Vatican City, 3 September 2015 (VIS) –
Contemplation, service, fraternity – three facets of priestly life
that Pope Francis proposed to the participants in the general chapter
of the Schoenstatt Fathers. The Apostolic Schoenstatt Movement was
founded on 18 October 1914 by Fr. Jose Kentenich as a path of
spiritual renewal within the Catholic Church, and his name is drawn
from the Marian shrine near Koblenz, Germany, which houses the image
of Our Lady, and where there are the head offices of the movement's
communities, now present in 42 countries. The Secular Institute of
Schoenstatt Fathers was instituted by Fr. Jose Kentenich on 18 July
1965, in the service of the Apostolic Movement.
The Pope remarked that, after these
years of progress, their concern is to “keep alive your
foundational charism and the ability to communicate it to the young,
so as to continue to inspire and support your lives and your mission.
You are aware that a charism is not a museum piece, that remains
intact in a display cabinet, to be contemplated alone. Fidelity,
keeping the charism pure, does not in any way mean closing it in a
sealed bottle, like distilled water, so that it is not contaminated
by the outside world. … Fr. Kentenich expressed this very well
when he said that it was necessary to keep an ear to God's heart and
a hand on the pulse of the time. … These are the two pillars of an
authentic spiritual life”.
The Pope went on to speak about contact
with God: “it is not a good approach to neglect prayer or, worse
still, to abandon it with the excuse of a demanding ministry. … It
would be a grave error to think that the charism stays alive focusing
on external structures … or forms. God frees us from the spirit of
functionalism. The vitality of the charism is rooted in the 'first
love', renewed daily, in our willingness to listen and to respond
with loving generosity. … May this healthy and necessary
'decentralisation' work in us, so that we set ourselves aside to
allow Christ to occupy the centre of our life”.
The second pillar is formed by the
expression “taking the pulse of the time”, that is, reality and
people. “We must not be afraid of reality”, emphasised Francis.
“Dialogue with God in prayer also leads us to listen to his voice
in the people and the situations that surround us. We do not have two
separate ears, one for God and one for reality. … When we meet with
our brothers, especially those who in our eyes or in the eyes of the
world are less agreeable, what do we see? Do we realise that God
loves them, that they are of the same flesh that Christ assumed, or
are we indifferent to their problems? … In prayer we learn not to
pass by Christ Who suffers in His brothers. Let us learn to serve”.
“You are practically the last reality
of the Movement founded by Fr. Kentenich, and this carries an
important lesson, and is very good”, observed the Pope. “This
fact of being the 'last' clearly reflects the role held by priests in
relation to their brothers. The priest must never be above or in
front of others, but instead must walk alongside them, loving them
with the same love of Christ, Who came not to be served but rather to
serve and to give His life in return for so many others. … Let us
ask the Lord to give us shoulders as strong as His, to carry those
who are without hope, those who seem lost, those to whom no-one
offers a glance … and free us from 'careerism' in our priestly
life”.
Finally, the Pope commented on priestly
fraternity. “Please, never be alone”, he warned. “The
presbyteral ministry cannot be conceived of in an individual or,
worse still, individualist way. Fraternity is the great school of
discipleship. … It is not we who choose our brothers, but we have
the conscious and fruitful option to love them as they are, with
their flaws and their virtues. … Please, may there not be any
indifference in your communities. Behave as men: if disagreements or
differences of opinion arise, do not worry: better the heat of the
argument than the coldness of indifference, which is the real tomb of
fraternal charity”.
At the end of the meeting the Pope gave
three recommendations to the Schoenstatt priests. “Firstly,
accompany and care for families, so that they are able to live the
holy alliance of love and life, especially those who experience
moments of crisis or difficulty. Secondly, and thinking of the
upcoming jubilee of mercy, dedicate plenty of time to the Sacrament
of Reconciliation. Be great forgivers. … May you be witnesses of
God's mercy and tenderness in your communities. And thirdly, pray for
me, as I need your prayers”, he concluded.
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