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15 - 10.10.2005
SUMMARY
♦ TENTH GENERAL CONGREGATION (SATURDAY, 8 OCTOBER 2005 - MORNING)
♦ ELEVENTH GENERAL CONGREGATION (MONDAY, 10 OCTOBER 2005 - MORNING)
♦ SECOND PRESS CONFERENCE
♦ TENTH GENERAL CONGREGATION (SATURDAY, 8 OCTOBER 2005 - MORNING)
● PRESENTED BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE PONTIFICAL COUNCIL FOR JUSTICE
AND PEACE, CARDINAL RENATO RAFFAELE MARTINO THE FRENCH EDITION OF
THE COMPENDIUM OF THE SOCIAL DOCTRINE OF THE CHURCH.
The Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, after the Italian,
English and Spanish editions, has also published in French the
Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church, which gathers in a
harmonious and articulated synthesis the fundamental principles of
the Social Teaching of the Church, recording, in full, the complete
quotations of the Sources of the same Magisterium.
In the X General Congregation, Cardinal Renato Raffaele Martino, the
President of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace presented
to the Synodal Fathers the French Edition of the Compendium, which
was welcomed by them with warm applause.
For a long time the French speaking world was awaiting the
publication of the French edition, loudly called for by pastoral
workers and Study Centres, not only in France but in all the
countries where French is spoken.
The same Cardinal Martino gave the first copy of the French Edition
into the hands of the Holy Father, Benedict XVI.
[00205-02.02] [NNNNN] [Original text: Italian]
♦ ELEVENTH GENERAL CONGREGATION (MONDAY, 8 OCTOBER 2005 - MORNING)
● INTERVENTIONS IN THE HALL (CONTINUATION)
At 09.00 a.m. today, Monday, 10 October 2005, in the presence of the
Holy Father, with the prayer The Hour of Terce, the Eleventh General
Congregation began for the continuation of the interventions of the
Synod Fathers in the Hall on the Synodal theme The Eucharist: source
and summit of the life and mission of the Church.
President Delegate on duty was H.Em. Card. Francis ARINZE, Prefect
of the Congregation of Divine Worship and the Discipline of
Sacraments. On the opening of the Eleventh General Congregation the
President Delegate on duty, recalling the words of the Holy Father
after the prayer Angelus Domini of yesterday, invited all to prayer
and to worldwide solidarity for the earthquake victims in South Asia
(Pakistan, India and Afghanistan), and also for the hurricane
victims in Central America and Mexico, especially El Salvador,
Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua.
After, the Secretary General of the Synod of Bishops, H. Exc. Msg.
Nikola ETEROVIĆ, on opening the works of the second week of the XI
Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops, communicated that
148 Synodal Fathers had intervened during the first week of the
works.
This General Congregation ended at 12.30 with the prayer Angelus
Domini and 244 Fathers were present.
● INTERVENTIONS IN THE HALL (CONTINUATION)
At this Eleventh General Congregation the following Fathers
intervened:
- H. Em. Card. Lubomyr HUSAR, M.S.U., Archbishop Major of
Lviv of the Ucrainians, President
of the Synodm of the Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church (Kyiv-Halych,
UKRAINE)
- H.E. Most. Rev. Evarist PINTO, Archbishop of Karachi (PAKISTAN)
- Rev. Father Barry FISCHER, C.PP.S., General Moderator of the
Missionaries of the Most Holy Blood
- H. Em. Card. Varkey VITHAYATHIL, C.SS.R., Archbishop Major of
Ernakulam-Angamaly of teh Syro-Malabars, President of the Synod of
the Syro-Malabar Church (INDIA)
- H.E. Most. Rev. Tharcisse TSHIBANGU TSHISHIKU, Bishop of Mbujimayi
(CONGO R.)
- H. Em. Card. Crescenzio SEPE, Prefect of the Congregation for the
Evangelization of Peoples (VATICAN CITY)
- H.E. Most. Rev. Djura DŽUDŽAR, Titular Bishop of Acrasso,
Apostolic Exarch of Serbia e Montenegro for the Catholics of
Byzantine Rite (SERBIA AND MONTENEGRO)
- H.E. Most. Rev. Bosco LIN CHI-NAN, Bishop of Tainan (CHINA)
- H.E. Most. Rev. Christopher Henry TOOHEY, Bishop of
Wilcannia-Forbes (AUSTRALIA)
- H.E. Most. Rev. Petru GHERGHEL, Bishop of Iaşi (ROMANIA)
- H.E. Most. Rev. Gabriel MALZAIRE, Bishop of Roseau (DOMINICAN
REPUBLIC)
- H.E. Most. Rev. John Olorunfemi ONAIYEKAN, Archbishop of Abuja,
President of the Episcopal Conference, President of the Symposium of
Episcopal Conferences for Africa and Madagascar (S.E.C.A.M.) (NIGERIA)
- Rev. Peter-Hans KOLVENBACH, S.I., Superior General of the Society
of Jesus (NETHERLANDS)
- H.E. Most. Rev. Oswald GRACIAS, Archbishop of Agra, President of
the Episcopal Conference (INDIA)
- H. Em. Card. Pedro RUBIANO SÁENZ, Archbishop of Bogotá (COLOMBIA)
- H. Em. Card. Jozef TOMKO, President of the Pontifical Committee
for International Eucharistic Congresses (VATICAN CITY)
- H.E. Most. Rev. Jean-Louis BRUGUČS, O.P., Bishop of Angers (FRANCE)
- H.E. Most. Rev. Francesco CACUCCI, Archbishop of Bari-Bitonto (ITALY)
- H.E. Most. Rev. George Cosmas Zumaire LUNGU, Bishop of Chipata (ZAMBIA)
- H.E. Most. Rev. Luis SÁINZ HINOJOSA, O.F.M., Titular Archbishop of
Giunca of Mauritania, Auxiliary of Cochabamba (BOLIVIA)
- H.E. Most. Rev. Menghisteab TESFAMARIAM, M.C.C.I., Bishop of
Asmara (ERITREA)
- H.E. Most. Rev. Jean-Baptiste TIAMA, Bishop of Sikasso (MALI)
Below are the summaries of the interventions:
- H. Em. Card. Lubomyr HUSAR, M.S.U., Archbishop Major of
Lviv of the Ucrainians, President
of the Synodm of the Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church (Kyiv-Halych,
UKRAINE)
I believe, first of all, I must express my gratitude to the
Secretary General and to the Preparatory Commission who took into
account the observations made by the Oriental Churches both in the
Lineamenta and in the Instrumentum Laboris.
I would like also to intervene on the Eucharistic practice (no. 22.
23. 24) in the Tradition of the Greek Ukrainian catholic Church, but,
wanting to focus the present intervention on another problem, I will
postpone this aspect to an in scriptis intervention.
