Pentecostes 2012

                             CAPELA PAPAL NA SOLENIDADE DE PENTECOSTES
                                                 HOMILIA DO PAPA BENTO XVI


Basílica Vaticana
Domingo, 27 de Maio de 2012

Queridos irmãos e irmãs!

Sinto-me feliz por celebrar convosco esta Santa Missa, animada hoje também pelo Coro da Academia de Santa Cecília e pela Orquestra juvenil — à qual agradeço — na Solenidade de Pentecostes. Este mistério constitui o baptismo da Igreja, é um acontecimento que lhe conferiu, por assim dizer, a forma inicial e o estímulo para a sua missão. E esta «forma» e «estímulo» são sempre válidos, sempre actuais, e renovam-se de modo particular mediante as acções litúrgicas. Esta manhã gostaria de meditar sobre um aspecto essencial do mistério do Pentecostes, que nos nossos dias conserva toda a sua importância. O Pentecostes é a festa da união, da compreensão e da comunhão humana. Todos podemos constatar como no nosso mundo, mesmo se estamos cada vez mais próximos uns dos outros com o progresso dos meios de comunicação, e as distâncias geográficas parecem desaparecer, a compreensão e a comunhão entre as pessoas muitas vezes é superficial e difícil. Permanecem desequilíbrios que com frequência levam a conflitos; o diálogo entre as gerações torna-se difícil e por vezes prevalece a contraposição; assistimos a factos quotidianos nos quais nos parece que os homens estão a tornar-se mais agressivos e mais conflituosos; compreender-se parece demasiado comprometedor e prefere-se permanecer no próprio eu, nos próprios interesses. Nesta situação, podemos deveras encontrar e viver aquela unidade da qual temos necessidade?
A narração do Pentecostes nos Actos dos Apóstolos, que ouvimos na primeira leitura (cf. 2, 1-11), contém um panorama dos últimos grandes afrescos que encontramos no início do Antigo Testamento: a antiga história da construção da Torre de Babel. Mas o que é Babel? É a descrição de um reino no qual os homens concentraram tanto poder que pensaram que já não precisavam de fazer referência a um Deus distante e deste modo eram tão fortes que podiam construir sozinhos um caminho que leva ao céu para abrir as suas portas e pôr-se no lugar de Deus. Mas precisamente nesta situação verifica-se algo anómalo e singular. Enquanto os homens estavam a trabalhar juntos, construindo a torre, repentinamente deram-se conta de que estavam a construir um contra o outro. Enquanto tentavam ser como Deus, corriam o perigo de nem sequer ser mais homens, porque tinham perdido um elemento fundamental do ser pessoas humanas: a capacidade de se aproximarem, de se compreenderem e de trabalhar juntos.
Esta narração bíblica contém uma sua verdade perene; podemos vê-la ao longo da história, mas também no nosso mundo. Com o progresso da ciência e da técnica alcançamos o poder de dominar forças da natureza, de manipular os elementos, de fabricar seres vivos, chegando quase até ao próprio ser humano. Nesta situação, rezar a Deus parece algo superado, inútil, porque nós próprios podemos construir e realizar tudo o que queremos. Mas não nos apercebemos de que estamos a viver a mesma experiência de Babel. É verdade, multiplicámos as possibilidades de comunicar, de obter informações, de transmitir notícias, mas podemos dizer que aumentou a capacidade de nos compreendermos ou talvez, paradoxalmente, entendemo-nos cada vez menos? Entre os homens não parece porventura que se insinua um sentido de desconfiança, de suspeita, de receio recíproco, até nos tornarmos inclusive perigosos uns para os outros? Voltemos então à pergunta inicial: pode haver deveras unidade, concórdia? E como?
Encontramos a resposta na Sagrada Escritura: só pode haver unidade com o dom do Espírito de Deus, o qual nos dará um coração novo e uma língua nova, uma capacidade nova de comunicar. E foi isto que se verificou no Pentecostes. Naquela manhã, cinquenta dias depois da Páscoa, um vento impetuoso soprou sobre Jerusalém e a chama do Espírito Santo desceu sobre os discípulos reunidos, pousou sobre cada um e acendeu neles o fogo divino, um fogo de amor, capaz de transformar. O receio desapareceu, o coração sentiu uma nova força, as línguas soltaram-se e começaram a falar com franqueza, de modo que todos pudessem compreender o anúncio de Jesus Cristo morto e ressuscitado. No Pentecostes, onde havia divisão e indiferença, surgiram unidade e compreensão.
Mas olhemos para o Evangelho de hoje, no qual Jesus afirma: «Quando vier o Espírito da Verdade, Ele guiar-vos-á para a verdade total» (Jo 16, 13). Aqui Jesus, falando do Espírito Santo, explica-nos o que é a Igreja e como ela deva viver para ser ela mesma, para ser o lugar da unidade e da comunhão na Verdade: diz-nos que agir como cristãos significa não nos fecharmos no próprio «eu», mas orientarmo-nos para o todo: significa acolher em nós mesmos a Igreja inteira ou, ainda melhor, deixar que ela nos acolha interiormente. Então, quando eu falo, penso, ajo como cristão, não o faço fechando-me no meu eu, mas faço-o sempre no todo e a partir do todo: assim o Espírito Santo, Espírito de unidade e de verdade, pode continuar a ressoar nos nossos corações e nas mentes dos homens e estimulá-los a encontrar-se e a aceitar-se uns aos outros. O Espírito, precisamente pelo facto de que age desta forma, introduz-nos em toda a verdade, que é Jesus, guia-nos no seu aprofundamento e compreensão: não crescemos no conhecimento fechando-nos no nosso eu, mas unicamente tornando-nos capazes de ouvir e partilhar, só no «nós» da Igreja, com uma atitude de profunda humildade interior. E desta forma torna-se mais claro por que motivo Babel é Babel e o Pentecostes é o Pentecostes. Onde os homens pretendem tornar-se Deus, podem unicamente pôr-se uns contra os outros. Ao contrário, onde estão na verdade do Senhor, abrem-se à acção do seu Espírito que os ampara e une.
A contraposição entre Babel e o Pentecostes é repetida também na segunda leitura, onde o Apóstolo diz: «Caminhai segundo o Espírito e não sereis levados a satisfazer o desejo da carne» (Gl 5, 16). São Paulo explica-nos que a nossa vida pessoal está marcada por um conflito interior, por uma divisão, entre os impulsos que provêm da carne e os que derivam do Espírito; e nós não podemos segui-los todos. Com efeito, não podemos ser contemporaneamente egoístas e generosos, seguir a tendência de dominar os outros e sentir a alegria do serviço abnegado. Devemos escolher sempre que impulso seguir e só o podemos fazer de modo autêntico com a ajuda do Espírito de Cristo. São Paulo enumera — como ouvimos — as obras da carne, que são os pecados de egoísmo e de violência, como inimizade, discórdia, ciúmes, desentendimentos; são pensamentos e acções que não fazem viver de modo deveras humano e cristão, no amor. É uma orientação que leva a perder a própria vida. Ao contrário, o Espírito Santo guia-nos rumo às alturas de Deus, porque podemos viver já nesta terra o germe de vida divina que está em nós. Com efeito, são Paulo afirma: «O fruto do Espírito é amor, alegria e paz» (Gl 5, 22). E vemos que o Apóstolo usa o plural para descrever as obras da carne, que provocam a dispersão do ser humano, enquanto usa o singular para definir a acção do Espírito, fala de «fruto», precisamente como à dispersão de Babel se contrapõe a unidade do Pentecostes.
Queridos amigos, devemos viver segundo o Espírito de unidade e de verdade, e por isto temos que rezar a fim de que o Espírito nos ilumine e guie para vencermos o fascínio de seguir verdades nossas, e acolhermos a verdade de Cristo transmitida na Igreja. A narração do Pentecostes em Lucas diz-nos que Jesus antes de subir ao céu pediu aos Apóstolos que permanecessem juntos para se prepararem para receber o dom do Espírito Santo. E assim reuniram-se em oração com Maria no Cenáculo na expectativa do acontecimento prometido (cf. Act 1, 14). Recolhida com Maria, como no seu nascer, a Igreja reza também hoje: «Veni Sancte Spiritus! — Vem, Espírito Santo, enche os corações dos teus filhos e acende neles o fogo do teu amor!». Amém.

