SYNODUS EPISCOPORUM BULLETIN English Edition - Laikos

http://www.vatican.va/news_services/press/sinodo/documents/bollettino_17_speciale-...Page 2 of 724/07/2011RELATIONS OF THE SMALL GROUPS (SECOND STAGE - CONCLUSION)Spanish A - H. Exc. Most Rev. Msgr. José María ARANCIBIA, Archbishop of Mendoza -RelatorAfter compiling a list of twenty topics the Spanish A Small Group voted for the following: theliving Jesus Christ, the parish,, the permanent deaconate, the American reality and, finally,holiness and martyrdom. Lack of time prevented discussion on the reality of the continent.1. The Living Jesus Christ. Encounter with the living Jesus Christ: this is the joy experienced bymillions of men and women in America, an encounter that can become, indeed must becomefuller day by day. We wish the present Synod to proclaim once more the complete truth aboutJesus Christ, true God and true Man, the only One in whom " salvation is offered to all men andwomen, as a gift of grace and the mercy of God" (EN 23; IL 8). He is the evangelizer parexcellence; but even more, He is the "Gospel of the Father", Who shows us His face anddelivers us the gift of the Holy Spirit. The announcement of Jesus Christ is the most solidfoundation for proclaiming the inviolable dignity of the human person because it is throughChrist that the mystery of mankind is revealed. Faith in Jesus Christ should be lived not as themere memory of a historical figure, but as an encounter with the risen Lord, Who is seated inthe glory of the Father and at the same time lives and acts in His Church. He is alive in HisWord, in the celebration of His mysteries, mainly in the Eucharist, in the heart of everybeliever, in the community that gathers in His name, and in the poor and suffering And if Christis the Way that leads us to the Father, it is Mary who brings us to Jesus. In America, thereligious feeling of the people is deeply moved by Marian piety. It is a treasure we greatlyappreciate and one which we must evangelize.2. The Parish. In America we are experiencing a growing appreciation and renewal of theparish, especially after Santo Domingo: We journey ahead with enthusiasm toward a parish thatbecomes authentically missionary, evangelized and evangelizing. It is "the Church to be foundin and among the houses of men and women". The Fourth Conference of the Latin Americanepiscopate called it "community of communities and movements". Today the parish presentsmany challenges, among them we would first emphasize the opening of the apostolicmovements and the right kind of insertion of these in the pastoral activity of the parish. Otherchallenges are: promoting basic Christian communities or church communities so that the parishcomes to be an authentic community of communities: adapt it to urban life, especially in the bigcities; offer special care for migrants, particularly in countries of the North; find forms ofcooperation and coordination with Catholic schools and other specialized apostolates; riseabove an exclusively territorial view that does not correspond to the needs of the functionalspaces where many of our brothers and sisters are.3. The Permanent Deaconate This topic was dealt with in the context of the ordained ministry. Ithas led us to share anxieties and proposals concerning the training of seminarians and thepriestly apostolate. As for the permanent deaconate, we wish to express our concern that thismater has been absent from the interventions we have heard in the Synodal Hall. We considerthat this "proper and permanent grade of the hierarchy" is experienced in many countries ofAmerica as a special grace for Christian communities. Our Small Group has prepared a list ofimportant points relating to the training of priests, and their attitude towards themselves,relations between deacons and the laity, the complete harmony between family, worker andpastoral responsibility, etc. One aspect to which we attach special importance is the danger thatthe enthusiasm some show for the permanent deaconate slows down the promotion of thecommitted laity in the transformation of the world, or that it relegates to a secondary place theneed to work towards increasing vocations for the priesthood.4. Holiness and martyrdom. We include the topic of holiness and martyrdom, especially