The problem that I face as a Hierarch of a sui iuris Oriental Church
refers to numbers 85, 86 and 87 of the Instrumentum Laboris. I
express myself in interrogative terms. My preface is that there can
be no doubt whatsoever that the Eucharist is the source and summit
of the life and the mission of the Church. But this is also true for
Oriental Churches!
- If the Liturgy is a regula fidei (lex orandi, lex credendi)
- if the Divine Liturgy celebrated by Oriental Churches in communion
with the See of Rome and by the Orthodox or Apostolical Churches is
identical for both,
-if there is mutual recognition of the Apostolic Succession of
Bishops and, consequently, of priests that celebrate it, then my
question is: what more is required for unity?
Is there maybe another fons or another culmen superior to the
Eucharist? And if not, why isn’t con-celebration permitted?
A final proposal. In order to grow also in Catholic intraecclesial
communion I would like to propose that the next Synod be dedicated
to the Oriental Churches.
[00087-02.03] [IN081] [Original text: Italian]
- H.E. Most. Rev. Evarist PINTO, Archbishop of Karachi (PAKISTAN)
I come as a representative of the Pakistan Catholic Bishops’
Conference . Ours is a small Church of 1.3 million Catholics among
Muslims who constitute 98 % of the population.
The Eucharist is a source of strength and nourishment for the
Catholics. They love the Word of God. They listen to sacred music.
They love to sing the Psalms in their mother tongue.
The Priest cannot always provide the Eucharist because of the large
Parishes and many sub-stations. In the rural areas the situation
becomes even more grave. The Catholics are spread in far away
villages.
I make two recommendations:
1. Inculturation. Often the rituals are not understood by the simple
people. We need to discover the “seeds of divine Wisdom” present
among the people (Ecclesia in Asia, no. 20).
2. New forms of Ministry. Our Catechists do much praiseworthy
pastoral work. But we need other Pastoral Workers, Married Deacons,
Pastoral Assistants, and other forms of ministry.
[00148-02.02] [IN105] [Original text: English]
- Rev. Father Barry FISCHER, C.PP.S., General Moderator of the
Missionaries of the Most Holy Blood
"The cup ofblessing that we bless, is it not a sharing in the Blood
of Christ?" (I Cor 10:16) With these words, St. Paul reminds us of
the circle of communion that is created by participation in the
Eucharist.
In sharing in the Eucharistic cup, God invites us to renew the
covenant relationship with Him, as the basis of all other
relationships. For reconciliation is indeed a gift from God, ''Who
has reconciled us to himself in Christ, and has given us the
ministry of reconciliation...So we are ambassadors for Christ, since
God is making his appeal through us" (2 Cor 5:18-20).
The aim ofthat reconciling ministry is to overcome hatred, injustice,
and division. But its ultimate goal is the bringing of peace, the
peace that Christ has won by the blood ofhis cross (cf. Col 1:20),
the peace that reconciles all things in Christ.
The communion achieved in the reconciling Blood of Christ empowers
us to be bridgebuilders, truth-tellers, and the healers ofwounds.
Our "amen" when receiving communion affirms not only the real
presence of Christ in the Eucharist; it invites us to be bread
broken and blood poured out, life given, for the life of the world.
We become as it were "living chalices" carrying the Precious Blood
of Christ, that sacred balm, to those who are in need of healing in
their brokenness, to those wounded by poverty, to those left half
dead by the wayside, scorned and scarred by prejudice, racism, and
war.
As "ambassadors of reconciliation" (2 Cor 5:20) we offer the Blood
of Christ to a world thirsty for harmony with God, with humanity and
with all creation. The Blood of Christ quenches the thirst for that
communion in which people of great diversity can come together in
deep and abiding unity, and calls us to be Eucharistic communities
which embrace those who are distant, separated, or cut off.
Participation in the Eucharist strengthens and emboldens us to dream
a different history, to build a new world, a world that conforms to
God's plan for humanity as revealed in the life, death, and
resurrection of Jesus Christ.
[00152-02.04] [IN111] [Original text: English]
- H. Em. Card. Varkey VITHAYATHIL, C.SS.R., Archbishop Major of
Ernakulam-Angamaly of teh Syro-Malabars, President of the Synod of
the Syro-Malabar Church (INDIA)
The Eucharist gives a great power to preach the gospel to the whole
world. The Syro-Malabar Church is a Eucharist-centered community.
The parish churches are crowded on Sundays and many take part in the
Eucharist on week days also. It may be due to this fact that our
Church is blessed with so many vocations to the priesthood and
religious life.
I am happy to note that a good number of the missionary personnel in
the mission dioceses of India, even in many of the Latin Rite
dioceses is coming from the Syro-Malabar Church and we send priests
and religious to Africa, South and North America, Europe and
Oceania. But the restriction of the proper territory of this Church
for over a hundred years now, has created serious problems both in
her missionary activity as well as the proper pastoral care of her
faithful in India and abroad. The St. Thomas Christians of the
Syro-Malabar Church have an extraordinary devotion to the Blessed
Virgin Mother. Her attitude of always fulfilling the will of God,
her humble service to those in need and her radical discipleship
even unto the Cross, all these are inspiring us to dedicate
ourselves to build up a better society based on justice and peace.
Finally, I consider that the year of the Eucharist, of which the
final stage is this synod, is a God-given occasion to all of us to
rededicate ourselves to the Eucharistic Lord and to His missionary
mandate.
[00175-02.04] [IN113] [Original text: English]
- H.E. Most. Rev. Tharcisse TSHIBANGU TSHISHIKU, Bishop of Mbujimayi
(CONGO R.)
I. THE EUCHARIST, EDIFICATION OF THE CHURCH, INCULTURATION AND
LITURGICAL RITES
As with reason Pope Benedict XVI insists, the Eucharist is truly at
the center and constitutes the great visible foundation of the
permanence and continuity of the Faith and the Way of the Church.
The Church is edified on and organizes the different structures and
the different ministries for the good of People of God around the
places of Eucharistic celebration and of all the other Christian
Sacraments.
Therefore the necessary and indispensable efforts towards
inculturation, in particular, come through the Eucharist. It is here,
just as on the subject of other facts and doctrinal notions of
Supernatural Revelation, that the opportunity and the necessity to
promote and pursue, in each socio-cultural area or region, -Ad
Gentes no. 22 -, pertinent theological research and studies, comes
in, in view of better defining and making available the most correct
type of catechetic expressions.
The framework of the Eucharistic celebration is that of the liturgy.
Here, new missionary efforts should still be made and pursued. After
Vatican Council II, the Christians of Africa, like those in other
parts or regions of Catholicism, have had to live the shock of the
passage from the universal rite, called of the liturgy or mass by
Pius V, to the rite promulgated by Paul VI.
Following this, the possibilities of integration of new specific
elements were opened, until the official promulgation of the Rite
notably called “Roman Rite of the Mass for the Dioceses of Zaire”,
published by John Paul II in 1988, and commonly called “Zairese Rite
for the Mass”.
