Armin Schwibach
 Rome (kath.net / hs) The priesthood should not be "normalized" according to claims of a "demystification", but must be rediscovered in its divine origin. So says the prefect of the Congregation for the Clergy, S. Em R. Cardinal Mauro Piacenza, while stressing the importance of liturgy, "Christ-centered" to a new evangelization countries of the West. After the night of the decline in priestly vocations, Cardinal sees the dawn of a new time, but mainly need of prayer - and in particular of Eucharistic adoration - to achieve full light of day. exclusive interview, generously granted Kath.net, Cardinal Piacenza takes care of the priest as a "sign of contradiction" and highlights the particular mandate of sacred art as a way of prayer to God Kath. net: with his book "The seal - Christ, the source of the priest," published in 2010, she drew the memory the identity of the priesthood, saying that any talk of a "new evangelization", the main goal of the Church, is useless if not based on spiritual renewal of priests. Specifically, how could constitute a renewal of the priesthood? What does it mean that the priest is a "sign of contradiction" in society today, as you once said? From what has to leave the Church and, in particular, should act as leaders of the seminars? Cardinal Piacenza: who continually renews the Church, and it Priesthood is the Holy Spirit! Beyond a clear air and, therefore, the supernatural, it is impossible to even think of a renewal. I believe that this is precisely one of the main ways forward: that of the clear recovery of the vertical dimension, the spiritual ministry. In the past decades, too many "reductionism", inspired by the so-called theology of demystification, have resulted in the Priesthood simply to turn into a "super-ministry" of animation and coordination of the Church. The priest is also the one that animates the pastoral life of a community, but the Ministry exercise that power in a supernatural vocation and configuration to Christ, of which the sacrament of Holy Orders. Before any "ministerial service," he is Jesus the Good Shepherd in the heart of the Church and, specifically, in the community to which he is sent. consequence of this is that the renewal must necessarily pass through the primacy of prayer, long and intimate relationship with the Risen Christ, present in the Holy Scriptures spiritually, really in the Eucharist, and with it the priest she's always in connection with the effective exercise of all his ministerial activities. The primacy of prayer also means record of faith: the faith of the saints honest and sincere, the ability to deconstruct, due to its simplicity, all human calculation or reasoning. A priest, in a cultural context based on efficiency and activism, becomes necessarily a sign of contradiction, as the Lord Jesus was and still is a "sign of contradiction," so, in His own image, every priest is called to be, precisely in virtue of belonging to Christ and the Church, and "everlasting novelty" that the apostolic form vivendi for the world. In the secular context, a sign of contradiction are holy priests, faithful, devoted to his ministry, because consecrated to God and capable, therefore, to lead souls to a genuine encounter with the Lord. Only someone who is all of God may be all of the people. To all this must be essentially formed new generations of priests, carefully avoiding the temptation of those who want to "normalize" the priesthood, thinking, thus making it more acceptable to young people and men of our time. This, by contrast, would lead to "desertification" of vocations. The future of the priesthood, which is guaranteed, at supernatural, from God's faithfulness to His Church, is also, as we are concerned, motivated in promoting your real nature, that is - and the scriptures bear witness to the great ecclesial tradition and magisterial confirms it - of exquisitely divine. Kath.net: Pope Benedict XVI in his book-length interview with Peter Seewald, "Light of the World" says: 'It conceivable that the devil could not endure the year priest and then we face in the dirt was thrown. He wanted to show the world how much filth there is just one of the priests. " She considers it a coincidence that during the year for priests in many countries of the world is the scandal of sexual abuse? And then the devil has really lost? Cardinal Piacenza: She knows that the case does not exist! However, there are connections and, more often, human strategies, which are exposed to exploitation of malicious. must note first that the devil did not win during the Year of the Priest, when, as stated by the Holy Father: "We have dirt thrown in your face ' but when some Ministers of God, called by vocation to proclaim the Gospel and administer the sacraments, abusing their task, they mortally wounded young innocent lives. It is in this perversion of the true absolute victory of the evil, and the fact that these