends (De Lubac), even if some of them surprised him (Rahner). It also obliged him to be aware of all the topics discussed. To him, who had reached a synthetic vision, it becomes clear that a transformation of the Christian mystery is breaking through. He sees it as a new gnosis, a profound ideological contamination.
He felt it especially when he was called to prepare the 1971 Synod of Bishops, dedicated to the priesthood. He worked tirelessly in the preparation of the documents, even to the point of health problems. He left convinced that it was necessary to counteract the new gnosis. He tried to start a magazine (Adventus) to serve as a counterweight to Conciliumto which he had also belonged, but he encountered resistance from the Germans (von Balthasar) and folded. Later, he had the generosity to join the French edition of the journal Communiopromoted among others by Von Balthasar.
Write an impassioned essay The mystery of the Father. Faith of the Apostles, Current Gnosis. (1973). There, on the one hand, he presents the Christian mystery as he had done in The InnocentOn the other hand, he discerns the ideological character of many deviations, especially those coming from Marxist contamination. In the face of hermeneutics that dissolve faith, he reaffirms the "hermeneutics of Christian witness" presented by the Fathers and Christian theologians (although he has little sympathy with the soteriology of St. Anselm). He is sure that he will scandalize, but he is rather shunned, because it is considered bad taste to mention that the situation is bad. All this is reflected in his diaries and notes, some of which are published (Flashes on the life of Father M.J. Le Guillou, 2000).
Spirituality
Without abdicating this titanic effort, he does not abandon the ordinary, which for him is preaching. Since he became a Dominican, he has been aware that his vocation is to preach. He mentions it many times in his notes. He gave numerous courses and began to minister to the Benedictine community of Sacre Coeur de Montmartre. Among other things, it is worth noting a complete cycle of preaching for the liturgical year (cycles A, B and C), which has also been translated into Spanish.
He understands that the strength of the Church is spirituality and that the situation cannot be fixed only on the doctrinal or disciplinary level. For this reason he writes The witnesses are among us. The experience of God in the Holy Spirit (1976), along the lines of the "hermeneutics of witness" of which he had spoken. He goes through Scripture to show that with the Holy Spirit the heart of the Father, his love and his truth, is opened to us: witnessed by the Apostles and martyrs and saints; experienced in the Church as a source of living water and the law of love and the impulse of charity and discernment of spirits. At times, this book is considered together with that of The Mystery of the Father y The innocent as a Trinitarian trilogy.
Last years
In 1974, when he was only 54 years old, he developed a degenerative disease (Parkinson's), less well known then than now, which gradually limited him. His relationship with the Benedictine Sisters of Sacre-Coeur, to whom he preached and wrote their constitutions, intensified. With the permission of his superiors, he finally retired to one of their houses (Prieuré of Béthanie). He is thus fortunate to have his archive and his documentation perfectly stored.
And an association of friends was created. With his help, it has been possible to publish posthumously many texts of spiritual character that he had kept. Professor Gabriel Richi, of the Faculty of Theology of San Damaso, has put this archive in order and has taken care of the recent Spanish edition of many of his works. To the prologues of those books and to others of his studies we have to thank for many of the data collected here.
- The face of the Risen One. 423 pages. Encounter, 2015. Le Guillou offers an example of the hermeneutic of renewal proposed by Benedict XVI.
- The innocent. 310 pages. Montecarmelo, 2005. Presents the mystery of Christ: his revolution is his death and resurrection.
- Your word is love. 232 pages. BAC 2015. Meditations and homilies for Circus C, taking the mystery of God as a starting point.
With the beginning of the Jubilee, the Pope opened the Holy Door of St. Peter's Basilica and highlights are the low participation numbers.
January 5, 2016-Reading time: 2minutes
It has been a few weeks since Francis opened the Holy Door of St. Peter's Basilica and one of the topics that appear most often in the press are the numbers about the (supposed) low turnout. It is important to talk about the real data, and not to create legends: 50,000 people participated in the ceremony of December 8. It was not a "massive" echo, as some years ago. The feeling in the media environment is that of a "flop", because the forecasts were not fulfilled.
A first question is: who made these forecasts, and how? After the surprise announcement of Pope Francis in March, speculation about the data began: "millions of pilgrims", Rome "invaded" by faithful from all over the world, the risk of an organizational disaster due to lack of time... In other words: the great expectation has been mainly due to speculation, perhaps without foundation. A second element is what happened on November 13 in Paris, and its consequences on the daily life around the Vatican and the other basilicas: the fear of terrorist attacks has been a reason not to travel to Rome. The multiplication of security controls is now a difficulty that slows down the normal course of a religious pilgrimage.
But the most important element is the massive diffusion that the Pope wanted to be the fundamental face of this Jubilee: Holy Doors have been opened in every diocese and shrine: it is not necessary to go to Rome to fully experience the Holy Year. This is why Francis wanted to limit the number of Roman "events". The final balance of the Jubilee will not be made from the numbers of those who have passed through the Door of St. Peter's Basilica. It will be made from the hidden numbers of those who have lived this Jubilee. Year of Mercy approaching the confessional. And these, thank God, are not media data; but they are well known in Heaven.
"In economic matters, the Church must set a good example."
