While the Media is full of speculation about Leo, we might learn more from listening to him. Note in the following both his ability to create a unifying framework with some very practical goals and objectives taken from Francis inaugural document, which in a sense he made his own. While at the same time he clearly charts a tragedy forward beginning with Leo XIII and embracing more recent popes.
In the first part of this meeting, there will be a short talk with some reflections that I would like to share with you. But then there will be a second part, a bit like the opportunity that many of you had asked for: a sort of dialogue with the College of Cardinals to hear what advice, suggestions, proposals, concrete things, which have already been discussed in the days leading up to the Conclave.
At this moment, both sad and joyful, providentially bathed in the light of Easter, I would like all of us to see the passing of our beloved Holy Father Pope Francis and the Conclave as a paschal event, a stage in that long exodus through which the Lord continues to guide us towards the fullness of life. In this perspective, we entrust to the “merciful Father and God of all consolation” (2 Cor 1:3) the soul of the late Pontiff and also the future of the Church.
Beginning with Saint Peter and up to myself, his unworthy Successor, the Pope has been a humble servant of God and of his brothers and sisters, and nothing more than this. It has been clearly seen in the example of so many of my Predecessors, and most recently by Pope Francis himself, with his example of complete dedication to service and to sober simplicity of life, his abandonment to God throughout his ministry and his serene trust at the moment of his return to the Father’s house. Let us take up this precious legacy and continue on the journey, inspired by the same hope that is born of faith.
It is the Risen Lord, present among us, who protects and guides the Church, and continues to fill her with hope through the love “poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us” (Rom 5:5). It is up to us to be docile listeners to his voice and faithful ministers of his plan of salvation, mindful that God loves to communicate himself, not in the roar of thunder and earthquakes, but in the “whisper of a gentle breeze” (1 Kings 19:12) or, as some translate it, in a “sound of sheer silence.” It is this essential and important encounter to which we must guide and accompany all the holy People of God entrusted to our care.
In this regard, I would like us to renew together today our complete commitment to the path that the universal Church has now followed for decades in the wake of the Second Vatican Council. Pope Francis masterfully and concretely set it forth in the Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii Gaudium, from which I would like to highlight several fundamental points: the return to the primacy of Christ in proclamation (cf. No. 11); the missionary conversion of the entire Christian community (cf. No. 9); growth in collegiality and synodality (cf. No. 33); attention to the sensus fidei (cf. Nos. 119-120), especially in its most authentic and inclusive forms, such as popular piety (cf. No. 123); loving care for the least and the rejected (cf. No. 53); courageous and trusting dialogue with the contemporary world in its various components and realities (cf. No. 84; Second Vatican Council, Pastoral Constitution Gaudium et Spes, 1-2).
Sensing myself called to continue in this same path, I chose to take the name Leo XIV. There are different reasons for this, but mainly because Pope Leo XIII in his historic Encyclical Rerum Novarum addressed the social question in the context of the first great industrial revolution. In our own day, the Church offers to everyone the treasury of her social teaching in response to another industrial revolution and to developments in the field of artificial intelligence that pose new challenges for the defence of human dignity, justice and labour.
In the following address he again creates of strong framework of the Papal teaching about the Eastern Churches while making his own Leo XIII sanctions against Latin clergy who attempt to "convert" Eastern members, and tasking the Dicastery on the Eastern Church to provide advice to Latin Bishops as to how to go about supporting the Oriental Churches.
I would like to reaffirm the conviction of Pope Francis that the Eastern Churches are to be “cherished and esteemed for the unique spiritual and sapiential traditions that they preserve, and for all that they have to say to us about the Christian life, synodality, and the liturgy.
I would also like to mention Pope Leo XIII, the first Pope to devote a specific document to the dignity of your Churches, inspired above all by the fact that, in his words, “the work of human redemption began in the East” (cf. Apostolic Letter Orientalium Dignitas, 30 November 1894). Truly, you have “a unique and privileged role as the original setting where the Church was born” (SAINT JOHN PAUL II, Orientale Lumen, 5)
Over a century ago, Leo XIII pointed out that “preserving the Eastern rites is more important than is generally realized”. He went so far as to decree that “any Latin-Rite missionary, whether a member of the secular or regular clergy, who by advice or support draws any Eastern-Rite Catholic to the Latin Rite” ought to be “dismissed and removed from his office” (ibid). We willingly reiterate this appeal to preserve and promote the Christian East, especially in the diaspora.
In addition to establishing Eastern circumscriptions wherever possible and opportune, there is a need to promote greater awareness among Latin Christians. In this regard, I ask the Dicastery for the Eastern Churches – which I thank for its work – to help me to define principles, norms, and guidelines whereby Latin Bishops can concretely support Eastern Catholics in the diaspora in their efforts to preserve their living traditions and thus, by their distinctive witness, to enrich the communities in which they live.