© Copyright 2012 - Libreria Editrice Vaticana

Bíblia Sagrada Barsa - Minha Primeira Bíblia

By Leonardo Barroso

Esta foi me entregue no ano de meu nascimento, 1970, pelos meus Tios Claudio e Lila Nogueira.

Trata-se de uma das primeiras Bíblias feitas após o II Concílio Vaticano.

O Imprimatur é de 10 de novembro de 1967.

A Edição Barsa feita em 1969.

Impressão pela Catholic Press/USA.

Tradução feita pelos:  Padre Antônio Pereira de Figueiredo, Padre John O'Connell, Padre Ulysses Galvão, Cônego Joseph Crowley,Ph.D.

Possui 1.638 Páginas, sendo:

- 820 pg Antigo Testamento

- 239 pg Novo Testamento

- 285 pg Dicionário

- 234 pg de ilustrações feita pela Catholic Press com os seguinte títulos: O Antigo Testamento, O Santo Rosário, Mapas, Uma Visita à Terra Santa, A vIda e Morte de Maria, Roma, O Novo Testamento, Via Sacra, O Sacrificio da Missa, A Vida de Nossa Família.

E ainda vem uma belissíma mensagem do Papa Paulo VI de 1963.

A Bíblia de Jerusalem - 1ª Edição Brasil 1981

By Leonardo Barroso
Trata-se da primeira Bíblia de Estudo publicada no Brasil e em português.
Foi publicada em 1981. Tradução das introduções e notas de La Sainte Bible, edição de 1973, publicada sob a direção da "École Biblique de Jérusalem". 
Edições Paulinas.
Imprimatur à mão em 01.11.1980 pelo Cardeal Dom Frei Paulo Evaristo Arns O.F.M.

Possui 1.663 páginas.

Tem a mesma estruturação da atual Bíblia de Jerusalem, porem sem as atualizações, presentes à atual edição.

Este exemplar foi presenteado pelo meu avô Parsifal Barroso (em 08.05.1983),  à seu eterno amor, minha avó Olga Barroso, conforme consta na foto acima, em uma belíssima declaração de amor.    

Inspiration and Truth In The Bible

VIS-Vatican Information Service / Holly See Press Office

THE WORD OF GOD IS NOT CONFINED TO WRITING

Vatican City, 20 April 2012 (VIS)
The Pontifical Biblical Commission today concludes its annual plenary session, during which it has been examining the theme: "Inspiration and Truth in the Bible". For the occasion the Holy Father has sent a message to Cardinal William Joseph Levada, prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith and president of the commission.
The Pope notes that the theme of this year's gathering is vital "for a correct interpretation of the biblical message. It is inspiration as an act of God which ensures that human utterance can express the Word of God", he writes. "Indeed, any interpretation of Sacred Scripture which overlooks or forgets its inspiration fails to take account of its most important and precious characteristic; that is, the fact that it comes from God".
"Thanks to the charisma of inspiration", the Benedict XVI goes on, "the books of Sacred Scripture have a direct and tangible appeal. Yet the Word of God is not confined to writing, for although the Revelation ended with the death of the last Apostle, the revealed Word has continued to be announced and interpreted by the living Tradition of the Church. Thus the Word of God, fixed in the holy texts, is not an inert matter at the heart of the Church but the supreme rule of her faith and her life force. The Tradition she draws from the Apostles advances with the assistance of the Holy Spirit, and grows through reflection and study on the part of believers, through the individual experience of spiritual life and the preaching of bishops".
Hence the need for deeper study on the theme of inspiration and truth in the Bible, because it is "fundamental for the life and mission of the Church that Sacred Scripture be interpreted according to its nature; and inspiration and truth are constituent characteristics of that nature".
In conclusion, the Pope expresses his appreciation to the Pontifical Biblical Commission for the activities it undertakes to promote knowledge, study and acceptance of the Word of God in the world.

Criação de Novos Cardeais / Creation Of New Cardinals

CONSISTÓRIO ORDINÁRIO PÚBLICO PARA A CRIAÇÃO DE NOVOS CARDEAIS
E PELO VOTO DE ALGUMAS CAUSAS DE CANONIZAÇÃO

DISCURSO DO PAPA BENTO XVI

Basílica Vaticana
Sábado, 18 de Fevereiro de 2012

«Tu es Petrus, et super hanc petram ædificabo Ecclesiam meam».

Venerados Irmãos,
Amados irmãos e irmãs!