Today, close to twenty years later, the need is being felt
throughout Africa, and beginning with the Church of the democratic
Republic of Congo, to evaluate the evolution of the practice, to
better the way the rite is being implemented, as is its due, and to
avoid deviations, slight or more or less worrisome, which have
already been noted here and there.
II. Social Implications of the Eucharist in Today’s Globalized World
Today’s globalized world is full of positive promises for all. But
they also contain many very negative aspects and effects,
unfavorable to the countries in the southern hemisphere in general,
and particularly Africa, a continent recognized by all as the most
“globalized” with relationship to others.
III. Themes for the next “African Synod”
On the occasion of the celebration of the African Synod (Special
Synod for Africa), already announced by Pope Benedict XVI, very
important questions like the following should be in the agenda:
-Inculturation of Divine worship and Liturgy in Africa
-Today’s general context of “Globalization” and the Mission of the
Church
-Inter-ecclesial solidarity. Exchanges and mutual help.
-Situation and future of the Missionary Institutes and Religious
Congregations.
-General development of Africa and commitments by the Church.
-Challenges of the Mission and ways of theological research in
Africa. Conclusion
May this XI Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops
contribute to renewing and reinforcing the missionary impulse of the
Church.
[00179-02.03] [IN120] [Original text: French]
- H. Em. Card. Crescenzio SEPE, Prefect of the Congregation for the
Evangelization of Peoples (VATICAN CITY)
In reference to what was stated in chapter 2 of part IV of the
“Instrumentum laboris”, a more organic and logical treatment, that
clarifies the distinction between Evangelization “ad Gentes” and
Evangelization for those who have abandoned their faith, is
necessary. It is true, that Evangelization is one in its content,
but it is diversified in relation to those it is addressed to.
There are different passages of the Instrumentum laboris that need
clarification, for example, clearly stating that today there are
approximately 5 billion persons who do not know Jesus Christ and
therefore cannot be nourished by His Body and His Blood. The Church
has the right and the duty to bring the bread of life and the cup of
salvation to them as well.
For this, Eucharistic doctrine must be offered to non-Christians in
its integral truth, without giving in to “cultural modes” that could
lead to that hermeneutical drifting by which the Eucharist loses its
mystical-real dimension and become a variation of that cultural
anthropology that relativizes the very person of Jesus Christ.
With the force of the Holy Spirit, the missionary, even today, will
know how to establish the Church among the peoples, nourishing them
with the Bread of life, given for all.
[00180-02.03] [IN123] [Original text: Italian]
- H.E. Most. Rev. Djura DŽUDŽAR, Titular Bishop of Acrasso,
Apostolic Exarch of Serbia e Montenegro for the Catholics of
Byzantine Rite (SERBIA AND MONTENEGRO)
I will now refer to the fourth chapter of Instrumentum Laboris: “The
Eucharist and Inculturation” (Nos. 80 and 81), “The Eucharist and
Ecumenism” (No. 86), “The Eucharist and Intercommunion” (No. 87).
Inculturation
The constant meetings between East and West leads to confrontation
between the two Christian liturgical traditions. The Eastern liturgy
is “accused’ of incomprehensibility and archaism, which make the
celebration moments “heavy”, but there is good reason for it to be
very involving and mystical. Latin simplification instead brings
about “liturgical impoverishment”.
To allow our celebration to be a sign of recognition and identity
for non Catholics, it is necessary to stress this formation in all
the categories of the people of God, with priority for the education
institutes, priest-liturgists, deacons, animators and ministrants.
In a word, regular pastoral care and an adequate ordinary liturgical
catechesis must take precedence.
The Eucharist and Ecumenism
The common celebration can become a strong message in daily life.
However, what is necessary are clear premises which indicate up to
where it is possible to operate at a liturgical level with the
churches and Christian communities which make up the ecumenical
mosaic. Therefore, we propose a liturgical guide which helps to make
sure that communion, not yet reached, is invoked in the prayer and
not taken for granted, and even as an “instrument” of dialogue. The
Eucharist and Intercommunion
I underline two possible threats: prejudice, as a first danger, or
relativism. Here we also call for clarity and truth; opening up but
without disregarding our identity. Even in this sector, the
Eucharist cannot be the means for communion, not even the means for
building a generic human community. The Eucharist is not even a
starting point. It is the ministry of Christ who in the gift of the
Eucharist gives us his Body. It is the gift given to he who belongs
to Christ and must become a saint for this and therefore, thanks to
this fundamental preoccupation, also the seed of unity in the Church
and in the world.
The most urgent request to this Synod is: to revisit the Eucharistic
mystery in relation to the other Sacraments, especially in relation
to the sacramentality of marriage in mixed marriages and offer
essential guidance, although to lower it into the local context on
the part of the bishops concerned. It is a challenge which we
consider involves other areas which are always vaster, and strongly
pertinent in the European continent.
[00156-02.06] [IN127] [Original text: Italian]
- H.E. Most. Rev. Bosco LIN CHI-NAN, Bishop of Tainan (CHINA)
Today, our faith is finding great pastoral and evangelizing
difficulties, both from within and from without. At the beginning of
the third millennium, we must wholeheartedly and forcefully overcome
these problems. Pope John Paul II proposed to us: 1. Today, we must
rekindle the spirit of evangelization in the people and preach Jesus
Christ, the only Savior, to them. 2. The Church, gathered around the
Sacrament of the altar, can better understand her origin and mission.
The Church, One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic, gathered around the
Sacrament of the Eucharist, is made the family and People of God.
1. The strength to promote the mission of evangelization is drawn
from the Sacrament of the Eucharist.
In this year, dedicated to the Eucharist, worship dedicated to it
from the whole Taiwanese church has created a great movement: the
priests’ Sunday preaching, exposition of the Most Holy Sacrament,
Holy Hour, etc., have all rekindled the fervor in the faithful
towards the Most Holy Sacrament. The faithful in Christ receive the
strength to go forth and proclaim the Gospel to their neighbors.
Many adults have been baptized. We hope that the conclusion of the
Eucharistic Year may represent a beginning, rather than an end.
2. The Eucharist is the Sacrament of union and communion.
As the Chinese people grow, as do the Catholics. We must only worry
about one thing: the lack of religious freedom, by which the Church
the Church risks division.
We must pray with all our hearts, to be one body, one spirit, just
as we have been called to edify the body of Jesus Christ, our Lord.
3. The Eucharist is the source and summit of the Church and of the
faithful’s spiritual life. We must promote and spread catechism
concerning the Most Holy Eucharist, so that all the faithful may
know their relationship, union and communion with the Eucharist, and
that they may fulfill the sacred mission, “Go forth and preach the
Gospel”, so as to achieve the aim, that is to say ,one shepherd and
one fold.
[00182-02.03] [IN134] [Original text: Latin]
- H.E. Most. Rev.
