austraLasia
#1798
The Rector Major - Rumours
of angels
SPANISH
CYBERSPACE: 30th March 2007 -- The
following came to me via South America but belongs somewhere in Spain where the
Rector Major has recently visited. It appears in www.periodistadigital.com
which seems to range fairly widely on religious matters. But I thought it
might be of interest to our readers nonetheless.
"It is
not easy to succeed a Saint, and especially if one considers the charism and
attraction of St John Bosco, founder of the Salesians. Nor is it easy to
succeed a 'legend'. Nevertheless, the current Rector Major of the Salesians,
Mexican Pascual Chavez, is doing so, humbly but sincerely. He has things to
proclaim but also to deny. He is gentle, open, ready for dialogue, modern
and experienced. At least that was the experience yesterday of 'the angels' who
supped with him.
The Salesians are a 'power' in the
Church, but in a simple, unadorned way. They give the impression that they do
not believe this. But they are the most widespread of all the
Congregations - currently in 130 nations. Numerically, only the Jesuits
are larger. Presently, the sons of Don Bosco number 16,500 members and
around 50,000 lay Salesian Cooperators. A great family! [note: no mention of the
Sisters? I am translating directly from the article. They were not
mentioned].
And besides, they all the rage and in touch
with power in the Church. They have a number of cardinals of international
repute, such as the Honduran Rodriguez Maradiaga, 'papabile' at the last
conclave. And, of course, there is the current number two in Vatican circles,
Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone.
However, Pascual Chavez
continues to do what he has always done - give attention to the young, the
typical charism and 'playground' of the Salesian. It is a charism that Fr
Pascual incarnates to perfection and to which he has joined, at the same time,
an ability to point out what's wrong, something not so common amongst religious
superiors of the large Congregations.
Fr Pascual completed
his doctoral thesis in Salamanca under XaBier Pikaza. That lends it character.
Congratulations, Xabier, for whatever part you played in
it!
From the playground, from his regular contact with the
young around the world, Fr Pascual puts his finger on the problem: "The young
are seeking a more committed, enculturated Church, one less colour blind, less
closed, less bureaucratic and with a liturgy more adapted to
them".
He recognises that we have arrived at the time,
especially in the secularised western world, of fattened beef and that we attend
a Church which is a "creative and countercultural
minority".
He doesn't renege on Theology of Liberation
("it's necessary"), but notes that Latin America's greatest problem "is neither
poverty nor injustice nor diseases, but culture".
He
claims right to the memory of "the Latin American prophets". Amongst them,
Casaldaliga, Helder Camara, Leonides Proaņo, Bishop Romero, even the time of
Medellin and Puebla. On the other hand, he assures us that he does not perceive
"a Church with fervour or bubbling over with regard to 'Aparecida', the next
CELAM summit to take place in May in Brazil.
The
difficulties do not prevent him from pointing to enemies of the Church, for
example, Salinas de Gortari, "great Mason, like all the former presidents of
Mexico". Or to the "new fathers of Europe today who have renounced being
believers because they are Masons". One of the best known of them - Valery
Giscard d'Estaing.
As president of the Union of Superiors
General (USG), Chavez openly recognises that "with John Paul II, Religious felt
themselves marginalised". It has been 15 years since this group of Major
Superiors was received at a Papal audience. Benedict XVI, on the other
hand, has promised to receive them next November. He criticised the Curia
for believing that "te weight of the new movements would substitute that of the
Religious Orders and Congregations".
He also showed an
ability to enjoy himself with journalists, and to crack jokes. He left us
with his frank smile and open countenance. Thank you Fr Pascual!
Your steps along the APIR* have been a breath of fresh
air!
___*associacion periodistas informacion religiosa______________
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