"In economic matters, the Church must set a good example.". On more than one occasion Pope Francis has explained why one of the priority aspects of the reform of the organization of the Roman Curia concerns the correct management of the economic and financial patrimony of the Holy See.
"In economic matters, the Church must set a good example.". On more than one occasion, Pope Francis has explained why one of the priority aspects of the reform of the organization of the Roman Curia concerns the correct management of the economic and financial patrimony of the Holy See, especially in these times characterized by a severe financial crisis and evident moral degradation. To neglect this would affect people's trust and would hinder the very mission of the Church, which cannot do without economic resources in order to proclaim the Gospel. "to the ends of the earth".
It is no coincidence that one of the first commissions set up a few months after Francis' election was precisely the one charged with analyzing the economic-administrative structure of the Holy See, known in Italian by the acronym COSEA. Composed almost entirely of lay people and experts from various countries, it has had the task - drawing also on external consultancies - of studying in depth the Vatican's economic departments and making proposals for the rationalization of their activity.
This commission later gave rise to the Secretariat for the Economy, now headed by the Cardinal George Pelland a Council for the Economy, entrusted to Cardinal Reinhard Marx. One of the most evident "reforms" that have resulted from the creation of these two bodies consists, for example, in the preparation by each of the administrative bodies of the Holy See of an annual budget and an annual financial statement, mechanisms that were not previously obligatory or at least, in most cases, were not foreseen. At the same time, the reorganization of the management system of the Holy See has also been consolidated. Institute for the Works of Religion (IOR), among other things in order to obtain the recognition of international organizations regarding the reliability of the Institute itself in the financial field.
In recent weeks, further pieces have been added. The Council of nine cardinals (C-9) that is assisting the Holy Father in the reform process, at its planned quarterly meeting in early December, has given its blessing, among other issues - such as the possibility of applying the principle of synodality and a "healthy decentralization", Pope Francis spoke of when celebrating the 50th anniversary of the institution of the Synod of Bishops in October; the creation of the new dicastery for the laity, the family and life, and the one that will deal with justice, peace and migrations - to the constitution of a new working group in charge of carrying out "a reflection on the future prospects of the economy of the Holy See and the Vatican City State"..
Cardinal Pell, in his capacity as Prefect of the Secretariat for the Economy, illustrated its characteristics, explaining that this new body should in a certain sense oversee "the overall progress and control of outputs and inputs". Together with the Secretariat for the Economy, it is made up of representatives of the Secretariat of State, the GovernatoratoThe Congregation of the Apostolic See, the APSA (Administration of the Patrimony of the Apostolic See), the Congregation of Propaganda Fide - which has an autonomous management and takes care of all the mission lands -, the Secretariat for Communication and the IOR.
In the same hours, Pope Francis has also given a mandate to the Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, to institute the Pontifical Commission for the activities of the health sector of the public juridical persons of the ChurchIt has broad powers of intervention over hospitals, clinics and sanatoriums owned by the Holy See, dioceses and religious orders and congregations. The decision to institute this agency is a response to the "particular difficulties" the so-called Catholic health care system, on which the Pope has "gathered the appropriate information". In this case, too, but not only, there are economic reasons, linked to an "efficient management of the activities and conservation of the assets, maintaining and promoting the charism of the founders".. Its members will include six experts in the fields of health, real estate, management, economics, administration and finance. This intervention has become necessary both to resolve current crisis situations and to prevent them in the future. Always in the order of that "good example" that the Church and all its institutions are called to give.
World Day of Peace: overcoming the "globalization of indifference".
As has been the case for 49 years, the World Day of Peace is celebrated on January 1 on the theme of Overcome indifference and conquer peace. On the other hand, at the end of the month, the Year of Consecrated Life will come to an end and Mother Teresa will be a saint!
Starting from the guidelines indicated by the theme Overcome indifference and conquer peaceIn the Message written for the occasion, Pope Francis invited all people of good will to reflect on the phenomenon of the "globalization of indifference"which is the cause of so many situations of violence and injustice. The whole Message is a sign of request so that the world finally can, at all levels, "realizing justice and working for peace.". This one, indeed, "is God's gift, but entrusted to all men and women, who are called to put it into practice".writes Francisco.
In spite of everything, however, the Pontiff's invitation is "not to lose hope in the capacity of man". to overcome evil and not to abandon ourselves to resignation and indifference. There are many reasons for believing in this capacity, starting with attitudes of shared responsibility in solidarity that are "at the root of the fundamental vocation to fraternity and common life.". Everyone, in fact, is in a position to understand that outside of these relationships we would end up being "less human" and that it is precisely indifference that represents "a threat to the human family".
Among the various forms of globalized indifference, the Pope places indifference in the first place. "before God, from which also springs indifference before others and before creation".which are effects "of a false humanism and practical materialism, combined with relativistic and nihilistic thinking.". It goes from not feeling affected by the dramas that afflict the brothers, because we are anesthetized by an information saturation that only allows us to vaguely know their problems, to the lack of "attention to the surrounding reality, especially the most distant".. Numerous times, the Pope denouncesSome people prefer not to search, not to be informed and live their wellbeing and comfort indifferent to the cry of pain of suffering humanity".thus becoming "incapable of compassion".
