|
|
|
|
PLENARIA 2000Jean Paul II, Le Christ renouvelle toutes les cultures
THE CHALLENGE FOR THE PASTOR AND Mons. William B. FRIEND I am grateful for this opportunity to be with all of you in this Plenary Assembly of the Pontifical Council for Culture. In the time allotted, I shall address briefly the three questions: (1) What kind of dialogue can there be in secularized societies?; (2) What are the pre-requisites for dialogue and evangelization?; and (3) What are the pastoral challenges? A fuller reflection is given in the paper which will be available after this session.
On the historical axis people today reach in two directions at once: return to a rooted past and ahead to a transformed future. Many individuals are reaching for a new form of society beyond the present one and they reach back to the past for guidance and spiritual energy, hesitating to give any new solutions absolute status. TodayÂs challenge is primarily cultural because to harvest the tradition and to unleash the imagination is precisely a cultural task. Rebuilding appreciation for fostering community among people is also a cultural task growing out of a redefinition of the relation of the individual and society. Contemporary economic and political strategies persuasively employ power, force and control, but it will be the cultural strategies that release the energy which can call forth in people the spiritual energy which is needed. Secularization and its Effects Secularization is a phenomenon as old and prevalent as the Church itself and holds that individuals, or groups, or even an entire era should at various times reject prevailing religious bonds and seek autonomy, and at the same time be conscious of their ethical responsibility for their existence and destiny. This phenomenon can take place in many different forms and walks hand in hand with a process of the concrete emancipation of human life and historical reason. What secularization means is to be judged chiefly in the light of how the Church is understood in the process, especially its relationship to the world. When we read the message of the New Testament, the relationship between the worldly and the corresponding Christian realms is such that neither can be said to predominate over the other, to exclude the other, or even to be hostile to the other. The New Testament teaching is simply that the religious sphere is totally different from the world, so that neither can substitute for the other, since the two are on different planes. Faith has not the function of replacing knowledge. It gives no worldly wisdom, just as it does not suppose it. It merely shows that knowledge, scientific and commonplace, has only relative value. It is not an absolute on which the salvation or loss of man ultimately depends. If such knowledge is constructed into an absolute and used against God, then it becomes foolishness and is opposed to faith (1 Corinthians 1:17-2:9; Romans 1:21f.). And the wise need the Gospel as much as the ignorant (Romans 1:14). In brief, apart from Christ, the New Testament recognizes nothing sacred about persons, realms, things or structures. The Christian enjoys the freedom of the children of God through, with and in Christ and is lord of the world, where everything is holy and unholy at the same time, according to how truly it is in Christ or under the dominion of sin. St. PaulÂs conviction is that "nothing is unclean in itself". In PaulÂs words the maxim for Christians dealing with secularity could well be: "The world of life or death or the present or the future, all are yours; and you are ChristÂs; and Christ is GodÂs" (1 Corinthians 3:22f.). Distinguishing secularization from secularism, which is an atheistic ideology, one can view true secularity of the world, which consists of the truth that there is nothing in the world which is too "holy" to be accessible to a worldly approach and must be reserved for religion exclusively. Mystery abides universally, but in the realm of action there are no intramundane effects which can be brought about only by "religious" means or practices. The Council Fathers of Vatican II (Gaudium et Spes, no. 36) spoke of the proper autonomy of earthly realities for earthly matters and that the concerns of faith derive from the same God. If however, "the expression, the independence of temporal affairs, is taken to mean that created things do not depend on God, and that man can use them without any reference to their Creator", then falsity enters. For without the Creator the creature would disappear. Emergent Challenges Recent social science research is discovering certain emerging challenges which will influence conversation and dialogue in the decade ahead. There are indications in todayÂs society that people are in fact becoming more inclined to be self-reliant. They will be cautious in how they encounter the various resources available and the answer given them about the various questions of life. Many seek the best of all worlds as they discern and make decisions. They will continue to be more discriminating and critical in making choices and have higher expectations of leadership. At the same time, people will become increasingly more tolerant of diversity, even in the area of religious faiths. A significant factor in personal decisions will be experience, and the questions: What will this do for me? What is expected in return? This reasoning, however, does not always connect time with eternity. The good news is that people today seek meaning and express strong desires for good family spirituality. Whatever schism or departure from Church that might occur will continue to be in the areas of private and public issues of morality. Many individuals today ask the Church to connect people to the larger wholes of society, the teachings which give a positive indication leading to a personal growth with God. They seek a new sense of community beyond the organic sense of community which they see as bound to rigid tradition and ruled over by hierarchies of strict domination. They value personal relationships, look for greater security and seek meaning in what they do to become successful. Listening to people of the younger generations, one soon discovers that the governing virtue for them is creativity. They inquire about how creatively to tap the tradition; How creatively to imagine a future beyond the logic of the mechanistic model; How creatively to network and empower communities of ordinary people; How creatively to reshape modern technology and capital, and draw them back to the benefit of all people. Effective Dialogue Having very briefly reflected on the historical and societal effects stemming from the various historical influences of this Century, and visiting what appear to be the emergent challenges of people, let us turn to consideration of the kind of dialogues that can respond to these emergent trends among people. Dialogue is seen by the Council Fathers as a part of our apostolic mission to share the Gospel (Gaudium et Spes, no. 92). In order to demonstrate the fullness of the ChurchÂs mission we need to manifest among ourselves as Catholics those expressions of mutual esteem, reverence and harmony which are attractive to those people who are legitimately different from us and who can then become more inclined to respond to our invitations to dialogue. Our Holy Father, Pope John Paul II, has observed that the "Councils guidelines of open, respectful and cordial dialogue, accompanied by careful discernment and courageous witness to the truth, remain valid and call us to a greater commitment" (Apostolic Letter on the Coming of the Third Millennium, no. 36). This commitment which we have needs to be characterized in action by the four marks of (1) clarity in language that is understandable and acceptable; (2) meekness in communicating the truth that does not impose itself violently, proudly or bitterly; (3) trust not only in the power of oneÂs words, but in the good will and integrity of others; (4) prudence which is attuned to the sensitivities of others so that we might adapt our presentations in ways that are comprehensible and pleasing. (Paul VI, Ecclesiam Suam, no. 81). A dialogue which is shaped by these characteristics, Paul VI says, helps "one discover how different are the ways which lead to the light of faith and how it is possible to make them converge on the same goal. Even if these ways are divergent, they can become complementary by forcing our reasoning process out of the worn paths and by obliging it to final fresh expressions" (no. 83). Assuming that we appreciate dialogue as a part of our mission, and that we exhibit the virtues or characteristics of good dialogue, there nevertheless often remains a fear of the new generations, the new questions, the new experiences and needs, and the new ideas. Anticipating attack, we are tempted to avoid self-criticism and fear frank evaluation of the form of messages we share. At times we fall for listing the events of ecclesial life in parallel columns as victories or defeats in a kind of zero-sum contest. We noted in the emergent challenges in this presentation that there is and will be a hunger for substantive exchanges of ideas, informed by Church teaching and witness. People seek to have confidence that their heartfelt concerns for living the Gospel faithfully will be heard and not slighted or betrayed. They most often come to dialogue in a mood of good will and with an openness to learn from one another.
A. The first prerequisite for effective dialogue is to know, appreciate and appropriate the teachings of our faith. Catholic doctrine provides enduring truths concerning divine and human reality. Sacred Scripture and Church teachings should enlighten peopleÂs minds, guide their daily living, and inform their spiritual striving. Certainly we must preserve and defend the treasure of truth and grace that we have inherited through Christian tradition. Our challenges in teaching today include the fact that Church doctrine is refined and carefully nuanced. It is expressed as a carefully articulated structure, rather than as an undifferentiated block. There is a hierarchy of truths which vary in their relation to the foundation of Christian faith. Moreover, Catholic belief is not static, but is assisted by the Holy Spirit toward an understanding and application. While the ChurchÂs teachings are a marvelous and life giving grace for our time, there remains the task of studying how better to offer them in a manner which facilitates their reception more readily and understandably. B. A second and important prerequisite for dialogue is availability. Availability, in fact, is the primary condition far every dialogue that is to lead to a redemptive insight. An effective participant in dialogue opens himself to a good measure of vulnerability and this requires a lot of faith in God and oneself, and indeed much prayer. So often a participant is tempted to share the idea, the teaching, the problem, but not his personhood and his own personal experiences, reflection and insight. This latter kind of sharing humanizes and personalizes the process of dialogue. After all, in some cultures persons do not readily share their ideas and hopes with strangers, They listen for the one who humbly and truly offers self as a witness to the Word of God in the flesh and blood of him who declares and demonstrates it in action. Reflecting on the earlier Church, AugustineÂs dialectic is not only the knowledge of how to define, analyze, and synthesize; it is not only the knowledge of how to ask and answer correctly; it is not only the knowledge of how to argue; it is not only the knowledge of how to draw correct inferences; rather, it is the knowledge of self knowledge, sola scit scire (Second part of Book 3 of Contra Academicos 3:11.26ff). This is the greater gift one brings to dialogue: to know who we are in Christ, associated with what we do daily and with and for other people. C. A third prerequisite is to know the dialogue partners and the larger context of the cultures and philosophies (or operating priorities) of people. Everyone preparing for dialogue comes to the table with assumptions, presuppositions, philosophical biases, certain theological understandings and preferences and personal attitudes and values. There can be the temptation to focus narrowly on only what we know and like, or on what is comfortable. These accompaniments have to be viewed in light of the existential realities and phenomena which exist in the world and among people in our time. As a businessman would say, "one must know the market, the market forces, and what will attract the customer". Avoiding the temptation to use a mechanistic approach, or manipulation, one who is preparing for dialogue would benefit from knowing the environment, the tenor of life and the cultures which will have an influence on the dialogue and its redemptive potential. The Gospel clearly warns us of the need to think and act quite differently from the world around us, which we are nevertheless striving to influence and evangelize. The fact that we are distinct from the world does not mean that we are entirely separated from it. Nor does it mean that we should be indifferent to it, afraid of it, or contemptuous of it. In fact, when our Church distinguishes itself from humanity, it does so not in order to oppose it, but to come closer to it. Knowing our dialogue partners in the larger context of reality and revelation, we can explore more fully how we are to adapt our ChurchÂs mission to the particular age, environment, educational and social conditions of peopleÂs lives, avoiding the dangers of relativism, but reaching cut to approach everyone introducing the way to salvation to all people. Influenced by the phenomena gathered, analyzed, and interpreted in our effort to know those with whom we dialogue, we need to avoid an immoderate desire to make peace, have dialogue, and sink differences at all costs (irenism and syncretism), for then we introduce skepticism about the power and content of the Word of God which we desire to teach. The dialogue for which we prepare must not weaken our attachment to the Faith.
Parishioners long to exchange ideas, informed by Church teaching and witness, with a confidence that their heartfelt concerns for living the Gospel faithfully will be heard and not slighted or betrayed. The first pastoral challenge is to discover the forum or occasion that will best serve parishioners needs and interests. Existing structures, e.g., adult parish catechesis, can be of service if they are developed in light of todayÂs family pressures and work demands. It is important to emphasize that with all that is done Jesus Christ, present in Scripture and Sacrament, is central. It is important that we affirm the basic truths of the Faith and stand accountable to Sacred Scripture and Catholic Tradition, witnessed and conveyed to us by the Spirit-filled, living Church and its magisterium exercised by the bishops and the chair of Peter. Pastors and catechists are called to help the faithful see the Church as a communion, a spiritual family, requiring that a hermeneutic of suspicion or critique be balanced by a hermeneutic of love and reconciliation. Finally, pastors and the faithful face the call to build unity and harmony with the guidance of the Holy Spirit. The major challenge is to have the community answer the call to reach out to others in service, in justice and in love. The younger generations look to their pastors and the faithful with an eye for what of the Gospel is actually lived and effective. Declarative witnessing has to be associated with demonstrative faith, faith in action, service to humankind, and prayer which reflects a solid and appreciated relationship with God.
Seeking the fundamental dimension of the Spirit which places people in a relationship with one another and unites them calls for, in the words of John Paul II, a "Synthesis between culture and faith that is not just a demand of culture, but also of faith". Given the faith, a question for our further consideration will be how our ChurchÂs teaching and lived expression will interact with the phenomenon of secularity. Will the faithful hear that secularity is a lamentable negative occurrence, a religiously neutral process, or theologically a positive challenge and reality? Will our teaching emphasis in the decade to come be some combination of these points of view? Will we craft a message of hope and one which invites engagement? Will our teaching help the self-reliant people of our time learn of God, His grace and His love?
