Pope to Synod on the Family: God’s dream always clashes with the hypocrisy of some of his servants
Vatican City (AsiaNews) - "God's dream always clashes with the hypocrisy of some of his servants": This was the warning against being guided by "hypocrisy", "greed" and "pride" that Pope Francis made today at the opening of the Synod of bishops which has a theme the "pastoral challenges of the family in the context of evangelization". The Synod will last until October 19. The opening Mass, celebrated this morning in St. Peter's Basilica, was attended by cardinals, patriarchs, bishops, priests and laity. They included the 253 members of the synodal assembly, in which there are 18 members from Asia and 14 married couples from different parts of the world.
The Pope urged the wide-ranging representation from all the Churches of the world - in addition to guests from Fraternal Churches, Orthodox and
Protestants - to get to the heart of the
real situations of families in the world and find the most appropriate means to address the
pastoral problems facing them.
For this reason, for the first time,
in preparation for the Synod, every diocese and
the congregation responded to a lengthy questionnaire that was a snapshot of the difficulties, situations and pastoral methods. Among the issues raised was undoubtedly the secularization that
stifles the lives of families, and
that puts its ability to pass on
the faith to new generations at risk. But there is also the departure
from the dogmatic and ecclesial discipline of marriage and married
life, as well as the emergence of de facto unions between persons of different sex or the same sex, who live on
the edge or outside of the Church,
giving rise to new generations who know nothing of
the Christian proclamation.
In the media debate ahead of the Synod focused on the theme of communion for divorced and a possible sacrament for remarried couples, with cardinals and theologians who in the name of mercy, would like to draw these people who have broken the marriage bond closer to the Sacraments. On the other hand, there are cardinals and theologians who in the name of truth and of the ecclesial tradition reaffirm the value of an indissoluble marriage, excluding those who have broken the bond from the sacraments, while avoiding the risk of marginalizing them.
Pope Francis seems to lean toward the
first position, that of mercy, but to date has not clearly
expressed himself on the issue. In any case, he constantly emphasizes that the new crisis of traditional marriage demands the presence of the Church.
In his homily, the Pope spoke of today's liturgy of the Word (XXVII Sunday in
Ordinary Time A), which presents the vineyard cared for and loved by the Lord, which produces only "wild grapes" (Isaiah 5,1-7).
"The vineyard
of the Lord - he said - is his
"dream", the plan which he nurtures with all his love, like a farmer
who cares for his vineyard. Vines are plants which need much care! God's
"dream" is his people. He planted it and nurtured it with patient and
faithful love, so that it can become a holy people, a people which brings forth
abundant fruits of justice".
But in
both the ancient prophecy and in Jesus' parable, God's dream is thwarted.
Isaiah says that the vine which he so loved and nurtured has yielded "wild
grapes" (5:2,4); God "expected justice but saw bloodshed,
righteousness, but only a cry of distress" (v. 7).
"In the
Gospel, it is the farmers themselves who ruin the Lord's plan: they fail to do
their job but think only of their own interests".
"In Jesus' parable, - he added - he is addressing the
chief priests and the elders of the people, in other words the
"experts", the managers. To them in a particular way God entrusted
his "dream", his people, for them to nurture, tend and protect from
the animals of the field. This is the job of leaders: to nuture the vineyard
with freedom, creativity and hard work".
The "wise men" and the "ruling class" are a clear hint to the
members of the Synod, composed
for the most part by the ecclesiastical authorities. The Pope
seems to condemn those who remain
too tied to rules and asphyxiating patterns, but also those who manipulate the faith of the Church as if it were his property, " But Jesus tells us that those farmers took over the
vineyard. Out of greed and pride they want to do with it as they will, and so
they present God from realizing his dream for the people he has chosen. The temptation to greed is
ever present. We encounter it also in the great prophecy of Ezekiel on the
shepherds (cf. ch. 34), which Saint Augustine commented upon in one his
celebrated sermons which we have just reread in the Liturgy of the Hours. Greed
for money and power. And to satisfy this greed, evil pastors lay intolerable
burdens on the shoulders of others, which they themselves do not lift a finger
to move (cf. Mt 23:4)".
"We, too, - he added - in the Synod of
Bishops, are called to work for the Lord's vineyard. Synod Assemblies are not
meant to discuss beautiful and clever ideas, or to see who is more intelligent...
They are meant to better nuture and tend the Lord's vineyard, to help realize
his dream, his loving plan for his people. In this case the Lord is asking us
to care for the family, which has been from the beginning an integral part of
his loving plan for humanity".
"We
too can be tempted to "take over" the vineyard, because of that greed
which is always present in us human beings. God's dream always clashes with the
hypocrisy of some of his servants. We can "thwart" God's dream if we
fail to let ourselves be guided by the Holy Spirit. The Spirit gives us that
wisdom which surpasses knowledge, and enables us to work generously with
authentic freedom and humble creativity".
"My brothers, - he concluded - to do a good job of nurturing and tending the vineyard, our hearts and our minds must be kept in Jesus Christ, as Saint Paul says, by "the peace of God which passes all understanding" (Phil 4:7). In this way our thoughts and plans will correspond to God's dream: to form a holy people who are his own and produce the fruits of the kingdom of God (cf. Mt21:43)".
.png)
24/10/2019 17:56