Com estas palavras do cântico de entrada, teve início o rito solene e sugestivo do Consistório Ordinário Público para a criação dos novos Cardeais, que inclui a imposição do barrete cardinalício, a entrega do anel e a atribuição do título. Trata-se das palavras com que Jesus constituiu, eficazmente, Pedro como firme alicerce da Igreja. E o factor qualificativo deste alicerce é a fé: realmente Simão torna-se Pedro – rocha – por ter professado a sua fé em Jesus, Messias e Filho de Deus. Quando anuncia Cristo, a Igreja está ligada a Pedro, e Pedro permanece colocado na Igreja como rocha; mas, quem edifica a Igreja, é o próprio Cristo, sendo Pedro um elemento particular da construção. E deve sê-lo por meio da fidelidade à sua confissão feita junto de Cesareia de Filipe, ou seja, em virtude da afirmação: «Tu és Cristo, o Filho de Deus vivo».
As palavras, que Jesus dirige a Pedro, põem claramente em destaque o carácter eclesial da celebração de hoje. De facto, através da atribuição do título duma igreja desta Cidade [de Roma] ou duma diocese suburbicária, os novos Cardeais ficam, para todos os efeitos, inseridos na Igreja de Roma guiada pelo Sucessor de Pedro, para cooperar estreitamente com ele no governo da Igreja universal. Estes dilectos Irmãos, que dentro de momentos começarão a fazer parte do Colégio Cardinalício, unir-se-ão, por vínculos novos e mais fortes, não só com o Pontífice Romano mas também com toda a comunidade dos fiéis espalhada pelo mundo inteiro. Com efeito, no desempenho do seu peculiar serviço de apoio ao ministério petrino, os neo-purpurados serão chamados a analisar e avaliar os casos, os problemas e os critérios pastorais que dizem respeito à missão da Igreja inteira. Nesta delicada tarefa, servir-lhes-á de exemplo e ajuda o testemunho de fé prestado pelo Príncipe dos Apóstolos, com a sua vida e morte, pois, por amor de Cristo, deu-se inteiramente até ao sacrifício extremo.
É com este significado que se deve entender também a imposição do barrete vermelho. Aos novos Cardeais, é confiado o serviço do amor: amor a Deus, amor à sua Igreja, amor aos irmãos com dedicação absoluta e incondicional – se for necessário – até ao derramamento do sangue, como diz a fórmula para a imposição do barrete cardinalício e como indica a cor vermelha das vestes que trazem. Além disso, é-lhes pedido que sirvam a Igreja com amor e vigor, com a clareza e a sabedoria dos mestres, com a energia e a fortaleza dos pastores, com a fidelidade e a coragem dos mártires. Trata-se de ser servidores eminentes da Igreja, que encontra em Pedro o fundamento visível da unidade.
No texto evangélico há pouco proclamado, Jesus apresenta-Se como servo, oferecendo-Se como modelo a imitar e a seguir. No cenário de fundo do terceiro anúncio da paixão, morte e ressurreição do Filho do Homem, sobressai, pelo seu clamoroso contraste, a cena dos dois filhos de Zebedeu, Tiago e João, que, ao lado de Jesus, ainda correm atrás de sonhos de glória. Pediram-Lhe: «Concede-nos que, na tua glória, nos sentemos um à tua direita e outro à tua esquerda» (Mc 10, 37). Contundente é a resposta de Jesus, e inesperada a sua pergunta: «Não sabeis o que pedis. Podeis beber o cálice que Eu bebo?» (Mc 10, 38). A alusão é claríssima: o cálice é o da paixão, que Jesus aceita para cumprir a vontade do Pai. O serviço a Deus e aos irmãos, a doação de si mesmo: esta é a lógica que a fé autêntica imprime e gera na nossa existência quotidiana, mas que está em contradição com o estilo mundano do poder e da glória.
Com o seu pedido, Tiago e João mostram que não compreendem a lógica de vida que Jesus testemunha, aquela lógica que deve – segundo o Mestre –caracterizar o discípulo no seu espírito e nas suas acções. E a lógica errada não reside só nos dois filhos de Zebedeu, mas, segundo o evangelista, contagia também «os outros dez» apóstolos, que «começaram a indignar-se contra Tiago e João» (Mc 10, 41). Indignam-se, porque não é fácil entrar na lógica do Evangelho, deixando a do poder e da glória. São João Crisóstomo afirma que ainda eram imperfeitos os apóstolos todos: tanto os dois que procuravam obter precedência sobre os outros dez, como os dez que tinham inveja dos dois (cf. Comentário a Mateus, 65, 4: PG 58, 622). E São Cirilo de Alexandria, ao comentar passagens paralelas no Evangelho de Lucas, acrescenta: «Os discípulos caíram na fraqueza humana e puseram-se a discutir uns com os outros qual deles seria o chefe, ficando superior aos outros. (…) Isto aconteceu e foi-nos narrado para nosso proveito. (…) O que sucedeu aos santos Apóstolos pode revelar-se, para nós, um estímulo à humildade» (Comentário a Lucas, 12, 5, 24: PG 72, 912). Este episódio deu ocasião a Jesus para Se dirigir a todos os discípulos e «chamá-los a Si», de certo modo para os estreitar a Si, a fim de formarem como que um corpo único e indivisível com Ele, e indicar qual é a estrada para se chegar à verdadeira glória, a de Deus: «Sabeis como aqueles que são considerados governantes das nações fazem sentir a sua autoridade sobre elas, e como os grandes exercem o seu poder. Não deve ser assim entre vós. Quem quiser ser grande entre vós, faça-se vosso servo, e quem quiser ser o primeiro entre vós, faça-se o servo de todos» (Mc 10, 42-44).
Domínio e serviço, egoísmo e altruísmo, posse e dom, lucro e gratuidade: estas lógicas, profundamente contrastantes, defrontam-se em todo o tempo e lugar. Não há dúvida alguma sobre a estrada escolhida por Jesus: e não Se limita a indicá-la por palavras aos discípulos de ontem e de hoje, mas vive-a na sua própria carne. Efectivamente explica: «Também o Filho do Homem não veio para ser servido, mas para servir e dar a sua via em resgate por muitos» (Mc 10, 45). Estas palavras iluminam, com singular intensidade, o Consistório público de hoje. Ecoam no fundo da alma e constituem um convite e um apelo, um legado e um encorajamento especialmente para vós, amados e venerados Irmãos que estais para ser incluídos no Colégio Cardinalício.
Segundo a tradição bíblica, o Filho do Homem é aquele que recebe de Deus o poder e o domínio (cf. Dn 7, 13-14). Jesus interpreta a sua missão na terra, sobrepondo à figura do Filho do Homem a imagem do Servo sofredor descrita por Isaías (cf. Is 53, 1-12). Ele recebe o poder e a glória apenas enquanto «servo»; mas é servo na medida em que assume sobre Si o destino de sofrimento e de pecado da humanidade inteira. O seu serviço realiza-se na fidelidade total e na plena responsabilidade pelos homens. Por isso, a livre aceitação da sua morte violenta torna-se o preço de libertação para muitos, torna-se o princípio e o fundamento da redenção de cada homem e de todo o género humano.
Amados Irmãos que estais para ser inscritos no Colégio Cardinalício! Que a doação total de Si mesmo, feita por Cristo na cruz, vos sirva de norma, estímulo e força para uma fé que actua na caridade. Que a vossa missão na Igreja e no mundo se situe sempre e só «em Cristo» e corresponda à sua lógica e não à do mundo, sendo iluminada pela fé e animada pela caridade que nos vem da Cruz gloriosa do Senhor. No anel que daqui a pouco vos entregarei, aparecem representados São Pedro e São Paulo e, no centro, uma estrela que evoca Nossa Senhora. Trazendo este anel, sois convidados diariamente a recordar o testemunho de Cristo que os dois Apóstolos deram até ao seu martírio aqui em Roma, tornando assim fecunda a Igreja com o seu sangue. Por sua vez a evocação da Virgem Maria constituirá para vós um convite incessante a seguir Aquela que permaneceu firme na fé e serva humilde do Senhor.
Ao concluir esta breve reflexão, quero dirigir a minha grata e cordial saudação a todos vós aqui presentes, particularmente às Delegações oficiais de diversos Países e aos Representantes de numerosas dioceses. No seu serviço, os novos Cardeais são chamados a permanecer fiéis a Cristo, deixando-se guiar unicamente pelo seu Evangelho. Amados irmãos e irmãs, rezai para que possa reflectir-se ao vivo neles o Senhor Jesus, o nosso único Pastor e Mestre e a fonte de toda a sabedoria que indica a estrada a todos. E rezai também por mim, para que sempre possa oferecer ao Povo de Deus o testemunho da doutrina segura e reger, com suave firmeza, o timão da santa Igreja.
Amen.

