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VATICAN CITY – In new book, Cardinal Robert Sarah calls on priests for spiritual renewal, saying it will not come through structural changes, but through rediscovering the mission and identity of the priest as a presence of Christ in the world.
“Christ never created structures. Of course, I am not saying that they are not necessary. The organization is useful in society, but it is not the first, â€Cardinal Sarah said in an interview with the French Catholic weekly on November 16. Christian family.
“What is first is the very first word of Christ in the Gospel of Mark:“ Convert yourselves and believe in the Gospel â€. “
The former head of the Vatican liturgy released For eternity: Meditations on the figure of the priest (“For Eternity: Meditations on the Figure of the Priestâ€) in Europe on November 17th.
The book, currently only available in French, includes passages from Saints and Fathers of the Church to encourage meditation on the renewal of the priesthood, which, according to the cardinal, is a necessary step on the path to resolving the crisis. of the Catholic Church.
“If priests, if society looks to God, then I think things will change,†he said. Christian family. “If hearts are not changed by the gospel, politics will not change, the economy will not change, human relationships will not change. It is Christ who is our peace, who will create more fraternal human relations, of collaboration, of cooperation.
Structures “are also often a danger, because we take refuge behind them,” he said. “God will not hold accounts at an episcopal conference, at a synod … It is to us, bishops, that he will render accounts: how did you manage your diocese, how did you love your priests, how did you accompany them spiritually? “
Cardinal Sarah ended a term of over six years as Prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments in February.
The 76-year-old Guinean wrote a book on the priesthood, celibacy and the crisis of the Catholic Church, From the depths of our hearts, in 2020. The book sparked controversy centered on whether it was co-authored by Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI.
Cardinal Sarah said that in his new book he wanted to express his affection and encouragement both to priests in difficulty and to those who feel strong in their vocation.
“It is about encouraging them not to lose God, to have the courage to follow Christ as they accepted from the beginning, on the day of their ordination,†he explained. “Because the crisis that we are going through today in the Church depends essentially on the priestly crisis.
The cardinal also commented on the scandal of abuse in the priesthood, saying that the Church “must not be afraid of the truth”.
“We have to feel deeply hurt, to suffer from it as Christ suffered when Judas betrayed him, when Peter denied him,” he said, adding that the Church and her priests are meant to be role models , and that one case of abuse is too many.
“The discovery of so many committed sins allows us to better understand the apparent sterility of our local churches. How could we bear fruit when such cancer was eating away at us from within? We must rediscover the meaning of penance and contrition â€, he declared, urging the adoration of Jesus to the Blessed Sacrament“ in reparation for the profanations committed against his image in the souls of children â€.
Cardinal Sarah added that Catholics should not be overwhelmed by discouragement, however, as the overwhelming majority of priests are faithful, which is a reason for thanksgiving.
“Their daily and hidden loyalty makes no noise, but it silently bears deep seeds of renewal,†he said.
“It is up to us to see how the guilty priests can be punished and, if possible, treated, healed, accompanied, so that such acts do not happen again”, continued the cardinal. “Above all, it is up to us not to let these horrors turn souls away from Christ and lock up so many innocent victims in suffering. “
Cardinal Sarah’s book is dedicated to seminarians, and he said he wanted to encourage them too, as they are studying to become priests at a difficult time.
He said he wanted to tell them that if Christ has called them to the Catholic priesthood, he will also give them the means to truly follow him.
“Try to take this call seriously. The Lord who calls you is not going to leave you alone. He will support you with his grace, but you yourself must be a fully realized man, a true, honest and upright man who possesses all the human qualities, â€he said.
Families play an important role in supporting priests, he noted, encouraging people to invite priests to their homes to pray and converse.
A strong prayer life is vital for every priest, he said, citing the example of saints such as Saint John Vianney, the pastor of Ars.
When his interlocutor stressed that “the France of the Curé of Ars is not the France of the 21st century”, Cardinal Sarah replied: “Indeed, but the man is the same. Man does not change. He has the same ambitions, he has the same faults, the same vices from Adam until today.
“It is only the circumstances that we have created that can disturb us, but the man does not change”, he insisted, adding that “the French of the Curé of Ars is the French of today hui, with the difference that the French today has a cell phone … But in his ambitions, in his vices, and his faults, he is the same. We still need holy priests identified with Christ.
The cardinal also commented on how France and other Western countries have closed themselves off to God.
“If France, if the West, thanks to the ministry of priests, rediscovers that God has come among us, that he loves us, that he wants our salvation, that he wants us to discover the truth and that this truth will help us, freed, then the mission will be possible â€, he declared.
“But there is no need to despair,” he continued. “This is why priests must rediscover their mission, priests must rediscover their identity. They are the presence of Christ in the midst of this world. If they behave well, if they are the presence of Christ, then France and the West can rediscover him little by little.
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