All this leads to "closed-mindedness and aloofness"and causes an absence of "of peace with God, with one's neighbor and with creation."at the same time, feeding at the same time "situations of injustice and serious social imbalance, which, in turn, can lead to conflicts or, in any case, generate a climate of dissatisfaction that runs the risk of ending, sooner or later, in violence and insecurity"..
As indicated in the Evangelii gaudiumno person should be exempted from the duty to contribute "to the extent of its capabilities and the role it plays in society.". Often, however, this indifference also affects the institutional spheres, with the implementation of policies that have "as an objective to conquer or maintain power and wealth, even at the cost of trampling on the fundamental rights and demands of others."
These trends can only be reversed through a true "green revolution".conversion of the heart", writes the Pope, "a heart that beats loudly wherever human dignity is at stake.".
Certainly, there is no lack of examples of praiseworthy commitment from non-governmental organizations and charitable groups, even non-ecclesial ones, associations that help migrants, operators who report on difficult situations, people who are committed to the human rights of minorities, priests and missionaries, families that educate in healthy values and welcome those in need, many young people who are engaged in solidarity projects... all of them, Francis writes, are demonstrations of how each one can "to overcome indifference if he does not look away from his neighbor, and that they constitute good practices on the road to a more humane society"..
The Jubilee of Mercy represents a wonderful opportunity to decide to contribute to improving the reality in which we live, starting with the States, to whom the Pope in his Message expressly asks "concrete gestures" y "acts of courage" towards the most vulnerable members of society, including detainees (abolition of the death penalty and amnesty), migrants (reception and integration), the unemployed, etc. ("work, land and shelter")) and the sick (access to medical care).
The Message of Peace concludes with a threefold appeal to States to refrain from implicating "other peoples to conflicts or wars"The aim is to encourage them to work towards the cancellation of the international debt of the poorest countries, to adopt cooperation policies that respect the values of local populations and to safeguard the rights of the poorest countries. "the fundamental and inalienable right of unborn children"..
Closing of the Year of Consecrated Life
From January 28th to February 2nd will be the final week of the Year of Consecrated LifeOn that occasion, about 6,000 consecrated men and women from all over the world will gather in Rome. Among the first community meetings, a prayer vigil will be held in St. Peter's Basilica on the evening of January 28, while on February 1 there will be an audience with Pope Francis in the Paul VI Hall, with a debate on the theme: "The Church and the Church in the world". Consecrated today in the Church and in the world, provoked by the Gospel. On the last day of the week, February 2, the Solemnity of the Presentation of the Lord, consecrated men and women will experience their Jubilee of Mercy with a pilgrimage to the Basilicas of St. Paul Outside the Walls and St. Mary Major, and in the afternoon they will participate in the Holy Mass celebrated by the Holy Father in St. Peter's Basilica to close the Year of Consecrated Life.
Meanwhile, in recent weeks, the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life has released a new document dedicated to the "Identity and mission of the religious brother in the Church."The book, centered precisely on this particular vocation to the lay religious life of men and women. As Cardinal Joao Braz de Aviz, Prefect of the Congregation, explained, the vocation of the religious brother expresses itself completely in his way of life. "the trait of the person of Christ". linked precisely to the "fraternity". "The religious brother reflects the face of Christ-Brother, simple, good, close to the people, welcoming, generous, servant..." he added. At present, religious brothers make up approximately one-fifth of the total number of male religious.
Causes of saints
In the last month, the Congregation for the Causes of Saints has been authorized by the Pope to promulgate numerous decrees concerning both miracles and heroic virtues.
The most significant was undoubtedly the approval of the miracle attributed to the intercession of Mother Teresa of Calcutta, beatified by St. John Paul II in 2003, who will be canonized during this Jubilee of Mercy. Also approved were the decrees concerning the miracles attributed to the intercession of Blessed Mary Elizabeth Hesselblad, Swedish, foundress of the Order of the Most Holy Savior of St. Bridget; of the Servant of God Ladislav Bukowinski, Ukrainian diocesan priest, who died in Kazakhstan in 1974; and of the Servants of God Maria Celeste Crostarosa, Neapolitan foundress of the Sisters of the Most Holy Redeemer, who died in 1755; Maria de Jesus (Carolina Santocanale), Italian, foundress of the Congregation of the Capuchin Sisters of the Immaculate of Lourdes; Itala Mela, Benedictine Oblate of the Monastery of St. Paul in Rome, who died in 1957.
The Holy Father also authorized the promulgation of decrees on the heroic virtues of the Servants of God Angelo Ramazzotti, who was Patriarch of Venice and died in 1861; Joseph Vithayathil, who founded the Congregation of the Sisters of the Holy Family in India; Jose Maria Arizmendiarrieta, a diocesan priest born in Markina, Spain; Giovanni Schiavo, professed priest of the Congregation of St. Joseph, who died in Brazil in 1967; Venanzio Maria Quadri, professed religious of the Order of the Servants of Mary; William Gagnon, professed religious of the Hospitaller Order of St. John of God, who died in Vietnam in 1972; Nikolaus Wolf, layman and father of a family; Tereso Olivelli, layman who died in 1945 in the concentration camp of Hersbruck (Germany); Giuseppe Ambrosoli, of the Comboni Missionaries of the Heart of Jesus; Leonardo Lanzuela Martinez, of the Institute of the Brothers of the Christian Schools; Heinrich Hahn, layman who died in 1882; and the Servants of God Teresa Rosa Fernanda de Saldanha Oliveira e Sousa, who founded the Congregation of the Dominican Sisters of St. Catherine of Siena, who died in 1916; Maria Emilia Riquelme Zayas, also Spanish, foundress of the Institute of the Missionary Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament and of the Blessed Virgin Mary Immaculate; Maria Esperanza de la Cruz, born in Monteagudo (Spain) and co-foundress of the Augustinian Recollect Missionary Sisters; Emanuela Maria Kalb, professed sister of the Congregation of the Canonical Sisters of the Holy Spirit of Saxia, died in Krakow in 1986.