WHAT KIND OF DIALOGUE CAN Bishop Donal MURRAY At the heart of every culture, according to Centesimus Annus, lies the attitude that human beings take to the mystery of God (Centesimus Annus, 24) A secularised society tries to build itself on the assumption that the attitude that human beings take to the mystery of God is of no social relevance. It is a culture which, on the surface, appears to feel no need for God. Experiencing the hunger and the wonder The central point that I would like to make might be summed up in the phrase, ÂExperiencing the Hunger and the WonderÂ. The most crucial element in any dialogue between faith and non-belief today is to touch the deep questions of the meaning of human life, the dignity and destiny of the human person. These are the questions to which faith speaks. When we hear a question like "What kind of dialogue can there be ?" the immediate reaction is to think of centres and seminars, of programmes and publications. There have been many excellent initiatives in these areas, largely due to the efforts of the Pontifical Council. These are immensely valuable on condition that we keep reminding ourselves of the deeper underlying question. Anyone who wishes to engage in dialogue has to experience the hunger so as to be able to witness to the wonder of the Gospel promise which alone is capable of satisfying the deepest human hungers. People will only hear the Gospel from a witness who is perceived as sharing the anguish of the deepest human questions and filled with wonder at GodÂs response. I think of the remarkable passage in Evangelium Vitae in which the Holy Father speaks of the contemplative outlook which is necessary if we are truly to celebrate the Gospel of life:
I think of an address that Paul VI gave to his priests when he was Archbishop of Milan:
I think, finally, of the poet Emily Dickinson, who spoke for many poets and artists when she wrote:
The artist has a particularly important role in the dialogue. The human being is a tension in unity between material and spiritual, the temporal and the eternal. That is precisely what a secularised society loses sight of. Both art and faith are expressions of the paradox by which the infinite is expressed in the finite, the universal in the particular. Karl Rahner indicates the link that must exist between the artistic word and the word of faith:
Even negative, nihilistic forms of artistic expression are a kind of protest, which implies that absurdity is something that ought not to be. Even blasphemous and anti-religious works may sometimes express the artistÂs resentment of religion because he/she perceives it as having failed to offer the meaning it promises. Bewildered and restless The starting point for the dialogue must be to find areas of life where people are open to experience the hunger for God. In previous eras, the question of God  of death and meaning, of judgement and eternal life  were close to the surface of peopleÂs consciousness. They obviously still arise in the life of individuals  no one can escape experiences of illness and bereavement. We need, however, to be alert if we are to detect and respond to the relatively rare moments when such questions may be close to the surface in a more general way. One of the characteristics of a secularised society is that, when these questions arise, people are less likely to look to the Church or to the Gospel for a response that would give meaning to the experience. The dialogue between faith and non-belief must in many instances, therefore, be less programmed, more ready to respond to crises and experiences that arise, sometimes unpredictably, in the life of individuals and in the life of society. The world which appears to be self-contained and without the capacity to hear the deepest questions can, sometimes quite unexpectedly, reveal itself to be, in the Holy FatherÂs phrase, "bewildered and restless" (Catechesi Tradendae, 61). I will give one concrete example. Just over two years ago, the death of Princess Diana showed that bewilderment and questioning on a large scale. Obviously the death of a young woman in a road accident is always a tragedy, but it is also, sadly, a daily phenomenon. There were some people who expressed incomprehension at the scale of the public reaction. For millions of people, however, this death seemed to spark off a number of issues, including the following:
All of these are potential cracks in the wall which usually prevents people from addressing their most fundamental questions. All of them might have been fruitful starting points for the dialogue between faith and a largely non-believing culture. Another area of bewilderment is the sense of disillusionment that marks a great deal of modern life  disillusionment with institutions and with public figures, disillusionment about oneÂs own relationships, the disillusionment that leads to drug abuse and to despair. A young drug addict was recently asked what he was trying to escape from. He replied, "from the fact that I exist". The sign of hope is that these questions arise only because we human beings are, in our deepest hearts, seeking for perfection. We want to be able to trust people, to believe that people can be relied upon to be generous, truthful and trustworthy. We want our own relationships to be faithful. The marriage promise, for instance, looks to a future that may bring good or bad fortune, riches or poverty, sickness or health and proclaims that the relationship will endure whatever may happen in the future. The pain of broken relationships, betrayed trust, lack of integrity, is so intense because we believe that something greater is possible. We are made for better things. This too is a starting point for dialogue with the Gospel which promises a life where every relationship will be utterly reliable and we ourselves will be utterly reliable because we live in the presence of God, sharing in his infinite faithfulness in which he betroths us to himself forever in uprightness and justice, in faithful love and tenderness (Cf. Hos 2:21). One might also point to other areas where people may be open to deeper questions, such as moral relativism and consumerism. For the first time in history, many people can find no agreed sources or criteria for discovering what is right or wrong. To a degree that never was present before, people are invited to fill needs that they did not know they had, while, at the same time, escaping from the deep needs which are the essence of our humanity. Another starting point might be the experience of "gigantic remorse" (Dives in Misericordia, 11) at the injustices of our world and at our inability to heal them. This overwhelming and often unacknowledged guilt needs to be brought into dialogue with the sense of sin against a God of infinite mercy who promises justice to the living and the dead. Dialogue  how? I will finish with one point about ways in which dialogue might be conducted in the new century. The complexity of modern life is one source of the secularised lifestyle. Even committed Christians live most of their lives in circumstances where the Gospel has not been inculturated. Multi-national companies, the Internet, the advances of technology, growing urbanisation, globalization of the economy, multi-culturalism, none of these have existed in the same way before. The danger is that large sections, even of the lives of believers, remain unevangelised. But these technological advances are also an opportunity. In this context, I see an important role for Faith and Culture Centres using the closer networking made possible by new technologies of communication. The range of questions is too great to be dealt with by any one Centre; the response needs to be prompt and continuous. There are great possibilities for co-operation in the provision of linked websites where ongoing dialogue and interchange could take place. If one centre has no experience of a particular issue or area, it should be a simple matter to enable an enquirer to link with another centre which has. Such a network would be in a position to respond quickly and to encourage reflection on issues that arise, and to identify questions which are frequently asked and which need to be addressed, to foster discussion with scientists and artists and people in all the areas of modern life that need to be evangelised.
LES DÉFIS DES IDENTITÉS CULTURELLES ET Christian Cardinal TUMI Il mÂa été demandé dÂapporter une modeste contribution à cette Assemblée Plénière du Conseil Pontifical de la Culture, en faisant une brève introduction sur les défis des identités culturelles et lÂinculturation de lÂhumanisme chrétien. Pour commencer, il faut avouer, que quand on parle de défi, on est comme devant un pari à gagner. Il y a là des obstacles à franchir devant lesquels on nÂa pas de choix à faire que de les franchir. On est plus ou moins " condamné " à réussir. Les concepts de défis culturels et de lÂinculturation Il est de plus en plus courant et le terme est passé dans lÂusage commun, dÂentendre parler de lÂidentité culturelle dÂun peuple, dÂune nation, même si à lÂintérieur de cette entité, on est confronté à des diversités. Dans une allocution à lÂUNESCO il y a quelques années (Juin 1980), le Pape Jean-Paul II avait pris le soin de relier la diversité des cultures à lÂunité du genre humain comme tel. Dans le langage courant on entend par culture " lÂensemble des formes acquises de comportement dans les sociétés humaines " (Petit Robert), ou, selon une autre définition, " la somme intégrée des traits de comportements acquis qui sont manifestés et partagés par les membres dÂune société " (Hoebel). On se rend compte que le concept est parfois ambigu ; ce qui nous pousse à en retenir au moins deux sens : les cultures du monde, au sens ethnologique, et notre culture personnelle, en tant quÂindividu qui se forme, et individu appartenant à la culture africaine, la mienne par exemple, que nous le voulions ou non. CÂest au niveau de cette dernière, que les défis à relever sont nombreux. Quant à lÂinculturation, nous avons là un mot couronné, dÂune indéniable " aura " et fort dÂune large audience, dans lÂécriture théologique de ces trois dernières décennies. Nous le savons bien, que lÂinculturation est une conséquence de lÂincarnation. Cette dernière dit : " Dieu-homme " ; et lÂinculturation : " Dieu cet homme ", situé dans un milieu donné et dans une culture précise. Quand les uns crient à lÂurgence de lÂinculturation, et sÂemploient à en formuler les critères, et à en planifier les étapes, dÂautres sÂinterrogent sur la " nouveauté " réelle de lÂentreprise. Malgré tout cela, les questions relatives à lÂinculturation laissent croire que cÂest un problème spécifiquement tiers-mondiste, propre aux pays quÂon appelle encore : les " pays de mission ". Et pourtant, nous croyons que toutes les cultures ont leurs propres défis à relever en se laissant transformer de lÂintérieur, par lÂÉvangile. Aucune culture ne peut se perfectionner sans lÂÉvangile. Les identités culturelles et leurs défis Pour nous limiter au contexte proprement africain, nous savons, que la question fondamentale quÂon sÂest posée, il y a quelque temps, et que dÂaucuns continuent à poser, est de savoir : comment demeurer chrétien en Afrique sans aliéner sa culture ? À lÂaube du troisième millénaire, cette question se ramifie en plusieurs sous-problèmes comme celui du christianisme en Afrique, celui des politiques pastorales adaptées, susceptibles de lui donner les meilleures chances, non seulement de survie, mais aussi de son heureux épanouissement. LÂinculturation de la foi constitue, non seulement le défi numéro un, unique et urgent des Églises africaines, mais aussi lÂenjeu de leur existence et de leur africanité profonde. Un théologien africain a écrit à propos : " Le seul problème grave, qui se pose à nos Églises africaines, est celui de lÂinculturation de la foi chrétienne. Nos Églises dÂAfrique seront africaines ou ne seront pas. CÂest lÂenjeu véritable de lÂavenir du christianisme chez nous " (E. J. PENOUKOU, Église dÂAfrique. Propositions dÂavenir, Paris 1984, p. 48). La thèse nÂa rien dÂinsolite, si lÂon veut bien admettre que " christianiser lÂAfrique " ne peut signifier en réalité, quÂy transposer une certaine forme de religion chrétienne, et quÂinversement, " africanisée ", cette forme revient dans les faits, à noircir, ou à tropicaliser, un christianisme déjà acculturé en dÂautres temps, et en dÂautres lieux. Il importe donc de bien comprendre que le christianisme ne vient pas détruire une culture. Il lui apporte une lumière révélatrice qui en démasque les ambiguïtés, et les égarements. LÂimpression la plus forte est celle dÂune humanité culturelle, qui a longtemps cheminé avec la grâce tapie sous ses pas : et voici que, tout à coup, comme un serpent géant, surgit cette grâce. Mais en dépit de ses résultats catéchétiques, la démarche de lÂinculturation suscite néanmoins quelques questions :
Ces interrogations qui sont loin dÂêtre exhaustives ne sont que le sommet de lÂiceberg. Elles ne visent pas à disqualifier le travail laborieux et de longue date que lÂÉglise a fait en Afrique, mais posent désormais un problème herméneutique de lÂhumanisme chrétien pour lÂhomme africain. Il est donc urgent que la réflexion théologique se base sur les us des institutions africaines, et opère à lÂintérieur des nouvelles élaborations, pour passer des structures traditionnelles respectables, à la synthèse de ses " ambiguïtés " que nous avons relevées. Le tout doit se faire à la lumière révélatrice de 1ÂÉvangile. LÂinculturation de lÂhumanisme chrétien Si nous admettons que lÂinculturation dit : " Dieu CET homme ", cette demande, doit toucher lÂhomme africain dans son intégralité. Dans son Exhortation Apostolique post-synodale Ecclesia in Africa (n. 68), le pape Jean-Paul II écrit : " Le développement humain intégral Âdéveloppement de tout homme et de tout lÂhomme, spécialement des plus pauvres et des plus déshérités de la communauté  se situe au cÂur même de lÂévangélisation. Entre évangélisation et promotion humaine  développement, libération  il y a des liens profonds. Liens dÂordre anthropologique, parce que lÂhomme à évangéliser nÂest pas un être abstrait, mais quÂil est sujet, aux questions sociales et économiques. Liens dÂordre théologique, puisquÂon ne peut pas dissocier le plan de la création du plan de la Rédemption qui, lui, atteint les situations très concrètes de lÂinjustice à combattre et de la justice à restaurer. " Cette citation en dit long sur le sens du vrai visage que lÂinculturation de lÂhumanisme chrétien doit prendre en Afrique noire. Il est inutile de rappeler ici que, comme des vagues houleuses, puissantes et destructrices, la misère, la faim, les guerres, les maladies, le sous-développement endémique, lÂanalphabétisme, etc sont le lot quotidien des peuples africains, toutes les cultures confondues. LÂÉglise qui, jusquÂà présent, est la seule voix des pauvres et leur défenseur, doit poursuivre contre vents et marrées son travail dÂévangélisation qui sÂentend ici comme une humanisation dÂabord du cÂur de lÂhomme. " Le cÂur de lÂhomme est compliqué et malade, dit Jérémie. Qui peut le connaître ? Moi, le Seigneur , qui pénètre les cÂurs et qui scrute les reins " (17, 9-10). Le message de lÂÉvangile vise non seulement la conversion de lÂhomme total, mais aussi son épanouissement humain. Dès lors, aucun aspect de la vie sociale et politique ne peut être négligé aussi longtemps quÂil peut aider à promouvoir lÂenracinement de la Bonne Nouvelle et le bonheur de lÂhomme africain. La recherche des nouvelles structures entraîne automatiquement des changements, des bouleversements nécessaires à sa crédibilité et à la participation effective de tous les membres de la communauté chrétienne en Afrique. Ces structures sont dÂabord une promotion solide des communautés ecclésiales vivantes dans les quartiers de chaque paroisse. LÂinculturation doit passer par là avant dÂatteindre les masses. Elles sont ensuite une vigilance accrue du rôle de la famille, du respect de la vie et de lÂamour. Elles sont enfin une consolidation de la solidarité et du partage entre les africains. La vie communautaire reste dans les sociétés africaines le lieu où lÂhumain exprime sa vocation au don de soi et à lÂattention à lÂautre. Le continent africain nÂa pas toujours été celui dÂhumiliés, de reniés et dÂopprimés. Il a connu et connaît encore une forme de vie communautaire, où lÂhomme et la femme sont partie intégrante de lÂhumanité. CÂest pourquoi lÂinculturation de lÂhumanisme chrétien doit tenir compte de tous les aspects de lÂenvironnement qui ont trait à la justice, à la paix et à la sauvegarde de la création. À lÂapproche du troisième millénaire, les spéculations vont bon train sur lÂavenir du continent africain face à lÂéquilibre mondial qui se cherche. Les seuls défis que les différentes identités culturelles en Afrique sont appelées à relever ne sont pas la peur du lendemain, mais lÂoptimisme, qui a trait au message de lÂÉvangile : par la conversion des cÂurs et le partage tout est possible. La rencontre de lÂÉvangile avec les cultures et les civilisations de tous les temps a permis à lÂÉglise, dès les débuts de lÂère chrétienne, de ne pas sÂidentifier complètement avec un seul peuple, ou avec une civilisation, et ainsi de pouvoir, dÂune part, organiser lÂannonce de lÂÉvangile à tout le monde et, dÂautre part, éviter la fermeture mortelle dans un vase clos, considérant le monde seulement comme porteur du mal. LÂinculturation de lÂÉvangile rend à lÂhomme africain sa dignité et son identité, car lÂÉvangile bien vécu rend de plus en plus humain ceux qui par leurs promesses baptismales doivent devenir de plus en plus divins.
