Head of South American Bishops Conference thinks the Church should be shaped by the world. "There are those that say adherence to Faith and Tradition has come to an end"
Monsignore Jaime Spengler: With the Synod, "we are involved in the great question of the present and the future of the Church".
Those who have been elected to represent the episcopates of the continent and the churches with their communities, have "a unique opportunity, it is a grace, it is a blessing, it is also a responsibility, because in some way we are involved in the great question of the present and the future of the Church."
"the question is the ability of Christianity and of the Church to be eloquent for all cultures and to be understood in its essence."
"A privileged moment for us to really try to harmonize our discourse".
From August 29 to 31, the Latin American and Caribbean Episcopal Council (Celam) is holding a meeting with representatives of the churches of the continent in preparation for the first session of the Synodal Assembly to be held in Rome in October. About 50 people - bishops, religious men and women, laity, priests, assembly members and facilitators - are meeting at the Celam headquarters in Bogota (Colombia).
Dom Jaime Spengler at Celam meeting
Continuing on the path begun
Jaime Spengler, in his homily at the opening Eucharist, related the words of Scripture to what will be done in the coming days, "continuing the journey begun in view of the celebration of the first session of the Assembly of the Synod of Bishops", highlighting the presence of Father Giacomo Costa, special secretary of the Synodal Assembly to be held in October.
The President of Celam insisted that "the theme of the Synod is the Church", recalling the desire to hold a Synod on this theme, but that it was not known how to carry it out. According to the Archbishop of Porto Alegre, "Pope Francis has taken on this task and has proposed a path that is already bearing fruit in some aspects, as well as acid criticisms". Those who have been elected to represent the episcopates of the continent and the churches with their communities have "a unique opportunity, it is a grace, it is a blessing, it is also a responsibility, because in some way we are involved in the great question of the present and the future of the Church", emphasized Monsignor Spengler.
The Church is 200 years behind
(Cathon: Modernist rhetoric!)
Faced with the current reality, in which "Christianity seems to find it difficult to present itself with a credible and authoritative word," the President of Celam affirmed that "there are those who say that adherence to the Faith and Tradition has come to an end." He recalled the words of Cardinal Martini, who said that "the Church is 200 years behind", questioning why this does not bother and affirming that "we have fear, fear instead of courage".
"The central point is not the Church of today, it is not the Church of the past, the point is the Church to come, that is, the Church that we want to leave as a legacy to future generations," according to the Archbishop of Porto Alegre. He stressed that "the question is the capacity of Christianity and of the Church to be eloquent for all cultures and to be understood in its essence". And the fact is that "in some sectors the figure of the practitioner seems to be disappearing and the figure of the nomad and the pilgrim is beginning to emerge" in relation to the Church. She "needs to be helped and supported in her journey of truth and freedom, instead of a Church that always has something to say and is always ready to give directions and prescriptions," he stressed.
Crisis is good and healthy
Bishop Spengler defined the current situation of the Church in one word: "we are in crisis, and this is good, this is healthy, this is hopeful, the crisis tries to prevent the worst from happening. The Church is always in crisis, or at least it should be, but its greatest limit is in not realizing this situation". According to the Archbishop of Porto Alegre, "the plurality is enormous and the vitality surprising, it is the Gospel", recalling that Pope Francis has realized this situation, and asking that "the divine Spirit inspires and guides us, and that the frank dialogue between brothers and sisters strengthens us".
About the meeting, which will take place at the Celam headquarters from August 29-31, Bishop Jaime Spengler pointed out three points: to pray together, in the end it is the Spirit of God who inspires us; to get to know each other, to know who we are, where we come from, what we do, what our expectations are; to initiate a dialogue around the theme of this Synod, the Church itself with its various aspects. The president of Celam insisted that "an opportunity like this, these days here at the Celam headquarters, becomes a privileged moment for us to really try to harmonize our discourse".
A synodality that "is already present in many areas of ecclesial life," stressed the president of the Brazilian episcopate, who affirmed that "we want to advance in this way of working," citing different examples of this synodality in ecclesial life present in the councils that exist at all levels of the Church, which according to the Archbishop of Porto Alegre is "the spirit that the Holy Father asks us to take up again, so to speak, in a new tone." He insisted on adopting the same tone, "capturing the harmony of what the Holy Father is asking of us at this moment". In this sense, he said, "they are not flags, it is the identity of the Church according to the criteria that come from the Gospel, from the Tradition of the Holy Fathers, and also from the beautiful Tradition of the Church".
Cathcon: The tradition which the Bishop trashed in the paragraph above!
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