www.lastampa.it propose again from this reflection that I agree with Enzo Bianchi in its entirety.
for Catholics and for their Church, this is a time marked by fatigue and suffering. If in the years of post-conciliar Church had seemed that between and non-Christian world - in its multiple expressions of religious, philosophical, ideological and ethical - had finally blossomed and the dialogue could be a mutual respect and acceptance play, but now we must acknowledge the opposition, deafness and often times' enmity.
Many non-believers, who seemed to have accepted an open dialogue with Catholics, now de-legitimized the Church does not even recognize the ability to fit in the space of our democratic society. Now in bookstores is not unusual to see a special section dedicated to books more often anti-clerical and anti-Christian: texts where it is denied and sometimes ridiculed the historical life of Jesus of Nazareth, in where Christianity is read as a historically intolerant and aggressive presence in the West and invasive in other lands. It is in this climate of "attack" and "controversy" that the story of the pedophilia scandals has further aggravated the situation, leading to a "humiliation" of the Church. Suffice
the image of the police headquarters that oversees the archdiocese of Malines-Brussels, taking in the situation of detention for a day the entire Belgian bishops' conference to wonder with dismay how this can happen, especially in a country like Belgium . Yes, it is possible that in Belgium - a country that up to forty years ago has given the Church Universal the largest number of missionaries, monks and religious a nation where the Church has had a strong connection with the royal crown and accompanied throughout the colonial history of the country - is not recognized its educational, charitable and cultural activities by the Church and this is treated like any conspiracy without this destination reactions in public opinion? A Church, the Belgian, who was among the protagonists of the season opening of dialogue and reconciliation and who now sees the graves of his first treated as hiding places for material evidence ...
in the West must recognize that the Church has become a minority, very small in some countries, the Church has become weak because it has lost - indeed, sometimes it freely abandoned - the position it occupied in the era of Christendom. Not only that, it has also been shown not to be blameless, as many had the illusion that it has shown that evil, sin live there lives as the world. Yet it is clear that there is sometimes also give notice in spite of his faults, almost a revenge which feeds on allegations and emphasized that travels to discredit the Church as such. After all the controversies have also been encouraged by those who, without the exercise of prudence at least, they have taken charge or externalized with a little common sense, achieving the effect of triggering more controversy. Nor should we be surprised if many of those who used to cheer John Paul II now oppose Benedict XVI, reaching up to denigrate: a truly un-Christian and not human!
But what attitude can take the Christians in this situation? Those who try to be serious Christians should not wonder about this "fire" that has manifested itself among them and between them and the world. It is the apostle Peter to write so the early Christians in the diaspora, "Do not be surprised hostility, persecution ... you have not been persecuted unto blood. " The Christian knows, must know that his mission and his message are not easily recognized: in a world of 'unfair' means any message about "justice" any measure of justice raises even violent reactions. It is a necessitas human history, that the gospel seeks to tell the story of Jesus of Nazareth: a story first and foremost human.
So Christians must now accept the humiliation, knowing that only when you are humiliated you get to know the true humility, a virtue that otherwise would be too subject to abstraction and hypocrisy. This is a time of purification for the Church, not only the purification of memory as prophetically wanted John Paul II with the confession of the sins of Christians during the Jubilee, but also purification in the present, here and now of the story. From this sorrow, this pain can come from a "reform" of the Church, because this is always reformanda, is not in fact established the kingdom of heaven on earth, but it is only a sign and start.
should also react to this 'fire' giving up to take defensive positions in a city that responds recrimination and attack, for the anguish and anxiety obligations. The hostility coming from the outside are just opportunities for Christians to be more obedient to the gospel, opportunities for realizing a high price for the teaching of Jesus as Christians What we have to fear is not from any external enemies: the stronger the attack gospel may come instead from Christians, from within the community of believers. Benedict XVI repeats with a regular frequency, indicating the reading more decisive for the life of the Church today.
Finally, we must recognize that perhaps we should also seek new ways of being Church and to the Church: in less conflictual, more Synod to discern the paths and the paths to take, more learned and fed with common sense in resolving human and evangelical issues and problems. Today there are people attempting to leave the Church to pursue its own way, but this is not a viable way for those who are truly disciples of Jesus and know to live in solidarity and in the conversion of sinners called to become an authentic community. Yes, it's time to choose silence to discern the word, it's time to start with the grammar of patience, it's time to accept insults and betrayals without ceasing to believe in men, it's time to be afraid without being afraid ...
Enzo Bianchi, Prior of Bose
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