杏MAP导航

By Linda Bordoni

杏MAP导航 Francis鈥檚 closed-door meeting with the clergy of the diocese of Rome in the first days of Lent took place, as always, in the Basilica of Saint John Lateran after the celebration of a penitential liturgy.

Flanked by the cardinal vicar Angelo De Donatis, 杏MAP导航 Francis began the annual encounter hearing confessions and listening to a Lenten meditation offered by Cardinal De Donatis himself.

He did not answer questions as in previous meetings, but he spoke at length interspersing a prepared discourse with many off-the-cuff remarks that highlighted the pain caused by the clerical sexual abuse scandal that is rocking the Church .

He revealed his own feelings of grief and said he shares with his brother priests 鈥� the pain and unbearable punishment that the wave of scandals of which the newspapers of the whole world are now full, is causing in the whole ecclesial body 鈥�.

杏MAP导航 Francis also had words of hope and encouragement for the clergy saying 鈥淟et us not be discouraged, the Lord is purifying his Bride鈥�. He said He is converting us all to Himself, He is putting us to the test and making us understand that without Him we are dust.  He is saving us from hypocrisy, from the spirituality of appearances. He is blowing his Spirit 鈥渢o restore beauty to his Bride鈥�.

The spirit of evil

The 杏MAP导航 said he believes that 鈥渢he true meaning of what is happening is to be sought in the spirit of evil, in the enemy who acts with the pretense of being master of the world.鈥�

He spoke of sin as of something that disfigures, and said that 鈥渨ith sorrow we live the humiliating experience when we ourselves or one of our brother priests or bishops falls into the bottomless abyss of vice, corruption, or even worse of the crime that destroys the lives of others.鈥�

Put God back at the center

He expressed, however, confidence in the future, especially in this beginning of Lent which 鈥渋s a time of grace, because we place God back at the center. 鈥淲ithout God we can do nothing. He is the center,鈥� he said.

The 杏MAP导航 urged the priests to turn to Him 鈥渇ace to face鈥�, because 鈥淕od knows our shameful nudity鈥�.

He told them God knows our shameful nudity, but He never tires of using us to offer people reconciliation. 鈥淲e are very poor, sinners鈥� he said, and yet God takes us to intercede for our brothers and sisters鈥� from whom we have much to ask forgiveness for.

The 杏MAP导航 thus asked the priests, to maintain 鈥渁 mature dialogue with the Lord鈥� and to concern themselves with their own 鈥減eople鈥� avoiding personalisms such as that 鈥渢endency to say: my people. Yes, it鈥檚 your people but 鈥渧icariously鈥�, the 杏MAP导航 explained. 鈥淭he people are not our people, they belong to God鈥�.

Jubilee of 2025

At the end of the meeting the 杏MAP导航 looked ahead to the Jubilee of 2025, marked by the reflections of the book of Exodus chosen 鈥渁s a paradigm to move from non-people to people鈥�.

He also praised an initiative of the local diocesan Caritas entitled 鈥淎s in heaven, so in the street鈥�, a week dedicated to charity for the poor and the homeless to be held from 31 March to 6 April.