“Rejoice!” is the angel’s greeting to Mary (Lk 1:28). [124] Concern for the way we preach is likewise a profoundly spiritual concern. Jn 4:1-15). Rev 21:2-4), is the goal towards which all of humanity is moving. The delightful and comforting joy of evangelizing. [29] This kind of integration will prevent them from concentrating only on part of the Gospel or the Church, or becoming nomads without roots. He exhorts those who dwell on Zion to go forth to meet him with song: “Shout aloud and sing for joy!” (12:6). In today’s world of instant communication and occasionally biased media coverage, the message we preach runs a greater risk of being distorted or reduced to some of its secondary aspects. Today in many places we hear a call for greater security. May we never remain on the sidelines of this march of living hope! This has great pastoral importance. 2. Progress in building a people in peace, justice and fraternity depends on four principles related to constant tensions present in every social reality. [93] It is he who brings forth a rich variety of gifts, while at the same time creating a unity which is never uniformity but a multifaceted and inviting harmony. It is my hope that, in doing so, they will realize that whenever we attempt to read the signs of the times it is helpful to listen to young people and the elderly. [106] Fifth General Conference of the Latin American and Caribbean Bishops, Aparecida Document, 29 June 2007, 264. As Christians, we cannot consider Judaism as a foreign religion; nor do we include the Jews among those called to turn from idols and to serve the true God (cf. The Church has no wish to hold back the marvellous progress of science. [8] With this newness he is always able to renew our lives and our communities, and even if the Christian message has known periods of darkness and ecclesial weakness, it will never grow old. Because “the feminine genius is needed in all expressions in the life of society, the presence of women must also be guaranteed in the workplace”[72] and in the various other settings where important decisions are made, both in the Church and in social structures. [7] The legend was generally accepted as true until the 16th century, when a widespread debate among Catholic and Protestant writers called the story into question; various writers noted the implausibly long gap between Joan's supposed lifetime and her first appearance in texts. 7. We have to regard ourselves as sealed, even branded, by this mission of bringing light, blessing, enlivening, raising up, healing and freeing. The most popular and influential version is that interpolated into Martin of Opava's Chronicon Pontificum et Imperatorum, later in the 13th century. An English writer, Alexander Cooke, wrote a book entitled Pope Joane: A Dialogue between a Protestant and a Papist, which purported to prove the existence of Pope Joan by reference to Catholic traditions. All of this has great relevance for the preaching of the Gospel, if we are really concerned to make its beauty more clearly recognized and accepted by all. 271. [4] Fifth General Conference of the Latin American and Caribbean Bishops, Aparecida Document, 29 June 2007, 360. Realities simply are, whereas ideas are worked out. Evangelization joyfully acknowledges these varied treasures which the Holy Spirit pours out upon the Church. It is the Risen Christ who tells us, with a power that fills us with confidence and unshakeable hope: “Behold, I make all things new” (Rev 21:5). Don’t worry, Jude Law’s Pius XIII can still lay claim to the title of … The reservation of the priesthood to males, as a sign of Christ the Spouse who gives himself in the Eucharist, is not a question open to discussion, but it can prove especially divisive if sacramental power is too closely identified with power in general. [68] Thomas À Kempis, De Imitatione Christi, Lib. In 1587, Florimond de Raemond, a magistrate in the parlement de Bordeaux and an antiquary, published his first attempt to deconstruct the legend, Erreur Populaire de la Papesse Jeanne (also subsequently published under the title L'Anti-Papesse). But we need to create still broader opportunities for a more incisive female presence in the Church. I think of the homeless, the addicted, refugees, indigenous peoples, the elderly who are increasingly isolated and abandoned, and many others. The New Testament describes one fruit of the Holy Spirit (cf. 1. 47, a. Bd. I do not claim to replace or improve upon these treasures. [85] This is due to the fact that the human person, “by nature stands completely in need of life in society”[86] and always exists in reference to society, finding there a concrete way of relating to reality. While the earnings of a minority are growing exponentially, so too is the gap separating the majority from the prosperity enjoyed by those happy few. [166] This loving attentiveness is the beginning of a true concern for their person which inspires me effectively to seek their good. I encourage everyone to apply the guidelines found in this document generously and courageously, without inhibitions or fear. [187] In a culture which privileges dialogue as a form of encounter, it is time to devise a means for building consensus and agreement while seeking the goal of a just, responsive and inclusive society. Trusting others is an art and peace is an art. If the whole Church takes up this missionary impulse, she has to go forth to everyone without exception. [133]  S. The