THE INCULTURATION OF CHRISTIAN HUMANISM Bishop Raphael S. NDINGI MWANA ÂA NZEKI I wish to thank our Holy Father Pope John Paul II for appointing me Member of this Pontifical Council for Culture and His Eminence Cardinal Paul Poupard for forwarding that good news to me late last year. For me it is a signal honour to be invited to serve in this esteemed Dicastery and to be asked to address you this morning. I have been requested to make brief introductory remarks on: The Inculturation of Christian Humanism at the Heart of cultures. There is indeed a very close parallelism between Inculturation and Christian Humanism on the one hand, and amid the Incarnation and the Person of Christ on the other. Just as the Word became flesh and dwelt among us (Jn 1:14), the Gospel of Jesus Christ is inculturated in human life. Thus just as the Logos confirms humanity, transforms humanity and sometimes corrects and raises fallen humanity, the Gospel confirms culture, transforms culture and corrects culture, thereby uplifting it. In this sense the relationship between the Logos and humanity is analogous to that between Gospel and Culture. The Catholic Church is at the very centre of the dialogue between culture and Christian Humanism. This dialogue is urgent in our times because of the rift that sometimes exists between the Gospel and cultures as Article 2 of the Motu Proprio Inde a Pontificatus so clearly points out. But if there is a gap between the Gospel and cultures, it is equally true that there is also a profound relationship between faith and culture. The challenge, therefore, is to develop "the synthesis between faith and culture" as the same Motu Proprio indicates. The primary task here is the mutual enrichment of faith and culture. Indeed, the final sentence in Article 2 of the Motu Proprio Inde a Pontificatus is that the Church has a "pastoral activity in evangelising cultures and inculturating the Gospel". This is of particular relevance in the area of African Christian marriage, given the central place of the family in African and all human societies. The inculturation of the Gospel in Africa needs to take into consideration the increasing influence of urbanization including the sub-cultures of large African cities, the changing sociology of the African family and the secular trends brought in by the mass media. The term Christian Humanism, developed by Christian thinkers such as Jacques Maritain and M. D. Chenu earlier in our passing century is referred to in various other ways: integral humanism, complete humanism, true humanism etc. It is intimately connected to the dignity of the human person and the renewal of culture based on Gospel values. It is related to the history of the enlightenment and the synthesis of natural and supernatural humanism. Our Holy Father aptly re-emphasizes this expression along with the "culture of life" to counteract the effects of secular humanism and the "culture of death" in certain contemporary thinking. It is vital for the Church to move in this direction indicated by the Holy Father. Thank you.
POUR UN HUMANISME CHRÉTIEN Mgr Anselme T. SANON Le changement est la mesure du monde actuel. Sous différents aspects, il atteint toutes les sociétés contemporaines. En Afrique, et notamment dans la partie occidentale, où les pays sont en marge ou même en régression dans plusieurs domaines, les marques de ce changement se font visibles tant au niveau social, politique, économique, que culturel. Pour notre part, nous nous préoccuperons ici du domaine culturel. Les sociétés naturelles ou originelles restaient de type sacral. Leur domaine sacré était coextensif aux autres domaines : éthique, social, économique et politique. De ce fait, le culturel avait une dimension sacrée et religieuse. Sa situation accuse de profondes mutations de nos jours. Des indices de changements Nous pouvons relever cinq secteurs où le religieux est mis à mal par suite des mutations culturelles et réciproquement.
En marge de tous ces secteurs, certaines tendances se font jour: La plupart des États sÂinscrivent à la règle rigide de séparation de lÂÉglise et de lÂÉtat. Pour ce faire, les efforts des communautés devraient se concentrer dans les domaines religieux, social et éthique, avec une attention particulière pour la santé et lÂécole. Dans la situation actuelle, où les États sont fragilisés au niveau institutionnel et éthique,
Le problème socio-culturel du monde contemporain peut être traduit en ces termes : Dieu dans la cité et Dieu dans la culture. Faut-il y voir le retour à la cité chrétienne ou encore la redécouverte de la civilisation chrétienne ? Ou faut-il plutôt affirmer la présence chrétienne citoyenne ? Le phénomène culturel est à poser comme un facteur non négligeable dans les drames et tragédies qui secouent le monde actuel. Il faut noter cependant le cas de lÂAfrique de lÂOuest qui voit apparaître une certaine sensibilité marquée par le désir dÂune culture propre. Ce phénomène est dÂabord une réaction contre tout retour de colonialisme et conçu vis-à-vis dÂune modernité dominante et agressive. Il pousse alors au soupçon à lÂégard de lÂétranger, et alimente la recherche et lÂaffirmation dÂidentités culturelles. Il adopte des tendances sÂexprimant en de nombreuses revendications. Cet état dÂesprit engendre des conflits inter-ethniques  autour des problèmes de territoires, des droits ancestraux  mettant en avant:
Récupérées par les pouvoirs politiques, ces revendications deviennent source de troubles touchant la vie sociale et économique. On est donc en droit de se demander si la culture est bel et bien un chemin indiqué, valable ou valide ou si elle est une menace pour les sociétés chrétiennes face aux situations nouvelles des plus complexes. LÂinculturation Dans ce contexte le processus dÂinculturation devient une démarche de foi pour ouvrir à une communauté son chemin vers le Christ, Verbe Incarné et pour présenter à lÂÉglise des voies dÂaccès au cÂur dÂun ensemble de cultures, en vue de lÂÉvangélisation. Nous mentionnons quelques domaines.
A notre avis, pour dialoguer, il faut être deux ; pour inculturer, il faut deux cultures ou deux Communautés en dialogue de confrontation. LÂhumanisme chrétien que nous vivons peut-il être lui-même sans lÂapport des cultures contemporaines ? Pour nous, cÂest lÂIncarnation, le Verbe sÂest fait chair, qui nous pousse à lÂÂuvre dÂinculturation. Vrai homme, dit le Concile de Calcédoine " Selon quelle anthropologie ? ", nous demandons nous ?
INIZIATIVE PER UN DIALOGO FEDE-CULTURA Józef Cardinal GLEMP Le mie modeste osservazioni si rivolgono piuttosto alla dimensione pastorale e allÂesperienza vissuta che allÂanalisi sistematica. Suppongo che il mio intervento sia veramente lÂintroduzione alla discussione. UnÂosservazione generale: i cambiamenti degli ultimi anni, in modo particolare in Europa, per quanto riguarda la religione, non sono tanto grandi come risulterebbe da un punto di vista socio-politico. Anche se simbolo dei cambiamenti rimane il crollo del muro a Berlino, il processo, però, è cominciato quasi 15 anni fa e riguarda soprattutto una diversa visione del mondo. Dietro un cambiamento politico sta sempre una filosofia. Ciò che è accaduto nel 1989 è un effetto di unÂaltra visione dellÂuomo e soprattutto del suo rapporto con la società. Politicamente il cambiamento è molto significativo, perché si tratta dÂintrodurre un altro ordinamento giuridico degli Stati e, di conseguenza, un altro ordinamento economico. Queste grandi rotative non hanno, però, la stessa ripercussione nella mentalità degli uomini e di conseguenza nella cultura.
Il più significativo è il rapporto dellÂuomo e della comunità. Nel comunismo un individuo viene assorbito dal collettivo. La persona viene sottomessa alla società. Infine, il cittadino è solo un elemento nella macchina dello Stato. Le votazioni politiche significano consenso alla scelta fatta dal partito. E il partito che pensa per il bene del cittadino. La libera volontà non esiste, lÂuomo segue ciò che gli assicura il cibo e la tranquilla esistenza. La società (partito) assicura allÂuomo anche i bisogni culturali: musica, teatro, gite turistiche. Questo settore della cultura è controllato, programmato e sostenuto economicamente dallo Stato. La cultura come prodotto dellÂuomo-materia non può avere i riferimenti alla trascendenza. La cultura, nonostante ciò, cerca lo spirito. Questa ricerca secondo le regole materialistiche è giusta, a condizione che lo spirito rimanga nella dimensione psicologica. Ma la cultura  poesia, musica, filosofia  non ne è soddisfatta, cerca sempre lo spirito. E qui comincia il dramma del comunismo.
LÂindividuo è quasi fuori di ogni tipo di collettivismo, la persona sta sopra la società e il cittadino non è più legato strettamente allo Stato, perché può sentirsi membro di un continente geografico. Lo Stato, qualche volta identificato con la patria, non è necessario. Le strade, lÂaeroporto, la televisione possono essere private. Per godere ogni cosa ci vuole denaro. Per averlo bisogna essere intraprendente. LÂuomo di cultura  poeta, musicista, pittore, regista, attore  è alla ricerca di lavoro. Vuole essere ascoltato, riconosciuto, applaudito. Ma la maggior parte della gente non lo vuole, perché non sente il bisogno dÂarte approfondita. Alla gente piace lo spettacolo  panem et circenses. Niente controllo. Piace il calcio, il pugilato, il rugby, piace il porno e la droga. LÂuomo, produttore di cultura, non cerca lo spirituale, ma cerca la carne. La libera volontà è pure soffocata, ma con un altro metodo. Qui comincia il dramma del liberalismo. Conosco unÂattrice di talento. Proviene da un paese religioso. Essa stessa devota e praticante cattolica. A lungo si è difesa e opposta alle proposte moderne. Poi ha ceduto alle tentazioni. Oggi si presenta in ogni tipo di film, anche come modella in Playboy. Ecco un cammino della cultura di oggi che si ripete spesso. Mi riferisco alla situazione nei Paesi post-comunisti. Cosa può fare la Chiesa? Prima da parte della gerarchia. Difendere la cultura significa difendere gli uomini creatori di opere dÂarte, cioè lÂ"Ambiente della creatività".  Istituire un centro pastorale per ogni tipo di artisti. Ci vuole per questo un sacerdote che si dedichi con pazienza sovrumana!  Trovare la lingua comune con il mondo della cultura artistica. Una cosa che non è ovvia. La lingua di un teologo è poco percepita nellÂambiente artistico.  Delle volte, il vescovo o il parroco dovrebbe andare ad un concerto o a una mostra seria. Invitare gli artisti a casa. Ispirare, incoraggiare esposizioni durante le feste diocesane o parrocchiali.  Organizzare conferenze sulla Bibbia, che pare sia un tema più attraente per il mondo della cultura. Da parte del laicato. Organizzare dei concorsi a premi, anche fra la gioventù, su temi storici, religiosi o su personaggi. Oggi si nota lÂinteresse dei pastori per il potere educativo dello sport. Un tema a parte è la relazione della Chiesa con i mass-media. Mi riferisco solo alla situazione in Polonia. Si incontrano due tendenze su come utilizzare i mass-media, che sono a disposizione della Chiesa (parrocchiale, diocesana o sovradiocesana). La prima tendenza è quella di realizzare il programma direttamente catechetico, evangelizzatore sia nella stampa che alla radio. Altra tendenza è fare il programma più laico, ma penetrato dallo spirito cristiano. Pare che lÂuna e lÂaltra tendenza si completino reciprocamente. Bisogna, in certi casi, organizzare proteste contro la violazione della dignità umana o del diritto allÂintegrità delle convinzioni religiose. La Chiesa locale deve liberarsi dal complesso dÂinferiorità nei confronti delle cultura consumistica. Non cedere al fascino della "tolleranza". I musei, le biblioteche e gli archivi della Chiesa meritano la massima attenzione.