It is five years since the creation of the first personal Ordinariate for the faithful coming from Anglicanism. The Holy See has approved its new Missal, and has appointed Bishop Steven Lopes Ordinary of the Chair of St. Peter, and will confer episcopal ordination on him.
José María Chiclana-January 3, 2016-Reading time: 10minutes
On October 20, 2009, the Holy See announced the creation of a personal juridical figure to welcome into the Catholic Church the faithful coming from Anglicanism where they could preserve their liturgical, pastoral and spiritual traditions: the Anglicans. Personal ordinariates. And on January 15, 2011, the first personal Ordinariate was erected, under the name of Our Lady of Walshinghamin England.
The fifth anniversary of this event, the approval of a new Missal for the use of the personal ordinariates and the decision of the Holy See to appoint a new ordinary for the personal ordinariate of The Chair of Saint Peter in the United States, who will be ordained a bishop, once again put these ecclesial realities in the spotlight.
Origins of Personal Ordinariates
Although the first Personal Ordinariate was erected in England because of the significance that this country has in the Anglican tradition, the origin of the Personal Ordinariate is to be found in the United States.
The introduction by vote of changes in doctrine, liturgy and moral teaching opened a rift in the Anglican Communion that grew over the years. The first important step in this rupture took place at the Lambeth Conference - a meeting organized every 10 years since 1897 by the Archbishopric of Canterbury for all the bishops of the Anglican Communion - held in 1930, which introduced in Resolution 15 as morally acceptable the use of contraceptive methods in exceptional cases, which the same Conference had declared morally illicit in 1908 (Resolution 47). This caused some groups to begin to consider a rapprochement with Rome.
The approach began to take practical shape in 1976, when the Episcopal (Anglican) Church in the United States approved the admission of women to the presbyteral ministry, and as a result, two groups of Episcopalian faithful petitioned the Holy See and the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops in April 1977 to be received into the Catholic Church in a "corporate" form, in a personal structure in which they could maintain Anglican liturgical, spiritual and pastoral traditions.
In 1980, with the positive opinion of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, and once the possible creation of a new ritual church or a structure of personal jurisdiction had been ruled out, a Pastoral Provision which provided for the creation of personal Catholic parishes in agreement with the bishop of each diocese, which would preserve and live the Anglican traditions approved by the Holy See. It also allowed married Anglican pastors to be ordained as Catholic priests, exceptionally dispensing from the law of celibacy and after a rigorous process. Likewise, in 1986 the Book of Divine Worshipa liturgical book which contained part of the Book of Common Prayer Anglican and the four Eucharistic Prayers of the Roman Missal: it was called the Anglican UseThis name is no longer used. Between 1981 and 2012, 103 priests were ordained in accordance with the Pastoral Provisiontwelve of them celibate. In 2008, the total number of faithful belonging to parishes governed by the Pastoral Provision was about 1,960, grouped into three personal parishes and five parishes of societies o congregations.
From 1996 to 2006, various groups of Anglicans or members of the faithful who have Pastoral Provision Finally, in January 2012, the Personal Ordinariate of the Chair of St. Peter was established, into which these and other groups have been integrated. At present (according to the Pontifical Yearbook 2015) that Ordinariate has 25 pastoral centers, 40 priests and about 6,000 lay people. The smaller number of priests is due to the fact that many of those who were ordained under the Pastoral Provision are already incardinated in a diocese and carry out their pastoral work there.
Developments in England
By then, however, a Personal Ordinariate already existed in England. Indeed, when on November 11, 1992, the Synod of the Anglican Church of England also voted narrowly in favor of admitting women to the priestly ministry, some groups of Anglicans in England began to aspire to be received corporately into the Catholic Church. From December 1992 to mid-1993, several meetings between Catholics and Anglicans were held at the home of Cardinal Hume, led by Hume himself and by Graham Leonard, the Anglican bishop of London and a very prominent figure at the time. These groups requested the Catholic Church to create a juridical figure of the type of a personal prelature or a personal diocese, with Hume himself as prelate or, at least, a personal diocese. Pastoral Provision They requested to maintain Anglican pastoral, liturgical and spiritual traditions, as approved by the Holy See. They requested to maintain the Anglican pastoral, liturgical and spiritual traditions approved by the Holy See.
