Vatican City, 10 November 2015 (VIS) –
Following his brief visit to Prato, the Pope travelled by helicopter
to Florence, where he was received by the cardinal archbishop
Giuseppe Betori, and by the other civil and religious authorities. He
transferred by car to the Baptistery dedicated to St. John the
Baptist in the square before the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore,
and paused a moment before the painting “The White Crucifixion”,
currently on display in the “Divine Beauty” exhibition in Palazzo
Strozzi. From there, he proceeded to Santa Maria del Fiore on foot to
meet with the participants in the Fifth National Ecclesial Congress,
dedicated this year to the theme “In Jesus Christ, the new
humanism”. In the cathedral, where the 2,500 participants were
gathered, he was greeted by Cardinal Angelo Bagnasco, president of
the Italian Episcopal Conference (CEI) and archbishop of Genoa, along
with Archbishop Cesare Nosiglia of Turin and Bishop Nunzio Galantino,
secretary of the CEI.
The Pope gave an address focusing on
the theme of the Congress, extensive extracts of which are published
below, in which he spoke about the features of Christian humanism and
the temptations to which the Church is exposed.
“We can speak about humanism only by
starting from the centrality of Jesus, discovering in Him the
features of the authentic face of man. And the contemplation of the
face of the dead and risen Jesus that recomposes our humanity,
fragmented as it may be by the hardships of life, or marked by sin.
We must not domesticate the power of the face of Christ. The face is
the image of His transcendence. … I do not wish here to draw an
abstract image of the 'new humanism', a certain idea of man, but to
present with simplicity some features of Christian humanism, which is
that of the sentiments, the mind of Jesus Christ. These are not
abstract temporary sensations but rather represent the warm interior
force that makes us able to live and to make decisions”:
“The first sentiment is humility. …
The obsession with preserving one's own glory and 'dignity', one's
own influence, must not form part of our sentiments. We must seek
God's glory, that does not coincide with ours. God's glory that
shines in the humility of the stable in Bethlehem or in the dishonour
of Christ's cross always surprises us”.
“Another sentiment is selflessness.
'… The humanity of the Christian is always outward-looking. …
Please, let us avoid 'remaining shut up within structures which give
us a false sense of security, within rules which make us harsh
judges, within habits that make us feel safe'. Our duty is to make
this world a better place, and to fight. Our faith is revolutionary
because of the inspiration that comes from the Holy Spirit”.
“Another of Jesus Christ's sentiments
is beatitude. The Christian is blessed. … In the Beatitudes, the
Lord shows us the path. By taking it, we human beings can arrive at
the most authentically human and divine happiness. … For the great
saints, beatitude is about humiliation and poverty. But also in the
most humble of our people there is much of this beatitude: it is that
of he who knows the richness of solidarity, of sharing also the
little he possesses. … The beatitudes we read in the Gospel begin
with a blessing and end with a promise of consolation. They introduce
us to a path of possible greatness, that of the spirit, and when the
spirit is ready all the rest comes by itself”.
“Humility, selflessness, beatitude …
they also say something to the Italian Church that today meets to
walk together, setting an example of synodality. These features tell
us that we must not be obsessed with power, even when this assumes
the appearance of a useful or functional power in the social image of
the Church. If the Church does not assume Jesus' mind, she is
disorientated and loses her way. A Church with these three features –
humility, selflessness and beatitude – is a Church that recognises
the action of the Lord in the world, in culture, in the daily life of
the people. I have said this more than once, and I will repeat it
again today to you: 'I prefer a Church which is bruised, hurting and
dirty because it has been out on the streets, rather than a Church
which is unhealthy from being confined and from clinging to its own
security'”.
“However, we know that there are many
temptations we must resist. I will present you at least two of them.
The first is that of Pelagianism, which leads the Church not to be
humble, selfless and blessed. … Often it leads us even to assuming
a style of control, of hardness, normativity. Rules give to the
Pelagian the security of feeling superior, of having a precise
orientation. In this it finds its strength, not in the soft breath of
the Spirit. Faced with the ills or the problems of the Church, it is
useless to seek solutions in conservatism or fundamentalism, in the
restoration of outdated forms and conduct that have no capacity for
meaning, even culturally. Christian doctrine is not a closed system
incapable of generating questions, doubts and uncertainties, but it
is living, it knows how to disturb and to encourage. Its face is not
rigid, it has a body that moves and develops, it has tender flesh;
Christian doctrine is called Jesus Christ”.