respect due to the agnostic or non-believing minority should not be arbitrarily imposed in a way that silences the convictions of the believing majority or ignores the wealth of religious traditions. Frequently, we act as arbiters of grace rather than its facilitators. If we are to share our lives with others and generously give of ourselves, we also have to realize that every person is worthy of our giving. Some of its manuscripts contain a brief mention of a female pope named Johanna (the earliest source to attach to her the female form of the name), but all these manuscripts are later than Martin's work. V.M. In many countries globalization has meant a hastened deterioration of their own cultural roots and the invasion of ways of thinking and acting proper to other cultures which are economically advanced but ethically debilitated. These gifts are meant to renew and build up the Church. Consequently, we need to be constantly trained in hearing the word. [120] He needs to be able to link the message of a biblical text to a human situation, to an experience which cries out for the light of God’s word. We must never forget that they “profess to hold the faith of Abraham, and together with us they adore the one, merciful God, who will judge humanity on the last day”. We hold the Jewish people in special regard because their covenant with God has never been revoked, for “the gifts and the call of God are irrevocable” (Rom 11:29). The same synthesis appears in the New Testament: “Maintain constant love for one another, for love covers a multitude of sins” (1 Pet 4:8). They flew miraculously through the air, and all drowned in the British Sea. Whenever we encounter another person in love, we learn something new about God. Demands that the legitimate rights of women be respected, based on the firm conviction that men and women are equal in dignity, present the Church with profound and challenging questions which cannot be lightly evaded. No single act of love for God will be lost, no generous effort is meaningless, no painful endurance is wasted. Let us not flee from the resurrection of Jesus, let us never give up, come what will. It is a wonderful thing to be God’s faithful people. Here I can repeat the insightful observation of Pope Paul VI: “In the face of such widely varying situations, it is difficult for us to utter a unified message and to put forward a solution which has universal validity. Where is your brother or sister who is enslaved? God asks everything of us, yet at the same time he offers everything to us. The seventy-two disciples felt it as they returned from their mission (cf. These derive from the pillars of the Church’s social doctrine, which serve as “primary and fundamental parameters of reference for interpreting and evaluating social phenomena”. This demands that we be docile and attentive to the cry of the poor and to come to their aid. Other novels include Wilhelm Smets's Das Mährchen von der Päpstin Johanna auf’s Neue erörtert (1829), Marjorie Bowen's Black Magic (1909), Ludwig Gorm's Päpstin Johanna (1912), Yves Bichet's La Papesse Jeanne (2005), and Hugo N. Gerstl's Scribe: The Story of the Only Female Pope (2005). 47. Rom 10:14-17). Some simply content themselves with blaming the poor and the poorer countries themselves for their troubles; indulging in unwarranted generalizations, they claim that the solution is an “education” that would tranquilize them, making them tame and harmless. Instead, it is the polyhedron, which reflects the convergence of all its parts, each of which preserves its distinctiveness. 224. [181] In their light I would now like to set forth these four specific principles which can guide the development of life in society and the building of a people where differences are harmonized within a shared pursuit. Each particular Church should encourage the use of the arts in evangelization, building on the treasures of the past but also drawing upon the wide variety of contemporary expressions so as to transmit the faith in a new “language of parables”. [67] In these situations we are called to be living sources of water from which others can drink. 201. The Lord’s missionary mandate includes a call to growth in faith: “Teach them to observe all that I have commanded you” (Mt 28:20). Pope Francis is the author of a new book, Let Us Dream: The Path to a Better Future, available in both English and Spanish on December 1. In each case, “the Church speaks from the light which faith offers”,[186] contributing her two thousand year experience and keeping ever in mind the life and sufferings of human beings. 256. [83] No one is saved by himself or herself, individually, or by his or her own efforts. Mary herself experienced these things during the years of Jesus’ childhood in Nazareth: “This is the beginning of the Gospel, the joyful good news. [71] H. De Lubac, Méditation sur l’Église, Paris, 1968, 321. [210] When we live out a spirituality of drawing nearer to others and seeking their welfare, our hearts are opened wide to the Lord’s greatest and most beautiful gifts. [176] John Paul II, Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation Christifideles Laici (30 December 1988), 37: AAS 81 (1989), 461. We need to pay attention to the global so as to avoid narrowness and banality. How many wars take place within the people of God and in our different communities! 