Priests, religious urged to overcome all hardness of heart

In the Exhortation the Joy of Love, Archbishop Joseph Marino the Nuncio said, Pope Francis delineates so many aspects of this pastoral activity: marriage preparation, attention to newlyweds, care for those couples in difficulties and divorced single people.

Jun 09, 2017

By Vincent D’Silva
In the Exhortation the Joy of Love, Archbishop Joseph Marino the Nuncio said, Pope Francis delineates so many aspects of this pastoral activity: marriage preparation, attention to newlyweds, care for those couples in difficulties and divorced single people.

However, he said, the one that receives extensive reflection is the care for those who participate in the life of the Church in an “incomplete manner,” like the divorced and remarried.

The teaching, the Nuncio said, thus far, is quite clear. But he states that such imperfect unions cannot be disregarded and that those living such realities cannot be considered condemned, for “no one can be considered condemned forever, because, as the Pope asserts, “that is not the logic of the Gospel.”

Archbishop Marino reminded the clergy and religious on his first meeting with them, to go outside of ourselves to the outskirts, where there is suffering, to go out and give ourselves and the Gospels to others, giving what little ointment we have to those who have nothing, nothing at all and to be shepherds, with the smell of the sheep, making it real, as shepherds among your people, fishers of men.

He made it clear that Jesus, in dealing with that painful situation of the leper who lived on the outskirts of society, was moved by compassion and he simply wanted to reinstate the outcast, to save those outside the camp.

The Nuncio urged the priests and religious to overcome all hardness of heart because, and again these are the words of Pope Francis, “at times, we find it difficult to make room for God’s unconditional love in our pastoral activity,” adding that we put so many conditions on mercy that we empty it of its concrete meaning and real significance.

Msgr Peter Ng, in his closing address briefed the Nuncio that the diocese of Melaka-Johor has opted for the pastoral thrust on “Church as Communion of Families for the year 2016-2020 which seeks to be creative, inclusive, bridge-building, visionary and missionary, and to go forth as disciples of hope.”

He told the papal envoy that the diocese plans to adopt an E-approach strategy in parishes, ministries, services and formations levels with the foundational components of the 4-Es, which is to emphasise the 4 components of Catholic Spirituality i.e. Encounter, Enlighten, Empower, and Evangelise.

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