An Encouraging Word from France
A French cardinal has urged Catholics to follow Christian principles in the April 22 presidential election. "I'd like Christians to be Christians and speak out more," said Cardinal Philippe Barbarin of Lyon. He said that meant "defending what, in the view of Christians, is right for everyone." Twelve candidates are vying to succeed French President Jacques Chirac. In an April 9 TV interview, Cardinal Barbarin said he saw the emergence of a "new, exceptionally dynamic generation" of French Catholics whose faith had developed outside "previous frameworks and structures." "The terms right and left don't fit Christians, whose actions should be guided by the love Christ shows for people and for life," Cardinal Barbarin said. "We should remember democracy is only a means of action. It's the best we have, but it isn't God and it can sometimes lose its head," he added. In a statement in his diocese's Eglise de Lyon magazine, Cardinal Barbarin said Christian politicians were "called to show a coherence between their faith and engagement, the Gospel spirit and service to the current society," adding that Catholics should oppose "a capitalism which becomes purely financial."
Catholic News Service, April 12
I wish the good Cardinal had been able to give more details about those exceptionally dynamic Catholic and what "previous frameworks" they had developed apart from. Any ideas?
posted by Sherry W @ 3:15 PM
3 Comments
3 Comments:
If I had to venture a guess, given the European context, that this new, dynamic generation of Catholics are those who have been formed by the New Ecclesial Movements, like Communion and Liberation, Foclare, etc. These movements are the new frameworks, not born of the hierarchy, but are still faithful to the Church while being open to the Spirit.
These movements, writes Msgr Albacete, quoting Pope Benedict's remarks, made at a recent meeting with members of Communion and Liberation, "makes it possible to live the Christian faith in a profound and concrete way with a spontaneity and a freedom that allow for new and prophetic apostolic and missionary realizations.'"
An interesting page with links to homilies by and articles on Cardinal Barbarin.
There's also an interesting article in French on a new evangelization effort beginning in Lyons: http://www.cardinalrating.com/cardinal_9__article_496.htm
I translated it to English via babelfish.
Fred
I appreciate the Cardinal's candid cochmments about the state of the institutional church in France. For many years the Holy Spirit has been raising up the lay movements to evangelize the nation.
This fact motivated Crisis Magazine to write their feature story on the Charismatic Renewal in France a couple years back. The article is called No Ordinary Joy:
How the Charismatic Renewal is Changing the French Church
A good read.
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