1452 K Thu 11 Jul 2002
I have been reading the 1991 encyclical of Pope John Paul II, Centesimus Annus. A particularly inspiring passage is in the Chapter The Year 1989:
23. ... the protests which led to the collapse of Marxism tenaciously insisted on trying every avenue of negotiation, dialogue, and witness to the truth, appealing to the conscience of the adversary and seeking to reawaken in him a sense of shared human dignity. ...
For me the "adversary" is those who do not faithfully follow the liturgical books, particularly with regard to instituted lectors. I also find this important:
50. ... Indeed, the heritage of values which has been received and handed down is always challenged by the young. To challenge does not necessarily mean to destroy or reject a priori, but above all to put these values to the test in one's own life, and through this existential verification to make them more real, relevant and personal, distinguishing the valid elements in the tradition from false and erroneous ones, or from obsolete forms which can be usefully replaced by others more suited to the times. ...
The Pope drew attention to the importance of the Church's example:
57. ... Today more than ever, the Church is aware that her social message will gain credibility more immediately from the witness of actions than as a result of its internal logic and consistency. ...
Copyright J.R. Lilburne, 11 July 2002.
Other sites: