The conference proceedings of the first night of Diocesan Social Week. The report of Bishop Paolo Doni of Bishop Paolo Doni
I think that nobody expects me to be a lesson in the sociology of complex subjects and away my powers, as are the themes of Economy, Labour and the general policy mentioned in the title. This prime is the first step methodology: a tip to "in-depth look" on the current crisis. Already
prof. Bruno Anastasia, an economist, offered a reading from the current crisis, by the competent authority. I play my role as one that can give "an in-depth look" at the "Christian presence" (and I might add, of the Christian community) in this situation of crisis. L 'event you are celebrating it, the 70th Social Week of the diocese suggests that the in-depth look consists in' being conducted "by Christians."
I was thinking this was your request and more convenient for the door to "enter" in the subject when I was taken aback, like you, by the encyclical of Benedict XVI "Caritas in Veritate" (CIV). Street Mission which seemed, in fact, a valuable guide and authoritative. While not steal anything from the presentation of the encyclical that you will do with Msgr. Mile, it seemed appropriate to take some good points, with specific attention to the method followed by the Pope and, with you, I try to think out loud. So I divide my reflection
aloud at two points:
- The current crisis is viewed by Caritas in Veritate
- Christians and communities in crisis.
1. The current crisis is viewed by Caritas in Veritate.
The encyclical, the third of Benedict XVI, is a social document. As such it follows in the wake of all the documents of the Magisterium of the Church in social matters (the DSDC) starting from the Rerum Novarum. Pope Benedict is very keen to emphasize the continuity thimble teaching, although updated from time to time with the changing times and social issues. In particular, the new encyclical is in continuity with two major documents, which commemorates the 400th anniversary and 20: Populorum Progressio of Paul VI (1967) and Sollicitudo Rei Socialis John Paul 11 \u200b\u200b(1987). The content of the encyclical is "integral human development in charity and truth," as the title. We do not enter the merits. What I wish to highlight is the method, the approach that the text of the Pope travels to speak of integral human development. Approach that has already been mentioned in the title: integral human development (remember how the two documents were intended celebrated and claimed the entire development as a sign and guarantee of its ethical, that is their goal to the good of man and society) is given as to its interpretation, the theme of charity, that is the will of good for humans and, even more, stating the truth and demonstrating that this is the specific optical link, its Christians and the church .. It 'just that this link is the new encyclical. Benedict XVI calls but also the whole DSDC as "Caritas in veritate in D Social (n 5).
entire document revolves around two complementary principles:
- the Christian faith, with its uncompromising biblical foundation, can not become charity, that is real good for the individual and for society of men
- The "good" people and society, it is unthinkable, much less buildable, except in the love and truth, that is, except of ethics based on the truth of man and things, if not also be the result of ethical ideologies and / or power and they will not build the good of mankind. Starting
and weaving these two principles, the Pope identifies' the word that appears at the Church and Christians "in the world today. It 'a sensitive issue, already addressed by Paul VI and John Paul of the jurisdiction of church, social king.
rising to the top, the encyclical from two arguments are intertwined: one socio-cultural character of the other ecclesial and pastoral. We can quickly trace separately show ..
The first argument comes in the reading of the present moment, marked by globalization ("the explosion of worldwide", # 3 3). Constitutes the real novelty of the most significant moment in history that mankind is living. The global interdependence, he says, is not simply a geographical phenomenon, not only tells the size of economic interdependence, but it is a phenomenon cultural take-off which determine the setting of the current culture trends. The trait that most distinguishes this culture of worldwide interdependence is what he calls "a new ideology of practice: the technocratic ideology (n 14) that now comes in different versions and conflicting. The Pope writes: "From 'technocratic ideology so prevalent today, Paul VI had already warned aware of the great danger of entrusting the' whole process of development to technology alone, because then it would lack direction. The technique, taken in itself, is ambivalent While today would be inclined to entrust the entire that the development process, from 'there is more to' emergence of ideologies that deny in toto the 'very value of development, as radically anti-human and merely a degradation. This leads not only to condemn the distorted and unjust way in which men sometimes directed progress, but the same scientific discoveries, which, if properly used, could serve as a 'growth opportunities for all. 'S idea of \u200b\u200ba world without expressing lack of confidence in development' in man and God 'and then a serious mistake to undervalue the human capacity to control the distortion of development or to ignore the fact that a' man is constitutionally leaning toward 'being more. " Idealizing technical progress, or contemplating the 'utopia of a' humanity back to 'original state of nature are two opposite ways to separate progress from its moral evaluation, and therefore our control. "(No. 14). In other words, the ideology of technocratic highlights for some, the development and research of "having more and more", while other justification for the persistence of poverty and underdevelopment. The development and underdevelopment instead, the Pope says, depend on choices made by men, not absolute, and imponderables, by luck or by fate, by destiny, they are choices that always involve the responsibility Human (No. 17), ie they are actual people who make moral choices.