Christopher Henry TOOHEY, Bishop of Wilcannia-Forbes (AUSTRALIA)
Consider the fact that the Author of the Universe took human nature
to himself, was born of a Virgin, had (and still has) a human body
and a human soul, lived, died and rose again on this tiny planet we
call Earth. He did all of this for us and our salvation. And his
presence remains with us substantially and really in the Eucharist.
This Mystery staggers the mind; is beyond our full comprehension.
But the human heart can know it and love it and accept it in true
humility in the act of conversion.
We know that the Eucharist is the Father's pledge of fidelity to and
love for the human race. Our faith is audacious and bold in its
vision. It comes from God as a gift. We, who are its teachers, must
mirror its staggering beauty in the way we speak of the Eucharist,
in the way we celebrate the ritual of the Eucharist, and the way we
live the Eucharist.
[00184-02.05] [IN138] [Original text: English]
- H.E. Most. Rev. Petru GHERGHEL, Bishop of Iaşi (ROMANIA)
“Remaining in Christ” (Jn 15:4) has guaranteed, from the beginning,
the vitality and the force of the first Christian communities,
united in the celebration of the Eucharist. His living and also
sacramental presence is the certain guarantee of a continuity and
growth that can never end, despite the difficulties of History with
its ideologies and persecutions. The many testimonies of the
Eucharistic celebrations taken place in the catacombs of every time
and place are the obvious proof of this. Even if partially, I was
the direct witness of many heroic acts during the decades of
totalitarian communism. I knew Bishops and priests who managed, with
unimaginable creativity, to consecrate and preserve the Holy
Eucharistic Bread even in their own cells. During the long period of
Communism, the only place where the faithful could nourish the
courage of their faith was the Church. The celebration of the
Eucharist was, at the same time, a moment of evangelization,
catechesis and communion with God and their brothers.
The changes in 1989 opened the way to many values in situations of
freedom, but misunderstood freedom leads to the degradation of
customs in social life, in the family and sometimes even distancing
from faith. Thanks be to God, similar tendencies have not invaded
our Catholic churches, where the respect and love for the Eucharist
are even stronger than in the past. Rather, the attendance in Sunday
Mass is high and perhaps motivated in a greater way.
I suggest a proposal to increase respect towards the Eucharist.
Keeping in mind the Oriental tradition, the richness of such witness
and the attempt of an exchange of gifts between our Churches, I
propose using for the Holy Mass also the name “The Holy and Divine
Liturgy”, next to the Latin one, already in use but not very
precise. It would be a title that suggests in a better way the
sacred and invites to meditation, to amazement, to silence, to
adoration.
Finally, an appeal: let us conserve in the structures of our
churches the most visible and accessible place for the Tabernacle,
to avoid the risk of our churches becoming like lovely shells whose
inhabitant no longer can be found there.
[00186-02.03] [IN140] [Original text: Italian]
- H.E. Most. Rev.
Gabriel MALZAIRE, Bishop of Roseau (DOMINICAN REPUBLIC)
My presentation focuses on the pastoral challenges faced in the
Antilles with regard to some of the areas presented in the
Instrumentum Laboris.
The Antilles Episcopal Conference serves Guyana, Cayenne and
Suriname on the South American mainland, all the British, French and
Dutch Antilles and Belize. The Catholic ethos in each of the
dioceses is dependent significantly on the particular European
nation that colonized the country. In recent times the presence of
the Evangelical Movement from the United States has infiltrated both
the Catholic and Protestant cultures of the Antilles, thus affecting
their mode of worship and the way of being Church.
In some of the dioceses that are predominantly Protestant and/or
strongly influenced by the evangelical culture some of the faithful
have difficulty appreciating the difference between the Mass and
non-Catholic worship. For practicing Catholics the Eucharist is very
important for their growth in the Faith.
Systematic formation on the Eucharist is most prevalent for children
and young adults preparing for first communion and Confirmation. By
and lager the adult population has depended on the Sunday homily for
their doctrinal and spiritual formation
Great efforts are made to ensure that the Eucharist is celebrated
with dignity, decorum and with true participation of the faithful.
The awareness of the need for inculturating the liturgy is growing
in the Caribbean. Many of the faithful resist the short handshake
for the sign of peace. They want a more feeling expression of
fraternity, such as a bear hug or an embrace.
The Sacrament of Penance is not a regular part of the spiritual life
a growing number of Catholics.
Mixed marriages sometimes lead to a diminished regard for the
Eucharist. Intercommunion poses a problem in the Antilles.
Many of the faithful believe Holy Communion leads to personal
sanctification and transformation of attitudes and engenders
responsiveness to the needs of others. However, for many others
there is a disparity between what they believe and how they live.
Some recommendations include: (1) A return to the emphasis on Easter
duties with its requirement for (at least) annual Confession; (2)
Reclaim the respect and reverence due to the holy places; (3) The
need for grater silence before and during the celebration of the
Holy Massa; (4) That pews with kneelers be returned to the Church so
that people get into the habit of showing reverence before the
Blessed Sacrament
[00187-02.03] [IN146] [Original text: English]
- H.E. Most. Rev. John Olorunfemi ONAIYEKAN, Archbishop of Abuja,
President of the Episcopal Conference, President of the Symposium of
Episcopal Conferences for Africa and Madagascar (S.E.C.A.M.) (NIGERIA)
My intervention is a hymn of praise and thanksgiving to God for the
great blessings that the Church in Africa has enjoyed in the Post
Vatican II era through the "active, conscious, fruitful" and indeed
also joyous participation in the Eucharist celebrated in the
richness of our cultural expressions. I refer especially to nos.
80-81 of the Instrumentum Laboris with the title: "The Eucharist and
Inculturation".
The I.L. in many places has warnings, cautions, and even sometimes
anxieties expressed about errors, exaggerations and reckless
experiments in this matter. Such reservations are no doubt not
without reason, and should be taken seriously. But on the whole, as
the I. L. 34 states, "these should not lead to great alarm". Rather,
we should rejoice at the wonderful things the Spirit is doing in our
local Churches. All over Africa, in the last forty years, beautiful
eucharistic celebrations have emerged which have deepened the faith
of the people, improved the quality of their participation,
increased the love for the priesthood, given joy and hope in the
midst of distress and despair, fostered ecumenical rapport, and
generally promoted evangelization.
The Eucharist deserves - and is receiving the best of our cultures.
We may not have much to offer in terms of the glorious architecture
of European cathedrals or the fabulous paintings of Michelangelo and
Leonardo da Vinci. But what we have, we are happy to give: our songs
and lyrics, our drumming and rhythmic body movements, all to the
glory of God.
We do well to acknowledge and extol the valuable heritage of the
eucharistic traditions of the different ancient rites of both the
East and the West. I believe these are themselves products of an
inculturation that took place many centuries ago under the guidance
of the Holy Spirit. That same Spirit has not gone to sleep. "The
process of inculturation still remains active today in Church
communities". (IL 80)
Let me conclude by recalling the sweet memories of our dear Pope
John Paul II, whose love, respect and admiration for our efforts at
the inculturation of the eucharist are obvious and vivid, not only
in the liturgical celebrations during his many visits to many parts
of Africa, but on many occasions right here in the Basilica of St.