63. I realize of course that joy is not expressed the same way at all times in life, especially at moments of great difficulty. Together with Jesus, this remembrance makes present to us “a great cloud of witnesses” (Heb 12:1), some of whom, as believers, we recall with great joy: “Remember your leaders, those who spoke to you the word of God” (Heb 13:7). Today everything comes under the laws of competition and the survival of the fittest, where the powerful feed upon the powerless. 87. We can recall a single example: “If we were in peril from fire, we would certainly run to water in order to extinguish the fire… in the same way, if a spark of sin flares up from our straw, and we are troubled on that account, whenever we have an opportunity to perform a work of mercy, we should rejoice, as if a fountain opened before so that the fire might be extinguished”. Christ, risen and glorified, is the wellspring of our hope, and he will not deprive us of the help we need to carry out the mission which he has entrusted to us. Later (cf. When evangelizers rise from prayer, their hearts are more open; freed of self-absorption, they are desirous of doing good and sharing their lives with others. It is vital that government leaders and financial leaders take heed and broaden their horizons, working to ensure that all citizens have dignified work, education and healthcare. In France there appeared marvelous locusts, which had six wings and very powerful teeth. Second Vatican Ecumenical Council, Dogmatic Constitution on the Church Lumen Gentium, 1. One cause of this situation is found in our relationship with money, since we calmly accept its dominion over ourselves and our societies. It is useless to attempt to read a biblical text if all we are looking for are quick, easy and immediate results. With reference to the social sciences, for example, John Paul II said that the Church values their research, which helps her “to derive concrete indications helpful for her magisterial mission”. He needs to approach the word with a docile and prayerful heart so that it may deeply penetrate his thoughts and feelings and bring about a new outlook in him”. The witness of faith that each Christian is called to offer leads us to say with Saint Paul: “Not that I have already obtained this, or am already perfect; but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own” (Phil 3:12-13). [3] Encyclical Letter Deus Caritas Est (25 December 2005), 1: AAS 98 (2006), 217. [9] In every activity of evangelization, the primacy always belongs to God, who has called us to cooperate with him and who leads us on by the power of his Spirit. Interreligious dialogue is a necessary condition for peace in the world, and so it is a duty for Christians as well as other religious communities. [151] Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church, 12. The Second Vatican Council stated that, like the ancient patriarchal Churches, episcopal conferences are in a position “to contribute in many and fruitful ways to the concrete realization of the collegial spirit”. 140. I understand the grief of people who have to endure great suffering, yet slowly but surely we all have to let the joy of faith slowly revive as a quiet yet firm trust, even amid the greatest distress: “My soul is bereft of peace; I have forgotten what happiness is… But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope: the steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning. Through the influence of the media, rural areas are being affected by the same cultural changes, which are significantly altering their way of life as well. A spirit-filled evangelization is one guided by the Holy Spirit, for he is the soul of the Church called to proclaim the Gospel. 139. Only through such respectful and compassionate listening can we enter on the paths of true growth and awaken a yearning for the Christian ideal: the desire to respond fully to God’s love and to bring to fruition what he has sown in our lives. Some people promote these expressions while not being in the least concerned with the advancement of society or the formation of the laity, and in certain cases they do so in order to obtain economic benefits or some power over others. This opinion, which has never been confirmed by the facts, expresses a crude and naïve trust in the goodness of those wielding economic power and in the sacralized workings of the prevailing economic system. The kingdom, already present and growing in our midst, engages us at every level of our being and reminds us of the principle of discernment which Pope Paul VI applied to true development: it must be directed to “all men and the whole man”. [52] Benedict XVI, Address to the Brazilian Bishops in the Cathedral of São Paulo, Brazil (11 May 2007), 3: AAS 99 (2007), 428. If we really believe in the abundantly free working of the Holy Spirit, we can learn so much from one another! In this sense, I am conscious of the need to promote a sound “decentralization”. At the same time, the spiritual life comes to be identified with a few religious exercises which can offer a certain comfort but which do not encourage encounter with others, engagement with the world or a passion for evangelization. This is the source of the Church’s heroic and impatient struggle for renewal: the struggle to correct those flaws introduced by her members which her own self-examination, mirroring her exemplar, Christ, points out to her and condemns”. This is not the case simply because inequality provokes a violent reaction from those excluded from the system, but because