Who, better than you, can sing a song of hope even amid the abyss of violence? Who, better than you, who have experienced the horrors of war so closely that Pope Francis referred to you as “martyr Churches” (Address to ROACO, ibid.)? From the Holy Land to Ukraine, from Lebanon to Syria, from the Middle East to Tigray and the Caucasus, how much violence do we see! Rising up from this horror, from the slaughter of so many young people, which ought to provoke outrage because lives are being sacrificed in the name of military conquest, there resounds an appeal: the appeal not so much of the Pope, but of Christ himself, who repeats: “Peace be with you!” (Jn 20:19, 21, 26). And he adds: “Peace I leave you; my peace I give to you. I do not give it to you as the world gives it” (Jn 14:27). Christ’s peace is not the sepulchral silence that reigns after conflict; it is not the fruit of oppression, but rather a gift that is meant for all, a gift that brings new life. Let us pray for this peace, which is reconciliation, forgiveness, and the courage to turn the page and start anew.
For my part, I will make every effort so that this peace may prevail. The Holy See is always ready to help bring enemies together, face to face, to talk to one another, so that peoples everywhere may once more find hope and recover the dignity they deserve, the dignity of peace. The peoples of our world desire peace, and to their leaders I appeal with all my heart: Let us meet, let us talk, let us negotiate! War is never inevitable. Weapons can and must be silenced, for they do not resolve problems but only increase them. Those who make history are the peacemakers, not those who sow seeds of suffering. Our neighbours are not first our enemies, but our fellow human beings; not criminals to be hated, but other men and women with whom we can speak. Let us reject the Manichean notions so typical of that mindset of violence that divides the world into those who are good and those who are evil.
These last words give us some idea of how Leo is going to address nationalism.
So wonderful! Thank you, Jack, for these texts. They are a lamp in the darkness, they are water on a thirsty land.
ReplyDeleteAs Jean said so well in the other post:
Delete"I think Americans are always trying to 'read' popes as if they were movie stars. Every utterance, every garment, every gesture, every friend, every familial relation, every domicile, every meal is parsed as if all these things would help us "know what he's really like" and thus predict the future direction of the Church and Universe."
We are in the midst of another media frenzy, much of which is feeding upon itself. If we are not careful, we will fail to hear Leo's gentle, steady voice.
Yes, thank you, Jack, for sharing these texts, they are inspiring!
DeleteAnd you are right about the media frenzy feeding on itself. The worst are the fake quotes that people don't bother to fact check if they are real.
"In our own day, the Church offers to everyone the treasury of her social teaching in response to another industrial revolution and to developments in the field of artificial intelligence that pose new challenges for the defence of human dignity, justice and labour."
ReplyDeleteAt the risk of sounding like a Luddite, I am dismayed by clergy who use AI to generate sermons, who willy-nilly repost or retweet things they find on the Internet to parish social media, who post sappy prayer memes instead of anything thoughtful that applies to the immediate concerns of their congregations. Every single one of these moves says, "You aren't worth my attention, time, and care, but I'll pretend that I do by regurgitating this." Likewise, when congregants "heart" a post, it says, "I can't be bothered with listening and reflection, but here's this emoticon."
Jesus Christ went to where people were and actually laid hands on them. Pope St Gregory the Great sent personal letters of correction and encouragement to his missionaries. Bishop Sheen went on TV in his swirly cape and talked to people about real issues of modern life. Even the diocesan magazine, which I am fond of dissing as glib and predictable, has profiles of real people and events in parishes.
I think the Church could offer some guidance about how to maintain human dignity by emphasizing that posting memes and retweeting on parish social media is not evangelization.
I have not used ChatGPT once or subscribed to any of the AI add-ons to my software. I consider it too intrusive. While I have no problem with AI modeling proteins and deciphering the burnt-out Herculaneum scrolls, I don't trust it, or more precisely the capitalist overlords who own it. I've already seen the effects of cell phones and social media and I don't think it is healthy. I get the sense that AI is being forced on us not for our benefit but for the economic goals of a few. Also, the electrical power demands make me think that it is analogous to eco-friendly feet being replaced by energy-wasteful automobiles.
DeleteI don't think social media and AI are being forced on us. If it's easy, instantaneous, and requires no thought, Americans will love it like they love opioids and Ozempic.
DeleteIf it's easy, instantaneous, and requires no thought, Americans will love it like they love TELEVISION WHICH HAS ALSO CONTRIBUTED TO THE COFFERS OF THE RICH.
DeleteAI is already being used in a bunch of ways that aren't immediately visible to us. It's deciding what videos and television programs to feed you. It's coaching the customer service reps you call for help with your cable bill or your credit card bill. It's writing the emails and snail mail correspondence you get. It's talking to you on the phone in spookily human-like form.