Peter.
Many are the problems of Africa. But at least in this case, we
rejoice that the Almighty has done great things for us. Holy is his
name.
[00172-02.03] [IN148] [Original text: English]
- Rev. Peter-Hans KOLVENBACH, S.I., Superior General of the Society
of Jesus (NETHERLAND)
The rediscovery of the Tridentine notion of sacramental
representation by Odo Casel, recently integrated and founded under
the biblical profile, opens encouraging horizons in the dialogue
between Catholic and the Reformed Churches. Instead of saying that
the Mass is the renovation of the sacrifice of the Cross, today we
say more exactly that the Mass is the renovation of the memorial of
the sacrifice of the Cross. In fact, the Mass is a sacramental
sacrifice, i.e. the sacrament of that sacrifice, our sacramental
re-presentation to the sole sacrifice.
The limit which sets the Catholic theology of the second millennium
against the Orthodox one was that of analyzing the Eucharistic
transformation on the basis of the notion of physical time, making
it exclusively dependent either on the moment when the consecration
words are pronounced or on the moment in which the consecratory
epiclesis is pronounced. On the one hand as on the other, it has
been forgotten that the moment when the transubstantiation (or
metabolč) occurs is not that of our chronometer, but it is God’s
instant, which is sacramental time. The Magisterium of the lex
orandi teaches that this instant, being by its own nature, “beyond
physical things”, admits two strong moments, both provided with an
absolute consecratory efficacy: the institutional narration and the
epiclesis. Referring to the consecration words and to the
consecratory epiclesis, the notion of absolute consacretory efficacy
does not support conflictuality or exclusivisms. Far be it from
presenting itself as an obstacle, the question of the epiclesis is
revealed as a real ecumenical bridge in the dialogue between
Catholics and the Othodox.
[00171-02.02] [IN149] [Original text: Italian]
- H.E. Most. Rev. Oswald GRACIAS, Archbishop of Agra, President of
the Episcopal Conference (INDIA)
This intervention seeks to focus on the Indian Context, keeping in
mind specially the minority nature of the Church.
1. Following the paradigm of the experience on the road to Emmaus,
wherein the Lord explained the Scriptures and then broke bread with
his disciples, we too need to give enough importance to the Liturgy
of the Word in our Eucharistic celebrations. In India where there is
a great need for faith formation, more attention would have to be
paid to lead the people to understand, appreciate and live the
Scriptures in their richness. For this purpose, attempts could be
made to use mediatic means like audiovisuals, projections of Gospel
scenes and power presentations to make the proclamation appeal to
the different human senses. Bishops, being fully involved would take
care to avoid the danger of showmanship.
2. As indicated by the Instrumentum Laboris, the connection between
the Eucharist and Spirituality should be reinforced. The
participation in the Eucharist, an immersion into the Passion, Death
and Resurrection of the Lord must lead the faithful to a
transformation that enables them to permeate the temporal world with
the power of the Gospels. Thus they would be harbingers of unity,
and bearers of peace and reconciliation in a world torn by the
strife of caste and class, communal and religious intolerance and
give human dignity to those devastated by injustice and
exploitation.
3. People in some areas in India are attracted to the sects because
they find our liturgies monotonous and impersonal, far from being a
God experience. The Episcopal conferences along with the
Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments
could work out ways of further inculturation of the liturgy as well
as introduction of more freedom and creativity, while at the same
time safeguarding it from the danger of abuse.
Group Masses and Masses for Families could be effective means for
strengthening family unity and in giving family cathechesis.
[00168-02.04] [IN152] [Original text: English]
- H. Em. Card. Pedro RUBIANO SÁENZ, Archbishop of Bogotá (COLOMBIA)
In the Eucharist we live the encounter with Christ, our peace and in
consequence, we must welcome its peace, bear witness to it and
promote it with our life. Peace is love, truth, reconciliation,
justice and solidarity with our brother, in whom we discover the
presence of Christ, not only Risen, but also wounded by hatred,
injustice and violence. To receive communion demands commitment and
willingness to work united with our brothers in the building of
peace. To be reconciled and at peace is a condition to draw near to
the Eucharistic banquet and many baptized people live a life of
suffering with the marks which violence and hatred leave.
The Sacrament of Penance reconciles us with God and demands, not
only the recognition of sin, but also the intention to rectify in
order for conversion, which leads to adjusting life in agreement
with the will of God. He who nourishes himself with the Eucharist
has to be reconciled with his brothers in order to live the
communion with God, our Father. The parable of the Prodigal Son
shows us the mercy of God Father and also the repentance of the
sinner, who recognizes his sin and gets up, trusting in the mercy
and the pardon of God.
In the moment of giving one another the embrace of peace, we are
expressing that there remains no hatred nor bitterness in our heart.
It would be more coherent if the embrace of peace would be put
before the offering, after the prayers of the faithful, in agreement
with what the Lord asks in the Gospel: “So then, if you are bringing
your offering to the altar and there remember that your brother has
something against you, leave your offering there before the altar,
go and be reconciled with your brother first, and then come back and
present your offering”(Mt 5:23). Because if we do not have peace,
how can we give it? It would be a mere gesture without content and
not a witness of communion with the Lord and with our brothers.
How can we draw near to the Eucharist Sacrament of love, if there is
no forgiveness and true love? The peace that the Lord gives us
demands that we should forgive and that we should uproot hatred and
the desire for revenge, the wall which separates us from our brother
and also from the Lord.
We will only overcome the violence engendered by hatred when we are
capable of forgiving as God forgives us, and thus, with sincerity,
will we be able to head towards our Father: “and forgive us our
sins, for we ourselves forgive each one who is in debt to us” (Lk
11:4)
It is scandalous that there are baptized people who break, through
ambition, injustice, discrimination, rancour and hatred, their human
and fraternal relationships; how can they call themselves children
of God, if they do not live their relationship of love with Him,
present in their neighbour? And how can they come to receive the
Eucharist, without recognizing that through hatred they have broken
communion with their brother, without first welcoming the mercy of
God through the Sacrament of Penance?
It is urgent to insist in the permanent preparation of the faithful
in the Sacrament of the Eucharist, which is the food which nourishes
faith, so that they should live the encounter with Jesus Christ and
welcome the peace that He gives us and which we have to share with
their brothers.
