VATICAN CITY, 9 NOV 2010 (VIS) - Made public today was a Message from the Pope to Cardinal Angelo Bagnasco, president of the Italian Episcopal Conference (CEI), for that institution's sixty-second general assembly, which is being held this week in Assisi, Italy.
"St. Francis' evangelical life and his vocation to follow the path of the crucified Christ arose from his participation in Mass and his devoted reception of Holy Communion", writes the Pope. In this context he also highlights how "the sacred nature of the Eucharist means that it must be celebrated and adored with an awareness of the greatness, importance and effectiveness it has for Christian life. Yet it also requires purity, coherence and sanctity of life from each one of us, that we may become living witnesses of Christ's unique sacrifice of love".
Referring then to the main question being examined by the CEI, the Italian translation of the third typical edition of the Roman Missal, the Holy Father notes how "all true reformers are, in fact, obedient to the faith. They do not move arbitrarily, they do not claim any discretional jurisdiction over rites. They are not masters but custodians of the treasure that was instituted by the Lord and entrusted to us. The entire Church is present in each liturgical act, and adhering to its form is a condition for the authenticity of the celebration".
The progress of science and technology, he continues, "has often been at the expense of the foundations of Christianity, in which the rich history of the European continent has its roots. The moral sphere has been confined to the subjective field and God, when not denied outright, is in any case excluded from the public conscience".
"In order to invert this tendency", Benedict XVI goes on, "a generic call to values is not enough, nor is an educational programme that contents itself with purely functional and fragmentary interventions, What is needed is a personal relationship of trust between active individuals, ... capable of taking up positions and of putting their own personal freedom into question.
"For this reason", he adds, "your decision to remind everyone who cares about the city of man and the welfare of new generations of their education responsibilities seems particularly appropriate. This vital alliance can only start with a renewed closeness to families, recognising and supporting their primary role in education. It is in families that the face of a people is forged".
The Holy Father concludes by exhorting the bishops "to value the liturgy as a perennial source for education in the good life of the Gospel. It introduces people to the meeting with Jesus Christ, Who with words and deeds constantly edifies the Church, moulding her in the profound concepts of listening, fraternity and mission".
MESS/ VIS 20101109 (470)
"St. Francis' evangelical life and his vocation to follow the path of the crucified Christ arose from his participation in Mass and his devoted reception of Holy Communion", writes the Pope. In this context he also highlights how "the sacred nature of the Eucharist means that it must be celebrated and adored with an awareness of the greatness, importance and effectiveness it has for Christian life. Yet it also requires purity, coherence and sanctity of life from each one of us, that we may become living witnesses of Christ's unique sacrifice of love".
Referring then to the main question being examined by the CEI, the Italian translation of the third typical edition of the Roman Missal, the Holy Father notes how "all true reformers are, in fact, obedient to the faith. They do not move arbitrarily, they do not claim any discretional jurisdiction over rites. They are not masters but custodians of the treasure that was instituted by the Lord and entrusted to us. The entire Church is present in each liturgical act, and adhering to its form is a condition for the authenticity of the celebration".
The progress of science and technology, he continues, "has often been at the expense of the foundations of Christianity, in which the rich history of the European continent has its roots. The moral sphere has been confined to the subjective field and God, when not denied outright, is in any case excluded from the public conscience".
"In order to invert this tendency", Benedict XVI goes on, "a generic call to values is not enough, nor is an educational programme that contents itself with purely functional and fragmentary interventions, What is needed is a personal relationship of trust between active individuals, ... capable of taking up positions and of putting their own personal freedom into question.
"For this reason", he adds, "your decision to remind everyone who cares about the city of man and the welfare of new generations of their education responsibilities seems particularly appropriate. This vital alliance can only start with a renewed closeness to families, recognising and supporting their primary role in education. It is in families that the face of a people is forged".
The Holy Father concludes by exhorting the bishops "to value the liturgy as a perennial source for education in the good life of the Gospel. It introduces people to the meeting with Jesus Christ, Who with words and deeds constantly edifies the Church, moulding her in the profound concepts of listening, fraternity and mission".
MESS/ VIS 20101109 (470)