The Holy Father emphasized to the bishops of Italy on Tuesday that
Church leaders need to support families, if they wish to ensure
morality's presence and relevance in public life.
This week the Italian Episcopal Conference is meeting for its 62nd general assembly in Assisi, Italy.
The Vatican reported on Nov. 9 that the main issue up for discussion
is the Italian translation of the third typical edition of the Roman
Missal.
Referencing this, the Holy Father wrote in his message to conference
president Cardinal Angelo Bagnasco that “all true reformers are, in
fact, obedient to the faith. They do not move arbitrarily, they do not
claim any discretional jurisdiction over rites.”
“They are not masters but custodians of the treasure that was
instituted by the Lord and entrusted to us. The entire Church is present
in each liturgical act, and adhering to its form is a condition for the
authenticity of the celebration.”
Pope Benedict then addressed the topic of science and technology in
his message, saying its progress “has often been at the expense of the
foundations of Christianity, in which the rich history of the European
continent has its roots.”
“The moral sphere,” he said, “has been confined to the subjective
field and God, when not denied outright, is in any case excluded from
the public conscience.”
The Pope told the bishops that countering this tendency requires more
than “a generic call to values” or an “educational program that
contents itself with purely functional and fragmentary interventions … ”
“What is needed is a personal relationship of trust between active
individuals ... capable of taking up positions and of putting their own
personal freedom into question.”
“For this reason,” the Pope said, “your decision to remind everyone
who cares about the city of man and the welfare of new generations of
their education responsibilities seems particularly appropriate. This
vital alliance can only start with a renewed closeness to families,
recognizing and supporting their primary role in education.”
“It is in families that the face of a people is forged,” he underscored.
Concluding his message to the bishops, the Holy Father urged them “to
value the liturgy as a perennial source for education in the good life
of the Gospel. It introduces people to the meeting with Jesus Christ,
who with words and deeds constantly edifies the Church, molding her in
the profound concepts of listening, fraternity and mission.”
SIC: CNA/INT'L