the socioeconomic system is unjust at its root. 64. I think of the steadfast faith of those mothers tending their sick children who, though perhaps barely familiar with the articles of the creed, cling to a rosary; or of all the hope poured into a candle lighted in a humble home with a prayer for help from Mary, or in the gaze of tender love directed to Christ crucified. We are all in the same boat and headed to the same port! Mt 25:40). [211] Second Special Assembly for Europe of the Synod of Bishops, Final Message, 1: L’Osservatore Romano, Weekly English-language edition, 27 October 1999, 5. In this way certain issues which are part of the Church’s moral teaching are taken out of the context which gives them their meaning. Mary is the woman of faith, who lives and advances in faith,[214] and “her exceptional pilgrimage of faith represents a constant point of reference for the Church”. The Lord and his people speak to one another in a thousand ways directly, without intermediaries. Let us not allow ourselves to be robbed of the Gospel! [11] In this category we can also include those members of faithful who preserve a deep and sincere faith, expressing it in different ways, but seldom taking part in worship. In the first, people get caught up in an abstract, globalized universe, falling into step behind everyone else, admiring the glitter of other people’s world, gaping and applauding at all the right times. Unless we see him present at the heart of our missionary commitment, our enthusiasm soon wanes and we are no longer sure of what it is that we are handing on; we lack vigour and passion. No to a financial system which rules rather than serves, 57. Share The Pillar. [14] Indeed, “today missionary activity still represents the greatest challenge for the Church”[15] and “the missionary task must remain foremost”. My mission of being in the heart of the people is not just a part of my life or a badge I can take off; it is not an “extra” or just another moment in life. Through her many titles, often linked to her shrines, Mary shares the history of each people which has received the Gospel and she becomes a part of their historic identity. Each Christian and every community must discern the path that the Lord points out, but all of us are asked to obey his call to go forth from our own comfort zone in order to reach all the “peripheries” in need of the light of the Gospel. Challenges exist to be overcome! The story was widely believed for centuries, but most modern scholars regard it as fictional. 86. But in the realm of religion it can also take the form of a spiritual consumerism tailored to one’s own unhealthy individualism. 203. [157], 191. [50] I want to remind priests that the confessional must not be a torture chamber but rather an encounter with the Lord’s mercy which spurs us on to do our best. If we approach it in this way, its beauty will amaze and constantly excite us. Acts 4:32). The Church is called to be the house of the Father, with doors always wide open. Moved by his example, we want to enter fully into the fabric of society, sharing the lives of all, listening to their concerns, helping them materially and spiritually in their needs, rejoicing with those who rejoice, weeping with those who weep; arm in arm with others, we are committed to building a new world. All around us we begin to see nurses with soul, teachers with soul, politicians with soul, people who have chosen deep down to be with others and for others. And if your sins prevent you from drawing nigh, and you never cease to fall – for, as the Psalm says, ‘what man knows his faults?’ – will you remain without partaking of the sanctification that gives life for eternity?”. These are words that are suitable in theology or catechesis, but whose meaning is incomprehensible to the majority of Christians. Christ’s resurrection everywhere calls forth seeds of that new world; even if they are cut back, they grow again, for the resurrection is already secretly woven into the fabric of this history, for Jesus did not rise in vain. 27, a. He dwells until the end of the ages in the tabernacle of the Church’s faith. 77. It involves the conviction that a human being is always sacred and inviolable, in any situation and at every stage of development. We are not simply talking about ensuring nourishment or a “dignified sustenance” for all people, but also their “general temporal welfare and prosperity”. PIUS XI, Message of 18 December 1927. [145] We know that “evangelization would not be complete if it did not take account of the unceasing interplay of the Gospel and of man’s concrete life, both personal and social”. In the homily, truth goes hand in hand with beauty and goodness. Sometimes I wonder if there are people in today’s world who are really concerned about generating processes of people-building, as opposed to obtaining immediate results which yield easy, quick short-term political gains, but do not enhance human fullness. For “defenders of orthodoxy are sometimes accused of passivity, indulgence, or culpable complicity regarding the intolerable situations of injustice and the political regimes which prolong them”.