92 years of Benedict and this "penitential path" which unites two pontificates

Andrea Tornielli

The Emeritus Pope reaches the goal of his 92 years and this year his birthday is accompanied by a lively debate around one of his writings, some of his "notes" – as he has themselves called – devoted to the issue of abuse against minors. In this text, Benedict XVI asks what are the correct answers to the plague of abuse and writes: "The antidote to the evil that threatens us recently and the whole world can only consist in that we surrender ourselves to same "Love of God. There can be no hope in a church made by us, built by the hand of man, who trusts his own abilities. "If we think about what to do, obviously we do not need another church invented by us." Today, "the Church is considered largely as a kind of political apparatus" and "the crisis caused by many cases of abuse by priests urges us to consider the 39 Church as a bad thing that we must absolutely take in our hands "and form in a new way. But a church made by us can not represent any hope. "

When celebrating Joseph Ratzinger's birthday, it may be useful to highlight the approach taken by Benedict XVI and his successor Francisco to the scandals and abuses perpetrated against minors. A little media response and little pompous, it does not lend itself to being reduced to slogans.

This is a response that does not rely on structures (even if necessary), on new emergency rules (also needed) or on increasingly detailed and precise protocols to ensure the safety of emergency services. children (in all cases essential): all useful instruments already defined or in the process of being defined. The first of Benedict, and that of Francis, is a deep and simply Christian answer. To understand it, it is enough to re-read three documents. Three letters to the people of God, Ireland, Chile and the world, written by two popes at the most tense moments because of the scandals.

In writing to the faithful of Ireland, In March 2010, Pope Ratzinger explained that "measures to adequately combat individual crimes are essential, but not sufficient in themselves: we need a new vision that inspires present and future generations to cherish gift of our common faith ".

Benedict XVI invited "everyone to offer for one year, by Easter 2011, the penances of Friday to this end.I ask you to offer your fast, your prayers, your reading of the Holy Scripture. and your merciful works to obtain the grace of healing and renewal of the Church in Ireland, I encourage you to rediscover the sacrament of reconciliation and to make greater use of the transforming power of His grace. "

"We must also pay special attention – added the pope – to the Eucharistic adoration". Prayer, adoration, fasting and penance. The Church does not accuse external enemies, she is aware that the strongest attack comes from inner enemies and from sin in the Church. And the proposed remedy is the rediscovery of the essentials of faith and a "penitential" church, which recognizes itself as needing forgiveness and help from above. The heart of the message, imbued with humility, pain, shame, contrition, but at the same time open to hope, is the evangelical Christian vision.

Eight years later, on June 1, 2018, he becomes public another letter from a pope to Christians in a country affected by the pedophilia scandal. This is the letter that Francisco sends to the Chileans.

"Calling for you, asking them to pray was not a functional resource – he writes – as well as a simple gesture of goodwill." On the contrary, "I wanted to ask the question as it should be: the condition of the People of God … The renewal of the Church hierarchy in itself does not generate the transformation to which the Holy Spirit impels us. We are required to jointly promote an ecclesial transformation that concerns us all. "

Pope Bergoglio insists that the Church is not built, does not trust: "A church with wounds is not placed in the center, does not believe itself perfect, does not seek to conceal and to conceal his evil, it is the only one who can heal wounds and has a name: Jesus Christ. "

He arrived on August 20, 2018, to the letter of Francis to the people of God on the question of abuse. The first of a pontiff addressed to the faithful around the world on this subject. This new call to the people of God also ends in the same way:

"For this, prayer and penance will help: I ​​invite all the holy and faithful people of God to the penitential exercise of prayer and fasting, following the Lord's mandate, which awakens our conscience, our solidarity and commitment to a culture of caring and "never again" to all types of abuse. "

In addition, penance and prayer "will help us to raise our eyes and our heart to the suffering of others and overcome the desire for domination and possession which often becomes the root of these evils".

Once again, Francis proposes a penitential path, far from any triumphalism – as he reaffirmed in his Sunday Palm Sunday homily – and the image of a strong and protagonist Church, which seeks to hide his weaknesses and his sin. The same proposal of his predecessor.