Pope's Address to Neocatechumenal Way

"The Church Has Recognized in the Way a Special Gift That the Holy Spirit Has Given Our Time"

VATICAN CITY, JAN. 20, 2012 (Zenit.org).- Here is a translation of the address Benedict XVI gave today to members of the Neocatechumenal Way.

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Dear brothers and sisters,

This year I have the joy to meet you and share with you this moment of sending out for the mission. A special greeting to Kiko Argüello, Carmen Hernández and Father Mario Pezzi, and an affectionate greeting to you all: priests, seminarians, families, formators and members of the Neocatechumenal Way. Your presence today is a visible testimony of your joyful commitment to living the faith, in communion with the whole Church and with the Successor of Peter, and to be courageous heralds of the Gospel.

In the passage we heard from St. Matthew, the apostles received a clear mandate from Jesus: "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations" (Mt 28:19). At first they doubted, in their hearts there was still uncertainty, wonder before the event of the Resurrection. And it is Jesus himself, the Risen one -- the Evangelist underlines -- who draws close to them, makes his presence felt, sends them to teach all that he has communicated to them, giving a certainty that accompanies every preacher of Christ: "And behold I am with you always, until the end of the world" (Matthew 28:20). They are words that resonate strongly in your hearts. You have sung Resurrexit, expressing faith in the Living One, the One who, in a supreme act of love has conquered sin and death and gives to man, to us, the warmth of the love of God, the hope of being saved, a future of eternity.

In these decades of life of the Way, one of your strong commitments has been to proclaim the Risen Christ, responding with generosity to his words, often abandoning personal and material safety, even leaving your own countries, facing new and not always easy situations. Bringing Christ to the people and bringing people to Christ: this is what breathes life into each work of evangelization. You do it in a way that helps those who have already received the baptism of faith discover the beauty of the life of faith, the joy of being Christians. The "following of Christ" requires the personal adventure of looking for him, of going with him, and always involves going out of the closed-ness of one's ego, breaking down the individualism that often characterizes the society of our time, to replace selfishness with the community of the new man in Jesus Christ. And this happens in a deep personal relationship with him, in listening to his word, in walking the path that he has shown us, but it also happens inseparably with believing with his Church, with the saints, in whom one always discovers again and again the true face of the Bride of Christ.

It is a commitment -- we know -- that is not always easy. Sometimes you are present in places where there is need for a first proclamation of the Gospel, the mission ad gentes; often, however, in areas that, despite having known Christ, have become indifferent to faith: secularism has eclipsed the sense of God there, and eclipsed Christian values. Here, your commitment and your testimony is like yeast that, with patience, in time, with sensus Ecclesiae, causes the dough to rise. The Church has recognized in the Way a special gift that the Holy Spirit has given our time, and the approval of the Statutes and of the "Catechetical Directory" are a sign of this. I encourage you to offer your original contribution to the cause of the Gospel. In your valuable work, seek always a deep communion with the Apostolic See and with the Pastors of particular Churches, to which you belong: the unity and harmony of the body of the Church are an important witness to Christ and his Gospel in the world we live in.

Dear families, the Church thanks you; it needs you for the new evangelization. The family is an important cell for the ecclesial community, where one is formed in human and Christian life. With great joy I see your children, many children who look to you, dear parents, to your example. One hundred families are leaving for 12 missions ad gentes. I invite you not to be afraid: he who carries the Gospel is never alone. I greet with affection the priests and seminarians: love Christ and the Church, communicate the joy of having met him and the beauty of having given Him everything. I also greet the itinerants, directors and all the communities of the Way. Continue to be generous with the Lord: He will sustain you with his consolation!

A while ago I was reading the decree with which the celebrations which are in the "Catechetical Directory of the Neocatechumenal Way" are approved; celebrations which are not strictly liturgical, but are part of the itinerary of growth in faith. It is another element that shows you how the Church accompanies you with a patient discernment that includes your richness, but also looks to the communion and harmony of the whole Corpus Ecclesiae.