LÂHUMANISME CHRÉTIEN ET LA PLURALITÉ Mgr Joseph DORÉ 1. Trouver " lÂidée vraie de la vie humaine " ? a) Dans notre aire culturelle, nous devons bien constater à la fois une pluralité de conceptions de lÂhomme, tellement affirmée dÂailleurs que certains la donnent même pour irréversible, et une propension assez générale de chaque individu à sÂestimer seul apte à définir par lui-même en toute indépendance la manière dont il lui revient de conduire sa vie. Un tel contexte de réflexion et de mentalité non seulement nÂoffre évidemment guère de chances à une démarche qui pourrait être de foi en un Dieu vivant, mais relativise considérablement toute interrogation en termes dÂAbsolu et de divin. Il compromet même assez radicalement, il faut bien le dire, lÂidée dÂun " humanisme ", à plus forte raison dÂun humanisme " plénier ". b) Le radicalisme même de ce genre de position ou de mentalité parait avoir deux types dÂeffets quÂon ne peut sÂétonner de découvrir quasi diamétralement opposés. DÂune part, ceux qui ont gardé des certitudes risquent toujours de sÂy accrocher avec quelque crispation, compte tenu de la gravité des périls encourus par elles du seul fait dÂun tel environnement. Et menacent alors intégrismes et fondamentalismes  mais avec quelle espérance dÂavenir ? DÂautre part, chez ceux que gagne un relativisme généralisé, voire un nihilisme déclaré, sont peut-être en train de renaître de nouvelles disponibilités et de réelles ouvertures  mais à quoi exactement ? c) Paraît prendre de lÂimportance, dans ce contexte, lÂidée dÂun " procès " de transcendance sans terme, sans transcendant. Ce qui était naguère le luxe de quelques philosophes devient ainsi le bien commun dÂun temps qui en est venu à se défier, voire à se défaire des déterminations traditionnelles. Non sans raison, on peut estimer que c est bien peu, et très éloigné, en tout cas, des perspectives chrétiennes. Mais on peut aussi se donner pour tâche de guetter, à même une telle attitude, les attentes, les disponibilités et peut-être les appels dont elle pourrait bien être porteuse. d) Si lÂon admet à la fois que, dans notre aire culturelle du moins, la situation globale est celle qui a été évoquée en commençant, et que lÂhypothèse de la traiter comme il vient dÂêtre suggéré à lÂinstant a quelque plausibilité, alors on peut, au terme de lÂanalyse, retenir les éléments positifs suivants :
a) La " dignité de lÂhomme " est en péril ; il arrive même quÂon en fasse dérision. La manière dont on tend à traiter les commencements et la fin de la vie humaine en est une preuve frappante. Toutes les manipulations seraient dÂautre part permises sur lÂhumain, dès lors que seraient en jeu des raisons de confort, de finance ou de recherche. La vie dÂautrui compte pour si peu que des éliminations massives, voire des génocides, sont toujours en cours. Et quant à sa vie personnelle propre, il nÂest pas rare quÂon la voie si peu estimée dÂun autrui qui sÂintéresse surtout à lui-même, et dÂun Dieu auquel on sÂest déclaré inintéressé, quÂon en vienne à douter de sa propre " dignité " ou " valeur ", voire à éprouver la tentation dÂun plus ou moins global " laisser-aller ". b) Dans ces conditions, il incombe à lÂÉglise de rappeler au monde et à elle-même que la dignité de lÂhomme nÂest pas simple affaire de constat : quÂelle dépend de convictions et, puisque ces dernières viennent cruellement à manquer dans ce domaine comme dans tous les autres, il incombe à lÂÉglise dÂexposer les siennes propres en la matière, et les raisons quÂelle a de sÂy vouloir attachée. LÂÉglise croit en lÂhomme au nom de Celui qui a créé lÂhumanité et qui ne cesse dÂaimer chacun de ses membres. Et cette foi, lÂÉglise doit non seulement la redire sans cesse-ce qui est déjà cependant une tâche de plus en plus importante  mais la mettre en Âuvre et la vivre en actes et en vérité. CÂest en aimant les autres, à commencer par ceux-là mêmes quÂon est toujours porté à tenir pour les moins aimables, que lÂon promouvra la dignité de lÂhomme. On y gagnera dÂailleurs en crédibilité sur tous les autres points. Dans la mesure où lÂun des problèmes fondamentaux de notre société est que les hommes ne peuvent plus vraiment croire en eux-mêmes, il est devenu urgent de leur manifester que, quelles que soient leurs " dégradations " physiques, mentales ou sociales, ils sont aimés et demeureront toujours aimables. Il nÂy a pas là seulement une condition ou une conséquence de la foi, mais un aspect fondamental et primordial de son exercice et de sa vie même. c) Les verbes employés dans la citation pontificale de Centesimus annus, 55 indiquent excellemment la manière dont lÂÉglise peut procéder en la matière : annoncer, offrir, communiquer, orienter. " Proposer la foi [en lÂhomme en lÂoccurrence] dans la société actuelle " comme disent les évêques de France dans leur récente " Lettre " aux catholiques de ce pays. Cette attitude suppose et engage bien sûr un vrai désintéressement. Nous avons reçu gratuitement, nous proposons gratuitement, et en en appelant à la libre décision de ceux auxquels nous nous adressons : " Venez, voyez, décidez... " d) SÂil peut et doit ainsi y avoir étroitement liés, la parole qui propose dans lÂordre du vrai (= qui appelle à vivre), et lÂagir qui interpelle dans lÂordre du bien (= qui aide à vivre), il ne faut pas négliger ce qui peut se donner à voir et à expérimenter dans lÂordre du beau. CÂest un fait quÂà travers toute son histoire, la foi religieuse, et la foi chrétienne en particulier, ont produit beaucoup dÂÂuvres dÂart, qui se présentent tout ensemble comme un de leurs fruits passés et comme une de leurs chances pour lÂavenir. Notre monde a tellement survalorisé lÂavoir, le savoir et le pouvoir, et par là fonctionnalisé la vie des hommes et réduit leur " dignité " ou leur importance à ce dont ils sont capables de faire état en lÂun ou lÂautre de ces domaines, quÂil est devenu plus essentiel que jamais de signifier par lÂart sous toutes ses formes quÂil nÂy a pas de vie pleinement humaine sans gratuité, sans accueil, sans contemplation, sans ravissement, etc., toutes choses quÂà la fois requièrent et rendent possible et lÂart et lÂexpérience esthétique quÂil peut susciter. LÂart ne va toutefois pas sans brouillons ni échecs : lÂaccompagnement ecclésial des créateurs pourrait aussi sÂavérer un excellent lieu pour sÂexercer à lÂinattendu, étendre le champ de lÂacceptation, et se souvenir que les jugements esthétiques et peut-être pas seulement eux sont décidément relatifs, sont à débattre, sont évolutifs.
a) Ici encore, il faut partir dÂun constat. On peut faire état, en somme, dÂun double " estrangement " à guérir. DÂun coté, la Mère Église se reconnaît mal dans un monde pourtant largement issu dÂelle ; de lÂautre, la fille émancipée nÂapparaît guère disposée à retourner à la maison. La première nÂa sans doute pas assez mesuré la hauteur du mur élevé  la plupart du temps sans quÂelle en soit la cause !  par des siècles de méfiances et de rivalités, ni la distance quÂil lui revient donc de parcourir sur la voie du réapprivoisement et de la réconciliation. b) Entre temps, la " fille " a poussé fort loin certains des principes reçus jadis ou acquis de haute lutte : liberté et droits de lÂhomme, libertés publiques et participation à la chose commune. Dans ces conditions, il incombe à lÂÉglise de cultiver tout ce qui lui permet de faire la double preuve suivante : quÂà sa manière elle sÂintéresse elle-même à toutes ces causes, et que dÂailleurs elle sÂemploie à les servir et à les promouvoir en son propre sein. c) Un paradoxe semblable  tant de points " de rencontre et de dialogue " possibles, et, de fait, tant dÂéloignement  sÂobserve sur un terrain encore plus décisif : celui dÂune vie intérieure plus ou moins sécularisée, dÂune recherche spirituelle hors religion. Dans un premier temps, religion et Église ne peuvent que sÂestimer dépossédées dÂun monopole longtemps incontesté. Mais on peut aussi, avec Jean-Paul II, faire le pari quÂune reconnaissance franche et décrispée de cette " concurrence " imprévue, et de lÂautonomie du spirituel, est la condition dÂune véritable rencontre au sommet, dÂune " émulation spirituelle ", autant que dÂune perception neuve, de part et dÂautre, de lÂoriginalité chrétienne. d) À lÂarrière-plan de tout cela, il y a la conviction que si pour nous cause de Dieu et cause de lÂhomme sont distinctes, elles sont néanmoins  et comme distinctes  toujours liées. Cela constitue un renvoi à lÂaffirmation centrale de la foi selon laquelle Jésus-Christ est vrai Dieu et vrai homme. La parole, la vie et la doctrine de Jésus-Christ sont si profondément " humaines " et " humanistes ", quÂelles passent lÂhomme, et font donc signe vers le divin et vers Dieu lui-même. Corrélativement, Jésus-Christ nous révèle un Dieu si attaché à lÂhomme et si engagé dans son histoire quÂà la fois il les rend plus dignes dÂamour et nous rend nous-mêmes plus aptes à les aimer. Là est évidemment la source vive, jamais tarie, et toujours disponible, du vrai " humanisme " : celui que Dieu-même pratique, auquel il nous invite, et quÂil nous donne dÂailleurs la grâce de pouvoir pratiquer nous-mêmes.
CULTURAL AND RELIGIOUS TRANSFORMATIONS Archbishop Józef Mirosław ŻYCIŃSKI In the 10 year process of the evolution of post-Communist societies one can distinguish different periods in which the prevailing attitudes toward the Church passed through deep transformations. After the short time of fascinations with regained freedom, there arrived a period of disillusion between 1991 and 1994 when the Church was blamed, because the real version of free society life was different from its imagined versions. When the initial disappointment was replaced by a realistic approach, the positive appraisal of the social role of the Church increased. In a recent OBOP inquiry of October 1999, 79% of the people questioned expressed their confidence in the Church and recognised her as a moral authority. It is the highest value ever noted in a social survey after the collapse of Communism. It seems to suggest that both the Polish clergy recognises its new duties in a free society and that society itself is aware of the importance of the mission of the Church. Post-Communist contamination of mentality A few years ago there was a time when a Polish version of xenophobia assumed a new form of clerophobia. Priests were attacked at that time because, among other things, they were against abortion and supported teaching religion in elementary schools. To illustrate this attitude one can refer to a paper concerning the abortion debate. During this debate John Paul II, in a public statement, repeated the main ideas of Evangelium vitae and expressed his support for a culture of life. He was attacked in a daily paper which interpreted his statement as an interference in Polish internal affairs. To make the situation even more grotesque, the paper was originally submitted for publication in a Catholic weekly, Tygodnik Powszechny. When the editorial board of Tygodnik did not qualify the text for publication, the young author decided to publish it in the Gazeta Krakowska, formerly the official daily newspaper of the Cracow Committee of the Communist Party. In this period of irrational aggression against the Church, two leading representatives of the Polish cultural milieu, Andrzej Wajda and Krzysztof Zanussi, were accused by their colleague of being Vatican spies infiltrating circles of independent originators. In the post-Communist period some relics of the Communist mentality continued, and if someone at that time defended human values and rejected moral relativism he was immediately classified as a Vatican agent. On the other hand, it is true that certain priests contributed to anticlerical feelings at that time either by expressing publicly their political support for those parties which declared their commitment to Christian tradition or by critique of post-Communist candidates to main State offices. This situation became difficult when, among leading aggressive defenders of Christianity, several politicians appeared who earlier collaborated either with the PAX movement or with various groups supported by Communist authorities. This phenomenon was described in the Instrumentum laboris for the II Special Assembly of the Synod of Bishops for Europe, where we read: "there are also in some Eastern European countries those who use religion and the Church for political and nationalistic ends". This attitude was expressed in its grotesque form by a former mayor of Moscow, when in contradistinction to Western slogans, "God yes, Church no" he declared, "Church yes, God no". In this framework, religion is reduced to a social level and the main role of the Church is to provide possible supporters in an election campaign. In the past, this attempt at political involvement of the Church was practised by the Communist Party and its ideological satellites. It is worthy to note that many former collaborators representing Catholic groups of intelligentsia now want to play the role of the only defenders of Christianity while many former dissidents, who defended human rights and dignity in the Communist era, now try to spread the Gospel of peace and freedom without aggression and without ideological bias. This pattern has been observed not only in Poland but also in the Czech Republic and in Slovakia, where many former members of the pro-Communist organisation Pacem in terris try to behave as a "leading force" in the contemporary Catholic Church. Their version of ideological Christianity inspires protests from those Catholics who paid the price of their commitment to the Church in the past. Consequently it yields polarisation within the Church. Consequences of the polarisation at stake are relatively strong because, in the Communist period, Catholics in Poland practically had no experience of pluralism and their reactions to basic problems were uniform in nature. In this new social situation they must adjust to cultural pluralism without accepting doctrinal relativism. This, certainly, is a long process which of its nature brings many negative by-products. The polarisation of attitudes among Catholics in Poland became even more complicated when Radio Maryja, a nation-wide radio system organised by the Redemptorist Fathers, became much more involved in spreading risky politics than in spreading the Gospel. The radio attacked many honest and trustworthy Polish politicians because they did not follow the radical and simplified vision accepted by nationalists. Since a part of society regarded the radio as the Church radio station, many of them were disappointed that such a primitive form of politics was accepted by the Bishops. To explain the situation and to influence the Provincial of the Redemptorists to change radically the radioÂs policy, Cardinal Glemp sent an official letter to the Provincial and asked him personally to find a new balance between Christian commitment to truth and social-political programs on the radio. The Provincial reacted more diplomatically than effectively; but the very fact that the hierarchy criticised irresponsible political comments contributed to a general understanding of the difference between the ChurchÂs standpoint in social-political issues and a private version of political radicalism that was practised very often by frustrated lay people who did not pay much attention to the principles of Christian ethics. Trivialisation of evil and the search for reconciliation The perspective of the Great Jubilee 2000 brings into focus the important issue of social reconciliation between former supporters of the Communist regime and those who suffered persecution under that regime. There were some attempts at inspiring a search for new social unity when many ordinary members of the Communist party acknowledged their fault and recognised the moral evil of the totalitarian system. Unfortunately, their practice was not followed by high party functionaries, who consistently try to trivialise the moral aspect of the violation of human rights under Communism. In their approach, nobody should be blamed for totalitarian practices and nobody is morally responsible for inhuman elements contained in the Leninist version of Marxism. This lack of moral responsibility seems to be a large-scale phenomenon among former Party activists, even beyond the ex-Communist block. The most shocking examples are found in comments in which