[00167-02.04] [IN157] [Original text: Spanish]
- H. Em. Card. Jozef TOMKO, President of the Pontifical Committee
for International Eucharistic Congresses (VATICAN CITY)
At the closure of this Synodal Assembly the year of Eucharist, which
the Servant of God, John Paul II, inaugurated at the end of the 48th
International Eucharistic Congress in Guadalajara, 18 October 2004,
will also finish. The theme of the congress, which lasted a week and
was preceded by a deep theological symposium, was: “The Eucharist:
light and life for the New Millennium” What was impressive was the
massive manifestation of faith, prolonged for a week, with a few
million participants, the Eucharistic procession that lasted for
hours, with young people chanting the words: “Jesus is present, He
can be seen, He can be felt”, the imposing pilgrimage of a few
million people to Our Lady of Zapopan (Eucharistic Woman), the daily
presence of 17.000 participants at the Eucharistic liturgies
followed by Catecheses and testimonies, and finally the message by
John Paul II broadcast on television. An authentic immersion in
faith. The whole Church was represented at this ‘Statio Orbis”
around the Eucharistic Christ, with groups arriving even from
Siberia and Korea, and with a strong presence of Adorerers of the
Eucharist.
Eucharistic congresses were born on France in 1881, from a fervent
Eucharistic devotion, thanks to the harmonious cooperation between
clergy and lay people, under the inspiration of Saint Pier Giuliano
Eymard. Their motto, “The salvation of Society by means of the
Eucharist”, aimed at confronting religious indifference, so similar
to the agnosticism of our times. A Permanent Committee, approved by
Leon XIII, which later became“Pontifical”, was constituted for the
preparation of the first International Congress of Lille, in 1881,
and continues to promote the periodical celebration of International
Eucharistic Congresses, and besides this: “it encourages and
supports initiatives which are in harmony with the norms in force
within the Church, seek to foster devotion to the Eucharistic
Mystery in all its aspects, from the celebration of the Eucharist to
its worship extra missam” (Statutes, Art. 3).
The International Eucharistic Congresses are celebrated every four
years in different continents. Any will still remember the one
celebrated in Rome during the Jubilee of 2000, and, moving down the
years, that of Wroclaw, Seville, Seoul, Nairobi, Philadelphia,
Bombay, Muenchen and others. The next one will take place in Quebec
(Canada) in 2008. The recent World Youth Day in Cologne, thanks to
its theme “Venimus Adorare Eum” in truth nearly became a Eucharistic
congress.
With Vatican II Council, the International Eucharistic Congresses
have taken on the physiognomy of the “Statio Orbis”, a type of
“break” in which the particular churches of the various part of the
Orb unite themselves with the Pope or his Legate, in a city,
gathered around Christ in his Eucharistic Mystery, in order to
manifest and deepen in their faith. Catechesis, the celebration of
the Holy Sacrifice, the Adoration of the most holy Sacrament, the
solemn Eucharistic Procession, first Communion, charitable
activities towards the poor, the sick and the disabled, encounters
for reflection according to different categories make of such a
Congress a true occasion of spiritual renewal, with visible and
invisible fruits, that only God knows but are certainly abundant.
In the right proportion, the same may be affirmed also of other
forms of Eucharistic Congresses, which can be celebrated at a
National, Diocesan, or Deanery-Vicarage and similar levels. A
communitarian encounter with the Eucharistic Christ is always
fruitful in helping religious fervour, communion, vocations,
missionary spirit, social peace and solidarity grow.
The rediscovery of Adoration, also Nocturnal Adoration, has been
mentioned. The Adorerers that we have seen in Mexico are an example
of this. As contemplative sisters are also. However, now Jesus the
Eucharist is attracting young people as well, who in Him discover
God - Love. We hope this happens in our Parishes, Seminaries,
convents and the presbyteries. Before Him, great reasonings are not
necessary, all that is needed is simple faith. Like that of the
countryman of Ars to whom Saint Giovanni Vianney asked what he was
doing for such a long time in front of the tabernacle. The answer is
disarming in its depth: “I look at Him and He looks at me!” In that
meeting of eyes, the solution to many problems of our time is to be
found.
[00196-02.03] [IN159] [Original text: Italian]
- H.E. Most. Rev. Jean-Louis BRUGUČS, O.P., Bishop of Angers
(FRANCE)
We need to take our part in the ongoing secularization: it is a
weighty and lasting tendency. It has secreted a mentality -
secularism - which singularly questions Christian conscience.
Secularism challenges any form of relationship with the world beyond
and the invisible world. There exists even a self-secularization
within our Christian communities. What becomes of the Eucharist,
“bread from Heaven” if there is no longer a heaven? The role that
the Eucharist should play in the “new evangelization”, more
precisely in evangelization by culture, should be defined. Our young
people who have discovered in Eucharistic Adoration the source of
their mission in the service of modern rationalism, should also be
encourage.
[00197-02.04] [IN158] [Original text: French]
- H.E. Most. Rev.
Francesco CACUCCI, Archbishop of Bari-Bitonto (ITALY)
The demand for a “mystagogical turn” in our pastoral is always
greater and more contemporary. The “Lineamenta” of the Synod have
dedicated an entire chapter to this. The “Instrumentum laboris”
makes an explicit reference to mystagogy in numbers 31, 40, 47 and
52. Also several Synod Fathers have expressed this need.
We are anchored in a pastoral that “prepares” for the sacraments. As
soon as the sacraments of Christian initiation are celebrated, one
speaks about the “goodbye” to the Christian community. In reality,
an essential experience is lacking: the progressive entrance to the
mystery of salvation.
The Fathers of the Church, who lived a cultural situation in some
ways analogous to that of post-modern man, make a “mystagogic”
choice, directed, not at “fervent” Christians, but at the Christians
marked by the contradictions of a sort of “secularism” of those
times.
In a period of fragmentation such as ours, mystagogy guides within
the mystery, marks the encounter between catechesis, the experience
of celebration and daily Christian life.
There can be no true synthesis between faith and life if the link of
celebration is missing. Thus the synthesis Eucharist-life cannot be
achieved without faith. It is the trinomial faith-liturgy-life
recalled in the “Instrumentum laboris” at no. 29 and so spread out
in the pastoral plans.
How can a Christian community achieve this mystagogical development?
By recuperating the centrality of Sunday Eucharist. “Sine Dominico
non possumus”: expression of the martyrs of Abitene, recalled by a
Synodal Father, poses a question to Christian identity, with precise
ecumenic nuances.
No. 70 of the Instrumentum laboris underlines this centrality.
Faced with the ever arising rationalizing temptation, Eucharistic
mystagogy highlights the primacy of grace.
The Sunday Eucharistic celebration is also the missionary place of
greatest relevance in the Church. The faithful meet there, but also
those who rarely take part in Sunday Mass.
But it is also a question of pastoral method that, in my opinion,
the Synod could propose.
The Liturgical Year has been lived, from the beginning, as the place
in which the community lives and proclaims the mystery of Christ.
The rhythm of this itinerary is strongly marked by the conferring of
the sacraments of Christian initiation, which has its summit in the
Eucharist, and by the various steps in preparation for it.
