“It is the Spirit, in fact, who guides the Church in the way of all truth and unifies her in communion and in the works of ministry,” the Holy Father said. “Unfortunately, the temptation to ‘go it alone’ persists.
“Some today portray their local community as somehow separate from the so-called institutional Church, by speaking of the former as flexible and open to the Spirit and the latter as rigid and devoid of the Spirit.”
“Be watchful! Listen,” he urged. “Through the dissonance and division of our world, can you hear the concordant voice of humanity? From the forlorn child in a Darfur camp, or a troubled teenager, or an anxious parent in any suburb, or perhaps even now from the depth of your own heart, there emerges the same human cry for recognition, for belonging, for unity.”
The Pontiff reminded the young pilgrims that it is the Holy Spirit “who satisfies that essential human yearning to be one, to be immersed in communion, to be built up, to be led to truth.”
“This is the Spirit’s role,” he continued, “to bring Christ’s work to fulfillment. Enriched with the Spirit’s gifts, you will have the power to move beyond the piecemeal, the hollow utopia, the fleeting, to offer the consistency and certainty of Christian witness!”
I find nothing at all in the pope’s address about Millenium Development Goals, or self-fulfillment, or going green, or the empowerment of women, same-sex blessings, revising the liturgy, or inclusiveness. He just keeps talking about the Holy Spirit. You’d think he never heard of the Episcopal Church before. Doesn’t he know who’s at the very frontier of innovation and change? How out of it can you get?
#1, it’s probably all that Hitler Youth brainwashing he volunteered for. Obviously that’s why he stuck with another oppressive, patriarchal, authoritative, hierarchical institution after the Third Reich passed into history. /sarcasm 😉
As I read this yesterday on L’Osservatore Romano I thought how absolutely wonderful it was, every phrase rich with imagery or explanation that helps Gospel values take root in one’s mind and soul, so encouraging in a burdened, tired world. I hope to come back to this speech often for refreshment.