This gives me the opportunity to offer a brief thought on the value of the liturgy. The Second Vatican Council defines it as the work of Christ the Priest and of His Body the Church (cf. Sacrosanctum Concilium, 7). At first glance this might seem strange, because it seems that the work of Christ refers to the historical redemptive action of Jesus, his Passion, Death and Resurrection. In what sense, then, is the liturgy the work of Christ? The Passion, Death and Resurrection of Jesus are not only historical events; they reach into and penetrate history, but also transcend it and are always present in the heart of Christ. In the liturgical action of the Church there is the active presence of the Risen Christ who makes present and effective for us today the same Paschal Mystery; it draws us into this act of gift of Self that in his heart is always present, and causes us to participate in this presence of the Paschal Mystery. This work of the Lord Jesus, who is the real content of the Liturgy, the entering into the presence of the Paschal Mystery, is also the work of the Church, which, as his body, is a single entity with Christ -- Totus Christus caput et corpus -- says St. Augustine. In the celebration of the sacraments, Christ immerses us in the Paschal Mystery for us to pass from death to life, from sin to new life in Christ.

This applies most especially for the celebration of the Eucharist, which, being the summit of Christian life, is also the cornerstone of its rediscovery, to which the Neocatechumenate tends. As your Statutes read, "The Eucharist is essential to the Neocatechumenate, as a post-baptismal catechumenate, lived in small communities" (art. 13 §1). Precisely in order to promote the rapprochement to the wealth of the sacramental life by people who have strayed from the Church, or have not received adequate training, the Neocatechumenals may celebrate the Eucharist in small communities, after the first Vespers of Sunday, according to the provisions of the diocesan bishop (cf. Statutes, art. 13 §2). But every Eucharistic celebration is an action of the one Christ together with his one Church and therefore essentially open to all those who belong to this Church. This public character of the Holy Eucharist is expressed in the fact that every celebration of Holy Mass is ultimately directed by the Bishop as a member of the Episcopal College, responsible for a particular local church (cf. Vatican Council II, Dogmatic Constitution. Lumen Gentium, 26). The celebration in small communities, regulated by the liturgical books, which should be followed faithfully, and with the particular features approved in the Statutes of the Way, has the task of helping those who are undergoing the Neocatechumenal itinerary to receive the grace of being inserted into the saving mystery of Christ, which makes possible a Christian witness capable of assuming the traits of radicality. At the same time, the gradual growth in faith of the individual and of the small communities should promote their integration into the life of the larger ecclesial community, that finds in the liturgical celebration of the parish, in which and for which the Neocatechumenate is implemented (cf. Statutes, art. 6), its ordinary form. But even during the way it is important not to separate from the parish community, right in the celebration of the Eucharist which is the true place of the unity of all, where the Lord embraces us in the various states of our spiritual maturity and unites us in the one bread that makes us one body (cf. 1 Corinthian 10:16f).

Courage! The Lord does not fail to accompany you and I assure you of my prayers and I thank you for the many signs of closeness. I also ask you to remember me, too, in your prayers. May the Holy Virgin Mary with her maternal gaze assist you and may my Apostolic Blessing sustain you, which I extend to all the members of the Way. Thank you!

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14th WORLD DAY OF THE SICK

MESSAGE OF HIS HOLINESS BENEDICT XVI
FOR THE 14th WORLD DAY OF THE SICK

 

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

The 14th World Day of the Sick will be celebrated on 11 February 2006, the liturgical Memorial of Our Lady of Lourdes. Last year the Day was celebrated at the Marian Shrine of Mvolyé, Yaoundé, and on that occasion the faithful and their Pastors, on behalf of the whole African Continent, reaffirmed their pastoral commitment to the sick.

The next World Day of the Sick will be celebrated in Adelaide, Australia, and the events will culminate with a Eucharistic Celebration in the Cathedral dedicated to St Francis Xavier, an unflagging missionary to the peoples of the Orient.

On this occasion, the Church intends to bow down over those who suffer with special concern, calling the attention of public opinion to the problems connected with mental disturbance that now afflicts one-fifth of humanity and is a real social-health care emergency.