Finally, on April 26, 1993, the Bishops' Conference of England and Wales considered it preferable that the reception of those wishing to be received into the Catholic Church be done on an individual basis through Catholic parishes; and in the case of Anglican ministers wishing to be ordained Catholic priests, the matter would be studied on a case-by-case basis, following a procedure approved in July 1995 under the name of Statutes for the Admission of Married Former Anglican Clergy men in to the Catholic Church, approved by John Paul II on June 2, 1995. In making them public, Cardinal Hume explained in a pastoral letter that the Holy Father "has asked that we be generous, that the permission to ordain married men is an exception and will be granted personally by the Holy Father and finally, that the measure does not mean a change in the law of celibacy which is more necessary than ever."
Although the sources are not precise and there are no official data, from 1992 to 2007, 580 former Anglican ministers from the Church of England have been ordained Catholic priests, of whom 120 are married. Another 150 were received as laymen, five went to the Orthodox Church and another seven went to other Anglican groups.
In the meantime, the Church of England approved in 1993 the Episcopal Ministry Act of Synod, which created a unique juridical figure of a personal nature that could be used by Anglican parishes that, after a vote, refused to admit women to ministry and to remain under the jurisdiction of a bishop who participated in the ordination of a woman or accepted her into ministry in his diocese. These were the so-called Provincial Episcopal VisitorsThe parishes were given the task of attending to these parishes pastorally and sacramentally, although juridically and territorially they depended on the diocesan bishop. This structure contributed to the fact that many parishes that had seriously considered the possibility of being received into the Catholic Church opted not to do so and to accept this regime., faced with the prospect of not being able to remain united. This formula also contributed to the birth of the personal ordinariates: in fact, of the first five Anglican bishops to be ordained priests in the Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham, three had been Provincial Episcopal Visitors, and many of the parishes that then remained in the Church of England under this figure are now part of the Personal Ordinariate.
Subsequently, due to the doctrinal changes that continued to occur in the Anglican Communion and in anticipation of the possible admission of women to the episcopate, from 2005 until 2009 there were conversations and requests to the Holy See by groups of Anglicans. The first request came in 2005 from the Traditional Anglican Communion (TAC), which unified Anglo-Catholic groups around the world, especially in Australia and Nigeria. There were also contacts with Forward in FaithThe first three Anglican bishops to be ordained as Catholic priests were John Broadhurst, Andrew Burnham and Keith Newton, the first three Anglican bishops to be ordained as Catholic priests to implement the Personal Ordinariate in England. Conversations also took place from October 2008 through November 2009 between another group of Anglicans (consisting of bishops and ministers from England) and members of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, which included discussion of the concrete and final content of Anglicanorum Coetibus, the disposition with which Benedict XVI created the figure of the Personal Ordinariates in 2009.
The first result was the creation of the Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham in England on January 15, 2011.
Five Years of Our Lady of Walsingham
In the five years since its creation, the Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham has grown little by little. The Pontifical Yearbook 2015 mentions that some 3,500 lay people and 86 priests are part of it.
The Ordinariate has 60 communities in England and four in Scotland (with 40 pastoral centers, according to the Yearbook). Some are very active; others, because of the distance, can only meet once a month, and during the week they go to the nearest diocesan parish. Ordinariate sources point out that, in general, they are well received and receive help in the diocesan parishes, and that the attention received by the faithful when they cannot go to an Ordinariate parish is proof of the harmony with the dioceses.
But numbers are not the criterion for measuring the work of the Ordinariate in these five years, since it is necessary to look rather at the work that is being developed in each parish, in each group. The number of people received into the Catholic Church through the Ordinariate could be likened to a small but constant trickle. On the other hand, it is necessary to emphasize the influence on Anglicanism in general, and the weight that what is done or promoted from the Ordinariate of England has on the other Ordinariates: this is the case of the approval of the new Missal for the use of the Ordinariates, which we will deal with in a moment.
As Bishop Keith Newton, its Ordinary, points out, the mission of the Ordinariate is the new evangelization and unity of the Church, and it is a bridge through which many people can be received into the Catholic Church. On a quarterly basis, the clergy of the Ordinariate participate in formation sessions; the topics addressed so far have been very varied: from questions of Moral Theology or Patrology, to the topics discussed at the recent Synod on the Family. With a certain regularity, the so-called Ordinariate FestivalThe latter included several sessions on liturgy and the new evangelization.
On the other hand, the Ordinariate has set up several commissions to prepare for the fifth anniversary and to study how to bring about an interior conversion of the faithful on the occasion of the fifth anniversary.s Mercy, and how they can reach more people with the apostolic and witnessing work of the Ordinariate. Supported by a document entitled Growing up Growing outAs a result, each Ordinariate group studies how to grow, reviews its relationship with the diocesan bishop and plans how to reach out to more people. In recent years, the Ordinariate in England has acquired two church properties; and two Anglican religious communities have been received as part of the Ordinariate: an interesting fact, given the influence of the Anglican monastic tradition, which often looks to the Catholic Church in liturgical and spiritual dimensions.
New Missal for Ordinariates
A recent milestone has been the approval by the Holy See of the document The Divine WorshipThe liturgical provision for the celebration of Holy Mass and the other sacraments in the Personal Ordinariates. It expresses and preserves for Catholic worship the dignified Anglican liturgical patrimony; as the Ordinariate of the Chair of St. Peter points out, the manner of celebrating Holy Mass which it indicates "is both distinctively and traditionally Anglican in its character, its linguistic register, and its structure."Jeffrey Steenson (formerly an Anglican bishop) emphasizes that he welcomes the fact that he welcomes "that part which nurtured the Catholic faith in the Anglican tradition and which fostered aspirations toward ecclesial unity.".