The consequences of this global culture marked by the ideology of technocratic are recorded on all fronts and in all parts of the world. On the economic front: one is a limitless accumulation of economic assets, the other increasing poverty due to lack of resources and technologies ("the world's wealth is growing in absolute terms, but increasing inequalities (n 22)). On the social side: on the one hand, the defense at all costs to the economic well-being by those who have acquired the other, the "reduction of social safety nets" (No. 25), as saying that the rich become increasingly rich and assured, but those who are poor are getting poorer and less guaranteed. This is true both for the people, as production companies, such as for social groups and states. And 'under the eyes of all what this policy and this practice produces: exclusion, crime, violence, human degradation and moral, robbery of raw materials, up to social uprisings, revolutions, and finally war. All this, of course, justified according to the technocratic ideology as a "necessary evil" or "smart damage".
On the cultural side: on the one hand, the coexistence and interaction of different cultures that are enriched (or can be enriched) each, the other a cultural eclecticism. "Eclecticism and cultural leveling in the separation of culture from human nature. So cultures can no longer find themselves within a nature that transcends, ultimately reducing the 'man to a mere cultural. When this happens, a 'new humanity runs risks of enslavement and manipulation (n 26)'). Also with regard to ethics, the consequences are plain for all. Ethics, the daughter of the ideology that promotes technological overdevelopment and underdevelopment justified, is an ethic to delphini usum. The Pope is even talk of abuse of the adjective "ethical" because each group even each person can construct an ethic and has the accuracy or even truth.
It 's a structured reading, as articulated and complex is the moment of crisis that the world is experiencing, and how complex and inconsistent state of the world today. In this complexity, the Pope seeks - but it is now that the church does this kind of reading - the common thread, the element that links the phenomena and explains them, the deep matrix. Taking up John Paul II, Pope Benedict speaks with finesse terminology, a low anthropology, that is an image or conception of the man who says yes to an aspect of truth, but who lacks the capacity to see and accept the whole truth of man. Is it true that man lives for the economic and productive life and relationships, but not true that this dimension is the first or, worse, the only dimension of human living and working. The development of man and the world is not reducible to increasing production of economic goods. The man, society, world, life is more than the quantity of goods produced and accumulated economic wealth, it is not true that all the existential and social dynamics is governed by the criteria of the economy. In other words, anthropology is a true, global, it must be acknowledged and prosecute. On this triad - that is, that the development of man and society is not reducible to size is to increase economic production but harmonious of all human dimensions - you read the most beautiful pages of the encyclical. It is this global anthropology that is not ideological in nature or function, but accepts the truth of man, is the foundation of ethics, ethics, precisely because of this anthropological foundation overall, it is not true because it is the church and Christians, but it corresponds to reality and is, therefore, the only one able to identify and pursue the good of mankind and humanity. Tout court is the "common good".
Pope ends this reading of the situation of the company and the world saying 'The truth in love is a great challenge for the Church in a world of progressive and pervasive globalization, (n 9), thus reaffirming the inability of the Church to remain aloof and even claiming it to the right and duty to be interested in these issues., in that the good of man and man.
The second argument, following the first, concerns the Church and Christians, given the complexity (confusion) of the present moment. The Pope points out, first of all, a difficult, almost an incapacity of Christians to read, to understand more, and worse still, to work properly in it, but in the right direction. Beyond the words of the Pope is when we see ourselves in our local churches, parishes, groups of training: the suffering of 'helplessness' s aphasia, distrust at all levels, perhaps Christians and Christian communities living in Italy they are - we are - particularly afflicted by this feeling of embarrassment or even fear. The Pope seems to disagree with the choice of silence and the attitude of fear. The present time is kairos, that gift of grace. The events are difficult for us to read are real signs of the times " to catch operating with confidence. There is no need, however, to make this a voluntary or superficial optimism, serving the perspective of faith. It injects a new element here compared to previous documents of the Magisterium: attention to the spiritual dimension of human beings and society, which is size of the human person (as anthropological) and of course the Church is the guardian and promoter. He also lives the spiritual dimension, which is placed next to all the other dimensions, even the permeates and transcends it. John Paul said that this dimension is the true guarantee of the qualification "human" than any other dimension and every human reality and social, and it is also true guarantee for the recognition of rights and duties of man. The highlight of this essential dimension of being human, that is spiritual, not a demand for a particular religion (in our case, Christianity), but a finding anthropological evidence comes from the story.
why the root cause of poverty is to be found only in the first instance and the element of economic productivity, as he says and wants the ideological dominant today, but in denial, in denial, in the non-recognition of a constitutive element typical of human beings, which is its spiritual dimension. This dimension enters every corner of human life, including economic data (cf. the experience of the gratuity of the gift in the economic sphere) as a reference to factors that are not economically quantifiable ..