ORDINARY PUBLIC CONSISTORY FOR THE CREATION OF NEW CARDINALS
AND FOR THE VOTE ON SEVERAL CAUSES OF CANONIZATION

ADDRESS OF HIS HOLINESS BENEDICT XVI

Vatican Basilica
Saturday, 18 February 2012

«Tu es Petrus, et super hanc petram aedificabo Ecclesiam meam».

Venerable Brothers,
Dear Brothers and Sisters,

With these words the entrance hymn has led us into the solemn and evocative ritual of the ordinary public Consistory for the creation of new Cardinals, with the placing of the biretta, the handing over of the ring and the assigning of a titular church. They are the efficacious words with which Jesus constituted Peter as the solid foundation of the Church. On such a foundation the faith represents the qualitative factor: Simon becomes Peter – the Rock – in as much as he professed his faith in Jesus as Messiah and Son of God. In the proclamation of Christ the Church is bound to Peter and Peter is placed in the Church as a rock; although it is Christ himself who builds up the Church, Peter must always be a constitutive element of that upbuilding. He will always be such through faithfulness to his confession made at Caesarea Philippi, in virtue of the affirmation, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God”.
The words Jesus addressed to Peter highlight well the ecclesial character of today’s event. The new Cardinals, in receiving the title of a church in this city or of a suburban Diocese, are fully inserted in the Church of Rome led by the Successor of Peter, in order to cooperate closely with him in governing the universal Church. These beloved Brothers, who in a few minutes’ time will enter and become part of the College of Cardinals, will be united with new and stronger bonds not only to the Roman Pontiff but also to the entire community of the faithful spread throughout the world. In carrying out their particular service in support of the Petrine ministry, the new Cardinals will be called to consider and evaluate the events, the problems and the pastoral criteria which concern the mission of the entire Church. In this delicate task, the life and the death of the Prince of the Apostles, who for love of Christ gave himself even unto the ultimate sacrifice, will be an example and a helpful witness of faith for the new Cardinals.
It is with this meaning that the placing of the red biretta is also to be understood. The new Cardinals are entrusted with the service of love: love for God, love for his Church, an absolute and unconditional love for his brothers and sisters, even unto shedding their blood, if necessary, as expressed in the words of placing the biretta and as indicated by the colour of their robes. Furthermore, they are asked to serve the Church with love and vigour, with the transparency and wisdom of teachers, with the energy and strength of shepherds, with the fidelity and courage of martyrs. They are to be eminent servants of the Church that finds in Peter the visible foundation of unity.
In the Gospel we have just heard proclaimed there is offered a model to imitate and to follow. Against the background of the third prediction of the Passion, death and resurrection of the Son of Man, and in profound contrast to it, is placed the scene of the two sons of Zebedee, James and John, who are still pursuing dreams of glory beside Jesus. They ask him, “Grant us to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your glory” (Mk 10:37). The response of Jesus is striking, and he asks an unexpected question: “You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink?” (Mk 10:38). The allusion is crystal clear: the chalice is that of the Passion, which Jesus accepts as the will of God. Serving God and others, self-giving: this is the logic which authentic faith imparts and develops in our daily lives and which is not the type of power and glory which belongs to this world.
By their request, James and John demonstrate that they do not understand the logic of the life to which Jesus witnesses, that logic which – according to the Master – must characterize the disciple in his spirit and in his actions. The erroneous logic is not the sole preserve of the two sons of Zebedee because, as the evangelist narrates, it also spreads to “the other ten” apostles who “began to be indignant at James and John” (Mk 10:41). They were indignant, because it is not easy to enter into the logic of the Gospel and to let go of power and glory. Saint John Chrysostom affirms that all of the apostles were imperfect, whether it was the two who wished to lift themselves above the other ten, or whether it was the ten who were jealous of them (“Commentary on Matthew”, 65, 4: PG 58, 619-622). Commenting on the parallel passages in the Gospel of Luke, Saint Cyril of Alexandria adds, “The disciples had fallen into human weakness and were discussing among themselves which one would be the leader and superior to the others… This happened and is recounted for our advantage… What happened to the holy Apostles can be understood by us as an incentive to humility” (“Commentary on Luke”, 12, 5, 24: PG 72, 912). This episode gives Jesus a way to address each of the disciples and “to call them to himself”, almost to pull them in, to form them into one indivisible body with him, and to indicate which is the path to real glory, that of God: “You know that those who are supposed to rule over the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great men exercise authority over them. But it shall not be so among you; but whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all” (Mk 10:42-44).
Dominion and service, egoism and altruism, possession and gift, self-interest and gratuitousness: these profoundly contrasting approaches confront each other in every age and place. There is no doubt about the path chosen by Jesus: he does not merely indicate it with words to the disciples of then and of today, but he lives it in his own flesh. He explains, in fact, “For the Son of man also came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Mk 10:45). These words shed light upon today’s public Consistory with a particular intensity. They resound in the depths of the soul and represent an invitation and a reminder, a commission and an encouragement especially for you, dear and venerable Brothers who are about to be enrolled in the College of Cardinals.
According to biblical tradition, the Son of man is the one who receives power and dominion from God (cf. Dan 7:13f). Jesus interprets his mission on earth by combining the figure of the Son of man with that of the suffering Servant, described in Isaiah (cf. 53:1-12). He receives power and the glory only inasmuch as he is “servant”; but he is servant inasmuch as he welcomes within himself the fate of the suffering and the sin of all humanity. His service is realized in total faithfulness and complete responsibility towards mankind. In this way the free acceptance of his violent death becomes the price of freedom for many, it becomes the beginning and the foundation of the redemption of each person and of the entire human race.
Dear Brothers who are to be enrolled in the College of Cardinals, may Christ’s total gift of self on the Cross be for you the foundation, stimulus and strength of a faith operative in charity. May your mission in the Church and the world always be “in Christ” alone, responding to his logic and not that of the world, and may it be illumined by faith and animated by charity which comes to us from the glorious Cross of the Lord. On the ring which I will soon place on your finger, are represented Saints Peter and Paul, and in the middle a star which evokes the Mother of God. Wearing this ring, you are reminded each day to remember the witness which these two Apostles gave to Christ even unto martyrdom here in Rome, their blood making the Church fruitful. The example of the Virgin Mother will always be for you an invitation to follow her who was strong in faith and a humble servant of the Lord.
As I bring these brief reflections to a close, I would like to extend warm greetings and thanks to all present, especially to the official Delegations from various countries and to the various diocesan groups. The new Cardinals, in their service, are called to remain faithful to Christ at all times, letting themselves be guided only by his Gospel. Dear brothers and sisters, pray that their lives will always reflect the Lord Jesus, our sole shepherd and teacher, source of every hope, who points out the path to everyone. And pray also for me, that I may continually offer to the People of God the witness of sound doctrine and guide holy Church with a firm and humble hand. Amen. 