The name of Divine Worship and not that of Anglican use to emphasize the unity with the Roman rite, of which it is an expression; therefore, on the cover of the Missal we read "according to the Roman rite". Includes a Directory of Rubrics with instructions for those parts where it diverges from the Roman Missal.
Priests of the Ordinariate are recommended to celebrate ordinarily according to this missal, both within and outside the parishes of the Ordinariate. But not every priest may celebrate according to it, although he may concelebrate in a ceremony where the missal is used, and in cases of necessity or urgency the diocesan pastor is requested to do so for groups of the Ordinariate who request it. And any faithful Catholic may attend Mass celebrated according to this missal.
The most noticeable difference with the Roman Missal is that The Divine Worship does not include a period called "Ordinary Time". The period between the celebration of Epiphany and Ash Wednesday is called "Time after Epiphany". (Epiphanytide)There is another time called "Pre-Lent". (Pre-lent) which begins on the third Sunday before Ash Wednesday. After Easter, the Sundays in Ordinary Time are collectively called TrinitytideThe penitential rite takes place after the prayer of the faithful. Other notable characteristics are: the penitential rite takes place after the prayer of the faithful; there are two formulas for the offertory: that of the Roman Missal and the traditional one of the Anglican Missal; only two Eucharistic Prayers are included: the Roman Canon and the Eucharistic Prayer II.
For the time being, the readings used are the versions of the Bishops' Conference of England and Wales, taken over by many Anglican parishes after the Second Vatican Council. The Communion rite follows the same structure as in the Roman Missal, with three additions from the Anglican tradition: in the breaking of the bread, the priest sings or recites the traditional hymn Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us, with the response of the people; after the fraction, the priest and the communicants recite the prayer together. Prayer of humble Access; and at the conclusion of the distribution of Communion, the priest and the people give thanksgiving with another prayer from the Anglican tradition: Almighty and everliving God.
New ordinary bishop
At the end of November, the Holy See appointed a new Ordinary in the United States for the Ordinariate of the Chair of St. Peter, at the request of the Ordinariate itself. After a vote in the Governing Council and the presentation of a list of three candidates to the Holy See, the Pope chose Msgr. Steven Joseph Lopes, a 40-year-old priest and official of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.
The appointment has attracted attention for two reasons. Firstly, he does not come from Anglicanism, although he is well acquainted with both the Anglican reality and the Personal Ordinariates, since he was a member of the Commission on Anglicanism. Anglicanae Traditiones, who oversees and coordinates the Ordinariates in liturgical and pastoral matters. And secondly, because he will be ordained bishop on February 2, 2016, which is significant. His ordination title will be the personal Ordinariate, and not an extinct diocese, as is done in other cases; thus, although the office of Ordinary already had episcopal faculties, now he will also be able to ordain priests (there are authors who understand that it is a vicar with episcopal faculties).
Ordinariates elsewhere
The Ordinariate of Our Lady of the Southern Cross is also growing, Our Lady of The Southern Cross, in Australia, which today has 14 priests and about 2,000 lay people (in 2013 there were 7 priests and 300 lay people), with eleven communities in Australia and one recently created in Japan.
Although only five years have passed since the erection of the first personal Ordinariate for the faithful coming from Anglicanism, as Bishop Steven Lopes pointed out shortly after his appointment as Ordinary, "we are about to celebrate the 500th anniversary of the Protestant Reformation. I don't think it is an exaggeration to say that 500 years from now this idea of Benedict and Francis will be seen as the beginning of the closing of the breach of division in the Church.".
The Catholic Church is no stranger to the important global challenge of reversing the effects of climate change affecting the entire planet. Pope Francis set out the moral path to be followed in his encyclical Laudato si, some of whose lessons have been reflected in the agreement reached at the recent Paris climate summit.
Pope Francis' recent encyclical Laudato si'The framework outlines a theological and moral framework for our relationship with the environment, our relationship with the environment, and our relationship with the environment. "caring for the common home"as this document is subtitled. The text aroused enormous interest in the media and among scholars from various disciplines related to the environment. Part of this controversy was a consequence of its clear position in favor of considering the adoption of substantial commitments to care for nature as a moral duty.
Green conversion
The Pope advocates for a new vision of the environment, which he calls "green conversion". (a term already coined by John Paul II). In the Christian tradition, the word conversion indicates a change of direction. In short, the Pope is asking us in the encyclical for a substantial modification in our relationship with nature, which would lead us to consider ourselves as part of it, rather than as mere users of its resources. "Ecological culture cannot be reduced to a series of urgent and partial responses to the problems that are appearing around the degradation of the environment, the depletion of natural reserves and pollution. It should be a different outlook, a way of thinking, a policy, an educational program, a lifestyle and a spirituality that form a resistance to the advance of the technocratic paradigm." (n. 111).