If the Christian community is the subject of the itinerary of faith,
full, active and conscious participation (cf. Sacrosanctum
Concilium, no. 48) of the People of God in the Sunday liturgy
requires a “mystagogical accompaniment” that could be prepared, not
only by priests, but also by the animators of a weekly community
encounter during which, beginning with the mystery celebrated in the
rite, in the light of the Words of the Old and New Testaments and
the teachings of the Fathers, learn to reflect together on the life
of the community and to improve the commitment in history.
These considerations come from a pastoral choice lived in our local
Church and proposed on the occasion of the Italian National
Eucharistic Congress of this year.,
[00204-02.03] [IN169] [Original text: Italian]
- H.E. Most. Rev.
George Cosmas Zumaire LUNGU, Bishop of Chipata (ZAMBIA)
I am speaking on behalf of the Zambia Episcopal Conference. I must
admit that in spite of today's advanced means of technology, our
Episcopal Conference did not receive the Instrumentum Laboris with
sufficient time to be able to respond a as conference. Therefore, I
was given the freedom to make a personal intervention, keeping in
mind the pastoral situation in Zambia. My intervention is based on
numbers 42, 44, 61 and 62 of Instrumentum Laboris.
In number 42 it states that in liturgy, a person looks not at
himself but God. The document therefore needs to emphasize more on
the living God in his relationship with his people rather than the
human activities encapsulated in liturgical traditions, norms and
rubrics. In this way, we will avoid the temptation of either finding
past solutions for today's pastoral challenges related to the
Eucharist or focussing too much on the shadows as it has been
reflected in the document. One liturgical issue that comes to my
mind is BEAUTY.
Art. No. 62. refers to beauty as a means to penetrate into the
mystery of God and of the Eucharist, it would be useful to quote the
then Cardinal Ratzinger who, addressing the movement known as
Communion and Liberation in 2002 said: “Being struck and overcome by
the beauty of Christ is more real, more profound knowledge than mere
rational deduction. Of course we must not underrate the importance
of theological reflection, of exact and precise theological thought;
it remains absolutely necessary. But to move from here to disdain or
reject the impact produced by the responses of the heart in the
encounter with beauty as a true form of knowledge would impoverish
us and dry up our faith and theology. We must rediscover this form
of knowledge (through beauty), it is a pressing need of our time ...
Today, for faith to grow, we must lead ourselves and the persons we
meet to encounter the saints and to enter into contact with the
Beautiful.”
More recently, the Religious who gathered here in Rome for the
Congress of 2004 were also sensitive to this dimension made manifest
in their final document where they said: “Arts and beauty are icons
for all cultures; artists help the communities of consecrated life
fight against a consumerist mentality, create beautiful spaces for
prayer, find new symbols to tell new stories to the hearts of the
men and women who listen. This communication of beauty will give
birth to joy and life in the midst of violence and death.” (Final
document III/2/4, page 222. Pauline edition).
Could we ask our theologians to launch a pastoral reflection on the
theology of beauty in order to shed more light on the shadows
experienced in the celebration of the Eucharist?
Participation of the laity, art. No. 44... The use of the phrase
minimal assistance and collaboration in reference to the
participation of the laity in the celebration of the Eucharist
should either be modified or removed completely. In his article, the
Eucharist: Source and Summit of the life of the Lay Faithful, Matteo
Calisi states: “despite liturgical reform, there still lingers on a
widespread clerical mentality in the liturgy, seeing the celebration
of the mystery more the work of the clergy- the celebrant-than the
'work of the whole people of god' celebrating their Lord for it is
often the case that the people do not unite themselves with the
celebrant by active and lively participation, but aformal manner by
only relating to the celebrant through the dialogue of ritual
responses.” (Rediscovering the Eucharist: Pontificium Consilium Pro
Laicis. Page 70).
Still on the topic on participation of the laity, and this time
through music, songs (art.61) and the use of Latin (at international
meetings)(art.62), my impression about these articles is that they
do not seem to reflect contributions from some mission countries
like Zambia. I find this part of the document to be over-optimistic
about the organ, Gregorian chant and even the use of Latin at
international meetings in an attempt to meet the needs of the people
of all time and places. My proposal is that we should not go back to
making these instruments of worship universal. Our consideration of
our cultural items should not be in comparison to, or in relation to
either the organ, Gregorian chant or Latin, although they could
still be treated as options for those who find them helpful.
Communication and participation is vital in every liturgical
celebration including the Eucharistic celebration. Our hope lies in
the future and not in the past. We need courage to face our present
pastoral challenges with regard to the Eucharist without nostalgic
tendencies if the Eucharist is to respond to the pastoral needs of
the time.
[00207-02.03] [IN171] [Original text: English]
- H.E. Most. Rev. Luis SÁINZ HINOJOSA, O.F.M., Titular Archbishop of
Giunca of Mauritania, Auxiliary of Cochabamba (BOLIVIA)
I speak in the name of the Episcopal Conference of Bolivia and I
refer to numbers 53, 55, and 56 of the Instrumentum Laboris.
The Risen Christ does not abandon humanity; He continues the gesture
lived on the Cross, giving his Body and his Blood, he gives Himself
to us as food, welcoming us in Himself. He unites us in the fullest
communion with his eternal life and with his infinite love. (Cf.
Mane Nobiscum Domine, 19).
Remaining in Him gives us Divine life; it is the greatest grace for
a disciple of Jesus (Jn 15:4-9). The bread, formed by many grains of
wheat, and the wine, produced by so many grapes are a symbol of
unity. Jesus, the One Bread shared with all, creates full communion
with Him; makes of all those who believe, one sole body.
The Eucharist is given to the Church through the Apostles. Jesus
Himself, in the miracle of the multiplication of the bread (Mk
6:37-44), does not directly offer the bread to the people Himself,
but invites the Twelve to give them to eat. For the Church this is a
fundamental indication. The Lord, Bread of Life and food of
salvation is found in the community of those who believe, where the
Apostles, the Bishops of today, continue the Mandate to break the
Bread for the whole People, and satisfy their hunger.
I come from a country that is rich in culture, as all of you; that
has a deep faith in the Eucharist, in the Virgin Mary and in the
suffering Christ.
The veneration of their deceased is something sacred to them; it is
not conceivable to bury a dead person without celebrating the Holy
Eucharist, as they are convinced this is the best way to hand him
over to God. They celebrate their patrons feast days, their civic
feat days and every important event with the celebration of the
Eucharist; followed immediately by folklore, dancing and drinking,
often in an exaggerated way.
What stands out most, and calls one’s attention, sometimes even
calling upon the Pastoral Workers, is the simplicity, the profound
faith and hunger for God they have. Based on this experience, I
allow emphasize to the formation of priests and of those in
consecrated life, giving priority to the Theology of the Eucharist
as a very important foundation for their spirituality and an
indispensable food for the maturing of their vocation, that will
lead them to be good shepherds, missionaries who give a witness of
their faith with generous service
Christian spirituality is centered on the Eucharist, a spirituality
of profound ecclesial communion; the people of the countryside above
all, in the communities where a priest does not reach and who love
the Holy Father and his Pastors, in the best of cases are attended
by a catechist or a Religious sister; that is to say, they are left
without the Eucharist through lack of priests...What should be done
in the future? The people grow in number and priests decrease; sects
increase.