even genocide is regarded as a trivial and ordinary attribute of contemporary culture. After publishing Le livre noir du communisme, which suggests that a total of 85 million people died as victims of Communism, a representative of the Communist daily LÂHumanité commented on French TV that inspite of all the painful experiences of the past, the beauty of Communist ideals cannot be called into question. In his comment on this remark, Alain Besançon makes the point that after Auschwitz one can no longer be a Nazi and defend the racist anthropology of Übermensch, but one can still be a Marxist after Kolyma and Soviet labour camps. This radical asymmetry in approaching ideologically justified genocide raises important axiological problems for any intellectual evaluation of tragedies that took place in our epoch. To overcome these relics of the post-Communist mentality and to bring moral categories into our evaluation of the totalitarian systems of the past, the Conference of Polish Bishops in 1994 published a pastoral letter about the importance of dialogue and tolerance in the process of the construction of democratic society. Its plea for reconciliation based on truth expressed in general recognition of the moral evil contained in Communism was ignored by influential Party activists. In the radically new social situation, former critics of Kautsky now preach his social democratic philosophy and, in the spirit of postmodern rhetoric, they try to replace moral values by pragmatic rules. Such an attitude is easily accepted by those social circles in which success, consumers axiology and practical materialism are appreciated more than any version of ideological relics or of profound axiological reflection. Pragmatism instead of ideology Though dialectical materialism has collapsed, practical materialism dominates many post-Communist countries. It is no longer imposed by force, but its relative independence of ideological centres even fosters the attitude in which people behave as if there were no God. Consumerism, as an effect of secularisation, has already penetrated the Eastern part of the European continent. Some countries in this area suffer from a most primitive version of capitalism that is supported by a mafia-like organisation, seriously threatening public life. Many former Marxists have radically changed their ideological background and now express their support for a postmodern critique of modernity. It is hard to find in their arguments either logical consistency or rational justification. They just preach freedom without defining what freedom means for them. The Church reminds us that this kind of liberation rhetoric was already practised by the Nazis when at the entrance to the concentration camp in Auschwitz they placed the inscription: Arbeit macht frei. The same practice was adopted also by StalinÂs collaborators when, in the popular songs of the period of the worst Stalinist persecutions, the Soviet Union was praised as the freest country in the world. After passing through such painful experiences we should determine the hierarchy of values basic for free society and we cannot end in an optimistic conviction that pragmatic regulations characteristic of liberal democracy would bring an automatic solution to difficult moral issues important for our society. The social teaching of the Polish Church proclaims the basic truth contained in papal encyclicals, and specifically in what Centesimus annus says on democracy. It emphasises that stable democratic institutions cannot function in a society which rejects moral values and reduces its attention to purely pragmatic principles accepted by a majority in democratic voting. Being realistic we should not expect that in such a society everyone will approve juridical regulations without being convinced that they are morally sound and rationally justified. Accordingly, it seems that a system of oppression must be introduced into such a society to guarantee the social acceptance of the imposed juridical regulations. Since rational arguments have been discredited by supporters of this form of pragmatism, one could use only rhetoric or propaganda in order to justify these regulations. As a result, in this version of liberal pragmatism rational arguments are replaced by propaganda persuasion and the axiological foundations of democracy by an effective system of repression. This type of social system could easily result in a form of pragmatic totalitarianism. A police state will emerge in this framework as a result of uncritical liberal pragmatism. The argument that its principles were accepted in a democratic choice has no special value since one cannot show that the accepted principles were either objectively true or morally just. Accordingly, the belief that we can eliminate from our culture all elements which are fundamental to our intellectual tradition seems as optimistic as the Leninist claim that Marxism opens a radically new epoch in the history of humankind and that it brings a completely new anthropology in which the human person is no longer subjected to the alienating processes characteristic of bourgeois society. Certainly, Marxism influenced the new mentality of the so called homo sovieticus. This mentality, however, is considered to be a pathological consequence of absurd social-political conditions rather than a breakthrough achievement in anthropology. Looking for new forms of social pathologies can be an attractive accomplishment only for those bored intellectuals who have never paid attention to the dramatic events of our century in which the dignity of the human person was subordinated to ideological schemes, devoid of rational justification. After the unique experience of two totalitarian systems experienced by Europe in the 20th century, one can expect that the advocates of new social experiments will look for their supporters in America and Africa rather than in Europe. When we eliminate rationality and moral responsibility from our intellectual discourse there is always a risk that sharp discussions free of social control could result in conflicts similar to that between the Tutsi and Hutu. Consistently, in a purely pragmatic society without axiological and moral foundations we could expect either sharp social conflicts or a superficial existence, in which Mickey Mouse or Tarzan would provide postmodern standards of life free of moral dilemmas, intellectual yearning and philosophical reflection. It may happen that such patterns of existence will be attractive for those intellectuals who prefer political correctness to truth. There was a time when many minds were attracted by Nazi anthropology, the Stalinist rhetoric of universal liberation or the Maoist vision of cultural revolution. We know the price paid by humankind for this type of irresponsible fascination. When facing the new threats present in our culture, which is undergoing deep changes, we have to look for a new form of intellectual solidarity in order to overcome the deep identity crisis where Tarzan is regarded as an exemplary model of the human species. This formation of the hierarchy of values with an underlying Christian anthropology could be easily interpreted as a sophisticated theoretical enterprise when many people suffer because of unemployment, new economic reforms or lack of adjustment to the new principles of free society. Such a reflection seems to be necessary in a society to situate social expectations in a new vista, free of utopian illusion. In the Instrumentum laboris of the recent Synod, we find this general description of the situation in post-Communist countries: "The effects of Communism with its hollow anthropology and its ethical principles was not given due consideration. As a result, some unsuspectingly concluded that with the fall of Communism all would, almost automatically, be changed for the better. Others thought that democracy would spontaneously bring riches and prosperity and that freedom would permit a flow of goods from the West to all consumers, guaranteeing work for everyone and causing economic prosperity". The dialogue between faith and culture in a new context On the basis of cultural transformations over the last 10 years in Poland, we can formulate certain general conclusions concerning the most appropriate Christian approach to this dialogue. They are: 1. In the evolving cultural milieu there are groups which would like to react aggressively to the mission of the Church. Christian centres should never respond in the same style. They are obliged to preach the Gospel of truth and charity, regardless of the aggression they face. 2. Attempts at combining the Christian message with politics seem to be always but a short-term enterprise. The Church may appraise the axiological factors in particular political programs. She should never, however, identify her teaching with the ideological message of one party. 3. In the new social situation there is a special challenge; nationalist parties would like to use the Church by emphasising the traditional and national elements in her teaching and ignoring the universal values contained in basic Christian doctrine. 4. Both in reflection concerning the moral evil of the totalitarian system of the past and in assessment of new social-cultural phenomena, an essential role is played by axiological and ethical factors. This domain of moral responsibility creates a chance for discussion between Christian and non-Christian centres. Human dignity and moral responsibility constitute the basis for intellectual co-operation and for inspiring discussions. Between a naive vision of free society and the postmodern rejection of moral values, the Church in Poland tries to continue her mission by considering the message of John Paul II expressed during his seven pilgrimages to his homeland and to preach the Gospel of hope in new social-cultural situation. Many critics of the Polish model of religious life claimed that there would be a radical breakdown of this model after the collapse of Communism. In their opinion peopleÂs religious life in Poland was inspired rather by political opposition to the Communist government than by Gospel principles. Ten years after the fall of Communism we can recognise such predictions as definitely false. There is no manifest decline in sociological description of religious life. The number of priestly vocations is as high as it was 10 years ago. Thus, instead of preaching easy pessimism, we try to face the new challenges and to contribute to building a new European society overcoming barriers and conflicts in the spirit of solidarity.
CHRISTIAN WITNESS OF THE CLOSENESS Francis Cardinal ARINZE 1. Gospel on Closeness between God, Man and Nature It is surprising how much the Gospel goes into details to tell us about the closeness between God, Man and Nature. Let us take some examples. The Gospel pays much attention to water. God created water, the rivers and the ocean. The clouds help people tell when there will be rain. Jesus taught from a boat, calmed the waves, walked on the waters and directed Peter and other Apostles to lower their nets for a catch. The seasons receive attention. They lead Jesus to speak of the signs of the times and thereby indicate that the era of the promised Messiah has arrived. The Gospel speaks of when it is dry, when it is winter, when it is cold. The planets are not forgotten. The sun, the moon and the stars get an honourable mention. Commotion among the elements, lightning and thunder are signs that will announce that the Lord is coming. The Gospel pays attention to trees. The mustard seed which grows into a large tree is presented as a sign of the coming Kingdom of God. The barren fig tree stands for the person who bears no fruit, while the vine is a symbol of the unity between Christ and his disciples. All these are images which Our Saviour used to convey instruction on the Kingdom he was inaugurating. Yet the Gospel contains other mentions of trees. Zacchaeus climbs up a sycamore to have a better view of Jesus. The crowds cut down palm branches to welcome Jesus into Jerusalem. It is the Garden of Gethsemane, with its olive trees, which is the theatre for Jesus prayer and agony. Attention to agriculture could not be lacking. Wheat and darnel growing together show us GodÂs patience in waiting for judgement. The fields white with harvest are a symbol of humanity waiting to be evangelised. The workers in the vineyard symbolise those called by Jesus to help spread the Good News. And bread and wine, fruits of the earth, are chosen as the elements for the Eucharistic mystery. The Gospel also shows God close to man through the use of geographical contours  hills, valleys, flat ground, mountain sides and lakesides. Animals and birds are given prominent attention: birds of the air, doves, pigeons, sparrows, foxes, lions, sheep, goats, the hen with her chickens under her wings, vultures and eagles. To many of these a profound symbolism is attached. The human being is the recipient of GodÂs saving message and grace. The Gospel gives attention to human life in its major stages: childbirth, infancy, youth, marriage, death and burial. Different circumstances are also mentioned: poverty, riches, sickness and restored health. Jesus showed great sympathy towards the hungry, the sick, the bereaved and in general the oppressed. And he did not refuse invitations to dinner from Matthew, Zacchaeus, the Pharisee, Martha, Mary and Lazarus of Bethany, and especially the bridegroom and bride of Cana. Indeed many of his teachings and some major miracles and the institution of the Holy Eucharist took place in the context of table convivium. 2. Lessons for the Insertion of the Gospel Message in Cultures This quick review of how the Gospel approaches man and nature does suggest to us that in our efforts to bring the saving message of the Gospel to people, we should pay close attention to their culture. Cultural realities regarding marriage and family life, celebrations of joy and sorrow, and situations of hunger and thirst, poverty and sickness, death and burial, are major events where the Gospel should meet peopleÂs culture and purify it, elevate it and bring to it the saving graces of the Redeemer. Human life on earth cannot be understood or expressed without reference to climate, seasons, trees, birds, animals, agriculture and the planets. The herald of the Gospel has to seek how the Good News of Jesus Christ can be translated into manÂs daily life in these realities. 3. Taking note of Creation The traditional natural religion which is especially prevalent in parts of Africa and Asia brings man close to the land, crops, trees and the seasons. Prayer to the Creator for the correct weather to favour agriculture is often spontaneous. Inculturation should pay close attention to this healthy tradition. Shintoism takes special care over trees, rivers and hills. On visits to Japan I have found this a useful stepping-stone to speak about God the invisible Creator. It is important to note how Japan, a highly developed country, has managed to preserve this feeling for nature. Could not greater efforts be made to cultivate appreciation for natural materials for liturgical furnishings and vessels: wood, stone, clay, etc.? In societies which are highly developed scientifically and technologically it is possible that in large cities many people take little notice of the moon and the stars. Some children may see real chickens or lambs only as meat on the dining table. Pets like cats are dogs are what they generally do notice. In such situations, greater effort may be required to persuade people to take notice of the wonderful things that God has made in the sky, in forests and rivers, in hills and valleys and in all life that moves on the earth. 4. Events beyond human Control There are frequently events that remind man that he is not in control of everything. Earthquakes, hurricanes, volcanic eruptions and landslides do put man face to face with catastrophes which are not under his control. Evangelisation should come to the aid of man to help him realise his need for a transcendent God, to resist temptations to blind determinism, to see the salvific role of suffering with and through Christ, and to teach people trust in a Provident God. There is no doubt that elements of nature lend themselves to an insertion of the saving message of the Gospel in the cultures of our time.