Recalling the attention that my venerable Predecessor John Paul II devoted to this annual event, I too, dear brothers and sisters, would like to be spiritually present on the World Day of the Sick, to pause in order to reflect, in harmony with those taking part, on the situation of the mentally ill in the world and to call for the commitment of Ecclesial Communities to bear witness to the tender mercy of God towards them.

In many countries, legislation in this field does not yet exist and in others, there is no definite mental-health policy. It should then be noted that prolonged armed conflicts in various regions of the world, the succession of terrible natural catastrophes and the spread of terrorism, in addition to causing a shocking number of deaths, has triggered psychological traumas that are sometimes difficult to cure in many survivors.

In the economically highly-developed countries, experts then recognize that at the origin of new forms of mental disease we may also find the negative impact of the crisis of moral values. This increases the feeling of loneliness, undermining and even breaking up traditional forms of social cohesion, starting with the family institution, and marginalizing the sick, particularly the mentally ill who are all too often considered as a burden on the family and community.

Here I would like to praise those who in different ways and capacities work so that the spirit of solidarity is not lacking and that people persevere in taking care of these brothers and sisters of ours, finding inspiration in human and Gospel-based ideals and principles.

I therefore encourage the efforts of those who strive to ensure that all mentally ill people are given access to necessary forms of care and treatment. Unfortunately, in many parts of the world, services for these sick people are lacking, inadequate or in a state of decay.

The social context does not always accept the mentally ill with their limitations, and this is another reason difficulties are encountered in securing the human and financial resources that are needed.

One perceives the need to better integrate the two approaches: appropriate therapy and new sensitivity towards disturbance, so as to enable workers in the sector to deal more effectively with these sick people and their families, who would be unable on their own to care adequately for their relatives in difficulty. The next World Day of the Sick is a suitable occasion to express solidarity to families who have mentally ill persons dependent upon them.

I would now like to address you, dear brothers and sisters, tried by illness, to invite you to offer your condition of suffering, together with Christ, to the Father, certain that every trial accepted with resignation is meritorious and draws divine goodness upon the whole of humanity.

I express appreciation to those who help and care for you in residential centres, day hospitals and wards providing diagnosis and treatment, and I exhort them to strive to ensure that medical, social and pastoral assistance for those in need is never lacking, respectful of the dignity proper to every human being.

The Church, particularly through the work of her chaplains, will not fail to offer you her help, well aware that she is called to express Christ's love and concern for those who suffer and for those who look after them.

I commend pastoral workers and voluntary associations and organizations to support in practical ways and through concrete initiatives, those families who have mentally ill people dependent upon them. I hope that the culture of acceptance and sharing will grow and spread to them, thanks also to suitable laws and health-care programmes which provide sufficient resources for their practical application.

The training and updating of personnel who work in such a delicate sector of society is more urgent than ever. Every Christian, according to his specific duty and responsibility, is called to make his contribution so that the dignity of these brothers and sisters may be recognized, respected and promoted.

Duc in altum! This invitation of Christ to Peter and the Apostles I address to the Ecclesial Communities spread throughout the world and in a special way to those who are at the service of the sick, so that, with the help of Mary, Salus infirmorum, they will witness to God's goodness and fatherly concern. May the Holy Virgin comfort those who are afflicted by illness and support those who, like the Good Samaritan, soothe their physical and spiritual wounds. I assure each of you that you will be remembered in my prayer, as I willingly impart my Blessing upon you all.

From the Vatican, 8 December 2005

BENEDICTUS PP. XVI

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NINTH WORLD DAY OF THE SICK

MESSAGE OF THE HOLY FATHER 
FOR THE WORLD DAY OF THE SICK 
FOR THE YEAR 2001

 

1. Enriched by the grace of the Great Jubilee and by contemplation of the mystery of the incarnate Word, in which human pain finds "its supreme and surest point of reference" (Salvifici doloris, n. 31), the Christian community is preparing to celebrate the Ninth World Day of the Sick on 11 February 2001. The place designated for the celebration of this significant event is the cathedral of Sydney, Australia. The choice of the Australian continent with its cultural and ethnic wealth highlights the close bond of ecclesial communion:  this bond transcends distances and fosters the encounter of different cultural identities made fruitful by the one liberating message of salvation.