DeleteI don't like going off on The Moral Turpitude of Our Times, but we do seem to be in a period in which Americans want to be anesthetized with screen entertainments that require no human interaction on our part. Then we want drugs to combat the muscle aches, depression, and flab that go with it. There are a lot of theories about how/why we have more or less ditched out bodies as if the goal of life is to go in your house and never leave it.
DeleteLord knows I am no paragon of activity and conviviality. But my cancer group got us doing 15-20 minutes of yoga and deep breathing every day. Just that little bit of extra movement and screenlessness made a HUGE difference in my energy levels and mental being. The tendency for people who make it a habit is to go longer, incorporate other practices into their routines, to enjoy it more, and even be grateful for the fact that your carcass is still working.
Unlike AI, we are human, we have bodies, old and sick as they may be, and checking in with them once a day helps keep us connected to that.
I'm going to be on retreat this weekend, where I'll be mostly (but not completely!) unplugged. It's crazy how unstimulated my brain feels when it doesn't have electronics to interact with. Even at work, I spend 8+ hours every day staring at screens and typing messages to people.
DeleteHave a good retreat, Jim! You may be surprised how little you miss the electronic interaction once you get into it. At least that was my experience a couple of years ago when I made a silent contemplative prayer retreat.
DeleteHow I wish I could go on a retreat now But I can’t leave my husband. Have a good retreat that restoreth the soul?
DeleteOff topic: Prayers for The Boy if you think if it. He was here talking a lot about his faith tonight. He's 30, about the age young people are when they want to return to church. I listen, ask questions, encourage, while trying not to throw up the obvious obstacle of his failed marriage. I am not a lamp unto anybody's feet when it comes to spiritual matters or organized religion. I presume all of you have more pull Up There than me, so any prayers for his guidance are appreciated. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteThat's neat that he can open up and talk about faith with you. Sometimes what they need is someone to listen.
DeleteI don't know that the marriage would be a big problem, it was a civil ceremony, wasn't it?
I don't know how much pull I have up there, but sending prayers anyway.
Thanks! Continuing to pray for you, too, and will be thinking of you Monday.
DeleteJean and Katherine, you are always in my prayers, as are the other regulars here. But I will add the special intentions.
DeleteI also have a special intention. Our excellent caregiver is leaving to take care of her mother with stage 4 kidney disease and her brother who is waiting for a liver transplant. She’s been great.
Our special intention is to guide another excellent caregiver to us
Prayers for a replacement for you. And prayers for your caregiver. Is she losing a paying job to care for sick family members? So many women in that boat sailing toward reduced circumstances in retirement. Never fear, tho! Trump will cut their SNAP and healthcare benefits so they won't live long!
DeleteShe has been great. But she is 59 and her mother has stage 4 kidney disease, needing dialysis 3 times /week. Her mother also has diabetes. Our caregiver is a widow with two grown sons who are responsible - it seems. Her mom has been in and out of the hospital several times in the last couple of months. Her brother is an alcoholic with advanced liver disease - he’s waiting for a transplant. She goes to him at 4 pm every day to care for him. She is the responsible person in the family, taking care of the others. She’s looking for other work -virtual office work ( she has office experience too), or night care or.,. maybe an easier to care for client - one who isn’t paralyzed, who needs more “companion” care than physical care. We suspect she may be leaving us also because she has back issues, and caring for my husband can be hard work physically. She isn’t young either. She is starting PT soon. Her previous client was also paralyzed and weighed 300 pounds. He was still working, and her morning routine with him to get him breakfast, bathed, dressed, out of bed into a wheelchair etc took her more than 3 hours. That’s when her back went because he wouldn’t let her use a lift - he was afraid the sling would break, so she essentially lifted him in and out of bed and wheelchair. When she interviewed here the first thing she asked my husband was his weight. (about half her then existing clients weight)
DeleteLooking for a replacement is harder now because we no longer want full- time. Many want 10-12 hours 6 days/ week. I can care for my husband alone now mostly except for bed baths and clothing changes. I can work the Hoyer myself now. . But I get tired. We have been paying our current caregiver for 40 hours/ week, even though we have often let her leave at 11 am or so while we went to rehab, a four hour round trip. She has really been averaging 30 or so hours /week but at full pay. Since we need to save on caregiving costs while we can, we are looking for someone 20-24 hours/ week. We need to put off full time care as long as possible I’m hoping at least 2-5 years with part- time will be enough. I will be 78 in the summer so I know at some point we will need more hours of help. My husband will be 85 in November. He has regained a lot of strength and actually is doing some small household repairs and yard work with our caregiver assisting him. Not being active as he used to be is too hard for him so he does what he can.
Your caregiver sounds like she has a pretty hard road ahead. Hope you will find somebody who fits your needs. The longer old people live with disabilities and illnesses, the more they have to reduce care costs. Once you get permanently sick, there's never enough $$. I see this every day in my cancer group.
Delete"The longer old people live with disabilities and illnesses, the more they have to reduce care costs." Exactly. That's why we're trying to reduce now because later on we will need it more.
Delete