© Copyright 2012 - Libreria Editrice Vaticana

Concílio Vaticano II 50 Anos - Lembrança de 1982 // The Second Vatican Council 50 Years - Remembrance of 1982

                                          DISCURSO DO PAPA JOÃO PAULO II

                                            AOS BISPOS DE GALES EM VISITA

                                               «AD LIMINA APOSTOLORUM»

                                             Sexta-feira, 19 de Novembro de 1982

Caros Irmãos no Senhor,

1. Dou-vos as boas-vindas como bispos irmãos, que do Principado de Gales viestes a Roma. Viestes aqui para renovar o vosso empenho pelo Evangelho, para professar a santa fé Católica sobre os túmulos dos Apóstolos Pedro e Paulo, e para renovar a oferta a Jesus Cristo das igrejas locais das quais sois pastores zelosos. Vindes dar testemunho da secular história cristã, da cultura e da tradição com as quais tive o privilégio de contactar pessoalmente durante a minha recente visita ao vosso país. Por isso, a vossa visita ad limina evoca em mim a recordação da minha estadia entre vós, da comum celebração da Eucaristia, do encontro com a vossa juventude e com a da Inglaterra, e da oportunidade que tive de saudar o respeitável grupo de irmãos Cristãos que me honraram com a sua presença em Cardiff Castle. É com prazer que recordo as horas que vivemos em comum como servos do povo de Deus, unidos no ministério pastoral e colegial de servir o nosso comum rebanho. É pois com viva satisfação que aproveito esta oportunidade para renovar a minha saudação ao vosso povo, bem como a Sua Alteza Real o Príncipe de Gales, que tive o prazer de encontrar em Canterbury.

2. Durante a minha visita pastoral ao vosso povo tive oportunidade de falar acerca da Eucaristia à grande assembleia reunida em Pontcanna Fields. Depois falei em Ninian Parle sobre o valor da oração. Hoje, continuando a desenvolver este tema, gostaria de reflectir convosco brevemente sobre a importância da Palavra de Deus, tal como nos é apresentada na Sagrada Escritura. Como recordei em Cardiff, o povo de Gales esforçou-se desde os primeiros tempos por testemunhar o seu amor a Cristo através da "fidelidade à Palavra de Deus".

3. A Palavra de Deus, conservada na Sagrada Escritura e transmitida pela Igreja, é um grande tesouro da nossa fé. Pela sua máxima importância, a Palavra de Deus merece toda a nossa atenção. A Sagrada Escritura contém a revelação de Deus, do Seu amor pela humanidade, e do Mistério Pascal de Jesus Cristo nosso salvador. São Paulo explica a Timóteo que a Sagrada Escritura tem um poder intrínseco que "pode dar-te a sabedoria que leva à salvação pela fé em Jesus Cristo" (2 Tim 3, 15). As palavras de Jesus têm para nós um significado especial e exercem sobre nós um poder muito particular. Foi por isso que disse aos jovens em Cardiff que na oração se penetra o verdadeiro sentido da Palavra de Deus: "Através da oração experimentais aquela verdade que Jesus nos ensinou: 'as palavras que eu vos disse são espírito e vida' (Jo 6, 36)". Na oração todos compreendemos de facto como é importante para nós a Palavra de Deus.

4. Para além do valor que a Palavra de Deus tem em si mesma, ela constitui também a base perene para todo o verdadeiro ecumenismo. O fundamento da unidade Cristã está intimamente relacionado com a Palavra de Deus em toda a sua máxima eficácia, e com todas as suas exigências. A comum aceitação das Escrituras representa a comum aceitação de Deus que se revela como Pai, Filho e Espírito Santo, e da Igreja de Cristo, fundada nos Apóstolos, que dá testemunho desta revelação e autentica a sua expressão escrita. O comum reconhecimento das Escrituras exige de nós um comum empenho na proclamação d'Aquele a quem elas se referem: Jesus Cristo, o Filho de Deus e Salvador do mundo. As Sagradas Escrituras contém, além disso, um grande número de fórmulas comuns com as quais os irmãos em Cristo, presentes em tantos países — bem como também por vezes irmãos cristãos e judeus —, rezam ao mesmo Pai do céu. As palavras do salmo convidam os filhos e filhas do vosso povo a louvar a Deus com cânticos e ao som dos seus próprios instrumentos musicais: "Aclamai o Senhor, terra inteira... cantai salmos ao Senhor com a cítara, com o saltério e canções alegres" (Sl 98, 4-5). A Palavra de Deus une os cristãos no comum seguimento de Cristo, amando-O incessantemente nos mais pequenos dos Seus irmãos. É a mesma Palavra de Deus que reclama o empenho de todo o nosso ser na construção de estruturas sociais fundadas na verdade e na justiça, e no amor e respeito fraternos. É a Palavra de Deus que nos recorda o grande desafio a todo o movimento ecuménico: a oração de Cristo pedindo ao Pai a perfeita unidade de todos os seus discípulos. Apresentando-nos este desafio, a Palavra de Deus leva-nos, pelo seu poder, a trabalhar e a rezar com Cristo por aquilo que Ele tão ardentemente deseja.

5. A Palavra de Deus é, finalmente, todo um programa para a Igreja de hoje. Nas palavras do Concílio Vaticano II: "A Igreja considerou sempre as divinas Escrituras (... juntamente com a sagrada Tradição, como regra suprema da sua fé" (Dei Verbum, 21). É a Palavra de Deus que dá sentido a toda a actividade da Igreja; ela é o critério orientador de todas as suas acções, e de todo o seu programa de vida.

Do mesmo modo que a oração conduz à Sagrada Escritura, assim esta alimenta a nossa oração. Por este motivo, não podemos nunca deixar de recomendar a Sagrada Escritura aos nossos sacerdotes, seminaristas e leigos; ela ocupa também um lugar central na vida religiosa consagrada. É enfim digna de relevo a maravilhosa prática recomendada pelo meu predecessor Pio XII na sua conhecida Encíclica Divino Afflante Spiritu: a leitura diária da Bíblia nos lares cristãos.

Os benefícios do estudo e meditação da Bíblia são incalculáveis. A Escritura é de facto a base da nossa pregação. É o poder da Palavra de Deus que nos é concedido pelo Espírito Santo, que dá autoridade e eloquência ao orador sacro tornando-o capaz de tocar o coração humano: "Porque a Palavra de Deus é viva, eficaz e mais penetrante que uma espada de dois gumes" (Heb 4, 12).