The cathedral of Sydney is dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of the Church. This fact emphasizes the Marian dimension of the World Day of the Sick, which has now been observed for nine years on the memorial of Our Lady of Lourdes. As a loving Mother, Mary will once again enable not only the sick on the Australian continent to feel her protection, but also all who dedicate their professional skills and often their whole lives to serving them. 

As in the past, the Day will be an occasion of prayer and support for the countless institutions devoted to the care of the suffering. It will encourage the many priests, religious and lay believers who seek to respond in the Church's name to the expectations of sick people, while paying special attention to the weakest and those struggling the most, in order to assure the victory of the culture of life over the culture of death everywhere (cf. Evangelium vitae, n. 100). Since I too have shared the experience of illness several times in recent years, I have come to understand more and more clearly its value for my Petrine ministry and for the Church's life itself. In expressing my affectionate solidarity to those who are suffering, I invite them to contemplate with faith the mystery of Christ crucified and risen, in order to discover God's loving plan in their own experience of pain. Only by looking at Jesus, "a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief" (Is 53: 3), is it possible to find serenity and trust.

2. On this World Day of the Sick, whose theme is The New Evangelization and the Dignity of the Suffering Person, the Church intends to stress the need to evangelize in a new way this area of human experience, in order to encourage its orientation to the overall well-being of the person and the progress of all people in every part of the world.

The effective treatment of various pathologies, commitment to further research and the investment of adequate resources are praiseworthy objectives which have been successfully pursued in vast areas of the globe. However, while applauding the efforts made, one cannot overlook the fact that not everyone enjoys the same opportunities. I therefore make a pressing appeal that everything be done to encourage the necessary development of health services in the still numerous countries which are unable to offer their inhabitants proper living conditions and appropriate health care. I also hope that the vast potential of modern medicine will be put at the effective service of human beings and applied with full respect for their dignity.

In her 2,000-year history, the Church has always tried to support therapeutic progress for the sake of ever improved assistance to the sick. She has intervened in various situations with every means at her disposal to see that the rights of the person are respected and his authentic well-being always pursued (cf. Populorum progressio, n. 34). Today too, faithful to the principles of the Gospel, the Magisterium never ceases to offer moral criteria to guide medical personnel in studying those aspects of research which have not yet been sufficiently clarified, without violating the requirements of an authentic humanism.

3. Every day I go on a spiritual pilgrimage to hospitals and treatment centres, where people of every age and social background live. I would particularly like to pause beside the patients, their relatives and the health-care personnel. These places are like shrines where people participate in Christ's paschal mystery. Even the most heedless person is prompted there to wonder about his own life and its meaning, about the reason for evil, suffering and death (cf. Gaudium et spes, n. 10). This is why it is important that the skilled and significant presence of believers should never be wanting in these structures.

Therefore how could I not make a pressing appeal to medical and nursing professionals to learn from Christ, the physician of souls and bodies, to be authentic "Good Samaritans" towards their brothers and sisters? In particular, how could I not hope that everyone dedicated to research will work tirelessly to identify suitable ways to promote the integral health of the human being and fight the consequences of diseases? How could I not, in addition, encourage those who are directly involved in the care of the sick to be always attentive to the needs of the suffering, combining skill and humanity in their professional life?

Hospitals, centres for the sick or the elderly and every institution which cares for the suffering are privileged areas for the new evangelization, which must be committed to making the Gospel message of hope heard precisely in these places. Only Jesus the divine Samaritan is the fully satisfying answer to the deepest expectations of every human being in search of peace and salvation. Christ is the Saviour of every person and of the whole person. For this reason the Church never tires of proclaiming him, so that the world of illness and the search for health may be enlivened by his light. 

