Posted on 06/17/2019 8:56:52 AM PDT by ebb tide
ROME, June 17, 2019 (LifeSiteNews) — The Vatican today released the working document for the Special Synod of Bishops on the Amazon, being held in Rome Oct. 6-27.
The 64-page document, which will form the basis of discussion at the upcoming Synod, suggests that local bishops’ conferences “adapt the Eucharistic rite to their cultures,” that the Church consider ordaining married “elders” to the priesthood, and that Synod fathers identify the “official ministry that can be conferred on women,” given their prominent role in Amazonian culture.
The document also suggests that it’s time to reconsider “the notion that the exercise of jurisdiction (power of government) must be linked in all areas (sacramental, judicial, administrative) and in a permanent way to the Sacrament of Holy Orders.”
At a Vatican press conference today, the general secretary of the Synod of Bishops, Cardinal Lorenzo Baldisseri, offered an overview of the working document. Composed of three main parts, the instrumentum laboris relies heavily on Pope Francis’s encyclicals Evangelii Gaudium and Laudato si’.
Part I, titled "The Voice of the Amazon," is divided into four chapters on ‘life’, ‘territory’, ‘time’ and ‘dialogue’.
Part II, titled "Integral Ecology: The Cry of the Earth and of the Poor," contains 8 chapters dealing with issues such as "extractivist destruction," isolation, migration, urbanization, family and community, corruption, and integral health and education.
Part III, titled a "Prophetic Church in the Amazon: Challenges and Hope," also contains 8 chapters and deals with topics such as the challenges of inculturation, the "celebration of faith," the "organization of communities," evangelization in the cities, ecumenical and interreligious dialogue, and the media.
Here below we offer readers a working translation of Part III, chapters 3 and 4, which contain the controversial passages (and others) noted above.
***
Chapter III
THE CELEBRATION OF THE FAITH: AN ENCULTURED LITURGY
“Evangelization with joy becomes beauty in the liturgy,
as part of our daily concern to spread goodness” (EG, 24)
124. Sacrosanctum Concilium(cf. 37-40, 65, 77, 81) proposes that the liturgy should be inculturated among the indigenous peoples. Cultural diversity assuredly does not threaten the unity of the Church but expresses itsgenuine catholicity and shows forth the “beauty of her varied face”(EG 116). That is why “we must be bold enough to discover new signs and new symbols, new flesh to embody and communicate the word, and different forms of beauty which are valued in different cultural settings…” (EG 167). Without this inculturation, the liturgy can be reduced to a “museum piece” or the “property of a select few” (EG 95).
125. The celebration of the faith must take place through inculturation so that it may be an expression of one’s own religious experience and of the bond of communion of the community that celebrates it. An inculturated liturgy will also be a sounding board for the struggles and aspirations of the communities and a transforming impulse towards a “land without evils.”
Suggestions:
126. The following should be kept in mind:
a) A process of discernment is needed regarding the rites, symbols and styles of celebration of indigenous cultures in contact with nature, which need to be integrated into the liturgical and sacramental ritual. It is necessary to be attentive to grasp the true meaning of symbols that transcends the merely aesthetic and folkloric, especially in Christian initiation and marriage. It is suggested that the celebrations should be festive, with their own music and dances, using indigenous languages and clothing, in communion with nature and with the community. A liturgy that responds to their own culture so that it may be the source and summit of their Christian life (cf. SC 10) and linked to their struggles, sufferings and joys.
b) The sacraments must be a source of life and a remedy accessible to all (cf. EG 47), especially the poor (cf. EG 200). We are asked [it is necessary] to overcome the rigidity of a discipline that excludes and alienates, and practice pastoral sensitivity that accompanies and integrates (cf. AL 297, 312).
c) Communities find it difficult to celebrate the Eucharist frequently because of the lack of priests. “The Church draws her life from the Eucharist” and the Eucharist builds the Church. Therefore, instead of leaving the communities without the Eucharist, change is requested in the criteria for selecting and preparing ministers authorized to celebrate the Eucharist.
d) In accordance with a “sound ‘decentralization’” of the Church (cf. EG 16) the communities request that the Episcopal Conferences adapt the Eucharistic rite to their cultures.
e) The communities ask for a greater appreciation, accompaniment and promotion of the piety with which the poor and simple people express their faith through images, symbols, traditions, rites and other sacramentals. All this happens through community associations that organize various events such as prayers, pilgrimages, visits to shrines, processions and festivals celebrating the patron saint. This is evidence of a wisdom and spirituality that forms a real theological locus with great evangelizing potential (cf. EG 122-126).
CHAPTER IV
THE ORGANIZATION OF THE COMMUNITIES
“It is fair to acknowledge that there are encouraging initiatives that emerge
from your own local realities and from your organizations”(Address of Pope Francis, January 19, 2018)
The cosmovision of the natives
127. The Church must be incarnated in the cultures of the Amazon that have a pronounced sense of community, equality and solidarity — and that is why clericalism is not accepted in all its guises. The native peoples have a rich tradition of social organization where authority is rotational and has a deep sense of service. Given this experience of organization, it would be opportune to reconsider the notion that the exercise of jurisdiction (power of government) must be linked in all areas (sacramental, judicial, administrative) and in a permanent way to the Sacrament of Holy Orders.
