VATICAN CITY, 14 OCT 2008 (VIS) - The Fifteenth General Congregation of the Twelfth Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops took place this afternoon. The president delegate on duty was Cardinal George Pell, archbishop of Sydney, Australia.
Following are excerpts from the speeches given:
CARDINAL ANTONIO MARIA ROUCO VARELA, ARCHBISHOP OF MADRID, SPAIN. "To make the Word of God a leaven of modern culture means keeping in mind one of its foremost characteristics, especially in Europe and America, that is to say, the immanentist concept of man and the world, without any explicit or implicit reference to God the Creator and Redeemer of man. This characteristic may be seen in particular in socio-political and juridical culture. ... Post-modernity has augmented the negative aspects of the modern concept of man, of society and of the political-juridical order, opening the way to existential nichilism and to the 'dictatorship' of ethical relativism. The legal approach to the right to life, as if the State could dispose of it in an unlimited way, is eloquent proof of this. Therefore, we need a cultural answer from the Gospel that, in a sincere dialogue between faith and reason, brings into public life the truth of God the Creator and Redeemer of man: the 'God Who is love'. Lay people must be those most actively involved".
BISHOP GASPARD MUDISO MUND'LA S.V.D., OF KENGE, DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO. "My intervention is about ... the preparation or formation of future priests to the biblical apostolate as an academic discipline in seminaries and institutes of religious formation. ... If the Word of God is to inspire all the pastoral ministry of the Church, we must rethink or revise formation in large seminaries and religious institutes, because the Word of God is not and cannot be a teaching subject like any other, on the same level as others. ... The biblical apostolate ... wishes believers to encounter the Lord Who addresses them and calls upon them in the concrete moments of their lives. This course could have a dual aim: (a) Raise seminarians' awareness of Scriptures as the Word of God, the source of Christian life and the instrument of the pastoral ministry; (b) help seminarians translate their knowledge of Scriptures into the daily situations of life".
H. E. MARK (SEGEJ GOLOKOV), BISHOP OF YEGORIEVSK, VICE-PRESIDENT OF THE DEPARTMENT FOR FOREIGN ECCLESIASTICAL RELATIONS OF THE PATRIARCHATE OF MOSCOW, RUSSIA. "The Orthodox Church believes it is important for the Holy Scriptures to be available to all. Reading the Bible in the Church during liturgical functions, however, represents the most valid way of hearing it. Together with the availability of biblical texts, one basic principle for understanding them is fulfilment of tradition. Orthodox theology does not deny new studies concerning the sacred texts, yet despite this we believe that the interpretation of biblical texts is closely connected to explanations left us by the Church Fathers. Faithfulness to tradition is the sure path that helps one from losing one's way among many opinions".
H.E. ARMASH (HAGOP NALBANDIAN), FIRST BISHOP OF DAMASCUS, SYRIA. "The Word of God in Armenia had already been proclaimed in the first century by the Apostles Thaddeus and Bartholomew who, following their missionary activity, died as martyrs. The proclamation of the Word of God in the following three centuries bore fruit to the extent that, in 301, Armenia proclaimed Christianity as its State religion, the first nation in the world to do so. ... The Armenian people, through their martyrdom, bore a witness which still today forges the Christian identity of each Armenian. The Word of God has been and is the source of hope and survival. What is the situation of the proclamation of the Word of God in Armenia today? Armenia is a post-Soviet country. What the situation during the Soviet era was is well-known. After the fall of the Soviet Union, today in Armenia, there is a spiritual awakening and a deep interest in listening to the Word of God. The number of Bible groups and of persons who attend Church is increasing".
SE/FIFTEENTH CONGREGATION/... VIS 20081015 (690)
Following are excerpts from the speeches given:
CARDINAL ANTONIO MARIA ROUCO VARELA, ARCHBISHOP OF MADRID, SPAIN. "To make the Word of God a leaven of modern culture means keeping in mind one of its foremost characteristics, especially in Europe and America, that is to say, the immanentist concept of man and the world, without any explicit or implicit reference to God the Creator and Redeemer of man. This characteristic may be seen in particular in socio-political and juridical culture. ... Post-modernity has augmented the negative aspects of the modern concept of man, of society and of the political-juridical order, opening the way to existential nichilism and to the 'dictatorship' of ethical relativism. The legal approach to the right to life, as if the State could dispose of it in an unlimited way, is eloquent proof of this. Therefore, we need a cultural answer from the Gospel that, in a sincere dialogue between faith and reason, brings into public life the truth of God the Creator and Redeemer of man: the 'God Who is love'. Lay people must be those most actively involved".
BISHOP GASPARD MUDISO MUND'LA S.V.D., OF KENGE, DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO. "My intervention is about ... the preparation or formation of future priests to the biblical apostolate as an academic discipline in seminaries and institutes of religious formation. ... If the Word of God is to inspire all the pastoral ministry of the Church, we must rethink or revise formation in large seminaries and religious institutes, because the Word of God is not and cannot be a teaching subject like any other, on the same level as others. ... The biblical apostolate ... wishes believers to encounter the Lord Who addresses them and calls upon them in the concrete moments of their lives. This course could have a dual aim: (a) Raise seminarians' awareness of Scriptures as the Word of God, the source of Christian life and the instrument of the pastoral ministry; (b) help seminarians translate their knowledge of Scriptures into the daily situations of life".
H. E. MARK (SEGEJ GOLOKOV), BISHOP OF YEGORIEVSK, VICE-PRESIDENT OF THE DEPARTMENT FOR FOREIGN ECCLESIASTICAL RELATIONS OF THE PATRIARCHATE OF MOSCOW, RUSSIA. "The Orthodox Church believes it is important for the Holy Scriptures to be available to all. Reading the Bible in the Church during liturgical functions, however, represents the most valid way of hearing it. Together with the availability of biblical texts, one basic principle for understanding them is fulfilment of tradition. Orthodox theology does not deny new studies concerning the sacred texts, yet despite this we believe that the interpretation of biblical texts is closely connected to explanations left us by the Church Fathers. Faithfulness to tradition is the sure path that helps one from losing one's way among many opinions".
H.E. ARMASH (HAGOP NALBANDIAN), FIRST BISHOP OF DAMASCUS, SYRIA. "The Word of God in Armenia had already been proclaimed in the first century by the Apostles Thaddeus and Bartholomew who, following their missionary activity, died as martyrs. The proclamation of the Word of God in the following three centuries bore fruit to the extent that, in 301, Armenia proclaimed Christianity as its State religion, the first nation in the world to do so. ... The Armenian people, through their martyrdom, bore a witness which still today forges the Christian identity of each Armenian. The Word of God has been and is the source of hope and survival. What is the situation of the proclamation of the Word of God in Armenia today? Armenia is a post-Soviet country. What the situation during the Soviet era was is well-known. After the fall of the Soviet Union, today in Armenia, there is a spiritual awakening and a deep interest in listening to the Word of God. The number of Bible groups and of persons who attend Church is increasing".
SE/FIFTEENTH CONGREGATION/... VIS 20081015 (690)
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