Unity in the Gospel

“The renewal of the Church was the major objective of the Second Vatican Council, that we are bound to for today and for the future”: this is the key message of the Austrian bishops gathered in the Autumn Plenary Assembly held in Salzburg November 7-10. The election of the parish council, the role of education and aid to the poor were among the themes tackled by the Austrian bishops, along with “hot issues” such as “certain Austrian initiatives that are calling for changes inside the Church”, said Cardinal Christoph Schönborn, president of the Austrian bishops’ conference on November 11 in Vienna, presenting the outcome of the meeting to the press. Follow some of the highlights of the themes addressed by the Austrian bishops. Unity first. The bishops addressed topical issues, such as the appeal to “disobedience” launched some by some parish priests calling for substantial changes within the Catholic Church. “Many people”, the bishops write in their statement, consider “the requests and the premises of these initiatives insufficient or in opposition to Church identity, thus jeopardizing Church unity”. “Naturally, as bishops we seriously acknowledge all concerns regarding the present and the future of the Church”, continues the statement. However, “some of the requests contained in the appeal to disobedience on the initiative of the parish priests and the laity cannot be addressed”, the document underlines. Furthermore, “the appeal to disobedience submitted by some priests has caused major concern and sadness in many Catholics”. Obedience inside the Church isn’t “blind” or “servile”, points out the Bishops’ Conference. Moreover, “disobedience is an offensive term” and “those who voluntarily and publicly carry out their priestly office inside the Church, damage the community and himself/herself if that word is spoken light-heartedly”.Safeguarding identity. In their document the Bishops’ Conference reiterated that the Eucharist imparted without the sacrament of priestly ordination is “an open rupture with the central truth of our Catholic faith. These questions are not related to the organization of the Church but to fundamental questions of Catholic identity”. To this regard, the bishops invited the faithful to delve into the texts of the Second Vatican Council, as “we believe that it provides the answers to the present questions”. During the next plenary, scheduled to take place in Spring 2012, the bishops will share some concrete initiatives to this regard. Another theme that will be addressed systematically is the current situation of priests. Also Cardinal Schönborn during the press conference exhorted the faithful to safeguard Catholic identity, notably “the Eucharist and other sacraments of crucial importance for Catholic identity. An erroneous approach to these fundamental themes of the faith cannot be accepted”, the cardinal said. Other requests submitted regarding the attitude towards remarried divorced people or the homily delivered by qualified lay people “are themes that the Church has been addressing for a long time”, which “raise concerns that we all share”. A living Church. The bishops assured that the dialogue on controversial issues continues with the priests and with the committees in the dioceses, which are adopting “different approaches that have the same target of Church renewal”. Ongoing efforts are aimed at “promoting these initiatives that are publicly communicated, yielding positive outcomes. But at a time of major changes it isn’t possible to obtain full harmony across society and within the Church”. “Everyone’s availability” is necessary “to eliminate tensions and bear fruits”. However, states the declaration, “also the Austrian Church is marked by a greater vitality that is thought or said. In the dioceses, efforts for missionary pastoral care have increased and developed” on the basis of three principles: “Seeing Christ”, “Seeing other people through the eyes of Christ” and “Showing Christ to other people”. The theme of renewal was addressed also by card. Schönborn during the meeting with the press. “Undeniably the Church is called to undergo constant renewal”, he said. “But there are different positions regarding the ways in which such renewal is to be accomplished”. In any case, “for 2.000 years the Gospel has been the best way for renewal”, he added. But the renewal of the faith must spring from “within” each one of us. “It is necessary to return to the school of life of Jesus Christ”.