2013-04-21           Fr. José Marins  (South America)

Within weeks of the beginning of 2013, we have been flooded by extraordinary ecclesial news:

The resignation of Benedict XVI. With that is demistification of the image of the Supreme Pontiff. In the nobility of his gesture, from his deep humility and realism when he said: "I have reached where I have been possible. Follow up with a new Pope!"

The February conclave, called someone from the ends of the earth. And our church was, pushed by the Spirit, to consider itself located, for the first time outside Europe and the Mediterranean.

Did the "200 years of delay" denounced by Cardinal Martini, have weighed on the conscience of the last conclave?

We are living a moment of hope and desire for reform. We cannot miss this historical opportunity dreamed about for so long.¹

Conservatives have been taken by surprise and have not had enough time yet to articulate and fight back in a more systematic and effective way. However, it should not be underestimated that the majority of the episcopate has been carefully chosen by John Paul II and by Benedict XVI.

It is still early to dream about a new model of Church. The questions remain: Will the new seeds that Francisco is launching sprout? Are they sufficiently abundant to allow us to dream of a new crop, despite the land stepped on by the bureaucracy that comes and go, the plot of Curia thorns and areas of large structures of stone and cement that "are to stay" and will not move easily...? How much do we have good soil not dried up by disappointments, not dominated by the bad seeds that were falling, century after century?

It is true that we feel an air very similar than the one at the time of the Council. Suddenly the whole world, as it had never been possible in recent decades, felt barging an abundance of gestures and surprising messages on the part of the supreme authority of the Church. We are facing a papal mini-magisterium that orients the near future of the Church. We synthesize it in ten points:

-"I HAVE BEEN CHOSEN AS BISHOP OF ROME!"

From the very first moment in which the new Pope is presented in the "Loggia" of St. Peter, he identified himself as the Bishop of Rome. Pastoral and theological consistency. He is the "Primus inter pares" (first among equals). He is also the one who receives the ministry of Peter, to confirm his brothers and sisters. The Papal identity is totally revealed. The myth of having power over all is presented now as the server—first among equals—with responsibility to confirm everybody in faith and to give continuity to the mission of Jesus. The local church is strengthened. We witness emerging opportunities for ecumenism between "equals", with the help of the brother who is bishop of Rome.

The future asks for a smart, communian, creative reading of what the signs of the times are saying and at the same time a going back to of our biblical, mystical, missionary sources from a less European and more universal vision. The Church of Latin America, for example, needs to integrate in their walk today "what their ancestors have left them", from Bartolomé de las Casas, Pablo de la Torre, Diego de Medellín, Nobrega, Anchieta, Helder, Romero, Luciano Mendes... indigenous people and slaves, anonymous women...

The Church is not Europe, it is not reduced to a continent, to a culture, a geopolitics. Theological differences are necessary and legitimate, seeking to understand and communicate the content of Revelation. Different languages, traditions, symbols, music, and potentially "liturgical" gestures, allow a community to express and deepen their faith and core values.

In the process, local Churches are not secondary, or branches of Rome. In each one of them is happening the totality of the one, holy, Catholic and apostolic community of Jesus. What is achieved in one of them is common heritage, because of the radical communion between all. The differences are not threats, but graces. In that sense, Asia, Oceania, Africa, Latin America aren't appendages, but the ecclesial body, together with Europe. No more, no less.

The pyramid scheme has not still been overcome in the pastoral and theological imagination. We have a wonderful Pope, who inspires and loves us and an often mediocre ecclesial set up in its clergy, their seminarians and members who are leaving the Catholic Church. The new image of the Shepherd filled the contemporary church horizon. But we have not reached, with equal intensity and clarity, to develop a community of believers.

The minister, even if it is the Pope, is still more important than the People of God. Denying that Lumen Gentium says in chapter II.

The bishops of Brazil are debating about the parish, a community of communities. But, communities must still be created. It is not a metter of gathering all existing group experiences and giving them the name of community, keeping the old parochial structures.

Local churches must decide on their theologies and liturgies with the freedom to accept what other experiences over the centuries interpreted and communicated. All nominalism is disastrous. Without small base churches, the parish will never be an instance of articulation, inspiration and pastoral program.

