Three days of fellowship, reflection and prayer for a single large "upper room priestly" and shall be completed within three weeks, the special year that Benedict XVI wanted to devote to the priests. In this speech the Archbishop Mauro Piacenza, secretary of the Congregation for the Clergy, in this interview to our newspaper, which illustrates the program of the final day - 9, 10 and 11 June next - and make an initial assessment of the twelve months spent in listening to the Spirit with gaze fixed on Christ.
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are already coming year the closing celebrations of the priesthood. The imminence of the solemnity of Pentecost, can promote reflection on the role of the Holy Spirit in the life of the Church and priests?
face of so many things "to do" seems forced, especially in this liturgical season that is headed Pentecost, recalling a fact as simple as too critical but forgotten, a reality that is known but then, in fact, it is often forgotten when developing the "pastoral planning" and when "organized" the Holy Spirit ! What the soul is to the body, is the Holy Spirit to the Church and every Christian. It is the inner source of all the missionary zeal.
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Can claim to summon the priest Year has been a clairvoyant intuition of Benedict XVI?
The Pope is supreme and universal pastor of the Church and certainly has a particular assistance of the Spirit in the exercise of its high ministry. Assistance that is supported and invoked by the unceasing prayer of the faithful for him. Year born priest very specific historical occasion, the 150 th anniversary of the death of the Cure of Ars. And just to show a genuine realization of the example of a priest, the Pope has called for this special year, could point the way to every priest, recalling the essential values \u200b\u200bof the sacrament of order at a time when, more than ever, holiness shows as the only real possibility of renewal for the Church and the world.
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A year that, from the point of view of the media, will be marked by tensions and the crisis experienced by the Church because of the sexual abuse scandal.
The Church is a living body and, as a body, there are dynamic tensions that make life and movement and pathological stress can slow down and even paralyzing. Tensions - think, for example, going to the early history of the Church, those arising on the issue of whether to impose the law to the pagan newcomers - always have been resolved when the Church was in full harmony with Spirit: "We decided the Holy Spirit and us." Also many modern strains, which both cause suffering to people of good will, can be harmonized in the unity of faith and love in the Lord. It would be good to try to see what the Spirit suggested more emphasis.
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For priests who are currently living in difficult conditions or in crisis, what has been done in this Year of Priests?
We have entrusted to diocesan bishops the request to all priests, obviously if certain conditions are fragile, they must go particularly solicitous care, as would any parent with their children. Diocesan bishops know their priests and their personal situations and, therefore, can act with greater awareness for their real good and the whole community. Aware of this situation, the Congregation, on several occasions of meeting and correspondence with the bishops, it does address the question of the relationship also personal to each priest. It is a relationship pastoral priority in the government because the best care seminar and the presbytery, take care all the components of the diocese.
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The Pope spoke of the suffering of the Church during his recent trip to Portugal. Has referred to the mysteries of Fatima, but everything has identified the source of this suffering inside.
has been an exceptional event, something that touched me deeply. Speaking of the suffering of the Church, the Pope showed feel it, live it deeply. He felt in his own speech. In the Church, the most severe sufferings come from within, it is true. They come from the betrayal of someone who is closer, who feel friend, indeed, brother. And it made her suffer greatly more. On the other hand, the Church is used to defend against external attacks on its social body has endured all possible and imaginable persecution, beginning with the Passion of Jesus. The persecutions that come from the interior are certainly harder to accept. They can be born inside of every family when the father or mother or son, love and betray the trust of other members.
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spoken from various parts of a new identity for the priest of the third millennium. Would not it be better to speak of renewal?
Indeed, the identity can not change because it is printed on Christ the Good Shepherd. The only truly "innovative" in the Church is the Holy Spirit. First, the Spirit guides in the fullness of truth. La Verdad "full." Each of us alone has only a small fragment, and then there is the temptation to identify this small truth "personal" with the whole Truth. Then, these supposed "truths" are at risk of crashing into one another, and are born the tensions and divisions, the shocking chaos born of recriminations, the mutual accusations, the need for clarification, and the show is unfortunate. Thus, are rare breadth of vision, clarity of view and at the same time, the ability to compose in constructive dialogue partial views of each one, different but not opposite. For the symphony of truth takes a lot of humility and love for the fullness of truth but who will give us the sense of wholeness? Only the Spirit of God not only illuminates the whole truth but unites in communion. Only He can make up the tensions that plague the Church in the phase of his earthly pilgrimage.
