Pope Leo to DDF: Let's rediscover the joy of transmitting the faith
By Deborah Castellano Lubov
Pope Leo XIV insisted that “the transmission of the faith” is “a matter of great urgency in our time,” when addressing the plenary assembly of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith on Thursday in the Vatican.
Greeting the members of the Dicastery, Pope Leo said he was “well aware of the valuable service” they carry out, recalling that their mission, as stated in the Apostolic Constitution Praedicate Evangelium, is that of helping "the Roman Pontiff and the Bishops to proclaim the Gospel throughout the world by promoting and safeguarding the integrity of Catholic teaching on faith and morals," adding the DDF does this "by drawing upon the deposit of faith and seeking an ever deeper understanding of it in the face of new questions."
READ THE FULL ADDRESS OF POPE LEO XIV TO THE DICASTERY FOR THE DOCTRINE OF THE FAITH
'Your task'
Addressing the DDF officials, the Pope said, "Your task is to offer clarifications regarding the doctrine of the Church, through pastoral and theological guidance on questions that are often quite delicate.”
Expressing gratitude for the documents the Dicastery has published in recent years, Pope Leo acknowledged that “such extensive work will certainly be of great benefit to the spiritual growth of the holy and faithful People of God.”
“In the context of the epochal change we are living through,” Pope Leo XIV continued, this work “offers the faithful a timely and clear word from the Church,” especially with regard to “the many new phenomena emerging on the stage of history” and “provides valuable guidance to Bishops in the exercise of their pastoral action, as well as to theologians, in their service of study and evangelization."
The Pope expressed particular appreciation that the Plenary Session had initiated a fruitful discussion on the theme "of the transmission of the faith, a matter of great urgency in our time."
Amid indifference, rediscover joy of evangelizing
"Indeed," Pope Leo insisted, "we cannot ignore the fact that, in recent decades, a rupture has occurred in the generational transmission of the Christian faith among the Catholic people, and that, especially in contexts of ancient evangelization, the number is growing of those who no longer perceive the Gospel as a fundamental resource for their own existence, particularly among the younger generations."
He also lamented how many young men and women live without any reference to God or to the Church, noting that while "this causes us believers great sorrow," it "must lead us to rediscover the 'sweet and comforting joy of evangelizing,' which lies at the very heart of the life and mission of the Bride of Christ."
The Pope remembered that at the recent Extraordinary Consistory, 7-8 Jan., the Cardinals called for a Church that does not look only at Herself, but to others and is missionary.
He also reiterated the need for a Church that "proclaims the Gospel, above all through the power of attraction, as my predecessors Benedict XVI and Francis repeatedly emphasized."
Humble workers in the Lord's vineyard
Recalling that the foundation of the life of the Body of Christ “is the love of the Father, revealed to us in the Son made man, present and at work in us through the gift of the Spirit," Pope Leo reasoned that accordingly, “it is not the Church that attracts, but Christ" and "if a Christian or an ecclesial community attracts, it is because through that ‘channel’ there flows the vital sap of Charity that springs from the Heart of the Savior.”
Hence, he underscored, "The Church proclaims Christ, without protagonism or particularism, and within her each person is and must always recognize himself or herself solely as “a simple and humble worker in the vineyard of the Lord.”
Ensure justice, truth and charity
Yet Pope Leo wished to make a final point.
"I would like to mention, before concluding," he said, "another service of yours, for which I am grateful and which I commend to your care: that of welcoming and accompanying, with every kindness and judgement, the Bishops and Superiors General called to deal with cases of crimes reserved to the Dicastery."
"This," he continued, "is a very delicate area of ministry, in which it is essential to ensure that the requirements of justice, truth and charity are always honored and respected."
Finally, Pope Leo XIV renewed his gratitude for the valuable contributions that those before him make to the Dicastery and of the whole Church, "especially when such contribution is offered in a humble and unobtrusive manner," and went on to impart his Apostolic Blessing.
No comments:
Post a Comment