"Poverty is often caused by the refusal of 'love of God, an' original tragic end in himself of 'man who thinks he is sufficient unto himself, or merely an insignificant and ephemeral, a" foreigner " Build in a universe by chance. L 'is only when man is alienated or detached from reality, when he stops thinking and believing in a foundation. L 'humanity is alienated when it relies on projects only human, ideologies and false utopias. Today a 'humanity is much more interactive than past: this proximity must be transformed into true communion. The development of peoples dz ~ ende mainly from the recognition of being one family working together in true communion, consists of individuals who do not live simply 'next to a' more. "(No. 53) At this point we
enunciate, as a theorem, this time reading the thicket by the Pope which may arise from reading the "agenda of hope," of which we speak. Can be formulated in 5 points.:
- globalization is a real fact, at all levels, particularly at economic production (through the Finance Office)
- the crisis that humanity is experiencing can not be global, with the economy, finance all aspects of life and social life are called into question, the crisis is so economic-financial-commercial, but is even more of a cultural nature, even ethics ..
- the world needs a new ethic, not the daughter of ideologies and / or powers, but an expression of human truth, only then will they want and ethics that seeks the common good;
- the task of the church and Christians to understand this is a sign of the times that God gives, to "enter" the current complexity with what is "proprium" of the Church: the development of appropriate ethics, thought "together" in a continuous dialogue and dialogue with all the "reasons" of man;
- ethics, or the search good for all men and all men, is' an expression of charity, that is the will to do good, and as such, for Christians, springs directly from the Word of God, by faith, liturgical celebration, the gift of the Spirit . How to say that the church and for Christians it is not an option but a requirement of fidelity to God and man, according to the Gospel, and according to all the Tradition of the church.
2. Christians and churches to address the crisis.
When told how reading the current situation, even with the help of Caritas in Veritate, offers our Christian communities and two additional indications:
An indication of content, which is the ethics process up to date, from "offer" or "propose" to all men and all of society. An indication then that method can be summarized with the word "together". With a warning to say it now: the method is not optional: it is necessary for the content. The method is already of 'ethics.
Before we get into this point, I like to remember that our Church in the northeast do not start from scratch on this track. I recall the first meeting of the Church of Aquileia (in 1990), where they spoke of "new evangelization", where many of the things that today we are saying with pain had already been sketched out then (maybe not with the clarity of today, but with profound ability listening and planning), not only in content but also in the method (which I referred to that group). Perhaps if he had made more operational experience in our churches, we would not have been caught so unawares by social factors which even then could be seen.
proceeding in glimpses, for points, so perhaps too much school, because I am not aware of new things to say none of those present.
First of all, it's the same faith of Christians and the church that gives birth to a passion for the good of man and society as a whole. The Word of God proclaimed, read, prayed places the believer in view of God, the Father who wants to (and His will is effective!) The salvation of all men, who are his children. And salvation, we know, is not a spiritualist, and even futuristic thing: it is the total good of man in this and the life. The celebration of the Eucharist and other sacraments nourishes and supports the will of believers in seeking the good of the individual, as well as that of the family, society and the world, the cosmos. It 'been said: "It is not possible for a Christian to say the Our Father and then not to enter into life with a will to do good" (Bishop John Nervo). To say that the attention the company was announced by faith, the Eucharist celebrated by the love shared. "As long as Christians will gather Sunday to celebrate the Holy Mysteries will not be less than their passion for the good of man, for the common good." It 's always been the case in the history of the church. If not, faith becomes an abstract idea, the Mass rite aesthetic a charity philanthropy evanescent, in other words, Christianity is useless.