[161]. Just as the organic unity existing among the virtues means that no one of them can be excluded from the Christian ideal, so no truth may be denied. [132] We must be bold enough to discover new signs and new symbols, new flesh to embody and communicate the word, and different forms of beauty which are valued in different cultural settings, including those unconventional modes of beauty which may mean little to the evangelizers, yet prove particularly attractive for others. In this basic core, what shines forth is the beauty of the saving love of God made manifest in Jesus Christ who died and rose from the dead. Such a life is nothing less than slow suicide. As a consequence, masses of people find themselves excluded and marginalized: without work, without possibilities, without any means of escape. Read full review. We also see how he is concerned for their needs: “When the Israelites cried out to the Lord, the Lord raised up for them a deliverer” (Jg 3:15). Being human means “being at the same time son and father of the culture to which one belongs”. Young people call us to renewed and expansive hope, for they represent new directions for humanity and open us up to the future, lest we cling to a nostalgia for structures and customs which are no longer life-giving in today’s world. A financial reform open to such ethical considerations would require a vigorous change of approach on the part of political leaders. How good it is to stand before a crucifix, or on our knees before the Blessed Sacrament, and simply to be in his presence! A high opinion of her life and learning arose in the city; and she was chosen for Pope. We may not always be able to reflect adequately the beauty of the Gospel, but there is one sign which we should never lack: the option for those who are least, those whom society discards. The history of the Church shows that Christianity does not have simply one cultural expression, but rather, “remaining completely true to itself, with unswerving fidelity to the proclamation of the Gospel and the tradition of the Church, it will also reflect the different faces of the cultures and peoples in which it is received and takes root”. 36. [164] This option – as Benedict XVI has taught – “is implicit in our Christian faith in a God who became poor for us, so as to enrich us with his poverty”. In the prevailing culture, priority is given to the outward, the immediate, the visible, the quick, the superficial and the provisional. In countries of Catholic tradition, this means encouraging, fostering and reinforcing a richness which already exists. [192] We must never forget that we are pilgrims journeying alongside one another. 82. Ethics has come to be viewed with a certain scornful derision. [166] Saint Thomas Aquinas, S. Saint James likewise exhorts Christians to fulfil “the royal law according to the Scripture: You shall love your neighbour as yourself” (2:8), in order not to fall short of any commandment. Before all else, the Gospel invites us to respond to the God of love who saves us, to see God in others and to go forth from ourselves to seek the good of others. Perhaps the most exciting invitation is that of the prophet Zephaniah, who presents God with his people in the midst of a celebration overflowing with the joy of salvation. In others, it is because in their particular Churches room has not been made for them to speak and to act, due to an excessive clericalism which keeps them away from decision-making. When conflict arises, some people simply look at it and go their way as if nothing happened; they wash their hands of it and get on with their lives. 277. In this regard, several sayings of Saint Paul will not surprise us: “The love of Christ urges us on” (2 Cor 5:14); “Woe to me if I do not proclaim the Gospel” (1 Cor 9:16). 46. Unless these people find in the Church a spirituality which can offer healing and liberation, and fill them with life and peace, while at the same time summoning them to fraternal communion and missionary fruitfulness, they will end up by being taken in by solutions which neither make life truly human nor give glory to God. Let us peer for a moment into the heart of Saint Paul, to see what his prayer was like. Pope Francis ordered a change to the Code of Canon Law so … The Aparecida Document describes the riches which the Holy Spirit pours forth in popular piety by his gratuitous initiative. Mt 18:15), but without making judgments about their responsibility and culpability (cf. 2: “Without the Holy Spirit who is the bond of both, one cannot understand the connecting unity between the Father and the Son”; cf. [40] Thomas thus explains that, as far as external works are concerned, mercy is the greatest of all the virtues: “In itself mercy is the greatest of the virtues, since all the others revolve around it and, more than this, it makes up for their deficiencies. It serves only to offer false hopes to those clamouring for heightened security, even though nowadays we know that weapons and violence, rather than providing solutions, create new and more serious conflicts. This light transcends human reason, yet it can also prove meaningful and enriching to those who are not believers and it stimulates reason to broaden its perspectives. Greater possibilities for communication thus turn into greater possibilities for encounter and solidarity for everyone. With Mary we advance confidently towards the fulfilment of this promise, and to her we pray: Mary, Virgin and Mother, you who, moved by the Holy Spirit, welcomed the word of life in the depths of your humble faith: as you gave yourself completely to the Eternal One, help us to say our own “yes” to the urgent call, as pressing as ever, to proclaim the good news of Jesus.

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