VATICAN CITY, 9 OCT 2008 (VIS) - The Sixth General Congregation of the Twelfth Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops began today at 9 a.m..
The president delegate on duty was Cardinal William Joseph Levada, prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. This morning's session concluded at 10.30 a.m. so as to enable the 242 Synod Fathers present to participate in the Mass for the 50th anniversary of the death of Servant of God Pius XII.
Extracts from some of the speeches are given below:
BISHOP VINCENT RI PYUNG-HO OF JEONJU, KOREA. "I would like to share my personal experience: Since the beginning of my episcopacy in 1990, I have been trying to memorize all the biblical passages of daily Mass And most of the time in my preaching, it is enough for me to let the words of God speak by themselves. Then my people understand very well and they are so happy to hear directly the Word of God and the Word of God itself saves the people. ... So, would it not be vital, first, to incorporate a certain amount of Bible 'byhearting' in the formation program of the future and present priests? And second, to establish a concrete directory for a good biblical preaching for them?"
CARDINAL STANISLAW DZIWISZ, ARCHBISHOP OF KRAKOW, POLAND. "Sometimes it seems that candidates to the priesthood treat the texts of the Sacred Scriptures as an object of study without taking into account their spiritual dimension. For them, the Scripture does not become the Word of their life. The force of the Word, capable of changing man, converting him, is not unleashed by the Scripture. We have to rethink the role of the Word of God in seminary formation and, consequently, in the permanent formation of priests. ...The people of God need priests who are passionate about the Word and service. This is one of the necessary conditions of new evangelization that was so close to the heart of Pope John Paul II".
BISHOP EMMANUEL LAFONT OF CAYENNE, FRENCH GUYANA. "The Catholic Biblical Federation is for bishops a privileged instrument which ensures the Word remains the source and inspiration of all prayer, all evangelization, all homily, all catechesis, of every episcopal document and of every work of charity. I can testify to the fertility of the Word among the small and the humble. I have a degree in Holy Scripture from the Biblical Institute of Rome, but it was the poor who really opened me up to the force of the Word. ... The poor are profoundly receptive to the Word of God, and the Church should always read it with them close at hand. I ask that this Synod demonstrates great confidence in the way the humble people and lay persons in general welcome the Word. My greatest fear is not that they make a mistake when they read the Bible, but that they don't read it, and that we may prevent them, by imposing too many precautions, from becoming lovers of the Word".
CARDINAL POLYCARP PENGO, ARCHBISHOP OF DAR-ES-SALAAM, TANZANIA AND PRESIDENT OF THE SYMPOSIUM OF THE EPISCOPAL CONFERENCES OF AFRICA AND MADAGASCAR (SECAM). "There is an appalling phenomenon covering a great part of the African Continent: namely the exodus of the Catholic faithfu1 who abandon the Church to join Pentecostal sects. One reason for that is the reality of a 'division between exegetical research and theological formulation', that is, the lack of reciproca1 collaboration between the two sciences. The outcome of this situation is the violation of the truth of the Sacred Text as well as spiritua1 confusion. This reality invites biblical and theological scientists to collaborate more closely".
SE/SIXTH CONGREGATION/... VIS 20081009 (620)
The president delegate on duty was Cardinal William Joseph Levada, prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. This morning's session concluded at 10.30 a.m. so as to enable the 242 Synod Fathers present to participate in the Mass for the 50th anniversary of the death of Servant of God Pius XII.
Extracts from some of the speeches are given below:
BISHOP VINCENT RI PYUNG-HO OF JEONJU, KOREA. "I would like to share my personal experience: Since the beginning of my episcopacy in 1990, I have been trying to memorize all the biblical passages of daily Mass And most of the time in my preaching, it is enough for me to let the words of God speak by themselves. Then my people understand very well and they are so happy to hear directly the Word of God and the Word of God itself saves the people. ... So, would it not be vital, first, to incorporate a certain amount of Bible 'byhearting' in the formation program of the future and present priests? And second, to establish a concrete directory for a good biblical preaching for them?"
CARDINAL STANISLAW DZIWISZ, ARCHBISHOP OF KRAKOW, POLAND. "Sometimes it seems that candidates to the priesthood treat the texts of the Sacred Scriptures as an object of study without taking into account their spiritual dimension. For them, the Scripture does not become the Word of their life. The force of the Word, capable of changing man, converting him, is not unleashed by the Scripture. We have to rethink the role of the Word of God in seminary formation and, consequently, in the permanent formation of priests. ...The people of God need priests who are passionate about the Word and service. This is one of the necessary conditions of new evangelization that was so close to the heart of Pope John Paul II".
BISHOP EMMANUEL LAFONT OF CAYENNE, FRENCH GUYANA. "The Catholic Biblical Federation is for bishops a privileged instrument which ensures the Word remains the source and inspiration of all prayer, all evangelization, all homily, all catechesis, of every episcopal document and of every work of charity. I can testify to the fertility of the Word among the small and the humble. I have a degree in Holy Scripture from the Biblical Institute of Rome, but it was the poor who really opened me up to the force of the Word. ... The poor are profoundly receptive to the Word of God, and the Church should always read it with them close at hand. I ask that this Synod demonstrates great confidence in the way the humble people and lay persons in general welcome the Word. My greatest fear is not that they make a mistake when they read the Bible, but that they don't read it, and that we may prevent them, by imposing too many precautions, from becoming lovers of the Word".
CARDINAL POLYCARP PENGO, ARCHBISHOP OF DAR-ES-SALAAM, TANZANIA AND PRESIDENT OF THE SYMPOSIUM OF THE EPISCOPAL CONFERENCES OF AFRICA AND MADAGASCAR (SECAM). "There is an appalling phenomenon covering a great part of the African Continent: namely the exodus of the Catholic faithfu1 who abandon the Church to join Pentecostal sects. One reason for that is the reality of a 'division between exegetical research and theological formulation', that is, the lack of reciproca1 collaboration between the two sciences. The outcome of this situation is the violation of the truth of the Sacred Text as well as spiritua1 confusion. This reality invites biblical and theological scientists to collaborate more closely".
SE/SIXTH CONGREGATION/... VIS 20081009 (620)
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