05 December 2007

Portuguse Bishops: One Last Chance

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H/t to JSarto.

During an ad limina visit, the Portuguese hierarchy has been told what to do, and how to do it in what the Pope might think of as the "real spirit of Vatican II".

"The organisation of the Portuguese ecclesiastical community, and the mentality of its members, need to be changed in order to have a Church in Vatican II's rythm, in which the function of the clergy and the function of the laity are properly established, bearing in mind that, since we were baptised and made part of the family of the sons of God, we are co-responsible for the growth of the Church.

This ecclesiology of communion in the path of the Council to which the Portuguese Church has particularly felt called following the Great Jubilee, is, my beloved Brothers, the right path to follow, as long as you do not lose sight of possible traps, such as horizontalism at its source, democratisation of the attribution of sacramental ministries, the balance between Orders given and emerging services, the debate about which member of the community is first (a worthless debate, as the Lord Jesus has already said that it is the last who is first). But questions like these should not distract us from the true mission of the Church: it isn't about talking about itself, but about God."

A poor translation, but it's late. This is dynamite, though. Here is a liberal hierarchy being told to change. And to change now.

1 comment:

JARay said...

What a shame that the Church in Portugal has strayed so far off course. I well remember the Hindu schimozzle at Fatima.
I've only been to Fatima once and that would be almost exactly 50 years ago. I remember the town square being full of families sleeping out on the square before the celebrations of the next day. There was, if I recall, one public toilet and a tap outside it. That was all those people had to meet the needs of a very large crowd indeed.
How things have changed!

JARay