Na Sagrada Escritura a Igreja entra em comunhão com Cristo. Aquele sobre quem todos os autores inspirados escreveram — Cristo que é a nossa sabedoria e justiça, a nossa santificação e redenção (cf. 1 Cor l, 30). Nas páginas da Sagrada Escritura e no seu anúncio, Jesus Cristo vive com e para o Seu povo e comunica-lhe a sua mensagem de salvação, o dom da sua vida. No centro de toda a Escritura está de facto a pessoa de Jesus Cristo, Filho eterno de Deus, Palavra Encarnada do Pai e Filho da Virgem Maria. Através da Escritura Cristo revela-se-nos; nas palavras de São Jerónimo: "Ignorar a Escritura é ignorar Cristo" (In Isaiam, Prolog.).

Veneráveis e caríssimos Irmãos, desejo que todo o clero e o povo de Gales, em união convosco, seus Bispos, encontrem uma renovada alegria e consolação para a vida quotidiana, e uma decidida energia e esperança para a sua missão eclesial, ao serviço da sagrada Palavra de Deus.

Com fé e amor profundos, digamos todos a Jesus, com Pedro, e na unidade da Igreja de Cristo: "Tu tens palavras de vida eterna" (Jo. 6, 68). é esta mensagem de amor, obediência e zelo pela Palavra de Deus que eu envio a toda a Igreja de Gales, com a minha Bênção Apostólica e o meu amor em Jesus Cristo.

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                                   MESSAGE OF POPE JOHN PAUL II

              TO THE BISHOPS FROM THE PRINCIPALITY OF WALES

                                    ON THEIR «AD LIMINA» VISIT

                                         Friday, 19 November 1982

Dear Brothers in the Lord,

1. I welcome you today as brother Bishops who have come to Rome from the Principality of Wales. You have come here to renew your commitment to the Gospel, to profess your holy Catholic faith at the tombs of the Apostles Peter and Paul, and to offer anew to Jesus Christ the local Churches of which you are the zealous pastors. You come bearing witness to centuries of Christian history, culture and tradition, with which I was privileged to make personal contact during my recent visit to your country. And so your ad Limina visit this morning evokes in me the memory of my being among you, of celebrating the Eucharistic Sacrifice in your midst, of meeting your youth and the youth of England, and of greeting the esteemed group of fellow Christians who honoured me by their presence at Cardiff Castle. Yes, I recall the hours we spent together, servants of God’s people, united in a pastoral and collegial ministry of service to our common flock. I am pleased to have this occasion to renew my greeting to all your people, and to him who bears the illustrious title, His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales, whom I had the pleasure of meeting at Canterbury.

2. During my pastoral visit to Wales I was able to speak to the great assembly at Pontcanna Fields about the Eucharist. Then at Ninian Park, my last main discourse in Britain was on the value of prayer. And today, as a continuation of this theme, I would like to reflect with you briefly on the importance of the word of God, especially as it is recorded in the Sacred Scriptures. As I mentioned in Cardiff, the peoples of Wales have sought, from the earliest times, to express their love for Christ through “fidelity to the word of God”.

3. The word of God, as handed down by the Church and recorded in Sacred Scripture, is indeed a great treasure for the faithful; because of its supreme importance, the word of God deserves our very special attention. The Sacred Scriptures contain the revelation of God; they reveal his love for mankind; they reveal the redeeming Paschal Mystery of his Son Jesus Christ. Saint Paul explained to Timothy that the Sacred Writings have an inner power and that they “are able to instruct you for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus” (2 Tim. 3, 16). The words of Jesus have a particular meaning for us and exert a special power over us. I mentioned to the young people at Cardiff that in praying they discover the secrets of God’s words: “Through prayer you come to experience the truth that Jesus taught: ‘the words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life’ (Io. 6, 63)”. In prayer, all of us understand just how important the word of God truly is.

4. Besides the value of God’s word in itself, it also is the perennial basis for all true ecumenism. The cause of Christian unity is intimately bound up with the word of God in all the latter’s efficacy and with all its exigencies. The common acceptance of the Scriptures is a common acceptance of the God who reveals himself as Father, Son and Holy Spirit, and of the apostolic Church of Christ that bears witness to this revelation and authenticates its written expression. The common acceptance of the Scriptures entails a common commitment to proclaiming the One about whom all the Scriptures speak: Jesus Christ the Son of God and Saviour of the world. The Sacred Scriptures supply, moreover, so many common formulas with which Christian brethren of many lands - and often Christian and Jewish brethren - offer praise to a common Father in heaven. The words of the Psalm continue to invite the sons and daughters of Wales to praise God in song and with their own national instrument: “Sing joyfully to the Lord, all you lands . . . Sing praise to the Lord with the harp, with the harp and melodious song” (Ps. 98, 4-5). The word of God unites fellow Christians in a common discipleship that never grows tired of being challenged to love Christ in the least of his brethren. It is the common word of God that requires all of us to build the structures of all society on the foundations of truth and justice, and of fraternal respect, esteem and love. It is the word of God that records the great challenge for all ecumenism: the prayer of Christ for the perfect unity of all his followers. In presenting us with this challenge, the word of God leads us by its power to work and pray with Christ for what he so ardently desires.

5. The word of God is, finally, a whole programme for the Church today. In the words of the Second Vatican Council: “The Church has always regarded, and regards, the divine Scriptures together with Sacred Tradition as the supreme rule of faith” (Dei Verbum, 21). The word of God gives meaning to all the Church’s activities; it is the criterion for all her actions, and for her whole programme of life.

Just as prayer leads us to the Sacred Scriptures, so the Scriptures nourish prayer. For this reason we can never cease recommending the Sacred Scriptures to our priests, seminarians and laity; they are at the core also of consecrated religious life. Worthy of special mention is the wonderful practice emphasized by my predecessor Pius XII in his renowned Encyclical “Divino Afflante Spiritu”: the daily reading of the Bible in Christian families.

The benefits of Bible meditation and study are incalculable. The Scriptures remain the basis for our preaching. It is the power of God’s word proclaimed in the Holy Spirit that gives authority and eloquence to the sacred preacher and enables him to touch human hearts: “For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword . . .” (Hebr. 4, 12).

In the Sacred Scriptures the Church has contact with Christ, about whom all the sacred authors wrote - the Christ who becomes for us our wisdom and righteousness, our sanctification and redemption (Cfr. 1 Cor. 1, 30). Through the pages of the Sacred Writings and in their proclamation Jesus Christ lives with and for his people and communicates his life-giving message of salvation. At the centre of all Scripture there is the person of Jesus Christ, eternal Son of God, Incarnate Word of the Father and Son of the Virgin Mary. Through the Scriptures, Christ belongs to us, in the words of Saint Jerome: “To be ignorant of the Scriptures is not to know Christ” (S. HIERONYMIIn Isaiam, Prolog.).

Venerable and dear Brothers, may all the clergy and people, of Wales, together with you their Bishops, find renewed joy and consolation for daily living, as well as fresh strength and hope for their ecclesial mission, in the service of God’s holy word.

With deep faith and love let us all, with Peter, in the unity of Christ’s Church, say to Jesus: “You have the words of eternal life” (Io. 6, 68). This is the message of love, obedience and zeal for God’s word that I send to all the Church throughout Wales, with my Apostolic Blessing and with my love in Christ Jesus.

