Cardinal Bertone Writes Letter to Priests in China
(16 Nov 09 - RV) The Secretary of State for the Holy See, Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone,
has written a letter to all the priests in China to mark the year of Priesthood.
We have this report...
Full
Text of Cardinal Bertone's Letter
To all the Priests of the
Catholic Church in the People’s Republic of China
N. 6190/09/RS
From the Vatican, 10 November 2009
Dear Brothers in the Priesthood,
The
Year of the Priesthood, a gift of the Holy Father Pope Benedict XVI, which we are
celebrating on the occasion of the 150th anniversary of the “Dies Natalis”
of John Mary Vianney, prompts me to address you, the priests of the Church in China,
in a particular way.
An invitation to hope. In the Letter that
the Holy Father addressed to the Bishops, Priests, Consecrated Persons and Lay Faithful
in the People’s Republic of China on 27 May 2007, a number of guidelines are indicated
for the future journey of the Church. Among those I wish to emphasise reconciliation
within the Catholic community and a respectful and constructive dialogue with the
Civil Authorities, without renouncing the principles of the Catholic faith. In this
regard, despite the persisting difficulties, the information that has come from different
parts of China points also to signs of hope.
To face the present ecclesial
and socio-political situation in which you are living, and to make progress on the
path of reconciliation and dialogue, it is urgent for each of you to draw light and
strength from the sources of priestly spirituality, which are the love of God and
the unconditional following of Christ.
At a distance of only two years
since the publication of the Papal Letter, it does not seem that the time has come
to make definitive evaluations. Using the words of the great missionary of China,
Father Matteo Ricci, I believe we can say that it is still more a time of sowing than
of reaping.
Perhaps some of you were surprised by the Letter of the Pope
to the Church in China. I assure you that the Holy See is aware of the complex and
difficult situation in which you find yourselves. When he opened the Year of the Priesthood
the Holy Father invited all the priests of the world to “welcome the new springtime
which the Spirit is now bringing about in the Church”. This is true also for you:
the new challenges, which the Chinese people must face at the beginning of the Third
Millennium, ask of you to open yourselves with confidence to the future and to continue
trying to live the Christian faith integrally.
Proclaiming
Christ. Dear Brother Priests, you are pastors of the People of God in a geographically
and demographically vast country. As the little flock in the midst of a great multitude
of persons, you live side by side with the followers of other religions and with persons
who are indifferent or indeed hostile towards God and towards religion.
Do
not think that you are alone in having to face such a problem. In fact, you share
the same situation of many of your brothers in other parts of the world, who “even
amid difficulties and incomprehension, remain faithful to their vocation as «friends
of Christ», whom he has called by name, chosen and sent” (Letter for the Proclamation
of the Year of the Priesthood). The observation of Pope Benedict XVI also holds for
you: “There are also, sad to say, situations which can never be sufficiently deplored
where the Church herself suffers as a consequence of infidelity on the part of some
of her ministers. Then it is the world which finds grounds for scandal and rejection.
What is most helpful to the Church in such cases is not only a frank and complete
acknowledgment of the weaknesses of her ministers, but also a joyful and renewed realization
of the greatness of God’s gift, embodied in the splendid example of generous pastors,
religious afire with love for God and for souls, and insightful, patient spiritual
guides” (Letter for the Proclamation of the Year of the Priesthood). And for you in
China “How can I fail to recall, in this regard, as an encouragement for all, the
shining examples of Bishops and priests who, in the difficult years of the recent
past, have testified to an unfailing love for the Church, even by the gift of their
own lives for her and for Christ?” (Letter to the Church in China, n. 13). Often,
when we look at the world around us, we are dismayed. How many people there are to
feed! Where can we find the bread for all this people? How can I, with all my limitations,
help Jesus in his mission? Once again the Holy Father, in commenting on the text of
the Gospel of John (6:1-15) reminds us of the response of the Lord: “By taking in
his ‘holy and venerable’ hands the little that they are, priests, we priests, become
instruments of salvation for many, for everyone!” (Angelus, 26 July 2009). There
are various practical ways in which you can make your valuable contribution: for example,
by visiting Catholic and non-Catholic families frequently, as well as villages, showing
your concern for people’s needs; by increasing efforts to prepare and train good catechists;
by fostering greater use of charitable services directed especially to children and
to sick and old people, in order to show the Church’s unselfish charity; by organising
special gatherings where Catholics could invite their non-Catholic relatives and friends
in order to become better acquainted with the Catholic Church and Christian faith;
by distributing Catholic literature to non-Catholics.