EL ENCUENTRO DEL MENSAJE SALVIFICO Mons. Rosendo HUESCA PACHECO Cuando recibí la honrosa encomienda de participar en esta Asamblea Plenaria del Consejo Pontificio de la Cultura, me preguntaba muy preocupado qué podría yo ofrecer a la amable consideración de tan digna Asamblea. Porque, por una parte a partir de la Constitución Pastoral sobre la Iglesia en el Mundo actual del Vaticano II hasta el reciente y hermoso documento: Para una pastoral de la cultura del Consejo Pontificio de la Cultura, la palabra del Magisterio es muy abundante. muy profunda su reflexión y muy rica en enseñanzas. Por otra parte, abundan aún más las reflexiones de innumerables Pastores y Maestros sobre este aspecto de la Evangelización de la Cultura. Y al escuchar a los participantes en estos días, esto se confirma más claramente. Por eso me convencí de que no me sería posible añadir alguna aportación en esta área, y comprendí que mi intervención podría intentar ser útil, invitándoles a reflexionar en el microcosmos de la cultura que son para mí las comunidades concretas. Así pues me atrevo a invitarles a que se dejen guiar en un humilde recorrido, como en un pequeño laboratorio de Pastoral de la Cultura. El caso que quiero compartir con ustedes podría darnos luces para contestar estas preguntas. Se trata de una población que hace treinta años tenía 10,000 habitantes. situada a 12 kilómetros de la Ciudad de Puebla, en un valle muy fértil para la agricultura. Llegó de pronto a instalarse en el lugar una de las mejores plantas para producir acero. Pudimos observar un cambio cultural que quisiera describirles: Los mayores del pueblo que siempre habían sido respetados y que guiaban la comunidad en sus varios aspectos, repentinamente no tuvieron ya significado, porque habían vendido sus tierras a la Empresa (a buen precio por cierto), se quedaron desempleados porque la Empresa contrató a los jóvenes; se quedaron sin autoridad en el hogar porque ellos ya no eran más los proveedores de la casa con el fruto de su trabajo campesino, ahora los jóvenes llegaban a casa con su paga quincenal: se rompió así la estabilidad tradicional de la familia. El grupo familiar tuvo en sus manos más dinero que antes y no estando preparado para bien usarlo siguió los caminos del consumismo: hubo entonces mucho más antenas de televisión que refrigeradores y muebles convenientes para el hogar. Creció el alcoholismo sobre todo entre los jóvenes y apareció el triste fenómeno de la prostitución. La práctica de la vida cristiana se deterioró también grandemente, de modo que al templo solo asistían las mujeres y los señores mayores de edad. Fue necesario atender a esta nueva situación con un equipo específico en torno a la labor del sacerdote, erigiendo en parroquia esa población. Esto ejemplifica el impacto negativo de lo que se llama modernidad en la cultura cristiana: pero hay otro aspecto muy importante que el papa Juan Pablo II llama "inculturación del Evangelio". Fray Bernardino Sahagún uno de los grandes y sabios misioneros de México descubrió en 1564 unos apuntes en la lengua prehispánica de los Aztecas que relataba los diálogos celebrados en 1524 por los doce primeros Frailes misioneros con los sabios, sacerdotes y principales de los indios. Escuchemos parte de ese precioso documento. En el capitulo VII se dice cómo respondieron al anuncio de los doce misioneros que hablándoles del verdadero Dios declaraban falsos y malos a sus dioses. "Vosotros dijisteis que nosotros no conocíamos al Dueño del cerca y del junto, a aquél de quien son el cielo, la tierra. Habéis dicho que no son verdaderos dioses los nuestros. Nueva palabra es ésta, la que habláis y por ella estamos perturbados, por ella estamos espantados. Porque nuestros progenitores, los que vinieron a ser, a vivir en la tierra, no hablaban así. En verdad ellos nos dieron su norma de vida, tenían por verdaderos, servían, reverenciaban a los dioses. Ellos nos enseñaron, todas sus formas de culto, sus modos de reverenciar (a los dioses). Así, ante ellos acercamos tierra a la boca. Así, nos sangramos, pagamos nuestras deudas, quemamos copal, ofrecemos sacrificios. Decían (nuestros progenitores): que ellos, los dioses, son por quien se vive, que ellos nos merecían ¿cómo, dónde? cuando aún era de noche. Y decían (nuestros ancestros): que ellos (los dioses) nos dan nuestro sustento, nuestro alimento, todo cuanto se bebe, se come, lo que es nuestra carne, el maíz, el frijol, los bledos, la chía. Ellos son a quienes pedimos el agua, la lluvia, por las que se producen las cosas en la tierra". "Tranquila, pacíficamente, considerad, señores nuestros, lo que es necesario. No podemos estar tranquilos, y ciertamente no lo seguimos, eso no lo tenemos por verdad, aun cuando os ofendamos. Aquí están los que tienen a su cargo la ciudad, los señores, los que gobiernan, los que llevan, tienen a cuestas, al mundo. Es ya bastante que hayamos dejado, que hayamos perdido, que se nos haya quitado, que se nos haya impedido, la estera, el sitial (el mando). Si en el mismo lugar permanecemos, provocaremos que (a los señores) los pongan en prisión. Haced con nosotros, lo que queráis. Esto es todo lo que respondemos, lo que contestamos a vuestro reverenciado aliento, a vuestra reverenciada palabra, oh señores nuestros". El Capitulo VIII nos dice como respondieron los doce primeros misioneros: "Pero vosotros porque no habéis adorado (al verdadero Dios) no habéis sabido dejar a los malvados, al que engaña a la gente. Porque nunca habíais escuchado la reverenciada palabra de Dios, ni teníais el libro divino, la palabra divina. Nunca vino a llegar a vosotros su reverenciado aliento, palabra, del dueño del cielo, dueño de la tierra. Y desde entonces estáis ciegos, estáis sordos, como en el tiempo de oscuridad, en lugar tenebroso vivías. Por esto no son muy grandes vuestras culpas. Pero ahora, si no queréis escuchar, el reverenciado aliento, la palabra de Dios (él es en verdad quien a vosotros la entrega) mucho es lo que peligraréis. Y Dios que ha comenzado vuestra ruina, la llevará a término, entonces del todo pereceréis" (Los diálogos de 1524 según el texto de Fray Bernardino de Sahagún y sus colaboradores indígenas, Miguel León Portilla, 1986). La Iglesia se está esforzando en responder a estos apremiantes retos pastorales, bajo el soplo del Espíritu Santo, en diversas formas que simplificando que yo pongo en esta forma a su consideración: La actitud del misionero que proclama a los pueblos: "Te anuncio la salvación en este resumen de verdades y normas, que serán gracia y amor de Dios para ti: tómalo o déjalo". Actitud y método que ahora la Iglesia transforma en este mensaje: "El Reino de los Cielos es semejante a un cofre del cual Dios va sacando cosas nuevas y viejas para ti, veamos juntos cuáles necesitas primero, cuáles no necesitas por ahora, cuáles no puedes todavía alcanzar": esta actitud es lo que el Papa llama "la nueva expresión, los nuevos métodos de la Evangelización". Esto supone la comunión íntima entre evangelizadores y comunidad, que implica el testimonio primero que nada, el Papa dice: "Evangelización nueva en su ardor"; pero que exige igualmente como fruto de la comunión el conocimiento vital de la comunidad y el acompañamiento en los gozos, esperanzas y sufrimientos de los evangelizandos, colaborando con el Señor en la restauración de todo lo que obstaculiza y deforma la persona del hombre (gratia sanans), y así mismo, en la transformación de la persona y la cultura según la plenitud de Cristo (gratia elevans). El Vaticano II nos dice: "La buena nueva de Cristo renueva constantemente la vida y la cultura del hombre caído; combate y aleja los errores y males que provienen de la seducción permanente del pecado. Con las riquezas de lo alto fecunda como desde sus entrañas las cualidades espirituales y las tradiciones de cada pueblo y de cada edad, las perfecciona y las restaura en Cristo". Esta actitud pastoral supone necesariamente nuevas estrategias y métodos, también aquí el soplo del Espíritu Santo se hace patente en la Iglesia que retorna la base de su acción pastoral en el "encuentro". El tema del Sínodo de América lo expresa plenamente diciendo: "El encuentro con Cristo vivo, camino de conversión, para la comunión y la solidaridad". Esta intuición y reclamo pastoral necesariamente requiere la cercanía entre las personas, y por lo tanto, la organización de la comunidad en pequeños grupos. Sólo así el valor del testimonio, del acompañamiento, y de la comunicación, fecundados por el Espíritu Santo, podrán ser la base de la Nueva Evangelización. Estas modalidades actuales e indispensables están claramente expresadas en el documento Para una pastoral de la cultura. Basta recordar algunos temas del índice: La familia como espacio ordinario de la experiencia de fe, la piedad popular como presencia vital de valores Evangélicos, la parroquia como red viva de pequeñas comunidades, las instituciones de educación católica como familias educadoras en la fe, etc. En mi humilde apreciación y experiencia pastoral no veo otro camino práctico para enfrentar los retos de la inculturación del Evangelio y de la restauración del hombre arrastrado por la llamada modernidad. Esta actitud y este método pastoral suponen aceptar la limitación que Jesús expresa cuando dice "la mies es mucha y los operarios pocos". Trabajar por la evangelización de la cultura supone muy numerosos agentes vivificados por el Evangelio y capacitados en el diálogo con sus hermanos: obispos, sacerdotes, almas consagradas, laicos comprometidos. Pidamos al dueño de la mies, pero esforcémonos por acompañarles y formarles en el seguimiento de Jesús. Otro aspecto que quiero compartir es lo que expresa el término cultura en el lenguaje laico, es decir: el mundo de los intelectuales, artistas, políticos Los que el Documento de Puebla llama: "constructores de la sociedad civil". También aquí les invito a reflexionar sobre una microexperiencia: En julio pasado la Conferencia del Episcopado Mexicano promovió un encuentro sobre Cultura Católica en el que participaron: la Comisión especial para la elaboración de un documento pastoral con ocasión del Milenio, las Comisiones Episcopales de Pastoral Social de Educación y de Cultura, con quince representantes del así llamado ambiente cultural en México. Partiendo de un libro reciente de Gabriel Zaid, escritor católico, que se titula Muerte y resurrección de la cultura católica en México.
La Cultura Católica en su forma oficial y preponderante ha muerto en México. Sobrevive en las culturas populares y de manera material, implícita (y desconocida muchas veces) en la mayoría de las manifestaciones del quehacer intelectual de los mexicanos. A esta muerte han contribuido varios factores. Entre ellos destacan: Â La persecución sufrida por la Iglesia. La Iglesia ha sido expulsada deliberadamente de los ámbitos públicos de creación de alta cultura (especialmente la Universidad y el Foro político). Liberales y revolucionarios han tenido éxito en la estrategia de aislamiento, especialmente en el área de la educación. Este proceso ha sido particularmente violento en el siglo XX. Mientras que en el pasado la Iglesia fue preponderante culturalmente hablando (siglos XVI-XVIII), ahora estamos ante el hecho inédito que, siendo el siglo XX uno de los más brillantes en la cultura mexicana, la Iglesia ha sido poco relevante en él. Â Los esfuerzos católicos para la producción de cultura poco exitosos. A lo anterior se añade el hecho de que algunas veces los católicos hemos sido poco creativos para proponer soluciones culturales adecuadas. A finales del siglo XIX se vivió en Europa una cultura vanguardista sobresaliente. En México hubo movimientos similares. Â La profunda división existente entre la elite intelectual y el pueblo fiel, mayoritariamente católico. Es de notar el anticatolicismo de algunos de nuestros más grandes escritores e intelectuales (v.g. Octavio Paz). Esto contrasta con la religiosidad popular de la mayoría de los mexicanos. Esta división es fruto de los dos anteriores factores, pero es a su vez generadora de procesos de exclusión y de automarginación de la cultura católica mexicana. Â El desarraigo y la automarginación de los fieles. La cultura actual del mexicano fomenta el desarraigo y el descuido con respecto a las raíces católicas de nuestra cultura. Esta actitud vergonzante, ampliamente vivida incluso frente a los iguales, tiene su origen en la falta de la vivencia de lo que significa ser testigo de Cristo en el mundo. Sin esa vivencia primera, jamás se tendrá un Octavio Paz católico. Â La incapacidad de muchos sacerdotes para establecer un dialogo con la alta cultura actual. Si bien la teología ha sido borrada de las disciplinas humanas, paralelamente se ha verificado un proceso de deterioro en la formación cultural de los sacerdotes católicos. Esto ha hecho mucho mas difícil la tarea de "llenar el hueco dejado por la Iglesia". El descuido en los sermones, las manifestaciones artísticas de baja calidad (especialmente en los templos) y el descuido de la cultura y la formación teológica en general, contrastan con las manifestaciones de otros tiempos, cuando los seminarios eran formadores de grandes artistas, teólogos e intelectuales. Â La desconfianza mutua entre intelectuales laicos y jerarquía de la Iglesia. Este factor es síntoma de un problema más profundo, relacionado con nuestra incapacidad para articular esfuerzos en torno a fines comunes. Así, muchas veces estos dos grupos se ignoran mutuamente: los intelectuales no leen el magisterio eclesiástico; y desde el púlpito no se recomienda la lectura de autores mexicanos. Además, los intelectuales no quieren ser etiquetados como "católicos", pues muchas veces se les considera voceros de la jerarquía. El estado de la cultura católica en México, sin embargo, es fruto también de un proceso más amplio, de carácter educativo. La falta de profundidad en el diálogo está relacionada con nuestro bajísimo nivel de instrucción. Y esto es común a los sacerdotes y a los fieles. Si bien se puede afirmar que la alta cultura católica está muerta (como forma preponderante de cultura) y que ha dejado un vacío en la vida de la nación, también hemos de reconocer que hoy se están creando nuevas formas donde la vivencia del Evangelio se manifiesta en la vida intelectual del mexicano. La cultura católica se encuentra en transición, porque ella vive en los mexicanos, pueblo católico. Y nuestro país está cambiando en su conjunto. La cultura católica hoy es nebulosa y difusa, porque así como es difícil al moribundo y al recién nacido hacerse entender, así es difícil caracterizar describir una cultura que no ha muerto del todo, pero que tampoco ha terminado de gestarse. Como signo de la transición, se ha dado una apertura a la participación de la iglesia en la cultura. También se ha dado un acercamiento de figuras importantes de la cultura mexicana a la religiosidad católica. Esta apertura debe ser aprovechada por la Iglesia, evitando sin embargo, cualquier imposición que quisiera "convertir" a la cultura, especialmente la relacionada con las manifestaciones artísticas. Se debería trabajar para que la cultura mexicana reconociera sus raíces y orígenes católicos. No necesariamente para "convertir" a los intelectuales, sino para complementar y acoger sus esfuerzos creativos. La falta de creatividad de los pocos exponentes de la cultura católica está relacionada con la falta de compromiso y vivencia de la fe. El conocimiento de la herencia del pasado la creatividad van de la mano. Se ha de hacer un gran esfuerzo de creatividad, fruto de la vivencia de la fe, en dos líneas: En el rescate, análisis y promoción de las manifestaciones de cultura católica que ya existen (canciones, películas, tradiciones, literatura, teatro, etc.) sobre todo a través de la acumulación de casos. El acumular ejemplos, además siempre da nuevas ideas. Acoger las nuevas expresiones y manifestaciones artísticas, de altísima calidad, que se están dando actualmente y que se han producido en nuestra Nación. Ciertamente, plantear que la Iglesia debiera pedir perdón por no haber estado en el proceso de producción de la alta cultura mexicana de este siglo (de manera formal) seria tanto como pedir que la víctima se disculpara por la ofensa recibida. Después de todo, no ha estado totalmente ausente. Sin embargo, especialmente los laicos, deberían reconsiderar la cultura de México como un ámbito específico de acción. El proceso de conversión permanente no debería dejar de lado la participación, en el diálogo y creación de la alta cultura en nuestro país. Por último, una inversión de recursos humanos considerable se hace necesaria para elevar los niveles de formación en los Seminarios. Para tratar de solucionar esto, se