Geographical and pastoral distances
128. In addition to the plurality of cultures in the Amazon, distances generate a serious pastoral challenge that cannot be solved by mechanical and technological means alone. Geographical distances give rise to cultural and pastoral distances which; it follows that a “pastoral ministry of visiting” needs to give way to a “pastoral ministry of presence.” This requires the local Church to reconfigure in all its dimensions: ministries, liturgy, sacraments, theology and social services.
Suggestions:
129. The following suggestions from the communities recall aspects of the early Church when it responded to needs by creating appropriate ministries (cf. Acts 6:1-7; 1 Tim 3:1-13):
a. New ministries to respond more effectively to the needs of the peoples of the Amazon:
1. Promote vocations among indigenous men and women in order to respond to the need for pastoral and sacramental care. Their critical contribution is in the movement towards an authentic evangelization from the indigenous point of view, according to their customs and traditions. It is a matter of indigenous people who preach to indigenous people with a profound knowledge of their culture and language, capable of communicating the message of the Gospel with the strength and effectiveness of those who have their own cultural background. It is necessary to move from a “Church that visits” to a “Church that remains,” accompanies and is present through ministers who emerge from its own inhabitants.
2. Affirming that celibacy is a gift for the Church, it is asked that, for the most remote areas of the region, the possibility of priestly ordination for elders, preferably indigenous ones, who are respected and accepted by their community, be studied, even though they may already have an established and stable family, in order to ensure the Sacraments that accompany and support Christian life.
3. Identify the type of official ministry that can be conferred on women, considering the central role they play today in the Amazon Church.
[Part III, chapter 4 continues here ... check back for updates]
Ping
The Eastern Catholic churches allowed married priests.
Let's see, dating priests, divorced priests, philandering priests,.....ya, that'll make things better......
This is really an effort to rationalize active homosexual priests by removing the celibacy requirement.
Used to think letting priests marry would solve this problem.
That was before gay marriage.
The Catholic Church is in deep doo doo.
Truly bizarre that they’re using the Amazon-basin natives as some sort of pretext and cover for ramming through various changes that they’ve long wanted to make to the universal Church. Talking about exploiting indigenous populations.
That document is full of booby-traps that go WAAAAY beyond allowing Priests to marry.
I have been saying here for years (not with any particular joy about it) that schism is inevitable.
People who want to hold on to what the Church has always been won’t sign on with Francis. But he and his cohorts aren’t giving up official control of the Vatican.
I think a lot of Catholics at the end of the day are going to swallow hard and then follow Martin Luther down the path of splitting from Rome. Frankly there aren’t other options.
I doubt that allowing married priests will solve problems, unless and until the Catholic leadership solves their own problems.
The silence of leadership about the problems within the Church will not solve problems. The silence about the dubia, the letter to the Bishops (heresy issues), the 40 Truths, Arch Vigano, mafia culture, lack of participation in the Sacraments, lack of fully teaching and following the Gospel, etc.
The church and its members have significant issues with following the way of the world instead of Jesus Christ.
While we are all sinners trying our best to follow Christ and the Church, many seem to ignore Christ and the Church and easily leave the Catholic Church (actually or being inactive).
It seems like few are chosen, and few completely choose Christ, but still profess to be Christians. While there is Hope that they will repent as they gain greater wisdom and God’s Mercy before they die.
May the Church leaders become true servants of God and lead us to eternal life with God. May we become true followers of Christ.
“inculturating” the mass is more devastating than changes to celibacy. By small steps the meaning of mass-eucharist is being completely diluted and changed.
But the good part is now maybe Father will let me perform my voodoo dance of the 7 veils at communion on Sunday!
Is Francis an Episcopalian Wannabe? or just a wrecking ball?
And? Target is not Wal Mart.
You got it.The current problem is one that has happened before a thousand years ago. There have always been homosexual priests as there have been homosexual sergeants in the army. Then way back when and int the last 70 years homosexuals got into positions of training and when that happens there is what seems to be an inexorable process that happens i.e. homosexuals are recruited and normals are squeezed out. It is likely to happen when a homosexual is put in charge of HR in a major company, whether open or closeted.
“I think a lot of Catholics at the end of the day are going to swallow hard and then follow Martin Luther down the path of splitting from Rome. “
It is papa Francisco and his minions who are splitting from The Church.
“And? Target is not Wal Mart.”
Correct. But the Eastern Catholic churches are in full communion with Rome and Eastern Catholic priests can celebrate Latin Rite mass.
Unmarried priests is not Doctrine. It is a decision of the early Church. Undoing it now would be an open invitation to perversions as it would be effectively interpreted by German and many American-both North and South- bishops as Anything Now Goes. If the Vatican cannot decide to eliminate the Homosexual lobby and flush homosexuals out of administrative positions in the seminary no change in status will change the underlying problem. Allowing changing to allow a married priesthood will not help anything at all so long as the homosexual problem is rife int he Church. I am not per se against married priests but making that change current with the current infestation will only put a transparent lid on the problem of homosexuals in the priesthood unless we go to Orthodox Jewish rules i.e. a Rabbi must be married and have children.
Or their own historical rite(s). As can the Anglican Rite churches in full communion with Rome.
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