The attitude of many Catholics to the encyclical ranges from surprise to suspicion. They are confused because they think that environmental issues are marginal, have no relevance compared to many other issues where the future of the family and society is at stake, and do not understand why the Pope is dedicating an encyclical to them. They do not dare to criticize it openly (after all, it is a text of the Pope, and has the highest doctrinal rank of those issued by the Holy See), so they either silence it, or they interpret it by extracting from the text what they understand to be the most substantial (basically the most traditional, what they expected to read). However, a careful reading of the papal text allows us to see how care for nature is not alien to the Catholic tradition, nor is it a marginal issue, but is perfectly in line with the social doctrine of the Church, since environmental and social problems are intimately related.
Re-engineering the system
Those Catholics who have most openly criticized the encyclical do so from a wide variety of positions, but to some extent converge in their disagreement about the seriousness of the environmental situation or the causes of this deterioration. According to them, the scientific controversy has not been taken into account, particularly in the case of climate change, thus riskily endorsing a biased approach to the issue. If environmental problems are not as serious as described by the Pope, or if humans are not responsible for them, it seems that the moral implications and the theological basis for environmental care, which is the main message of the Laudato si.
However, as has been pointed out by leading researchers, the encyclical presents a fairly even-handed view of what we currently know about the state of the planet, based on the best scientific information available to us. As for the Pope's criticisms of the current economic model, it seems to identify the denunciation of the excesses of a system with its frontal opposition. The current model of progress has many problems, which the most lucid thinkers have denounced on numerous occasions. Among them, it is evident that it does not make people happier and that it is environmentally unsustainable. It is not a question of returning to the Paleolithic or endorsing communism (which, by the way, has a lamentable environmental record), but of redirecting the current capitalist system, especially as regards financial capitalism, giving priority to human needs and balance with the environment as opposed to the selfish accumulation of resources that opens the gap between countries and social classes, which discards people and other created beings alike.
Certainly, climate change is the environmental issue where the need to adopt a moral commitment that will help to drastically change the observed trends is most evident. On the one hand, it is a global problem that can only be solved with the cooperation of all countries, since it affects everyone, albeit with varying degrees of responsibility. On the other hand, it implies a clear exercise of the precautionary principle, which leads to the adoption of effective measures when the potential risk is reasonably high.
Finally, it considers the interests of the most vulnerable people, the poorest societies, who are already experiencing the effects of the changes, as well as future generations.
Strong measures
The encyclical devotes paragraphs in several sections to climate change, showing the seriousness of the problem: "Climate change is a global problem with serious environmental, social, economic, distributional and political dimensions, and poses one of today's major challenges to humanity. The worst impacts are likely to fall in the coming decades on developing countries" (n. 25). Consequently, the Pope exhorts us to adopt strong measures to mitigate it: "Humanity is called upon to become aware of the need to make changes in lifestyles, production and consumption in order to combat this warming or, at least, the human causes that produce or accentuate it" (n. 22).
The recent Paris climate summit has adopted for the first time a global agreement that involves all countries and has a clear objective: to avoid exceeding the limit of 2 degrees Celsius in the increase of the planet's temperature above pre-industrial levels. It also recognizes the different responsibilities of each country in the problem, urging the more developed countries to collaborate to generate a fund (estimated at 100 billion dollars a year) to enable the less advanced countries to advance their economies with cleaner technologies. The most debatable points of the agreement are the lack of binding commitments on the reduction of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by each country, although they are required to have national reduction plans and to report to the agreement's monitoring committee on trends using a common protocol for all countries.
To better understand the importance of this agreement, it is worth recalling that the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) was signed in 1992 at the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro. Since then, the signatories to the agreement (in practice all UN member countries) have been meeting to assess the situation and reach agreements to mitigate the foreseeable effects of climate change. Of these annual meetings (called COP, conference of the parties), the most important was the one held in Kyoto (Japan) in 1997, where the first binding agreement to reduce emissions was signed, although it only affected developed countries. The Kyoto Protocol was ratified by all the countries of the world, with the exception of the United States. Although its reduction targets were modest, it was a first step in raising awareness of the need for global agreements on this issue. At the Copenhagen summit in 2009, the aim was to extend the binding commitment to all countries, including the emerging economies, which already accounted for a significant percentage of emissions, but the agreement failed and it was agreed to continue negotiations to propose a more stable framework to replace Kyoto, which was due to expire in 2012.
Three blocks
Basically, the positions that were expressed at that time, and which were again expressed at the Paris COP, can be summarized in three blocks: on the one hand, the European Union and other developed countries, such as Japan, in favor of a more ambitious and binding agreement, particularly in the use of renewable energies; on the other hand, the United States and other developed countries, plus the oil producers, who did not want to adopt binding agreements if they did not affect the emerging countries, currently responsible for the greatest increase in emissions; and finally, this group of countries with high industrial growth, the so-called G-77, which includes China, Brazil, India, Mexico, Indonesia and other developing economies that do not yet have the technology or the economic capacity to fuel their economic growth without using their fossil fuels. They say they are not responsible for the problem and that they need to develop their economies, while the United States argues that, without a commitment from these countries, their efforts would be in vain. In reality, there is a final group, that of the poorest countries, which suffer the consequences of global warming without being responsible for its generation and which suffer from the lack of truly effective agreements.