debe pedir la ayuda de los laicos. Ahora más que nunca es necesaria la colaboración intraeclesial. Para esta revitalización de la Cultura Católica en México puede servir igualmente la atención al patrimonio enorme de arte sacro que tiene el país. Son muy iluminadoras las sugerencias del Documento Para una pastoral de la cultura a este respecto. por ejemplo nos dice: "Prever una pastoral de los edificios más frecuentados, crear organizaciones de guías católicos, crear y desarrollar los museos de Arte Sagrado y antropología religiosa, etc." Para que esto sea posible es preciso contar con el compromiso generoso y eficaz de las Universidades Católicas, que son el espacio privilegiado para estas tareas de evangelización de la cultura y el recurso mejor con que la Iglesia puede contar para ello. Pero también he visto un cambio nada favorable a la Universidad Católica: La sociedad post-industrial que también llamamos sociedad de la información, sociedad planificada, sociedad cibernética, sociedad de servicios: es la sociedad del cambio. La Universidad no puede ser un santuario de la ciencia dedicado autónomamente a la enseñanza y a la investigación. La Universidad vive rodeada de instituciones que le demandan tareas, que le interpelan, que le critican. El Estado, la industria, el sindicalismo, los organismos culturales, religiosos, y de modo más amplio y más vital la opinión pública, le presentan sugerencias, exigencias, reclamos, responsabilidades, servicios nuevos. Se puede decir que hoy la Universidad vive en la plaza pública. Si la Universidad se propone como objetivo el servicio de la nación, debe a toda costa distinguir por una parte la demanda social, los objetivos concretos determinados por el Estado o por la opinión pública, y por otra parte las necesidades humanas básicas que no pueden ser satisfechas sino por la transmisión del saber, la búsqueda de la verdad y la investigación guiada por la dignidad del hombre. La ley de la demanda y la presión pública no siempre sirven a las necesidades fundamentales, y por ello no garantizan de por sí un genuino progreso. La Universidad debe ser genuinamente autónoma para servir al hombre. Si la Universidad pierde su fuerza de cohesión en torno al objetivo claro de servir al hombre, y se identifica con los objetivos del Estado, de la industria, de la opinión pública, no podrá nunca cumplir con la función crítica que el momento actual espera de ella. Si por una parte, la Universidad en los países en vía de desarrollo debe cooperar con los proyectos nacionales y servir de instrumento a la modernización, por otra parte, debe vivir en una sana autonomía de los grupos de poder y de los vaivenes de la opinión pública. Actualmente la transmisión del saber es instantánea y universal: no hay fronteras, vivimos en la aldea global. La informática moderna pone el saber a la disposición de la mayoría. Pensemos en Internet. Estas características no sugieren un deterioro, sino un magnifico avance, pero conllevan riesgos que debemos superar. Lo acumulativo de la información y lo provisional de los avances deben suscitar el ejercicio crítico y la actitud selectiva y responsable del propio progreso intelectual. La Universidad ya no puede ser una fuente de sabiduría, sino un centro siempre en crecimiento Continuo hacia metas sociales y culturales cada vez más profundas. La inquietud de las nuevas generaciones impulsa a la Universidad a repensar las razones no sólo del cómo progresar, del cómo saber, del cómo vivir, sino ahora también y más las razones del por qué y para qué progresar, crecer, saber y sobre todo el por que y para qué vivir. No se trata de ofrecer cursos complementarios que satisfagan la inquietud de las nuevas generaciones sobre aspectos humanos, culturales, espirituales; sino más bien orientar el pensamiento hacia las respuestas sobre los grandes "por qué" y "para qué". El Documento Post-Sinodal La Iglesia en América expresa estas ideas en el n. 71 diciendo: "El mundo de la educación es un campo privilegiado para promover la inculturación del Evangelio. Sin embargo. los centros educativos católicas y aquéllos que, aun no siendo confesionales, tienen una clara inspiración católica, sólo podrán desarrollar un acción de verdadera evangelización si en todos sus niveles, incluido el universitario, se mantiene con nitidez su orientación católica. Los contenidos del proyecto educativo deben hacer referencia constante a Jesucristo y a su mensaje, tal como lo presenta la Iglesia en su enseñanza dogmática y moral. Sólo así se podrán formar dirigentes auténticos cristianos en los diversos campos de la actividad humana y de la sociedad, especialmente en la política, la economía, la ciencia, el arte y la reflexión filosófica. En este sentido, es esencial que la Universidad Católica sea, a la vez, verdadera y realmente ambas cosas". Los números 29 y 30 de Documento Para una pastoral de la Cultura comentan ampliamente este mismo texto.
CHRISTIAN WITNESS OF THE CLOSENESS Archbishop Ivan DIAS The theme we are discussing this evening can be divided in two parts which, of course, are inter-related: (1) the Christian Witness of the closeness between God, man and nature; and (2) the insertion of the salvific message of the Gospel in the cultures of our time.
The first is St. Francis of Assisi. Filled with GodÂs Holy Spirit, he saw a brother in the sun and a sister in the moon. Birds and fishes were eager to listen to him and responded cheerfully to his invitation to sing the praises of God the Most High. By his prayers St. Francis caused the attacks of wolves in the village of Greccio to cease. Even death became a close relative. St. Francis, because of his closeness to God and nature, brings together even today persons of diverse cultures and faiths or with no faith at all. He is revered by lovers of nature and is considered the patron of ecologists. It was the same Holy Spirit which made him see "perfect delight" (perfetta letizia) in suffering and ill-treatment, and inspired him to proclaim the praises of GodÂs creation in that beautiful hymn: "Laudato sii mi Signore", even though he was completely blind at the time of composing it. God, man and nature were closely inter-related in the life of St. Francis of Assisi. Such is authentic Christian witnessing. The other example I would like to cite here is Mother Teresa of Calcutta. In her heroic witness of charity to the poorest of the poor, without any discrimination whatsoever as far as caste, creed, gender or political allegiance was concerned, the whole world saw the compassionate face of a loving God bending over persons broken by human suffering. Her example was understood and admired both in India, the country of her adoption, and abroad. She was hailed by everyone as an "angel of love" and an "apostle of the gutters". It was an open secret that it was the Gospel values that urged her on her mission: she saw the face of Christ in every person she attended to with so much care and love. She took ChristÂs words seriously: "I was hungry and you gave me to eat: I was thirsty and you gave me to drink: I was naked and you clothed me: I was in prison and you visited me Every time you did this to the least of my brothers and sisters, you did it to me". John Henry Cardinal NewmanÂs prayer "Radiating Christ" was especially dear to Mother Teresa. She would make Gospel values to shine on all those she met or cared for. "Let me preach Thee without preaching  Cardinal NewmanÂs prayer says  not by words but by my example, by the catching force, the sympathetic influence of what I do, the evident fullness of the love my heart bears to Thee." In the lives of these two great personages, St. Francis of Assisi and Mother Teresa of Calcutta, we get a glimpse of how a truly Christian witness can bring about a closeness between God, human beings and nature.
I would like to cite two modern-day attempts at inserting the Gospel message and values into a given culture. The first is India, which is a multi-religious, multi-ethnic and pluri-cultural society. It is not so much preaching about Christ that has impressed persons of non Christian beliefs there, but rather the quality of the service rendered by Christians in various sectors of the Indian society through their many schools, clinics, hospitals and social works, particularly in their preferential option to alleviate poverty in its varied expressions. In fact, it is worthy of note that the Christians in India today  who are less than 3% of the total population of almost a billion  cater to 20% of all the primary education in the country, 10% of the literacy and community health care programmes, 25% of the care of the orphans and widows, and 30% of the care of the handicapped, lepers and AIDS patients. It is such a witness that attracts Hindus, Muslims and persons of other faiths or of no faith at all to admire Christianity for what it stands for. In these works they see that Christians practise what they preach, that they live and irradiate Christian values without seeking publicity or the headlines, and they see how closely God, human beings and nature can be linked through selfless service for the suffering, the marginalised, the illiterate and the downtrodden. Such a witness sends a forceful message to persons of the many and different religious traditions and cultures which form a beautiful mosaic in India. For example: to the orthodox Hindus, who have the caste system is an integral part of their lifestyle and for whom suffering is the result of some evil deeds done in a previous existence (karma-reincarnation), the Christian example of service to everyone who suffers, irrespective of his or her caste or karma, is indeed thought provoking. The Buddhists, who affront suffering with somewhat passive compassion, see in the Christian witness how the sufferings of others can be viewed positively and tackled with solidarity. For Muslims. who believe in fate in the face of suffering, the Christian witness shows that human suffering, even though it is a consequence of the original sin of our first parents, can become an asset and a cause of glory, thanks to the pain and suffering willingly borne on the Cross by Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. In the words of St. Paul: "I want to glory in none other than in the Cross of Jesus Christ, by Which He is nailed to me and I to Him. For to me, to suffer is a gain, and to die is a profit" (Gal. 5:14). In the recent spate of violence against the Christian community in India on the part of a small group of Hindu fundamentalists, thousands of Hindus, Muslims, Jains, Sikhs, Parsis, Buddhists and persons of other faiths stood up in defence of the Christians and in protest against the violence to which they were being unjustly subjected, thanks to the favourable impression they have of our Christian institutions or the positive experience many of them have had therein. It is this same Christian witness, silent and yet so eloquent, which can influence and change even the godless cultures of yester years. Take Albania, for instance: during the heyday of its 40-year old communist dictatorship, it was the only country in the world to proclaim itself an atheist State in its Constitution. In practice, too, it was coherent with such a declaration: all religious practices were abolished and religious personnel were subjected to torture, persecution and death. As far as the Catholic Church was concerned, all the Bishops were brutally eliminated, and the religious personnel was reduced to some 33 priests and 45 religious nuns, the youngest of whom was 65 years old! It was CommunismÂs destructive trait at its best. And yet, when Albania opened its doors to democracy and religious liberty in 1991, within a short span of six years, with the Catholic Church opening schools, health care centres and social works all over the country and for all the citizens, Christianity came to be respected even by its former archenemies. To cite just one instance: the Government requested Mother Teresa of Calcutta, who was of Albanian origin, to build a hospital in Tirana. Mother passed on the request to the local Church authorities. The hospital plans were so impressive that the Ministry of Health asked that it become a teaching hospital for post-graduate doctors. Last year, the Ministers of Health and Education of the present Government, which continues to be of communist inspiration, requested the Holy See that other faculties be added to the medical one and that a Catholic University be erected in Tirana. Deeds are more powerful than words when it comes to injecting Gospel values into any culture. Deeds have a silent witness value, which gives Christians an opportunity "to give an account of the hope which is in them" (1Pt. 3:15). A good point to start from is where Christian values converge with those in other cultures. St. Paul tells us to appreciate "whatever is pure, just, noble and honourable" (Philem. 4:8). In every culture we can find elements which are "pure, just, noble and honourable" which can serve as pointers to the eternal values taught by Jesus Christ, the unique Saviour of all mankind. For instance, in the Hindu culture and scriptures, there is much insistence on the search for union with the Eternal One, on silence and meditation, on honesty and the love of nature, and on moral values like ahimsa (non violence), brahmacharya (self-control/celibacy) and satyagraha (non resistance). The Second Vatican Council speaks of "a ray of truth" which can be found in different faiths and cultures: this is none other than the work of GodÂs Holy Spirit who, so to speak, leaves his footprints on the sands of history, leading every culture and faith to Him who is the Way, the Truth and the Life. With much care, comprehension and goodwill, we should start appreciating the points of convergence between the Christian and other cultures, and then we could enlarge these points to embrace other values which are unique to the Christian Gospel. Take Mr. Graham Staines, for example. He was an Australian Protestant missionary who had been caring for lepers in India for many decades. When he and his two young children were recently burnt to death by some fanatic Hindus in Bhubaneshwar in Northern India, his wife Gladys reacted in a truly Christian manner by publicly forgiving those who had perpetrated the horrible crime and praying for the murderers to see the true light. Such a magnanimous gesture of pardon made a deep impact on everyone and won the sympathy and admiration even of those who did not share the Christian faith and culture of the missionaries. Of course, our Christian witness must be fully authentic. The armaments race between the Christian superpowers, the culture of death increasingly prevalent in the Western countries, the violent conflicts and massacres among Christian believers in Ireland, Rwanda, Burundi and elsewhere, drug traffic and other misdeeds prevalent in the Christian world of Europe and the Americas today  to cite but a few examples  are a serious blow to our credibility and a source of scandal to many a sincere-minded non-Christian person. Even Mahatma Gandhi, the Father of the Indian nation, who considered Jesus Sermon on the Mount the best sermon ever preached, was scandalized by the behaviour of His disciples and was led to say: "I love Jesus Christ, but not the Christians, because they do not do what Jesus has taught." To conclude: Today the world is full of a variety of cultures: besides the national, religious and ethnic ones, there is the culture of death, the technological culture, the hedonistic culture, the body culture, a culture of hate, and so on. To all of these the Gospel can and must bring a salvific and purifying message. But to achieve this end, the Christian message and Gospel values must be lived out in all their fullness. Only then will they find an easy resonance in the hearts of persons of every culture, gender and creed, and be able to create a world of harmony and unity in diversity, bringing humankind and creation closer to God. This will truly be the epiphany of the presence of GodÂs Holy Spirit in every culture under the sun. In the words of Pope Paul VI: "We must meet as pilgrims who have set out to find God in human hearts. Person must meet person, nation must meet nation, as brothers and sisters, as children of God. In this mutual understanding and friendship, in this sacred communion, we must also begin to work together to build the common future of the human race. It must be built on a common love that embraces all and has its roots in God who is love". To hasten the realization of such an ideal will be, perhaps, one of the big challenges the Church will have to face in the next Christian Millennium.