The Church and Christians to "come" in the real world do not commit invasion of the field, do not come out of their skills (the Church remains in the sacristy, deals with spiritual matters). On the contrary, Christians and churches must, by fidelity to their faith and the Word, and enter the world of that historical event. The problem, if anything, is to enter it correctly. The correct approach
of human affairs, was born to a Christian church and for the clear understanding of their identity and mission. The church, which is a community of believers, not is a political entity, not a trade union group, or a cultural club. Its identity was born from the shared faith, his mission is the proclamation of salvation becomes practice of charity, that is good for the will of man and all men. The charity, in the sense of good will, is the single criterion that inspires and moves and evaluate the choices and work of Christians and the church. In other words, in criterion underlying ethics inspired by Christianity. The Christians and the church, therefore, come (or may enter) in all the realities of life and society under the ethical competence, ie the potential and needs to come in the choices who each person, group, were completed or can be done that are motivated by the desire for good and tend to the realization of the good, the second possibility, that the responsibility for each. This is - Pope John Paul II said - "the word appearing in the Church", even in social king. It is a word that is not opposed to the other "words" (those, for example. Of science, politics, economics, etc.). But rather a word that wants to speak with all the other powers, for the good of 'man and society and involves all the skills challenges. Benedict XVI adds the word "ethics", the word "spirituality" that the reference to the typical size is unique among human beings: the dimension of the spirit, which adds to the goal of good, even in the economic sphere, the aspect of transcendence.
If the good willed and achieved is not even transcendent, it also develops the spiritual dimension of man, but rather to deny or mortify, it would be really good.
the word appearing in the church and Christians are "unique" in that it does not compete with any other subject and that the church's words do not compete otherwise. E 'for this uniqueness that the church and Christians can not remain silent in the face of social events that touch the lives of individuals and society. If there's no word ethical and spiritual of the church and Christians, there is a risk, historically demonstrated, not to identify the tracks for real good, for the common good. This might pass for real good, but rather only has one or more aspects of property, perhaps the semblance of common good and that when it comes to personal choices and / or social structures, mockery, choices that affect the everyone's life.
Now comes a difficulty we all know and experience, not without suffering. Many times the same reality, the same choice, the same law appear just and true by someone, in one aspect, and wrong for some other or to other aspects. There clashes that with ambivalence, with ambiguity, with a limit of every choice and human reality. There is no one who does not realize the real drama of this finding. And 'the major theme of truth as a solid foundation of ethics. In the absence of any ethical relationship with the truth seems arbitrary and, therefore, not acceptable to all, much less tax at all: the danger is always that the intransigence of totalitarianism.
Faced with this fact many times you end up choosing the streets of compromise, the reference to partial truths, "for a quiet life" they say. The social life seems to have to find a point of coexistence possible levels always lower or reduced truth. There are those who theorize that there is no alternative to the road of compromise. This relationship of ethics to the foundation of Truth has always been interested in the ethics expert, but beyond the theoretical sciences closely affects the social life, and deny the possibility of coexistence between citizens of the same city.
Caritas in Veritate not enter directly into this doctrinal issue, but not ignored or dodges the question. Indicates a road, obeying the pastoral aim of the document. And 'the way a practice is possible and correct: what we may call the management of diversity, contradictions and oppositions. They are "normal" in history would be utopian to dream a different world, an ideal. The first problem is to achieve a uniformity of thought, evaluation and behavior and even the development of a system of ideas, those principles that can be recognized and accepted by all true. The problem - perhaps more modest, smaller but perhaps more real - is to learn a relationship between diversity, even radical (let's not forget that this ability depends on peace and war is born from this failure). The world is made of diversity, different people, different cultures, different faiths, and even the ethics are different. E ' made of different truths in ethics, not just the theoretical truth. Here today we are all faced with the necessity, urgency to develop an ethic which has as its objective to develop rules and methods to allow any differences to live and not to each other the war (there are too many wars, of any kind, actually, and many others are on the horizon). I believe that it is not just an 'ethical goal, but for us Christians, also a target of spirituality. Anything else would be a declaration of war against those who are different.
The Pope seems to begin with the word "Truth." Truth is a theme Benedict XVI. What will the Pope when he speaks the truth? Writing with a capital letter makes it clear that the Truth is, first of all in God, even God himself. It is not written in books, not a system of ideas is not the fruit of conventions, agreements, consents. We Christians are told "I am the Truth" and Jesus is the Word of Truth transcends everything and everyone in that is bigger than any of us can understand and accept it is just transcendent. This qualification does not say it, the Truth is out and away from the realities of the world and history, but that it goes beyond the boundaries of human and historical reality. E 'in it, but it's over. For us Christians, the Truth that is Jesus Christ, is not a teaching but a person, a person who calls and offers an opportunity to be successful, but to possess it without thinking ("Do not hold me," says the risen Christ to Mary Magdalene ). The truth, for us, not a thought, but a meeting experience that always puts a strain on our beliefs, our judgments and always asks to go further. Besides the already owned, the already thought, the already experienced. . . all'escaton up when we finally feel that Christ is all in all.
Meanwhile, the paths of life and history to us are asked to "colligate fragmenta" fragments of truth (with the lowercase v) which are in all reality, every person in every culture and religion.