The
priestly virtues. In the school of Saint John Mary Vianney we must learn to identify
ourselves with the ministry we have received. In Christ, this identification was total:
“In Jesus, person and mission tend to coincide: all Christ’s saving activity was,
and is, an expression of his ‘filial consciousness’ which from all eternity stands
before the Father in an attitude of loving submission to his will” (Letter for the
Proclamation of the Year of the Priesthood). It is from the identification with his
own ministry that all the virtues necessary for every priest originate.
The
saintly Curé of Ars knew how to dialogue with everyone, because he was a man of prayer:
the art of dialogue, at whatever level, is learned in the dialogue with God, in continual
and sincere prayer. He lived poverty with extreme rigour, because he held that everything
he received was for his church, his poor, his most disadvantaged families. Also he
saw his chastity as required of a priest for his ministry: it was the chastity appropriate
for one who habitually had to touch the Eucharist. We also know how tormented he was
from the thought of his own inadequacy for the parochial ministry and by the desire
to escape: only obedience and the passion for souls succeeded in convincing him to
remain at his post. The golden rule for an obedient life seemed to him to be this:
“Do only what can be offered to the good Lord”.
The
Eucharist. In this Year of the Priesthood, I wish to remind you of the source where
you can find the strength to be faithful to your important mission. And I wish to
do so with the words of Pope Benedict XVI: in the Church “every great reform has in
some way been linked to the rediscovery of belief in the Lord’s eucharistic presence
among his people” (Letter to the Church in China, n. 5, note 20).
The
celebration of the Paschal Mystery reveals the agape, that is, the love of God, that
love that defeats evil and, therefore, changes evil to good, hatred to love. Through
the sharing in the Body and Blood of Christ in the Eucharist - the Holy Father has
reminded us – that divine energy “comes to us corporally to continue his working in
us and through us” (Encyclical Letter Deus Caritas Est, n. 14). United to Christ in
the Eucharist, we become agents of the true transformation of hearts (cf. Deus Caritas
Est, nn. 13-14). As the saintly Curé of Ars said: “all the good works together are
not equal to the Sacrifice of the Mass, because they are the works of men, while the
Holy Mass is the work of God”.
The Eucharist, sacrament of communion, source
and summit of ecclesial life and evangelisation, is at the centre of your journey
of reconciliation. The Eucharist, even if celebrated in a particular community, is
never the celebration of that community alone. A truly Eucharistic community cannot
retreat into itself, as though it were self-sufficient, but it must stay in communion
with every other catholic community. In fact, every celebration of the Eucharist presupposes
the union not only with the local Bishop but also with the Pope, the order of Bishops,
all the clergy and the entire People of God.
Saint Paul, writing to the
Christians of Corinth, showed how their divisions, which were made manifest in the
Eucharistic assemblies, were in contrast with what they were celebrating, the Supper
of the Lord. Consequently, the Apostle invited them to reflect on the true reality
of the Eucharist, in order to bring them back to the spirit of fraternal communion
(cf. 1 Cor 11:17-34).
Pope John Paul II reminded us that the Eucharist
creates communion and teaches communion. And Benedict XVI, echoing this teaching,
has given some directives concerning the reception of the Sacraments in the present
situation of the Church in China (cf. Letter to the Church in China, n. 10). These
directives are rooted “in the promotion of communion” and in “charity, that is always
above all”: they are also recalled in the “Compendium” of the same Papal letter which
was published by the Holy See on 24 May 2009.
5. The Word of God.
May I also remind you once again, dear Priests, of the words of the Holy Father Benedict
XVI: “In today’s world, as in the troubled times of the Curé of Ars, the lives and
activity of priests need to be distinguished by a determined witness to the Gospel.
As Pope Paul VI rightly noted, ‘modern man listens more willingly to witnesses than
to teachers, and if he does listen to teachers, it is because they are witnesses’.
