Papal homilist urges radical changes in Church

The Catholic Church urgently needs further reform, according to the Pope's domestic preacher, Cardinal Raniero Cantalamessa. In justification, he referred to the "dizzying acceleration" of social changes since the Second Vatican Council (1962-1965) in a Lenten sermon to curia leaders at the Vatican on Friday.

The influential theologian compared the issue of dealing with lay people and "especially women and other groups of people" today to the pioneering opening of the early Church to non-Jews. This, he said, was the orientation towards the Holy Spirit. In the internal church debate, Cantalamessa called for soul-searching and mutual goodwill. 

As in the early days, the Church must have the courage to listen to the Holy Spirit, who is the "paradigm of every ecclesial decision", as Cantalamessa emphasised. This is especially true for the work on the World Synod beginning in autumn, which is to be about a new togetherness in the Catholic Church.

New togetherness and empathy

Cantalamessa emphatically warned against an attempt to establish an "immovable goal" as in the Council of Trent (1545-1563), which was directed against the Reformation. If the life of the Church stood still, it would turn like a dammed-up river "into a morass or a swamp".

(Cathcon: The Council of Trent saved the Church from being washed away.  A new Counter-Synod-Reform movement is necessary.)

In the discourse on church reforms, the Capuchin Cantalamessa urged us to be tolerant and "less obdurate in our personal convictions". Instead of chewing on one's own arguments, everyone should put themselves in the other's shoes. This applies not only to individuals, but also to schools of thought with which one disagrees, Cantalamessa said.

The preacher of the Papal household made his comments in the first of five Lenten homilies designed to get the Curia leadership in the mood for Easter.

Source