Christianity is the Religion of the Word of God, “not a written and mute word, but incarnate and living” (Saint Bernard, S. Missus est 4, 11 PL 183, 86). It is only Christ, the eternal Word of the living God, who through the Holy Spirit, can open our minds to understand the Scriptures (cf. Lk 24:15, Catechism, 108). I warmly encourage you therefore not only to continue to make known the profound relevance of the Scriptures to the contemporary experience of Catholics and particularly to the younger generations, but also to lead them to interpret them from the central perspective of Christ and his Paschal mystery. The community of believers can be the leaven of reconciliation, but only if “she remains docile to the Spirit and bears witness to the Gospel, only if she carries the Cross like Jesus and with Jesus” (Homily, Solemnity of Pentecost, 11 May 2008). In this regard, I wish to make my own a reflection from the Servant of God, Pope John Paul ii, who observed: “How indeed can we proclaim the Gospel of reconciliation without at the same time being committed to working for reconciliation between Christians?” (Ut Unum Sint, 98). Let this observation also find its way into your undertakings these days. May your hearts be guided always by the Holy Spirit in the unifying power of the word of God.
All Christians are called to imitate the openness of Mary who received the Word of God “in her heart and in her body and gave Life to the world” (Lumen Gentium, 53). May the peoples of Africa receive this Word as the life-giving source of reconciliation and justice, and especially of the true peace that comes only from the Risen Lord.
Kendall, thanks for posting this fine papal letter. It’s good to remember that other things are happening in the world besides GAFCon.
Two things strike me about this letter. First, there is its tone of great warmth, and the richness of the theological substance reflected in what could easily have been just a routine, pro forma letter of greeting. Pope Benedict XVI is a theologian through and through, and it shows even when he’s writing a letter such as this, with its apt allusions to both Scripture and Tradition. That’s admirable.
Second, this letter reinforces how central Africa is becoming to the whole Christian world, and not just the Anglican world. The fact that this large Catholic federation is meeting in Dar es Salaam in Tanzania can’t help but remind us Anglicans of the pivotal Primates’ Meeting that took place there in February, 2007. Alas, the Archbishop of Canterbury aborted the process of mending the tear in the fabric of the AC that was agreed upon there. But now a much larger Roman Catholic gathering is taking place in the same great coastal city in East Africa, and hopefully it will have a happier ending and more fruitful results.
Of course, the Roman Catholic Church is growing by leaps and bounds in Asia and has a huge presence in Latin America, in a way that Anglicanism does not, so the RCs aren’t dominated by the Africans in the same way contemporary Anglicanism is. But this conference is one more sign of the growing power and influence of Christians in the Global South across the theological spectrum. And that is cause for rejoicing.
Personally, I’d gladly trade the Archbishop of Canterbury to get the Archbishop of Rome any day, but somehow I don’t think the RCs would go for the trade. Nor would the principals, Joseph Ratzinger and Rowan Williams, probably be willing themselves to make the switch. Too bad.
David Handy+
*Bishop* of Rome
No, Fr. Handy, there is only one way to get a pope. :cheese:
Yes, he is not technically an archbishop, since Rome is not an archdiocese. And, he’s even dropped the title as Patriarch of the West. And another bit of correction: as a percentage of the population world-wide, the Catholic Church has been at about 18% for 25 or 30 years. Yes, we are growing in Africa, but not so much in the west. The state of the Church in Europe is, in fact, considered dire and that most Catholic of societies – Quebec – had a near complete ecclesiatical collapse in the past generation. There are some good signs in Quebec, but it’s a long haul out of their slump.
Benedict XVI:
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It is only Christ, the eternal Word of the living God, who through the Holy Spirit, can open our minds to understand the Scriptures.
[/blockquote]
Worth repeating.
Read BXVI
Read KJS
Read RW
[big sigh]
Who speaks truth?