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Dear Father Angelo,

because I am aware that you always have a word of comfort for everyone and you are able to tell the truth in a charitable way, I would like to tell you about my shock caused by an episode that happened to me while on a bus.

I was listening to two elderly women, maybe very active in their parish (maybe, alas, even catechists) talking about the eucharist; one, starting the conversation, was saying that it has been a short time since it was possible to give communion to all the divorcees that are remarried.

Obviously, in making such a statement, she certainly did not cite Saint Paul, nor did she seemed to have understood the Church’s opening to the remarried divorcees; she did not even mention that in order to receive communion, the remarried divorcees were to abstain from sexual relations at all times, otherwise, it would be considered adultery.

In saying all of this, I just noted that she had a silly trust in the words of the Pope, clearly extracted from whatever context and interpreted in her own way.

As a result of this event, I thought really hard about the situation of the Church nowadays.

I follow the Neocatechumenal Way that, no matter what some have to say about it, shapes us in an authentic way from the perspective of the doctrine (catechism of the magisterium) and from the perspective of the transmission of the faith.

Now, I ask you, Father Angelo: Why has the Church been unable to educate and shape generations of Christians and left them at the mercy of superstition and natural religion?

Why does she entrust the catechism of the very young to people who do not have faith and, like in this case, they really do not know anything about the Catechism of the Church? Why Christians are no longer instructed to read the Catechism, the Bible, etc.?  Why are the sermons no longer the ancient homelies about the Word of God and the doctrine of the Church?  Why does the “church” (the one with the lower case c) continue to get closer to the world, risking the loss of its authenticity?  Why Christians, in the parish, are not interested in God and given the necessary instruments to be coherent, in their life, with what is professed?  Why nowadays, only the movements create coherent Christians that have faith in Jesus Christ and, coherently, are against abortion, euthanasy, and the practice of homosexuality (contrary to many Christians of the parish)? etc. etc.

I am talking to you as a person who loves the Church and who would do anything to serve Her, even entering an Order like yours, which I greatly esteem, and which encourages the preaching for the faith itself and its credibility. (…).

I have to thank God because of the passion I have for theology and because I always tried to nourish my faith with all the means that have been taught to me (reading the Bible, meditation, prayer, etc.); but who does not receive these teachings, not even from the Church, by whom he could ever receive it? (…)

Moreover, what can I do to help?  Whereas among the Christians I see so many doctrinal uncertainties, even among the priests (who lose themselves in personal conjectures), what could I possibly do?

I am very worried, father, to find around me so many baptized, many who go to Mass, but very few true Christians, sinners just as anyone else as well ( I am not sure if you understand what I am trying to say).

I wish you the best and I will remember you in my prayers, together your whole Order.

My best regards,

Paolo

The priest’s answer

Dear Paolo,

  1. What you have reported regarding the two elderly women on the Communion to the divorcees that are remarried is what has been understood by many people following the two synods on the family.  Obviously, this was not what the pastors intended. But if it is necessary to smell the sheeps, why has this smell not been taken into consideration?
  2. Therefore, we find ourselves dealing with people who live in an irregular manner and receive the Holy Communion without having received the sacrament of Reconciliation in years.

Justly, it is said that the Eucharist is not the reward for the good ones, but the nourishment for the weak.

Certainly, it is not the reward for the good one since, at the time to receive Him, we say: “Lord I am not worthy that you shall enter under my roof, but only say the word and my soul shall be healed”.

It is also true that it is the nourishment of the weak.

But  it is not the nourishment of the dead ones.

If one is dead to the life of grace, must be reborn by going through that sacrament that in the ancient times was called second baptism and that is the sacramental confession.

  1.  Going through the sacramental confession is not a formality.

 Indeed, the remission of sins is connected to the constriction and the will of living, even  publicly, in a manner consistent with our Lord commandments.

When Jesus instituted this sacrament, he did not simply say to communicate the forgiveness of sins, but he used words that are deeply meaningful: “Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained.” (John 20, 23).

He attached, therefore, His forgiveness to the forgiveness of the ministers of the Church, or rather, he tied it to their judgment.

  1. The ministers of the Church, then, are not referees or masters of the sacraments, but they are ministers of the Lord and exactly for this reason they must be faithful to His teaching.

Now, regarding the divorcees who remarried again, Jesus said: “Whoever divorces his wife (unless the marriage is unlawful) and marries another commits adultery” (Matthew 19, 9).  When talking about divorcees who remarry, we must begin from these words of our Lord.

If there is no constriction and if there isn’t the will to change life, the remission of sins cannot be given.

Even the priests are accountable to God for their ministry.

It is primarily to them that these words of Saint Paul are directed to: “Thus should one regard us: as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God.

Now it is of course required of stewards that they be found trustworthy” (1 Corinthians 4, 1-2).

  1. However, the words in your mail that hit me the most are these:  “I am talking to you as a person who loves the Church and who would do anything to serve her, even entering an Order like yours, which I deeply esteem, and which encourage the preaching for the faith itself and its own credibility”.

Yes, it is true: I can tell that you love the Church.  I can tell particularly because you suffer seeing so many things wrong and ill prepared.

What could you do to put words into action?  Follow the inspiration the Lord has placed inside your heart: “entering an Order like yours, which encourages the preaching for the faith itself and its credibility”.  I assure you: if this is your vocation, your action for the Church will be more profound, more broad, incisive and fruitful.

I thank you so much for the prayers for me and my Order, with the hope that, If God wants, it will be yours as well.

I gladly accompany you with my prayer.

I bless you and wish you the very best.

Father Angelo