They have sought Jorge M. Bergoglio in Argentina, to become the shepherd of all. He no longer belongs to a country, a religious order, or a movement. In fact, there cannot be a Polish, German, or Latin American Pope. He is the pope, only that. That's all. Nobody will feel stranger in front of him. It is placed by God. He is the shepherd of all and also of each one.

Jesus, at this hour gave us a new shepherd. The world was attuned to that white figure of a person that is humble, friendly, and simple. What won people over was not the majesty, or the manifestation of his power, intelligence or pump. He soon became an icon of a model of Church that offers unique resemblance with the Jesus that people loved, listened, felt on the shores of the sea of Galilee, on the roads of their homeland, giving hope to those most in need, focusing on those seeking the ways of God.

Many wondered if, via Bergoglio, also the contribution of the Church in Latin America was reaching the world.

We have the gift of a humble, simple, kind and noble Shepherd and with a strong personality. He reaches us giving gestures accompanied also by a few words, but important ones: mercy, forgiveness, joy, going to the people, walk, build, confess, smell of people, discern, create, nothing of "careerism" or pumps, and showing that power is service... As the African proberb goes: "Simple people, not important places, continue to bring major changes." But the important thing now is that pastors of lower rank and his colleagues also follow his examples in the local sphere, consistent with the papal view that is being shared to them.

To give himself the name of Francis is to make a statement of intent and a program of life. It is not only leave the red shoes, but walking barefoot. To become people, "one of us" as people said in St. Peter's square after meeting with the newly elected Pontiff. "He will rebuild the Church," as happened with San Francis in Assisi.

It is urgent to relaunch Vatican II. What the new pope mentioned already:

A samaritan Church, poor and serving those most in need, reaching the last. With simplicity, poverty and evangelical coherence in the evangelical leaders and ministers. A community that do not enclose itself in its buildings and structures (or it "becomes ill", according to pope Francis, in the speech of Holy Thursday, 2013). A Church with shepherds who "have the scent of the people", because they are with them (idem).

The small Church (LG 26), not beside the movements, but as the first ecclesial resort (Med 15,10). On the root of life, where the baptized are subjects and not mere passive members, missionaries ferments of the good news of Jesus.

Communities that are present where the Council could not reach.

Women with a real and effective role, present in the Church ministries.

A church with a young heart welcoming crowds of new generations who already feel satiated and empty with the mediocrity of consumerism, vulgarity and irresponsible sex without love.

In parishes and dioceses, we are almost totally dedicated to the service of the faithful. Waiting for people to come to us, to our buildings. This practice has revealed not only inadequate but disastrous. The Church is itinerant by nature, she should move in the direction of the outskirts.

The current parish has become the arrival end, when it should be a starting point. It suffers from the syndrome of the ghetto.

The itinerancy of the Church may not happen if the Church structures are so complex and heavy that it becomes impossible to move. The superficial reforms in parishes are betraying the hopes of a missionary Church. At the same time they are losing this historic opportunity to support the proposal of the BECs.

Popular devotion is the spirituality of the Christian people. It is particularly Marian, it lasts despite all the difficulties that come across in a technical, scientific and self-sufficient society. Some confuse it with the esotericism, kabbalistic rites, religious syncretism.

The faith of the people, which is not separated from gestures of gratuity and of profound and silent, humble, persevering, charity does not depend on the presence of ordained ministers. It is being passed generation to generation.

It develops an ascending theology, from life. It is not a reflection that starts from dogmas to reach life. And that ends up arriving late, responding to situations that have already passed. In other circumstances it concentrates in such a way to save the purity of the truths (what is obviously important), but neglecting to create the means and instruments to implement the proclaimed values. It is what has happened with Vatican II which adjusted powerful turbines of the Boeing 777, in fuselage of the small DC 3.

(No more the attitude of: "or... or", but the conviction that it has to be: "and... and".)