In other words, just joining the Truth, comes an ethic that is founded not on the imposition of what is considered right, proper, good, or on the resignation and passive acceptance of diversity, much less based on the contrast and the struggle between different positions, but, in contrast, is based on the meeting, the comparison, the mutual sharing of reasons .. We can already say with certainty that, when a choice, one law, one faith, and any other reality or human structure is imposed on someone, when creating divisions and conflicts, and perhaps justified as necessary for the future, when it produces misery, destruction, poverty, hunger, division, when creating "friends" on one side and "enemies" the other is certainly not good ethics and fair. In the end it appears that it is a sign and instrument of power, to impose itself, becomes violent. Conversely, we can say that when ethics is based on the acceptance of diversity (or rather the people who are carriers of some diversity of all kinds), listening and comparison of the reasons of others, namely the dialogue, and in Thus, identifying the right choices, those who have not to penalize anybody, then we are faced with an ethic that will not have been good overall, has not drawn on the Truth, but at least he walked toward it, with incremental steps .
Christians and Christian communities have the opportunity, because we have the tools to become experts in ethics from her own faith, which becomes charity (CV) in relation to all areas of human life, all problems that affect the quality of life of individuals, families, society, the world and the cosmos.
In other words, the correct ethical and effective, you can only putting with each other to compare between different reasons, but all moving towards the goal of the good of the whole man and all men. Dialogue, listening, confrontation is not a strategy, not a renewed modern because eventually everyone will continue to hold their own reasons, are the way for each to grow towards a greater good than it already had, or thought to possess, at the beginning.
More specifically, I think of the indispensable presence of bodies of communion and shared responsibility are the pastoral councils of our Christian communities, dioceses and parishes of membership groups that cultivate the youth training and adults. Often they are realities, which often languish in positions away from the grayness of the world, from people's lives, unable to say a word. The output from these situations of insignificance is there, within reach: just take the Gospel and the push to get together (teamwork) engaging in dialogue (not opposed) positions and beliefs which are also present in the same group and the Christian community itself (as well as within the same family!), and then open in listening to the "poverty" and diversity in their country people of different ages, color, status in society, of different religions ...) because they are all bearers of a "truth" that I \\ we have not yet. Listening, the comparison round, put a strain on our ideas, our views discounted, and our habits .... It allows to make real progress, to identify together toward the common good.
Experience says that the Christians in their community experience this journey, this style, this method, then become, in the structures and public institutions, dealers, real democracy, true to the common good and never accept to become obedient to the powerful (or bullies) on duty.
Conclusion.
Agenda of hope for the future does not pass through the individual chapters (the economy, employment, politics) that, among other things, are just some examples of the global reality of the world, but goes by, more radically, through the work of drafting of "global ethic for human beings", that is for the common good.
But the development of this ethics proper and effective that can save the world, you can simply "together". It is not a question of style: the essence of the dynamics of ethics.
"Together" at, first of all, the individual person: everyone can and must make in his life the quantitative requirements, and working with family dynamics and emotional, with the demands of the psyche and, even more than his spirituality. The common good, the salvation of humanity begins inside the individual.
"Together" and then at the level of the Christian community must overcome every separation, for example, between the announcement of the Word, the celebration of the Eucharist and the life of charity, but also priests and lay people, including theologians and ordinary people between pastors and faithful, which does not mean to overlook or eliminate the identity, the charisma, the mission of each, is only the Gospel imperative to abolish identity that create separation and contrast, positions of absolutism, fundamentalism that close any possibility of meeting others.
"Together" Finally, social and political positions are not moral cultural (ideological) social policies and practices that arise from conflicts and creating enmity. This opens the chapter of the delicate choice of policy instruments (parties and coalitions), and even more ways to stay inside the instruments chosen. The Christian, and still more the Christian community, they will never lie down uncritically all the choices and positions of parties and coalitions.
Christians and communities have the right credentials to become experts in ethics (ethics because is always an art), and to the communities and Christian organizations real gyms or laboratories for the common good in ethics. I think pastoral councils and all other bodies of pastoral participation, I think of the training groups (youth and adults, couples and families, professionals). What formation is reduced when it comes to combine faith with their lives for the good of himself and others, that is for the common good? And how can you do if training is not done "together"?
The surprise will be great if Christians and communities, we take this road with confidence: you will only see a new meaning of the Church and of Christians in society and history, but you will see - even before - a new vitality in the faith, and pastoral, it will spring up unexpected new vocations not only to serve the Church but also to serve the company in the world. And
'This is the hope that moves the Caritas in Veritate of Benedict XVI. And 'This is the hope that moves each of us .