“A second temptation is the
gnosticism that leads us to place our trust in logical and clear
reasoning that, however, loses the tenderness of our brother's flesh.
… The difference between Christian transcendence and any other form
of gnostic spiritualism resides in the mystery of the Incarnation.
Not putting into practice, not leading the Word to reality, means
building on sand, remaining in the pure idea and degenerating into
intimisms that do not bear fruit, that render its dynamism sterile”.
“The Italian Church has great saints
whose examples help live faith with humility, generosity and joy,
from St. Francis of Assisi to St. Philip Neri. But let us also think
of invented characters such as Don Camillo and Peppone. I am struck
by how, in the stories of Guareschi, the prayer of a good pastor
unites with evident closeness to the people”.
“But then, you will ask, what must we
do? What is the Pope asking of us? It is up to you to decide: people
and pastor together. And I invite you, again, simply to contemplate
the Ecce Homo above us”.
“I ask the bishops to be pastors.
Nothing more: pastors. May this be your joy: 'I am a pastor'. It will
be the people, your flock, who support you. … May nothing and
no-one remove from you the joy of being supported by your people. As
pastors, do not be preachers of complex doctrines, but rather
announcers of Christ, Who died and rose again for us. Focus on the
essential, the kerygma. There is nothing more solid, profound and
sure than this announcement. But may it be all the people of God who
announce the Gospel, people and pastors”.
“I recommend all the Italian Church
what I indicated in the Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii Gaudium: the
social inclusion of the poor, who occupy a special place in the
People of God, and the capacity for encounter and dialogue to promote
friendship and in your country, in search of the common good”.
“May God protect the Church in Italy
from any kind of surrogate of power, image and money. Evangelical
poverty is creative, it welcomes, supports and is rich in hope. The
mother Church … recognises all her abandoned, oppressed and weary
children. And this has always been one of your virtues, as you are
well aware that the Lord shed his blood not for some, for few or for
many, but for all”.
“I also recommend, in a special way,
the capacity for dialogue and encounter. Dialogue is not negotiation.
Negotiating is bargaining to obtain your own piece of the common
'pie'. That is not what I mean. Instead it is seeking the common good
for all”.
“May the Church be a leaven for
dialogue, encounter, unity. Indeed, our very formulations of faith
are the fruit of dialogue and encounter between different cultures,
communities and claims. We must not be afraid of dialogue; on the
contrary, it is precisely comparison and criticism that helps us to
preserve theology from being transformed into ideology. Also remember
that the best way to engage in dialogue is not that of speaking and
discussing, but rather of doing something together, of constructing
something, of making projects: not alone, among Catholics, but along
with all people of goodwill”.
“But the Church also knows how to
give a clear answer to the threats that emerge within public debate:
this is one of the forms of specific contributions that the faithful
offer to the construction of common society. Believers are citizens.
… I appeal above all to the young: overcome apathy. … Do not look
down on life from the balcony, but rather get involved, immerse
yourselves in broad social and political dialogue. … Our times
require us to live problems as challenges and not as obstacles: the
Lord is active and at work in the world. … Wherever you are, never
construct walls or frontiers, but instead open squares and field
hospitals”.
“I would like a restless Italian
Church, ever closer to the abandoned, the forgotten, the imperfect. I
wish for a joyful Church with the face of a mother, who understands,
accompanies and caresses. May you too dream of this Church, believe
in her, innovate freely. The Christian humanism that you are called
upon to live radically affirms that dignity of every person as Son of
God, establishes between all human beings a fundamental fraternity,
teaches to understand work, to inhabit creation as our common home,
and provides reasons for joy and humour, even in a life that is often
very hard”.
Following his encounter with the
representatives of the ecclesial congress, shortly before midday, the
Pope went to the Basilica of the Santissima Annunziata to pray the
Angelus with various sick and disabled people, after which he lunched
with the poor in the San Francesco Poverino refectory.
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