Old and new models

Today young people “strive to perceive the voice of God. They are distracting by a prevailing form of sub-culture of emptiness and noise”. In order to bring young people closer to religious life “they should be listened to and accompany them in silence, because in silence God speaks from within the human heart”. Fr Tadeusz Ruciñski, pastoralist, headmaster of a Catholic School, shared his reflections during a European meeting on vocations promoted by CCEE, held in Warsaw July 3 to 6. Relations with the contemporary world. “Christocentric education at the service of vocations today was the theme addressed by the bishops in charge of the Pastoral Care of Vocations and the delegates of Bishops’ Conferences in Europe and religious congregations from 18 countries: Albania, Austria, Belgium, Croatia, France, Germany, England and Wales, Ireland, Italy, Lithuania, Poland, Portugal, Czech Republic, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain and Hungary. Among them figured 5 bishops and over 30 priests. Also a delegate from the United States attended the meeting. In the four-day event reflections constantly focused on Christ-centric education at the service of vocations within the current cultural and social reality of the European continent. The initiative promoted by the Council of European Bishops’ Conferences reiterated with special emphasis a recommendation of Pope Francis: educating to the beauty of the encounter with Lord Jesus is the “true vocational pedagogy of sainthood”. Overcoming old models. In Warsaw Msgr. Jorge Carlos Patron Wong, Secretary for the seminaries at the Congregation for the clergy, underlined an important theme in Christian life: “Every day we loose Christ as we are overcome by our daily commitments. This is telling about the importance of constantly recovering its central role”. Fr Stephen Langridge, responsible for the pastoral of priestly vocations in England and Wales made some evaluations for Christ-centric formation in the new millennium. “We ought to overcome a old-dated model of recruitment” to pass with determination “to the new evangelization directed at youths” so that they may rediscover the love for God revealed in Jesus Christ. Mons. Oscar Cantoni, president of the CCEE Commission for vocations, said: “We have the daring task of helping young people to find an atmosphere of listening in which can resonate the voice of the Lord, without being suffocated by many other voices”. The new evangelization. Mons. Nico Dal Molin, responsible for the pastoral care of the Italian Bishops’ Conference underlined that wonder, gratitude and contemplation are “essential dimensions” of the “vocational pedagogy of sainthood” guided at “living the fascination of the encounter with Jesus”. Msgr. Marek Solarczyk, delegate of the Polish Bishops’ Conference described the formation of seminarians in Poland under the Communist regime, from 1946 to 1989, in the light of the documents of the Institute of national memory, referring to the times of the open struggle of the atheist regime against the Church. Other experiences have been brought from France and Portugal. On the whole there emerged widespread concern for the drop in vocation, compared to a general drop in the number of faithful active in the Christian communities of various countries. The path of the new evangelization is called to face increasing secularization, with a widespread problem concerning the transmission of faith and religious education. There is the need for a widespread capacity of the Gospel to follow the paths of history supported by the commitment of the faithful. On the tomb of Popie³uszko. In the “awareness of the central presence of Jesus in daily lives ” – states a CCEE release – significant moments of the days have been “the Eucharist, the liturgy of the hours, personal prayers and the adoration of Jesus in the Most Holy Sacrament”. Participants also made a pilgrimage to the tomb of Blessed Fr Jerzy Popie³uszko, priest of Warsaw, who died during the proclamation of faith as chaplain of the Solidarnosæ movement under Communist rule. The meeting coordinated by CCEE Vice-Secretary General Fr Michel Remery, closed with a Eucharistic celebration in the cathedral of Warsaw-Prague. The next European Vocations Conference will be held in Prague July 6-9 next year.