Lest we experience existential emptiness and the effectiveness of our ministry be
compromised, we need to ask ourselves ever anew: ‘Are we truly pervaded by the word
of God? Is that word truly the nourishment we live by, even more than bread and the
things of this world? Do we really know that word? Do we love it? Are we deeply engaged
with this word to the point that it really leaves a mark on our lives and shapes our
thinking?’. Just as Jesus called the Twelve to be with him (cf. Mk 3:14), and only
later sent them forth to preach, so too in our days priests are called to assimilate
that ‘new style of life’ which was inaugurated by the Lord Jesus and taken up by the
Apostles” (Letter for the Proclamation of the Year of the Priesthood).
6. The
task of Bishops. Dear Priests, at this point allow me to address a few words also
to your Bishops, who have received the fullness of the priesthood. To you, dear Brothers
in the Episcopate, I would like to recall that your priests’ journey towards holiness
has been entrusted to your attentive pastoral care. If one thinks of the social and
cultural conditions of today’s world, it is easy to understand how the danger of dispersion
in a great number of different tasks weighs on priests.
Daily experience shows
that the seeds of disintegration among people are deeply rooted in humanity as a result
of sin, but the Church can offer in response the power of the Body of Christ to bring
about unity. The Second Vatican Council has identified pastoral charity as the bond
that gives unity to the life and activity of priests.
7. Pastoral activity
in favour of priestly vocations. As the Holy Father reminded you, “during the last
fifty years, the Church in China has never lacked an abundant flowering of vocations
to the priesthood and to consecrated life. For this we must thank the Lord, because
it is a sign of vitality and a reason for hope. […] this flowering is accompanied,
today, by not a few difficulties. The need therefore emerges both for more careful
vocational discernment on the part of Church leaders, and for more in-depth education
and instruction of aspirants to the priesthood and religious life. Notwithstanding
the precariousness of the means available, for the future of the Church in China it
will be necessary to take steps to ensure, on the one hand, particular attention in
the care of vocations and, on the other hand, a more solid formation with regard to
the human, spiritual, philosophical-theological and pastoral aspects, to be carried
out in seminaries and religious institutes” (Letter to the Church in China, n. 14). May
the celebration of the Year of the Priesthood be therefore an occasion to launch initiatives
to support the life of your seminarians. Thereby, dear Bishops, you will be able to
devote particular attention to their formation by visiting them in the seminaries
and showing deep concern about the training that they receive there, both on a spiritual
and academic level. Besides, your paternal solicitude will suggest to you, according
to the possibilities and conditions of each diocese, suitable initiatives for promoting
vocations to the priesthood, such as prayer days and meetings or the opening of places
where priests and faithful, especially the young, can come to pray together under
the guidance of expert and good priests acting as spiritual directors.
Ongoing formation. The Holy Father Benedict XVI realises that “in China
too, as in the rest of the Church, the need for an adequate ongoing formation of the
clergy is emerging. Hence the invitation, addressed to you Bishops as leaders of ecclesial
communities, to think especially of the young clergy who are increasingly subject
to new pastoral challenges, linked to the demands of the task of evangelizing a society
as complex as present-day Chinese society. Pope John Paul II reminded us of this:
ongoing formation of priests «is an intrinsic requirement of the gift and sacramental
ministry received; and it proves necessary in every age. It is particularly urgent
today, not only because of rapid changes in the social and cultural conditions of
individuals and peoples among whom priestly ministry is exercised, but also because
of that ‘new evangelization’ which constitutes the essential and pressing task of
the Church at the end of the second millennium»” (Letter to the Church in China, n.
13).
Every Bishop, in communion with his brother Bishops of neighbouring
dioceses, should concern himself with organising and personally following serious
programmes of ongoing formation. Particular attention should be paid to young priests,
who frequently have to work alone soon after ordination. They often feel isolated,
with heavy responsibilities. Bishops should attend not only to their ongoing formation
but also should ensure that they are welcomed and helped by the older clergy. Moreover,
it would also be useful if Bishops and priests could find frequent occasions for personal
contacts among themselves, and increase both official and informal meetings in order
to plan diocesan activities together, share their experience and help one another
in solving personal and pastoral difficulties.