                                       © Copyright 1982 - Libreria Editrice Vaticana

The Word of God in the Life and Mission of the Church

HOLY SEE PRESS OFFICE

SYNODUS EPISCOPORUM BULLETIN                           XII ORDINARY GENERAL ASSEMBLY                           OF THE SYNOD OF BISHOPS                           5-26 OCTOBER 2008                          The Word of God in the Life and Mission of the Church English Edition

11 -  09.10.2008 SUMMARY - SECOND GENERAL CONGREGATION (MONDAY, 6 OCTOBER 2008 - AFTERNOON) (CONTINUATION) - REPORTS ON THE CONTINENTS (CONTINATION) Hereafter follow the Report for America presented by H. Em. Card. Oscar Andrés RODRÍGUEZ MARADIAGA, S.D.B., Archbishop of Tegucigalpa, President of the Episcopal Conferece (HONDURAS), in the Second General Congregation of Monday, 6 October 2008. Historical introduction Christopher Columbus, who carried with him the first example of the Bible, read Biblical texts out loud during his journeys, to “placate the furious waves” and usually gave Biblical names to the islands he discovered. From the beginning an option for those who served One of the friars traveling with Colombus to the Island of Hispaniola, the Catalan Ramon Pane, who arrived with Columbus’ second journey, is perhaps the first missionary who carries out his apostolate taking into account local culture. The monk, “a poor hermit of the Order of Saint Jerome”, learned the language of the region of Macori and, with what he managed to understand of their life, religion and native customs, wrote the first American anthropological treatise and the first European book written in America. “Relacion acerca de las antiguedades de los indios (Report on the history of the Indios)”, teaching the Gospel in the language of the natives. Juan de Zumarraga, the first bishop of Mexico, arrived in 1528 with the Bible in his hand, but even more with the explicit desire to spread the Word of God to all faithful. He was not the only evangelizer to arrive with this intention. The Franciscans opened the way for the New World considering the Gospel “as the true rule of their order”. The three councils of Lima (1551 to 1583) made a superb presentation of the Gospel to the ordinary people. The life of the pioneers of the Latin American faith, who quenched their thirst on Biblical sources, ensured that that seed did not die with the passing of centuries and they continued to live with catechesis, preaching, the presentation of literary works and a significant Biblical presence in colonial works of art. Four centuries of Biblical hibernation Christianity reached America at the time of Reformation, when the Bible lost its privileged place in the Catholic Church and when the majority of God’s people, especially the laity ,were deprived of a direct access to Sacred Scripture. Latin American translations in the local languages became particularly difficult. Biblical texts were replaced by catechism and doctrine which both lack the taste of the Bible. The last 43 years of the Bible in the Pilgrim Church of America (Since Vatican Council II) Vatican Council II appealed to all available spiritual forces to overcome the power of material intransigence and the consequent violence against the weak and the little ones. Its renovating and evangelizing intention is evident in many places, such as for example, the first paragraph of the first approved document that is the Constitution on the Liturgy. The Council “earnestly and especially urges all the Christian faithful, especially Religious, to learn by frequent reading of the divine Scriptures the ‘excellent knowledge of Jesus Christ’ (Phil. 3:8). ‘For ignorance of the Scriptures is ignorance of Christ.’ (DV 25). It is necessary“that as many ministers of the divine word as possible will be able effectively to provide the nourishment of the Scriptures for the people of God, to enlighten their minds, strengthen their wills, and set men's hearts on fire with the love of God” (DV 23). CELAM, following the teaching of Vatican Council II, invited the Latin American Bishops General Conferences to deal with Biblical animation: In Medellin, 1968: An important place was given tot he Bible in its deliberations. In applying the Council advice, it sought to understand the historical moment of the Latin American man and to see the face of that people with its signs of suffering but also of hope. This lead to the affirmation that it was the strength of the Word that called and promoted the communities (6.9). For this reason, it recommended the preparation of experts on Sacred Scripture (9.11), that the priests be made capable of listening and living it with personal conversion, study and prayer (13.10); that the pastoral affirm itself on the strength of Sacred Scripture (6.13, 14.14); that catechesis transmit it faithfully (8.6); that it pervade popular devotions (6.12); and serve as the basis for the communities (6.13). The II Conference produced an ecclesial process of great vitality, characterized by   creativity, imagination, research, study, the central role of the laity, their sense of belonging to the Church... that favored the resurgence of the Biblical seed of evangelization. In Puebla, 1979: CELAM sketched the relationship between the Bible and evangelization. At that time the Latin American Church was already familiar with the reference to the Word of God, by means of the Biblical Apostolate. Echoing the expression of Leo XII about Sacred Scripture as the soul of theology (PD 58), it declared that it is “the soul of evangelization” (372) and following the Council, that it is the “fount of catechesis” (981; 1001). As a result it recommended the spreading of the Word of God by means of the Biblical Apostolate (1001). In listing the pastoral options available to the Church under the sign of the Spirit, it insisted on the importance of listening, studying, celebrating and proclaiming the Word of God, and in bearing witness to it by denouncing situations of sin, carrying out its conversion and contributing to building a new society (1305). An enormous advance was made by insisting not so much on the interpretation of the Bible as the interpretation of life in the light of the Bible. In Santo Domingo, 1992: The IV General Conference of the Latin American Bishops answered the explicit request of its participants with reference to the formulation of the final document: that it be Christ-centric in its content and Biblical in its expression”. The working document of the Santo Domingo Conference emphasized lights and shadows: the experience of the meeting with the Holy Scriptures, the centrality of the Word in the Church, study, reflection and Biblical prayers, the love of the poor and the simple for the Bible, translation into native languages, popular editions, Biblical materials and methods, Biblical pastoral ministry; the lack of Biblical formation, not very Biblical homilies, tendency to fundamentalism and Biblicism, the lack of access to inexpensive editions for the poor. The conviction that the new evangelization only “will have a renewing force in faith in the Word of God” (27), as expressed by the Biblical motto “Jesus Christ is the same today as he was yesterday and as he will be for ever” (Heb 13:8), was stamped on the document and on the ecclesial reunion. Other than the motto, the conference refers to two Biblical texts, both from Luke, of a paradigmatic characteristic thanks to their placement: the episode of Emmaus, 24:13-35, which gives form and structure to the message of the bishops to the peoples of Latin American and the Caribbean; and the episode of the synagogue 4:16-22, which is the foundation of the preferred option of the Latin American Episcopacy. These three Biblical quotations lead to a definition of new evangelization in Latin America which is characterized by three elements: reference to the Word of God, the central role of the laity and the animation of the community. The pastoral experience then indicated, on the one hand, that the last two are nourished and enlivened by their reference to the first and on the other hand the new evangelization will become a reality and at the same time an explicit announcement of Jesus Christ, only in the measure that it will be founded on the Word of God, will be open to the laity and will guarantee the future of the Church through the formation of communities. References to the Sacred Scriptures inspire all of the San Domingo document and open the Christ-centric pole to these three elements towards which John Paul II had pointed at Puebla. The Biblical background of the Santo Domingo conference can also be measured in the enlightenment, in the challenges and