- Feb 5, 2002
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As two years have passed since my removal as bishop of Arecibo, remaining in my perplexity at such an action, I wish to express from my heart to all my fellow diocesans that I miss you. How can I not feel nostalgic for my beloved diocese of Arecibo! “Great waters cannot quench love, nor rivers overwhelm it” (Song 8:7).
A unique relationship is established between the bishop and his diocese, like a spousal relationship. By divine right the bishop is the proper pastor of that church particular that has been entrusted to him. The shepherd cannot be understood without his flock. Therefore, if against all rights, this is taken from him, The shepherd will remain in the anguish of love that the Book of the Song of Songs describes: “Tell me, love of my soul, where you feed the flock, where you take it to rest at noon, so that I may not wander as a wanderer after the flocks of your companions” (Ct 1, 7).
Precisely from the consideration of the love of Him who “loved us to the end” it would be convenient to reread the stories of the Passion this Lent and pay attention to the Lord’s way of acting. We have a lot to learn from Him to know how to react in the difficult moments, when to speak and what to say. Let us try to ask God every day in prayer for what Pope Francis said in a homily in 2018 commenting on the gospel of Luke 4:16-30: “the grace of discerning when we should speak and when we should be silent.” And in that same in a homily referring to how Jesus was silent during his Passion on Good Friday, the Pope said: “The silence that conquers, but through the Cross. The silence of Jesus. (…) Say what needs to be said and then remain silent.
Because the truth is meek, the truth is silent, the truth is not loud.” From that discernment, and assisted by that divine grace, we look at the current situation of our Church and, without fear of being wrong, we can affirm that it is going through very difficult times. A painful example of this has been the Declaration of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith on the pastoral meaning of blessings, where the issue of blessings for “couples” in irregular situations and for same-sex “couples” is addressed. How to react before that? How to consider it in light of the Lord’s behavior during his Passion? What to say and what to do?
Continued below.
www.complicitclergy.com
A unique relationship is established between the bishop and his diocese, like a spousal relationship. By divine right the bishop is the proper pastor of that church particular that has been entrusted to him. The shepherd cannot be understood without his flock. Therefore, if against all rights, this is taken from him, The shepherd will remain in the anguish of love that the Book of the Song of Songs describes: “Tell me, love of my soul, where you feed the flock, where you take it to rest at noon, so that I may not wander as a wanderer after the flocks of your companions” (Ct 1, 7).
Precisely from the consideration of the love of Him who “loved us to the end” it would be convenient to reread the stories of the Passion this Lent and pay attention to the Lord’s way of acting. We have a lot to learn from Him to know how to react in the difficult moments, when to speak and what to say. Let us try to ask God every day in prayer for what Pope Francis said in a homily in 2018 commenting on the gospel of Luke 4:16-30: “the grace of discerning when we should speak and when we should be silent.” And in that same in a homily referring to how Jesus was silent during his Passion on Good Friday, the Pope said: “The silence that conquers, but through the Cross. The silence of Jesus. (…) Say what needs to be said and then remain silent.
Because the truth is meek, the truth is silent, the truth is not loud.” From that discernment, and assisted by that divine grace, we look at the current situation of our Church and, without fear of being wrong, we can affirm that it is going through very difficult times. A painful example of this has been the Declaration of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith on the pastoral meaning of blessings, where the issue of blessings for “couples” in irregular situations and for same-sex “couples” is addressed. How to react before that? How to consider it in light of the Lord’s behavior during his Passion? What to say and what to do?
Continued below.
Cancelled Bishop Daniel Fernandez Condemns Fiducia Supplicans: “It Contradicts Catholic Doctrine”
As two years have passed since my removal as bishop of Arecibo, remaining in my perplexity at such an action, I wish to express from my heart to all my fellow diocesans that I miss you. How can I not feel nostalgic for my beloved diocese of Arecibo! “Great waters cannot quench love, nor rivers
www.complicitclergy.com