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In your opinion, how can we solve the confrontation between the priest, rooted in Christ, and at the same time, immersed in a culture far removed from the categories of the sacred?
Living the St. Paul: "No longer I who live, but Christ lives in me." And what of John: "He should grow up and I must decrease." Living Christ's permanent memory, all tension is resolved. "The Spirit will teach you everything and remind you all that I have said." It's like a living memory of the Church, a divine instinct "for real. Jesus is constantly revealing action puts in the line of "memory." Christians, including especially the priests, are called to live in perpetual memory, alive and present, of the person, words and works of the Master: meditative memory, with affection. The apostles were the first to commit in this way: they have made in light of the paschal event and under the guidance of the Spirit, in obedience to the Lord: "Do this in remembrance of me."
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At the recent conference at the Lateran, you insisted on priestly hermeneutic of continuity, which implies the awareness of belonging to one priesthood of Christ, which depends on both the effectiveness of ministry priestly spirituality. You same, however, recognized that this category is not sufficiently understood or properly implemented. What does it mean?
"hermeneutics of continuity priest" is a providentially used by the Pope in his address to the over five hundred participants in that conference. I think that, given also the contiguity terminology, must necessarily be interpreted in light of the hermeneutic of continuity of the Church, the Pope stated as the only possible correct interpretation of the Second Vatican Council, in his address to the Roman Curia December 22, 2005. There are no pre-conciliar priests and post-conciliar, and there is no pre-and post-conciliar Church. There is one Church of Christ, the one priesthood of Christ participated in those he called in every age and circumstance. The model is the Lord and total identification with the call that He has directed, taught and lived and St. John Vianney.
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Is in this context of "continuity" that set the question of celibacy, as discussed at this time?
Christ remained throughout his life in the state virginity, meaning his total dedication to serving God and men. In him, the state of virginity is attached in full harmony in his mission as mediator between heaven and earth, and eternal priest. The Son of God assumed a human body and gave himself totally to the Father, giving the total and exclusive love of one's heart. Not only is Christ and his life were virgin: virginity is not something added to the earthly life of Christ but belongs to its very essence. Christ is virginity itself and, therefore, is the model of it. El Salvador predicted that the earth's Witnesses would not be wanting her virginity. Certainly there are many reasons of convenience of celibacy, both under the biblical and historical profile and under the spiritual and pastoral. However, it is essential to adhere to the source of all, Christ himself
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What is expected to conclude the Year of Priests? Expectations are high for the Pope's speech, especially interventions are expected on the issue that has dominated the media spotlight this year.
There will be three days that culminate in the Feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. On the first day, June 9, dedicated to conversion and the mission of priests, we find in the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls, where, following the example of the Apostle to the Gentiles, meditate on the extent of making permanent the priestly life and the link between holiness and mission effectiveness. The Church, one, holy, catholic and apostolic, calls all his children to ongoing conversion, remaining absolutely holy in its theological personality and the Body of Christ and the Bride of the Lord, continually sanctified and renewed by his wife, So, ever young and ever virgin. The Church is ontologically holy, its children are called to be.
The second day, June 10 originally planned at the Papal Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore, but the large number of priests and recorded - until now, nearly seven thousand - can not be contained in the first of the Marian basilicas in Christendom. Therefore, we are still in San Pablo. The intention is to find as a new Upper Room, as the apostles around the Blessed Virgin Mary, waiting and listening to the Spirit. The Church always needs to renew the affective and effective communion, and one like the heavenly Mother is able to keep such communion, which is a gift of the Holy Spirit.
Finally, at the great vigil of the night and the final Mass on Friday 11, we shook around Peter and hear his authoritative word that certainly knows expanding our horizons and show how large and powerful it is, and should be, the live and work in the Church and priests, in all circumstances, for the true good of souls and the salvation of the world. ***
Source: L'Osservatore Romano
Translation: Jerome The Attic
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