9. Eucharistic worship.
The saintly Curé of Ars teaches us that the worship given to the Eucharist outside
of Mass is of inestimable value in the life of every priest. This worship is closely
joined to the celebration of the Eucharist. It is your task as Pastors to encourage
Eucharistic worship, either by personal testimony or by organising a weekly hour of
adoration, processions, etc, on both the diocesan and parish levels. In this way,
the faithful could gather around the Eucharist and experience ecclesial communion. To
this proposal I would like to remind you of what Pope John Paul II left us almost
by way of a testament: “It is pleasant to spend time with him, to lie close to his
breast like the Beloved Disciple (cf. Jn 13:25) and to feel the infinite love present
in his heart. If in our time Christians must be distinguished above all by the «art
of prayer»,how can we not feel a renewed need to spend time in spiritual
converse, in silent adoration, in heartfelt love before Christ present in the Most
Holy Sacrament? How often, dear brothers and sisters, have I experienced this, and
drawn from it strength, consolation and support!” (Encyclical Letter Ecclesia de Eucharistia,
n. 25).
10. The spiritual reconciliation of hearts. What can you do in
the face of the enduring divisions and miseries also present within the Catholic community?
If we are united in the Eucharistic Christ, all of the miseries of the world echo
in our hearts to implore the mercy of God. In the same way, we raise up a hymn of
praise and thanksgiving for all the beautiful things of creation, for the good works
of men and for the countless gifts of grace which the Lord pours out on humanity:
the heart opens wide to a greater love, which takes on the breadth of that of Christ
who died and rose from the dead.
We should not forget that even “from the start
the community of the disciples has known not only the joy of the Holy Spirit, the
grace of truth and love, but also trials that are constituted above all by disagreements
about the truths of faith, with the consequent wounds to communion. Just as the fellowship
of love has existed since the outset and will continue to the end (cf. 1 Jn 1:1ff.),
so also, from the start, division unfortunately arose. We should not be surprised
that it still exists today” (Letter to the Church in China, n. 6).
In the
first letter to the Corinthians, regarding the divisions existing in his communities,
Saint Paul wrote: “For there must be factions among you in order that those who are
genuine among you may be recognised.” (1 Cor 11:19). Everything forms part of God’s
plan, so that all may serve his omnipotence, which is wisdom and infinite love. At
this time may no one hesitate to seek reconciliation with concrete gestures, to extend
the hand to the brother who “has something against you” (cf. Matt 5:23-24). In order
to obtain it, there is an urgent need to pay attention also to the human formation
of all the faithful, priests and sisters included, because the lack of human maturity,
self-control and inner harmony is the most frequent source of misunderstandings, lack
of cooperation and conflicts within Catholic communities.
11. The agencies
of communion. In the perspective of the “ecclesiology of communion”, the central and
fundamental thought of the documents of the Second Vatican Council, it seems opportune
to draw your attention to what canonical legislation provides for the fostering of
the pastoral task of Bishops and the growth of the diocesan community: “Every diocesan
Bishop is invited to make use of indispensable instruments of communion and cooperation
within the diocesan Catholic community: the diocesan curia, the presbyteral council,
the college of consultors, the diocesan pastoral council and the diocesan finance
council. These agencies express communion, they favour the sharing of common responsibilities
and are of great assistance to the Pastors, who can thus avail themselves of the fraternal
cooperation of priests, consecrated persons and lay faithful” (Letter to the Church
in China, n. 10). When the entire diocesan curia cannot be set up due to the shortage
of priests, Bishops should at least start to diversify the roles by gradually appointing
a vicar general, chancellor, procurator, etc, in order to have someone at hand for
consultation and cooperation in making juridical and pastoral decisions.
I
wish to conclude my letter by expressing and entrusting to the Most Blessed Virgin
the wish that your priestly life may be guided more and more by those ideals of the
total giving of oneself to Christ and to the Church which inspired the thought and
action of the saintly Curé of Ars. United with you in prayer and in the hope that
your pastoral work will bear a rich harvest, I remain, Yours in the
Lord Tarcisio Card. Bertone Secretary of State