Cardinal encourages devotion to the Sacred Heart and is supportive of the Latin Mass.

interview with Cardinal François Bustillo: "Our spirituality has been desecrated"

"We notice that many in our society have become very primitive and very harsh predators. In the face of this, every Christian must be a prophet."

On June 27, on the occasion of the Feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, Cardinal Bustillo solemnly opened the closing ceremonies of the Great Jubilee celebrating the 350th anniversary of Christ's apparitions to Saint Margaret Mary in Paray-le-Monial. On this occasion, he granted an exclusive interview to Tribune Chrétienne, sharing his reflections on the message of the Sacred Heart, the mission of the Church, and today's spiritual struggles.

Tribune Chretienne: What was the meaning of France's consecration to the Sacred Heart of Jesus?

Cardinal Bustillo: The priority of our responsibility in this ceremony was to entrust France to the Immaculate Heart of Jesus in the tradition of the Church. Consecrating France to the Sacred Heart is a tradition, and we have subscribed to this tradition. In the past, we have seen this happen, and we have done so especially during painful and difficult times in the life of the country, in times of tension, war, and pain. We turn to the Sacred Heart because we seek God's mercy and the presence of the Lord. This year, we did so as part of the Jubilee of Hope, in a spirit of trust.

In our society, there are many fractures and difficulties. We live in a harsh and sometimes merciless society, but we are not politicians. We turn to the One who is gentle and humble of heart.

It is therefore Christians who turn to the Sacred Heart so that our society may become more humane and so that the Church may evangelize hearts. From the Heart of Jesus, who has compassion for humanity, let us evangelize the hearts of Christians, so that Christians may remain a visible sign in the world. Faced with the excesses of society—euthanasia, abortion—we are not in a process of reaction but rather a process of spiritual perfection.

We are not reacting, through this event, to painful things and laws that hurt. We are in a spiritual identity. And the spiritual identity of the Christian stems from the Heart of Jesus.

The compassion of the Heart of Jesus will bring society the peace we need. People today are too tense: action/reaction... "one said it," "the other didn't say it"... I sometimes have the impression that the world lives on Facebook where we are forced to be FOR or AGAINST and nothing else.

The wisdom of the Church for centuries has not been in this "action/reaction" but rather places itself above all that. The Church, by definition, has height and depth.
 
Tribune Chretienne: How can the average Christian live the Sacred Heart in daily life?

Cardinal Bustillo: It is a very powerful call on a daily basis because Jesus Christ was incarnate, and this incarnation is God who dives into our humanity and into our daily lives. And since God dives into our humanity, he purifies our humanity and perfects our humanity. I think about all these very harsh words and very harsh behaviors in our world, and the conclusion is this: our spirituality has been desecrated

Being a Christian is not about being harsh. Jesus didn't say, "I am harsh and proud of heart," he said, "I am gentle and humble of heart."

I think the Church must not be desecrated by the world's system. We Christians have sometimes allowed ourselves to be desecrated by the world's attitude.

This sometimes leads us to be harsh too, and as uncompromising as this world. It's not about being soft or cloying, but about being gentle; to whom will we entrust the Earth? "The meek shall inherit the Earth" (from the Beatitudes). Christ didn't say that he would entrust the Earth to the harsh. So there is a profound connection between the earth and gentleness. If we are harsh, we are primitive. In Cain and Abel, humanity's first fratricidal crime, what is noted is the expression of predation: "he threw himself on his brother."

And we note that many in our society have become very primitive and very harsh predators.

The whole beauty of the Sacred Heart is that the Christian comes to ennoble the world through behaviors in line with the Gospel. We Christians must be nonconformists with respect to the world's style, that is to say, every Christian must be a prophet. And when one is a prophet, one necessarily goes against the grain, but not to argue, to build a different society.

.........

Tribune Chretienne: Speaking of differences, the faithful attached to the Tridentine rite expect a lot from this pope. So what can we tell them?

Cardinal Bustillo: I think there's room in the Church for everyone, and I repeat, there's room for everyone for those faithful attached to the Tridentine rite. In the Catholic Church, there are many rites, so there shouldn't be any problems at that level. Therefore, the Pope, in his mission, must first LISTEN, then DISCERN, and then DECIDE. This is the usual practice of a pope. If there are delicate situations, different sensitivities, etc., he must first listen and evaluate all the arguments, and then decide. And the Pope is following this path, saying to himself: for the moment, he understands all the realities, all the pain... and when he has all the elements, he will decide.

Tribune Chretienne: Are you personally in favor of this relaxation of the motu proprio Traditionis Custodes?

Cardinal Bustillo: I am obviously for peace in the Church. And peace in the Church, before speaking through the rite, passes through the Spirit. The rite is a question of form; it is the expression of celebrating one's faith with God, so what is important is first to pacify minds so as not to fall into ideology. The rite in itself is not a problem. When we look at the Mozarabic, Ambrosian, Eastern rites, etc., that is not the problem. The question for us Catholics is to remain within an idealistic logic without falling into ideology.

So the Tridentine rite is not a problem in itself within the Church. I don't know how to celebrate it, but I realize that there must be no rigidity in the rites; that too is important: we must above all remain in communion.

So, I am first and foremost in favor of a relaxation of consciences, because otherwise we fall into confrontation. As Cardinal Sarah said, "It is first and foremost important that there be spiritual maturity, otherwise we fall into the logic of confrontation, we say that we have a pope against us, etc." I have never celebrated the Tridentine rite; I don't know it very well, but I know and respect many faithful who are close to it and who prefer this rite. I respect their choices. As a pastor, we must think of the good of all. So, if someone loves this rite, I am for them to continue it. I am not saying: everyone must do the same!

We must respect a holy diversity that involves accepting diversity at the liturgical level. So, above all, seek the communion of the Church: communion, communion, communion!

When we look at society, when we see the wars between Israel and Iran... and we Catholics, what do we do?! If we Catholics are divided, we are stupid, we are few in number, and if we allow ourselves the luxury of being divided, then it really isn't great. The Church must have the maturity to accept differences and divergences.

Tribune Chretienne: Just a word about Father Sébastien Dufour, who celebrates Mass in Latin at the Church of Saint-Charles-Borromée in Bastia? Some of the faithful are talking about discrimination?

Cardinal Bustillo: There's nothing dramatic. I spoke with the priest yesterday at length... some newspapers are talking about "discrimination," it's nonsense. I'm giving him a place where he will be quiet and at peace, he will be able to celebrate with his community, and that was the goal we were both seeking. We're both in complete agreement; we spoke yesterday. It's anything but exclusion; it's an act of protection, not discrimination, and he understood that perfectly. The faithful don't have all the elements, so it's an act of protection and freedom so that he can exercise his ministry very freely. That was the goal; that's what I told him, and he understood perfectly. He knows me and there is no difficulty between us. We are in simplicity.

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