terrible and unspeakable behavior have emerged during the Year of the Priests, did not diminish the truth of the Priesthood, but allowing the dutiful penance and reparation for what has happened has fostered a deeper awareness of the extraordinary treasure, given by Christ to His Church, is contained in clay pots. This situation, which has dramatically disturbing, could become even hopeless, if we were not certain that the devil, who won many battles, unfortunately, has already lost much of its war since it was defeated by the redeeming death of our Lord Jesus Christ and His glorious resurrection. Often, especially in German-speaking countries, many priests are exposed to pressure from the laity and pastoral councils. He almost has the feeling that some want to get the lay of the altar to take off into space ministerial functions. In not a few dioceses German-speaking priests who want to be faithful to the church, often find themselves alone. At times even the diocesan bishops to their priests have the necessary support. As this problem is seen in Rome? How should and could defend the priests in this situation? Cardinal Piacenza: First of all I mean to say with absolute clarity and conviction that motivated the collaboration between clergy and laity is as necessary as sacramentally based. You must live within certain parameters is essential from the standpoint of theology, both from the ministry. It must be recalled that the ministry of witness are called all the baptized, not just those who have received some ministry. The lay faithful should be instructed to that effect permanently by the Apostle, living mainly in the world, in their concrete circumstances of life and family, working, professional, educational and public. The laity really "busy" are those who are committed to witness to Christ in the world, not those that address the potential shortage of clergy, claiming slices of visibility within the community. From this clarity on the universal vocation of the baptized, there is no reason that they can effectively collaborate with the Ministry of Priests, always remembering, however, that between the baptismal priesthood and the ministerial, there is, as taught by the Catechism of the Catholic Church, returning to the Vatican Council II, an essential difference, not only in degree. (Cf. CCC, n. 1547). Again, it is to rediscover faith in the Church, which is not a human organization, nor can be managed with criteria "business", which obey human laws, such as alleged or actual competence or efficiency and the necessary division of power, and are the most distant we may be from an authentic ecclesial service. I believe that this "reduction in business" way of thinking of the Church is a cause of both the so-called crisis in the number of responses to the vocation, the controversy is that, in successive waves, sometimes perhaps even orchestrated, are unleashed against the celibacy of priests. It's all part of that short-sighted strategy of normalization, which aims, ultimately, to expel God from the world, erasing those who, objectively, are the signs that more effectively, make reference to him, first of all the lives of those who , in faithfulness and joy, choose to live in the heart of virginity and in celibacy for the Kingdom of Heaven, thus witnessing that God exists, is present and that it is possible to live for Him! Kath.net: How do you explain the "vocation crisis" in contemporary Western societies? Cardinal Piacenza: The so-called vocations crisis, from which, in reality, is slowly coming out, is due basically to the crisis of faith in the West. Where is it must be admitted that, in reality, the crisis of vocations is a crisis of faith. God continues to call to answer but need to hear and feel you need the right climate and not the absolute uproar. In the same environment is in crisis sanctification the party, the confession is in crisis, a crisis in marriage etc ... Secularization and the consequent loss of the sense of the sacred, faith and its practice, and led to determine a significant decrease in the number of candidates for the priesthood. For these reasons, purely theological and ecclesiastical, are joined by some of sociology: first of all, the decrease is unique in the world, the birth rate, which could decrease the number of young people and thus also of young vocations. In this view are a notable exception, full of enthusiasm and hope, the Movements and new communities, where faith is lived out in a straightforward and immediate, and translated into real life and this opens the hearts of young people the opportunity to give themselves completely to God in the ministerial priesthood. Such a difference in the vitality of expression and methods, shall be the whole Church, each parish and each diocese, because only an authentic faith, significant for its life, the environment in which you can listen to the many calls that God addresses, even today, young