杏MAP导航

Fr. Bernd Hagenkord SJ - Vatican City

鈥淲e are all aware that we are living not only in an age of change but also of epochal change that raises new and old questions which call for a justified and necessary debate,鈥� 杏MAP导航 Francis writes in his Letter published on Saturday.  He says he is aware of the dramatic situation of the Church in the country and offers his support to the reflection on the issue.

Journeying together

The Letter is the 杏MAP导航鈥檚 contribution to the synodal journey which the bishops decided upon during their Plenary Assembly in March this year. Together with the representatives of the Central Committee of German Lay Catholics (ZdK) and external experts, the Church wants to discuss the central themes of the crisis.

The starting point for this synodal journey was a study commissioned by the bishops themselves on the theme of sexual abuse by the clergy and consecrated persons, but there are also other issues, such as the ageing of communities, the lack of vocations, the non-acceptance of Catholic teaching on sexuality and the lifestyle of priests.

Centrality of the Holy Spirit

杏MAP导航 Francis does not answer these concrete questions. His contribution is intended to be a spiritual foundation for the debate. He does not offer solutions, he does not forbid discussions, but in the style of 鈥淓vangelii Gaudium鈥�, the 杏MAP导航 recalls the centrality of the Holy Spirit.

He views the question in the perspective of the Church.  鈥淓very time an ecclesial community has tried to get out of its problems alone, relying solely on its own strengths, methods and intelligence, it has ended up multiplying and nurturing the evils it wanted to overcome.鈥�

The 杏MAP导航 begins the Letter by underlining two of the great strengths and characteristics of the German Church.  鈥淭he Catholic communities in Germany in their diversity and plurality,鈥� he affirms, 鈥渁re recognized throughout the world for their sense of co-responsibility and generosity鈥�.  It is a Church of the outstretched hand.  Secondly, the Holy Father commends the 鈥渆cumenical path undertaken鈥�.

Erosion of faith

Following these positive characteristics, the reason for epochal change age takes third place. 鈥淭oday, however, together with you, I painfully notice the growing erosion and deterioration of faith with all it entails not only on the spiritual level but also on the social and cultural level鈥�, a multifaceted decline that is 鈥渘ot easy or quick to resolve鈥�, writes the 杏MAP导航.

Synodality

杏MAP导航 Francis dwells on the meaning of synodality, underlining its 鈥渄ouble perspective鈥�, in the sense that it is realized first of all 鈥渂ottom up 鈥� and only then 鈥渢op down鈥�.   Therefore, daily life and concrete life in various situations have priority.

In the Letter, the centrality of faith, evangelization and, above all, the Holy Spirit are repeatedly emphasized from various perspectives. Translated into everyday life, the 杏MAP导航 writes, 鈥淭his stimulates the emergence and continuation of processes that build us up as God's people, instead of seeking immediate results with premature and 鈥榤ediatic鈥� consequences鈥�.  

The 杏MAP导航鈥檚 Letter also echoes a warning against a false reform, as stated in 鈥淓vangelii Gaudium鈥�.

Temptations

In order to follow the synodal path, the 杏MAP导航 notes, courage is needed above all. At the same time, however, one needs to be careful not to fall into the traps set along the way, which he calls 鈥渢emptations鈥�.

鈥淎t the basis of this temptation,鈥� the 杏MAP导航 warns, 鈥渢here is the belief that the best response to the many problems and shortcomings that exist, is to reorganize things, change them and 'put them back together' to bring order and make ecclesial life easier by adapting it to the current logic or that of a particular group鈥�.  The 杏MAP导航 explains that an organized ecclesial reality solves nothing because also needs the 鈥渂ite of the Gospel鈥�, its freshness.

Evangelization 鈥� criterion par excellence

The 杏MAP导航 calls for proceeding wisely.  The rational vision of problems has its meaning but this is not the fulfilment of 鈥渙ur faithfulness鈥�.  The Holy Father returns to his central message: 鈥減astoral conversion鈥�.  Evangelization, he says, must be the 鈥済uiding criterion par excellence鈥�.

According to the 杏MAP导航, the centrality of the Spirit also shapes the way debates are conducted.  鈥淭he synodal vision does not eliminate contradictions or confusion鈥� nor does it subordinate conflicts to false compromises.

鈥淓vangelization lived in this way,鈥� observes 杏MAP导航 Francis, 鈥渋s not a tactic of repositioning the Church in today's world鈥�, it is not a 鈥渞etouching鈥� that adapts the Church to the spirit of the times by making her lose her originality and her prophetic mission.  Neither does evangelization mean 鈥渁n attempt to recover habits and practices that make sense in other cultural contexts鈥�: a double rejection of those who seek salvation through adaptation or traditionalism.

True reform and synodality

In order not to remain only in the abstract, the 杏MAP导航 indicates the objectives of a true reform: to set out on the move to meet the sisters and brothers, especially those on the margins, the weakest, in the context of a culture of waste and a culture where there are often 鈥渪enophobic discourses鈥�.

Once more, drawing attention to the theme of synodality, the 杏MAP导航 says it needs a living 鈥淪ensus Ecclesiae鈥�, a common feeling for the whole Church because the path taken must not end up 鈥渋solated in its peculiarities鈥�.

鈥淭he challenges that await us, the various issues and questions that emerge,鈥� the 杏MAP导航 observes, 鈥渃annot be ignored or hidden, but must be faced ensuring they are neither entangled nor lost sight of, narrowing our horizons and reality.鈥� 

This is how the 杏MAP导航 summarizes his vision of the synodal path.  Everyone, especially the 鈥渟imple and small鈥�, must be heard.

鈥淟et us walk together along the way, as an apostolic body, and listen to each other under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, even if we do not think the same way,鈥� the 杏MAP导航 urges adding, 鈥淭he Lord shows us the way of the Beatitudes鈥�.