The pastoral orientations and suggestions of the Synod, which help
us to recognize the experience of the Jesus Christ Risen as the True
Bread that fills man, that is the only one capable of giving real
life; suggestions that could be an answer to the lived culture of
the religiosity of the people, which lead us to comprehend the true
meaning of the same, from the “Eucharistic communities”, “that love
and serve in solidarity”.
[00211-02.04] [IN175] [Original text: Spanish]
- H.E. Most. Rev. Menghisteab TESFAMARIAM, M.C.C.I., Bishop of
Asmara (ERITREA)
I come from an area of Eastern African Christian Tradition where,
among non Catholics, daily celebration of the Eucharist, frequent
reception of Holy Communion, reservation of the Sacred Speces in the
Tabernacle, and adoration of the Eucharist outside Holy Mass are not
practiced.
Does this mean there is less celebration of the Sacred Mysteries?
Or, does it mean there is less adoration in these Churches? Not at
all. There is only a different approach and different theological
sensibilities. As a Catholic minority we do have all the above
mentioned traditional Latin Catholic practices. But we feel we need
to embed them better within an Eastern Christian Spirituality.
The second chapter of Part III of the Instrumentum Laboris has a
beautiful title: Adoring the Lord in Mystery. The Eucharist is
indeed the Mystery of our Faith. The subtitle of the same chapter is
however not clear. What does" From Celebration to Adoration" mean? I
hope it does not mean a temporal sequence, or an essential dichotomy
between the two actions of the people of God. In the Liturgical
action of the Eastern Churches celebration and adoration are two
actions intrinsecally united. They are two aspects of the same
reality, just as the table of the word and that of the Body and
Blood of Christ are two parts of the same Eucharistic Banquet.
Celebration and adoration go hand in hand. They do not follow each
other. The first stresses the festive aspect, the second highlights
the Greatness and Holiness of God. On one hand, we celebrate the
great things God has done for us through His only Son our Lord and
Redeemer Jesus Christ. We feel so close and familiar to Him and sing
Allelujah! In our tradition there should be only the High Mass all
sung and everybody involved: Priest, deacon, people. Liturgical
dances prepare the people before Mass. God has become one of us and
has offered His life for us. He is the Emmanuel! God with us.
On the other hand, we adore the Lord of Glory together with the
angels and archangels, Cherubim and Seraphim. During the Holy
Eucharistic action Heaven and Earth are in unison to prostrate
themselves in adoration before pteMajesty of the Triune God, the
wholly O!her. The doxologies sung during the Holy Mass are but an
expression of the intense experiences of this awe inspiring presence
of the Holy: "Holy, Holy Holy, God of Power and Might. Heaven and
Earth are full of your Glory. Hosanna in the Highest".
Celebration and Adoration are thus two inseparable actions of the
people of God gathered around the table of the Word and Christ's
Body and Blood. These two actions unite Heaven and Earth. For a
brief moment heaven descends and is tangible among men. It is like
the experience of the disciples of Jesus, Peter John and James on
Mount Tabor. The Eucharist is Mystery of Faith. It cannot be
worthily celebrated without a deep sense of the Sacred. An act of
adoration without a feeling of wonder and amazement may inspire only
fear and despair. Hence we need to stress the unity of celebration
and adoration. We have to encourage our faithful to become an
adoring celebrating community, be it during Mass or outside Mass.
[00215-02.03] [IN179] [Original text: English]
- H.E. Most. Rev. Jean-Baptiste TIAMA, Bishop of Sikasso (MALI)
The Catholic Church in Mali chose the option of a Family Church, a
brotherly Communion at the service of the Gospel.
It is a minority in the midst of a population with 80% Muslim and
20% belonging to the traditional religion according to the areas;
the Christians (Catholics and Protestants) of Mali are but a small
portion of the population, of 3%.
The Catholic Church is well presented and well respected in the
country. Its pastoral objective is to build a Family Church,
fraternal communion at the service of the Gospel, a Church that
lives and celebrates its faith; a Church where the Word of God is
announced, welcomed and celebrated, and where the Eucharist
represents the place for the expression par excellence of its Unity
and the starting point of its mission in the midst of the brothers
from other religions, such as Islam and the traditional religion.
And with the assistance of the grace of Christ, every year it
receives hundreds of new children at Easter.
This Church awaits from this Synod help in promoting in the whole
body of the Church, “Eucharistic worship”: respect for the holy
places, adoration and procession of the Holy Sacrament by priests,
persons from consecrated life and the lay faithful.
In fact, the people among which the church lives is a deeply
religious people that respectfully welcomes all that touches upon
the religious. Thus, the Christian has the time to leave work to
participate in liturgical celebrations on the holy days of
obligation, even if the law does not make it a feast day. During the
periods of drought and calamity, the administrative authorities ask
them for prayers to help the country to face the situation.
Christian seriousness and commitment in society have given the
Church its due place. This testimony that inspires confidence draws
its source and strength from the good formation that some have
received, and above all from the unity of all around Christ, unity
that is achieved each day more through th Eucharist. Our deepest
wish is to maintain, if not to also to promote within this Church,
Eucharistic worship: at the level of the clergy, the persons of
consecrated life and the lay faithful.
Also, one must insist on the formation at al levels: ordinary
catechesis and Christian initiation of the adults; but we can never
insist enough on what we believe is essential. The formation of
children of the age to receive first communion is of great
importance, and also for priests, liturgical formation must be
intensified in the seminaries, so that when in the parish, the
minister is very respectful of the worship he is celebrating.
[00216-02.03] [IN180] [Original text: French]
♦ SECOND PRESS CONFERENCE
Accredited journalists are informed that Thursday, 13 October 2005,
at 12.45 in the John Paul II Conference Hall of the Holy See Press
Office, the Second Press Conference will be held on the works of the
XI Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops (Relatio post
disceptationem).
The following will intervene:
● H. Em. Card. Francis Arinze
Prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of
the Sacraments
President-Delegate
● H. Em. Card. Juan Sandoval Íńiguez
Archbishop of Guadalajara (Mexico)
President-Delegate
● H. Em. Card. Telesphore Placidus Toppo
Archbishop of Ranchi (India)
President-Delegate
● H. Exc. Msg. John Patrick Foley
Titular Archbishop Of Neapolis of Proconsulari
President of the Pontifical Council for Social Communications
President of the Information Commission
● H. Exc. Msg. Sofron Stefan Mudry, O.S.B.M.
Bishop Emeritus of Ivano-Frankivsk (Ukraine)
Vice-President of the Information Commission |