After several COPs where progress was very modest, the Paris conference was considered key to promoting a more lasting agreement to continue the Kyoto Protocol. Finally, after tough negotiations between the aforementioned groups of countries, an agreement was reached that can be considered global, since, as mentioned above, it affects all countries for the first time, not only the economically developed ones. In this sense, it can be considered the first environmental treaty with planetary characteristics, which gives an idea of the seriousness with which climate change is currently being addressed.
Causes of heating
There are already very few voices critical of the scientific basis of the problem, since the accumulation of evidence in very diverse fields of knowledge points in a consistent direction. The global warming of the planet is evident in the loss of the arctic and Antarctic ice surface (mainly the former), in the retreat of glaciers, in the rise in sea level, in the geographical mobility of species, as well as in the temperature of air and water. The causes also point in an increasingly evident direction, since other factors of natural origin, such as variations in solar radiation or volcanic activity, which obviously played a leading role in the climatic changes that occurred in other periods of the planet's geological history, have been discarded. Consequently, it is highly probable that the main cause of warming is the reinforcement of the greenhouse effect produced by the emission of GHGs (CO2, NOx, CH4emissions), resulting from the combustion of coal, oil and gas, associated with energy generation, as well as the loss of forest masses as a consequence of agricultural expansion.
As is well known, the greenhouse effect is natural and key to life on earth (our planet would be 33º C colder in its absence). The problem is that we are reinforcing this effect in a very short time, which implies an imbalance of many other processes and can have catastrophic consequences if drastic measures are not taken to mitigate it. The earth has been warmer than now, no doubt, but it is also key to consider that these natural changes have occurred over a very long time cycle (centuries or millennia), and what we observe now is occurring very quickly, in decades or even years, which will make it very difficult for plant and animal species to adapt.
If the main cause of the problem is GHG emissions, the best remedy would be to reduce them by being more efficient in the use of energy or producing it from other sources (renewable, nuclear). As this is a key sector of economic development, it is understandable why poor countries are reluctant to impose restrictions on themselves when they have not caused the problem, and why rich countries are concerned about the impact that such an effort will have on their economies. For most scientists, it is essential to take these measures so that the situation does not reach a point of no return, endangering the future habitability of the planet. This goal is now set at a 2ºC increase over the average temperature of the industrial period. At present, an increase of 1ºC has been recorded, while the concentration of CO2 for example has risen from 280 parts per million (ppm) to over 400 ppm. The foreseeable impacts are based on our best current knowledge of how the climate works, which is still imprecise. However, the potential global effects are very serious and may drastically affect different species, animal and plant, as well as human activities: loss of glaciers, which are key resources for the water supply of many peoples; sea level rises that will mainly affect large coastal urban agglomerations; greater droughts in already semi-arid areas; more intense flooding in some places; or even, paradoxically, a cooling of the climate in northern Europe, due to the alteration of ocean currents. Regionally, there may also be positive impacts, such as improved agricultural yields in cold areas of Central Asia or North America, but the overall balance can be considered very worrying, with possible feedback effects that could become catastrophic.
Common commitment
The Paris agreement is actually a "roadmap" indicating agreement on the seriousness of the problem and the need to collaborate globally to solve it, or at least mitigate it. It represents a common commitment by all countries to take effective action towards an economic transition to less dependence on fossil fuels. More ambitious commitments will still need to be made, but at least it shows three very positive elements: 1) willingness to collaborate between developed and developing countries, 2) recognition of the different responsibilities for the problem, and 3) acceptance that individual interests need to take precedence over the common good.
These three principles are at the core of the Laudato si. Although not explicitly stated, there is no doubt, in my opinion, that Pope Francis is also part of the success of the Paris agreement. His undoubted moral leadership and the clarity with which he has spoken out on this issue have made many leaders reflect on the need to go a step further, to put aside particular interests and seek a consensus based on the honest pursuit of the common good. In this sense, he affirms in the Laudato si: "International negotiations cannot make significant progress because of the positions of countries that privilege their national interests over the global common good." (n. 169). It is a commitment, moreover, that recognizes diverse responsibilities, since contributions to the common climate fund will be proportional to the wealth of each country, as Pope Francis also recommended: "It is necessary that developed countries contribute to solving this debt by significantly limiting the consumption of non-renewable energy and providing resources to the countries most in need to support sustainable development policies and programs [...]. For this reason, it is necessary to maintain a clear awareness that there are diversified responsibilities in climate change." (n. 52). The impact on the poorest countries and future generations cannot be ignored: "We can no longer speak of sustainable development without intergenerational solidarity." (n. 159).
I am sure that Pope Francis will have rejoiced enormously at the Paris agreement, and I am also sure that he will remember in the future the importance of complying with it and of continuing to move forward along these lines in order to mitigate the threats that the impacts of climate change can bring to the most vulnerable societies. I am also sure that his predecessor, Benedict XVI, who had also spoken with great clarity and forcefulness on this issue, will have rejoiced at this news. And not just spoken, but also acted, making Vatican City in 2007 the world's first CO2by covering the entire surface of the Paul VI Hall with solar panels. The Church not only preaches but also tries to put into practice what it recommends.
The authorEmilio Chuvieco
Professor of Geography at the University of Alcalá.
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