It is important, then, that at the beginning of the third Christian millennium a new impetus be given to the evangelization of the world of health as a place particularly suited to becoming a valuable laboratory for the civilization of love. 

4. In recent years, there has been a growing interest in scientific research in the medical field and in the modernization of health-care structures. We can only look favourably at this trend, but at the same time it must be stressed that there is a constant need for it to be guided by the concern to offer the sick an effective service, supporting them efficaciously in the fight against disease. In this perspective, there is increasing discussion of "holistic" care, that is, care that pays attention to the biological, psychological, social and spiritual needs of the sick and of those around them. It is particularly necessary, with regard to medicines, treatments and surgical operations, for clinical experimentation to be conducted with absolute respect for the individual and with a clear awareness of the risks and, consequently, of the limits involved. In this area Christian professionals are called to bear witness to their ethical convictions and to be constantly enlightened by faith.

The Church appreciates the efforts of those who, by engaging in research or treatment with dedication and professionalism, help to improve the quality of the service offered to the sick.

5. The equitable distribution of goods, desired by the Creator, is also an urgent imperative in the area of health:  the persistent injustice that deprives a large part of the population of the treatment indispensable to health, especially in poor countries, must cease once and for all. This is a grave scandal which can only prompt national leaders to make every effort to ensure that those who lack material means are provided with access to at least basic health care. Promoting "health for all" is a primary duty for every member of the international community; for Christians it is a commitment closely connected with their witness of faith. They know that they must proclaim the Gospel of life in a practical way by promoting respect for it and rejecting every kind of attack on it, from abortion to euthanasia. Reflection on the use of available resources also belongs in this context:  their limitedness calls for the establishment of clear moral criteria to guide the decisions of patients or their guardians regarding extraordinary procedures which are expensive or risky. In any case, recourse to forms of aggressive medical treatment should be avoided (cf. Evangelium vitae, n. 65).

Here I would like to praise the individuals and structures, and especially religious institutions, which perform a generous service in this sector by courageously responding to the urgent needs of persons and peoples in regions or countries of great poverty. The Church expresses to them a renewed appreciation of the contribution they continually make in this vast and sensitive apostolate. I would like, in particular, to urge the members of religious families involved in health-care ministry to respond boldly to the challenges of the third millennium, following in the footsteps of their founders. In view of the new tragedies and diseases which have replaced the plagues of the past, there is a pressing need for the work of "Good Samaritans" who can offer the sick the treatment they need, but at the same time provide them with spiritual support to endure their difficult situation with faith. 

6. I extend a particularly affectionate thought to the many men and women religious who, with an ever increasing number of lay people, are writing wonderful pages of Gospel charity in hospitals and health-care centres. They often work in frightening war zones and daily risk their lives to save those of their brethren. Unfortunately, many have died for their service to the Gospel of Life.

I would also like to mention the many non-governmental organizations which have recently arisen to help those disadvantaged in the area of health. They can rely on the contribution of "on-site" volunteers, as well as on the generosity of a large number of people who financially support their activity. I encourage them all to continue this praiseworthy work, which in many nations is sensitizing consciences in a significant way.

Lastly I address you, dear sick people and generous health-care professionals. This World Day of the Sick is taking place shortly after the conclusion of the Jubilee Year. It is therefore a renewed invitation to contemplate the face of Christ, who became Man 2,000 years ago to redeem man. Dear brothers and sisters, proclaim and bear witness to the Gospel of life and hope with generous dedication. Proclaim that Christ is the comfort of all who are in distress or difficulty; he is the strength of those experiencing moments of fatigue and vulnerability; he is the support of those who work zealously to assure better living and health conditions for everyone.

I entrust you to Mary, Mother of the Church, to whom, as I recalled at the beginning, the cathedral of Sydney, the spiritual centre of the Ninth World Day of the Sick, is dedicated. May Our Lady of Consolation make her motherly protection felt by all her suffering children; may she help you bear witness before the world to the tenderness of God and make you living icons of her Son. 

With these wishes I impart a special Apostolic Blessing to you and to all your loved ones.

From Castel Gandolfo, 22 August 2000.

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