The Church cannot be the presentation of something immutable, because she is "ferment," is within the world. It is like a seed that being consistent with its own being, changes continuously in contact with the soil. It always remains always the danger of converting in immutable truth or divine institution that what it is the result of historical situations.

The Council of Nicaea I, introduced us the mystery of God and of Christ, but in Greek language and setting. What else have we understood of the inexhaustible God over 1,700 years? That is what we would say in an Nicaea III.2

Vatican III would have to collect what has been sown by Vatican II, and began to develop over the last 50 years (kingdom of God, people of God, collegiality, Church in the world, theology of earthly realities, freedom of conscience, ecumenism, dialogue with other religions, etc.) and the new challenges of human history.

Not to reduce the Church an extraordinary Pope, identified with the example of the historical Jesus.

The Church is not the Pope. It is not a question of person, but of the community. All of us; not only a Pope of the poor, simple, Evangelical... HE is the icon of a poor and servant Church.

To simplify, leaving the bureaucracy, pumps, ostentation of power.

Open the Church to people without elitism of movements, special groups.

The goal is not a new Church, but a world according to God's heart, a pluralistic human family in which we are to serve and not to conquer. Announcing by what is lived and loved. With a real and ecumenical dialogue, stating to the world that it is possible to approach those who are different, and even those who were considered enemies. Forgive mistakes, apologize for historical shortcomings, give credibility. The goal is the Kingdom.

The main subject are not the clerics, but the poor, youth, women, the community.

The method is not to conquer, giving more power and more monopoly to the Catholic church.

We are in a time of salvation.

Do not allow people or media to make a personality cult.

Place the Vatican money at the service the poor.

Publish the money entering and leaving the Church (full transparency).

Rescue the dignity of women in the Church, so that they can also decide and not just men.

Do not make pacts of privileges with the dominant powers.

Do not persecute theologians, as it is now happening, but encourage freedom of thought.

Defend people persecuted by dictatorships.

Apologize to homosexual persons, in the event that the Church has offended them.

Do not tolerate, nor conceal cases of paedophilia and sexual abuse.

Open the doors to second marriage couples.

Support morally and financially the (not recognized) children and wives of priests and bishops active in the ministry.

Do not only be poor, but make radical preferential option for the poor, not forgetting that 50,000 people die daily from hunger and misery.

Finish with the dispute for power in the Roman Curia, making it now a place that welcomes, articulates and responds to the cries of contemporary humanity.

Do not condemn or have prejudice against popular religion.

Listen more and make less speeches.

Do not remain in palaces - go to jails, to poor countries, to people in a situation of war, the masses of refugees—there the Master is.

Do not rely in spiritualist groups that promise lots of money and represent elites.

Do not exert judicial power over all the churches—remembering your mission as pshepherd and server.

Work for a more participatory Church (collegiality)—the current system is vertical and power centralized.

Do not hold the laity in condition of inferiority in the Church.

Do not prohibit creating national conferences of laymen in their countries, as it is happening.

Reopen the debate about sexual morality in the Church—what we now see are, on one hand, sexual scandals; and on the other, conservative and moralistic speeches.

Remove the norm of obligatory celibacy, that is causing so many diversions in the Church.

Do not position yourself as representative of a religion that feel superior to the others—that harms the fraternal dialogue with those who are different.

Overcome the crisis of identity that makes that the Church negate herself—identity comes by the testimony and coherence of life.

Make fewer documents and use more of the Gospel style: simple, direct, challenging and enlightening.

Do not appoint bishops and cardinals without extensive consultations at the local Church—this secret practice is an attack on living local churches that made exemplary historical paths.

Make changes in the liturgy—they are becoming empty and little participative, priestly rites unrelated to the problems of life. The Paschal mystery does not deserve that.

Do not hide the history of the Church in Latin America, her prophets and martyrs for the sake of liberation. They were a sign of the Kingdom of God among us.

Canonise our martyrs who sacrificed for the cause of justice and the poor.

 

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It is the "RESSOURCEMENT", so important in the process of Vatican II.

2 There was a Nicaea Council II; it took place from September 24 to October 23 in the year 787, with 350 participants.

3 Reflections from a group of lay people, religious and priests in Brazil.

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