CONCLUSIONS FINALES Paul Cardinal POUPARD Chers Amis, 1. Nous voici déjà parvenus au terme de notre Plenaria, des journées fort brèves mais très intenses, vécues dans la prière, lÂinvocation à lÂEsprit-Saint, lÂécoute les uns des autres, le partage fraternel et la fraction du pain. Nous avons revécu lÂexpérience de la première communauté chrétienne décrite dans les Actes des Apôtres. Ensemble nous rendons grâces au Seigneur qui nous a rassemblés, et en votre nom à tous, je remercie notre Saint-Père le Pape Jean-Paul II pour son Message Autographe qui nous a éclairés et encouragés, en nous renouvelant son estime et sa confiance, avec sa Bénédiction Apostolique pour continuer avec intelligence et courage, foi, espérance et amour, la tâche si difficile, mais absolument nécessaire qui est la nôtre dans lÂÉglise au seuil du IIIème millénaire. Nous avons tous en mémoire, dans lÂintelligence et dans le cÂur, les contributions remarquables qui ont marqué cette Plenaria, remarquables de sérieux, de gravité, dÂauthenticité, dÂamour de lÂÉglise et dÂamour des hommes, toutes empreintes de la foi au Christ, la prière à lÂEsprit-Saint, lÂespérance dans la miséricorde du Père, marquées aussi par la prise de conscience dÂune mutation culturelle importante qui implique pour tous les responsables dÂÉglise un engagement décidé pour une Pastorale de la Culture renouvelée au seuil du IIIème millénaire. Les défis que nous avons identifiés et auxquels nous devons répondre exigent beaucoup des Églises particulières et tout particulièrement des Évêques. Le Conseil Pontifical de la Culture renouvelle toute sa disponibilité à leur égard. 2. Beaucoup dÂillusions du temps de lÂaprès-Concile sont tombées. Le mot, magique à cette époque, de dialogue, se trouve redimensionné. Il nÂest pas une fin en soi, mais un moyen, un moment, une attitude nécessaire des messagers que nous sommes de la Bonne Nouvelle de lÂAmour du Christ. A cet égard, plusieurs affirmations se sont clairement manifestées : lÂimportance pour le dialogue, de lÂaffirmation paisible et sereine de lÂidentité chrétienne propre, y compris dans le vêtement pour les prêtres, la nécessité de la prière, lÂimportance de la religion populaire, le besoin de guides spirituels, le retour de la compassion et de la miséricorde, de lÂadoration et de la contemplation. Les mêmes perceptions viennent de lÂensemble des nouveaux Mouvements dans lÂÉglise, qui privilégient le spirituel par rapport au socio-politique, et lÂamour constructeur de lÂÉglise à la place de la critique systématique négative et destructrice. Une autre prise de conscience importante est que le dialogue ne saurait se limiter à des échanges intellectuels, qui ne peuvent intéresser que des cercles restreints dÂintellectuels, " les non-croyants pensants ", comme il a été dit. La majeure partie des gens est formée de femmes et dÂhommes qui ne théorisent pas lÂexistence, mais la vivent. Chez eux, la plupart du temps, quand ils ne sont pas croyants, le problème du sens, et du sens des sens semble ne pas se poser, sauf dans les moments les plus graves, de la naissance des enfants à la mort des parents, de lÂamour et de la souffrance, qui sollicitent lÂattention des pasteurs. 3. Par ailleurs, dans la culture dominante, une tendance très forte marginalise la foi chrétienne et souvent ridiculise les exigences éthiques de la sequela Cristi, la vie chrétienne. Il en résulte comme un complexe dÂinfériorité de la part des chrétiens, qui les empêche dÂêtre le levain dans la pâte et le sel de la terre capables dÂincarner la culture des Béatitudes au cÂur de notre temps. A cet égard, une remarque importante a été faite : pourquoi les chrétiens se sentent-ils obligés toujours de se justifier de leur foi au Christ, comme sÂil sÂagissait dÂune attitude incongrue, et pourquoi ne demandent-ils jamais aux non-croyants, aux athées, de justifier leur athéisme ? Déjà le philosophe Etienne Gilson, dans un livre trop peu connu en son temps et absolument oublié aujourdÂhui, retenait : " lÂathéisme difficile ". En dÂautres termes, si nous avons toujours à rendre compte, comme le demandait déjà lÂapôtre Pierre, avec douceur et respect, de lÂespérance qui nous habite, nous avons aussi à demander à ceux qui affichent leur athéisme de sÂen justifier intellectuellement, de nous en donner les raisons. Pour Etienne Gilson, aucun doute : personne nÂa jamais pu prouver que Dieu nÂexiste pas. Il est important que les croyants, que les chrétiens, en prennent conscience et vivent et témoignent leur foi au Christ sans complexe. 4. Une autre prise de conscience est celle du combat spirituel qui est celui de la vie chrétienne. Des forces obscures et parfois coordonnées sÂopposent à lÂÉglise. La culture de la vie rencontre une contre-culture de mort. La plupart des gens nÂen sont pas conscients et vivent dans un matérialisme inconscient, un hédonisme attrayant, un pragmatisme sans transcendance. CÂest là que lÂÉglise rencontre aujourdÂhui lÂune de ses difficultés les plus grandes à proposer le message évangélique de Jésus comme le chemin, la vérité, la vie. Notre culture de la tolérance tolère tout, sauf lÂabsolu de la vérité. Et toute proposition qui se présente comme un Absolu est retenue comme dangereuse, car porteuse de violence. La culture dominante a une peur profonde des propositions fortes quÂelle amalgame avec les attitudes fondamentalistes, très justement combattues. DÂoù la tentation pour les chrétiens, surtout pour ceux qui occupent des responsabilités importantes dans les champs de la politique, de lÂéconomie, de lÂéducation et de la culture, de mettre leur foi entre parenthèses et même sous le boisseau. Comment créer une culture chrétienne, si les chrétiens ont pour première préoccupation de cacher leur appartenance au Christ ? Les institutions internationales elles-mêmes affirment de plus en plus une tendance à ne prendre en compte les religions quÂen les vidant de leur contenu spécifique, en les réduisant à leur plus petit commun dénominateur, en une sorte de syncrétisme mou, vaguement spirituel, au nom dÂune transcendance sans Transcendant. Cet humanisme immanentiste se traduit en relativisme devant la vérité, nihilisme en philosophie, scepticisme devant les normes éthiques, permissivité dans le comportement quotidien. LÂun des défis les plus grands pour lÂÉglise aujourdÂhui est de convaincre la culture dominante que Dieu nÂest pas le rival de la grandeur et du bonheur de lÂhomme, mais le plus sûr garant de sa liberté et de son plein épanouissement humain. 5. A cet égard, autant il est difficile de répondre à des questions qui ne sont pas posées, autant il est nécessaire de privilégier dÂautres voies de rencontre avec les hommes et les femmes qui vivent la culture de notre temps marquée par lÂindifférence : lÂart comme expression du mystère de lÂinvisible rendu visible à nos sens, la liturgie empreinte de beauté et incitatrice au recueillement, la charité effective qui sait découvrir par-delà les frontières des visages de frères et dÂamis, la joie offerte et lÂespérance partagée qui donnent saveur au présent et un avenir au futur, en élargissant lÂhorizon, du temps à lÂéternité, avec la promesse dÂun accomplissement total de la personne, véritable humanisme, intégral et solidaire : tout homme et tout lÂhomme. Devant les grandeurs et les misères de lÂanthropologie moderne, le retour à lÂanthropologie biblique permet de répondre aux défis anthropologiques de la culture dominante des pays sécularisés qui nÂest pas sans retentissement à lÂintérieur même du peuple chrétien. Ce nÂest pas à de vagues compromis que nous appelle la foi au Christ, mais au discernement éclairé par la prière à lÂEsprit-Saint, soutenu par les communautés de foi vivante, dÂespérance partagée et de charité en actes, qui sont attrayantes pour les nouvelles générations des jeunes, plus en quête de témoins concrets que de maîtres abstraits. 6. CÂest tout le défi de lÂinculturation de lÂÉvangile en toutes les cultures de tous les continents, dont le fruit est le nouvel humanisme chrétien aux dimensions du monde. LÂÉvangile assimilé dans la prière et vécu dans lÂÉglise rend de plus en plus humains ceux qui par leurs promesses baptismales doivent devenir de plus en plus divins. En ce sens, la relation entre lÂÉvangile et la culture est analogue à celle entre le Logos et lÂhumanité. Et le processus complexe de lÂinculturation devient une démarche de foi pour ouvrir à chaque communauté son chemin vers le Christ, Verbe incarné, et pour présenter à lÂÉglise des voies dÂaccès au cÂur dÂun ensemble de cultures, en vue de lÂévangélisation. Quelques domaines privilégiés ont été présentés, au nombre de sept : la traduction de la Parole révélée dans les langues locales, la catéchèse dans les langues du pays, la liturgie où les signes et les symboles des cultures traditionnelles sont repris, rejetés ou réinterprétés en vue dÂune signification nouvelle, lÂart en son style propre sous toutes ses formes : littérature, poésie, rythmes, chants, gestes et danses, peintures, sculptures, statuaire, les modes de comportements sociaux des communautés chrétiennes, les espaces et les temps sacrés, et enfin la dynamique de lÂÉglise comme famille de Dieu, si importante pour les cultures africaines en particulier. 7. LÂinculturation demande une implication de toute lÂÉglise, et singulièrement des Églises locales en liaison constante avec le Saint-Siège, garant de la catholicité de lÂÉglise apostolique, et en même temps un effort renouvelé dÂévangélisation missionnaire. Souvent, seule une faible couche de la population est sécularisée, et théorise lÂathéisme, lÂagnosticisme, le sécularisme. La plupart vivent dans une culture quotidienne sans idéologie, mais pragmatique. CÂest lÂanthropocentrisme à outrance. Que Dieu existe ou non, la vie continue : quÂest-ce que cela change ? disent les gens. Et souvent dans le peuple, latino-américain en particulier, cÂest une véritable dichotomie. La pensée et la sensibilité demeurent imprégnées dÂune mentalité sacrale confusionnelle, pleine de rites et de mythes plus ou moins syncrétistes, superstitieux, dévotionnistes, mais la pratique quotidienne en est détachée. Bien plus, le contenu de la référence religieuse demeure évanescent. Sur 80 % des personnes qui déclarent croire en Dieu, pour 80 % de ces 80 % ce Dieu nÂa aucun contenu personnel, mais est une espèce de grande référence cosmique. Et lorsque lÂÉglise met lÂaccent sur lÂengagement socio-politique, le peuple va chercher dans les sectes la référence religieuse dont il a besoin. Dans cette perspective, contrairement aux analyses prospectives de sociologues des dernières décennies, le vide provoqué par le dépérissement des Églises, bien loin dÂêtre un désert ouvert à lÂathéisme, se remplit très vite par la poussée des sectes, et parfois la résurgence de cultes sataniques. 8. LÂunivers post-communiste est profondément marqué dans la culture par le passage du collectivisme à lÂindividualisme. Après avoir été contre son gré soumis à la grande machine étatique, lÂindividu en revient aux besoins primaires antiques : panem et circenses, du pain et des jeux. Dans ce contexte, la pastorale de la culture doit privilégier le contact patient et lÂouverture généreuse vers les artistes, encourager les fêtes paroissiales et diocésaines, proposer des débats sur les grands thèmes bibliques comme sur les faits les plus importants de la vie quotidienne du moment, utiliser le pouvoir éducatif du sport, et veiller à la bonne tenue des musées, bibliothèques et archives de lÂÉglise. Une attention particulière doit être portée à lÂinfluence de la culture médiatique. Sans préjugés exclusivistes, il est important de promouvoir les moyens de communications sociales propres à lÂÉglise, au triple niveau paroissial, diocésain et national, aussi bien dans la presse que dans la radio. Et en même temps, il est nécessaire que des laïcs chrétiens bien formés soient présents et agissants dans les medias publics, aussi bien que privés. Dans tous les cas, les chrétiens doivent se libérer des complexes dÂinfériorité devant la culture dominante et ne pas succomber à une fausse exigence de la tolérance qui voudrait les réduire au silence et les empêcher de donner leur témoignage dÂune culture spécifiquement catholique. Dans la culture post-communiste, le matérialisme pratique a pris la place du matérialisme dialectique et suscité une forme inédite de capitalisme sauvage, véritable totalitarisme pratique. Dans cette situation nouvelle, le dialogue entre la foi et la culture trouve son champ privilégié dans le domaine éthique. Aucune démocratie ne peut vivre sans une axiologie reconnaissant des valeurs éthiques fondamentales. La dignité de lÂhomme et sa responsabilité morale constituent la base du dialogue à lÂaube du IIIème millénaire. Et contrairement aux prophètes de malheur sur lÂavenir de la vie religieuse dans les sociétés post-communistes, qui prévoyaient une chute brutale due à ce que la vitalité de lÂÉglise aurait hier été motivée davantage par une opposition politique au système totalitaire que par les principes évangéliques, le nombre des vocations sacerdotales demeure aussi élevé aujourdÂhui en Pologne quÂil y a dix ans. Devant les nouveaux défis du nouveau millénaire, lÂÉglise avec une grande espérance ne cesse de proposer lÂinsertion du Message spécifique de lÂÉvangile dans les cultures de notre temps comme un nouvel Humanisme chrétien où " le Christ manifeste pleinement lÂhomme à lui-même et lui découvre la sublimité de sa vocation " (Gaudium et Spes, 22). |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 |