people. The first and essential remedy to the decline of vocations, the suggested Jesus himself: "Pray therefore the Lord of the harvest to send laborers into his harvest" (Mt 9:38). This is the realism of the pastoral care of vocations. Prayer for Vocations, an intense, universal, expanded network of prayer and adoration that wrap around the world, is the only real answer to the crisis of the possible response to the call. But it takes faith! Where such an attitude of prayer is lived permanently, we can say that a real recovery is taking place and that, in a way, the night has passed and already dawn. I wish that every diocese has a center of Eucharistic adoration, perpetual possibility, just for these intentions: the sanctification of the clergy and vocations. This is the most effective and realistic pastoral plan that we can be! From then on it also unleashes an admirable strength of love in all areas. Try it! Kath.net: From 2003 until his appointment as secretary of the Congregation for the Clergy by Pope Benedict XVI in 2007 she was president of the Pontifical Commission for Cultural Heritage of the Church, since 2004 President of the Pontifical Commission for Sacred Archaeology. What is the current status of the "Ars Sacra," which is often confused with the 'ars of religion "? Cardinal Piacenza: The subject is vast and deserves to be dealt with just the right size, as each artistic achievement speaks of the idea of \u200b\u200bman and God that we have, and any "house church" that speaks about the idea of \u200b\u200bbuilding the Church that we have, and, above all, the experience of the Church which we live. The Church is not a human sociological reality, not a gathering of people who believe the same thing! It is the Body of Christ, the new priestly people, the Divine Presence in the world. Every genuine expression of sacred art and each new church should first be recognized as such. Every man, every passer-by the child to the elderly, cultured from illiteracy, from the atheist believer should be able to immediately say, "That is a work of art! ... That is a church. " The latter must also be monumental, ie it must tell us about the greatness of God and must, therefore, be different, even for proportions, by any other building. A church, and sacred art as a whole, to be such, must obey both the original subject of the individual artist or architect, as the frank and sincere faith of the people who in it and pray through it. They are not "monuments" to the genius of individuals, but places and instruments of worship dedicated to God, in whom and through which to meet God and come together as his people. Kath.net: In your opinion, how important is the celebration of the liturgy for the essence of community life and the mission of a new evangelization of the countries of ancient Christian? Cardinal Piacenza: Most times, the Holy Father said, with the Liturgy, lives or dies, the faith of the Church. It is at the same time, a mirror, which reflects the faith, and food, which constantly nourishes, purifies it and support it. The old adage "lex orandi, lex credendi obviously still retains all its validity and effectiveness. In many cases, the attempt at demystification mentioned, also swept the Liturgy, producing, as a single, devastating effect, to reduce it again and, paradoxically, to "pre-Christian rites, a symbolic and interpretable then exposed to every possible result subjectivist and relativist. The liturgy is not primarily a human action, in which the individuals can freely express their subjective emotions, or to participate in what would be necessary to do or say anything, it is mainly the action of Christ, Who is alive and present in his Church, worships the Father, drawing in this divine action -human, we humans. Risen Christ is the true protagonist of the story and the liturgy, and every human action, which should be truly liturgical, must obey this policy imperative and must seek to guide the hearts of the faithful recognition of the absolute primacy of God have reduced or trivialized the liturgy is a very serious responsibility, not independent of the loss of the sense of the sacred, which the West is the victim, and that is, once again, resulting from radical demystification of which has promoted certain theology, believing that "scientific." The answer to everything is traceable, however, in the heart of man, who, despite everything, is made in God and is essentially religious, therefore, open to the transcendent and the sense of the sacred. A Christ-centered liturgy, properly celebrated, it is important ecclesial and the introduction of 'He [Christ] must increase, but I must decrease "(Jn 3:30) to John's memory, contributes certainly the new evangelization of Europe and the recovery of that sense of the sacred, without which even the duty to dialogue with other cultures and religious traditions would be impossible. |
0 comments:
Post a Comment