in the pastoral lines completely inspired by what was revealed, even if this does not appear in an implicit or explicit way in Biblical quotations. It should suffice to mention the references to the poor, to women, to youth, to the ecology, to family and to human rights. In Aparecida 2007: the theme, explicitly enriched by Benedict XVI: “disciples and missionaries of Jesus Christ so that our people may have life in Him”, had an obvious Biblical and guarantory root that the Word of God penetrate the event and the conclusive document from beginning to end. In fact, the document of participation mentions the importance of the Word, the praying reading, the Biblical pastoral and its ecumenical import. On its part the synthesized document has as a common thread the Bible: in the introduction it recognizes that the Latin American ecclesial originality depended on the meditation on the Word. Its conclusion is inspired by the episode of Emmaus. The three moments of this reflection are linked to the three progressive and globalizing Biblical affirmations: seeing through the eyes of the Word (77); judging with the centrality of the Word (134-140); acting with the praying and community reading: the lectio divina (331). This Biblical theme upholds four basic ideas that, drawn from the revealed Word, then determine theology and the pastoral projection of the document: 1) the evangelical doctrine of the Kingdom; 2) the Pauline teaching on the diversity of unity and ministeriality of the Church; 3) the formation of the stories on the Passion for the disciples in sequela and for the mission with prophetic witness; 4) anthropology of the poor expressed above all for the Gospel according to Saint Luke. The final document is inspired by the inaugural message by the Holy Father that underlines the importance of the Word, meditations to enter into it and the fruits in Christian life. Benedict XVI recalled that “we must found our missionary commitment and all our life on the rock of the Word of God” (3). The V Conference, therefore, has a deep Biblical fabric based on two fundamental affirmations: Biblical animation of the pastoral as the first fruit of pastoral action in the Latin American Church and the prayer reading of the Sacred Scripture as the first formation place of the encounter with Christ. Thus begins a fundamental phase in the relationship between the Bible and the Church in Latin America. If the bishops’ reflections are interpreted in the light of the discipleship of the Bible according to Luke, this will turn more towards the centrality of the Bible in the Church and towards the Biblical orientation of every pastoral. How? Starting from the typically kerygmatic presentation of Christ the Savior. One must insist, as Saint Luke did, on the reaction of the believer, that is to say, the discipleship, through three fundamental elements - faith, conversion and baptism -, and five attitudes: sequela of Jesus, witness of life, spirituality and prayer, poverty, community life. Some steps made by the Biblical Federation of Catholic Latin America and the Caribbean In the meetings on the work of Biblical animation in the pastoral, the Biblical Federation of Catholic Latin America and the Caribbean highlighted the following themes: devoted reading of the Sacred Scripture; the profound spirituality that is rooted in the Bible for the building of a new society; the prophetic people of God; the transformation of life that flows from Biblical spirituality; the Bible and new evangelization; Lectio Divina and the reading of Scripture in prayer. Tendencies in and justification of Biblical animation in the whole of pastoral life Regarding all we have just said, we can affirm that we are seeking to ensure that the Bible is not an object that is separate from the Church’s pastoral, but rather the backdrop against which to place the pastoral. As a result the following tendencies were enunciated. A hunger for the Word of God can be seen, that has spread throughout the whole of the Americas, especially in the more marginalized areas, creating hope and a fertile contact with the text. Faced with the different translations of the Biblical text, we can see a worldwide phenomenon that has multiplied as never before in the history of the Church, characterized by three aspects in Latin America. - Liturgical, through the use of the vernacular in celebrations; - Interconfessional, on the suggestion of the Council (DV 22) and the “fundamental principles” given by the Holy See and welcomed by CELAM in its meetings with the united Biblical societies; - missionary, for the capacity of the Bible to enter into apparently impregnable spheres. Finally, we observe the interpretation of the text in the field of life, through the emphasis of hermeneutic understanding before exegesis, identifying “fidelity to the message” with “fidelity to man”, supported by accentuating concepts of the “theology in its context” and of the “inculturation” of the Gospel. Difficulties encountered in Biblical animation in pastoral life - The conditions of poverty and illiteracy; - A divorce between exegesis and the interecclesial community, between exegesis and dogma, between exegesis and the pastoral; - Biblical fundamentalism in sects and within Catholicism that leads to a reading that encourages passivity. Summary of the Biblical journey in recent years in America From 1965 to 1985 contact with the Bible text. These are the years of the translations and editions of the Bible, of examples on the part of all the Churches, of the organization of Biblical circles, of the reading and study of the sacred books on the part of the laity and the basic ecclesial communities. From 1985 to 1993 contact with the Biblical message. These are the years of Biblical interpretation, of the organization of study centers, of the structuring of methods of Biblical pastoral, Biblical prophecy and the formation of the Biblical ministry. From 1993 to 2007 contact with the person revealed in the Bible: Jesus Christ. It is the moment to breathe with both lungs, exegesis and hermeneutics, of the centrality of the Bible in the Church. From 2007 onwards, we move from formation to Biblical reading starting from life; a prayerful and meaningful reading. A reading that sets out from discipleship, that is expressed profoundly in the Lectio Divina that goes on to be concerned about the mission. Study institutes and Biblical works Since Vatican Council II all seminaries where priests are trained in America foresee profound study of the Bible. Preaching is moving ever nearer the biblical text. Various American episcopal conferences can rely on Bible experts who have carried out further studies and have come back to America to continue studying and to prepare other people in Biblical sciences. In various Catholic universities throughout America degree courses are available on the Bible and Biblical pastoral that are bearing great fruit. CELAM in 2004 opened the doors of the Biblical Pastoral for Latin America (CEBIPAL) which offers courses and programs of pastoral Biblical animation in coordination with the episcopal conferences of America. Along with other institutions, it promotes the Lectio Divina. It also offers a course of permanent formation for Bible professors in America. In the preparation of catechists, which is under the control of each diocese, the Bible occupies an important role. The Catholic Biblical Federation has a predominant role in pastoral Biblical formation in the continent (especially as regards the criteria and different styles of Biblical formation). There are in Latin America a number of organizations that have developed a Biblical pastoral from their own perspective. Furthermore, there are at the moment a number of Biblical magazines that publish articles of a high quality and level of exegesis. There is also a network of higher Biblical Institutes that brings together more than 30 Biblical institutes. Various types of Biblical institutes can be found in different dioceses that respond to the concrete needs of their members. In different countries, especially in Central America, the “delegates of the Word” have offered a very special contribution to the Church. The majority of them are lay people who have acquired a Biblical formation, moving from the elementary level to specific preparation courses, and without a doubt they represent a great support for the Church. At the interfaith level, the united Biblical societies have offered a high quality contribution to the Catholic Church, both in translations made with Catholic Biblicists as well as in new presentations of the Bible in support of pastoral work. We cannot but thank CEBIPAL for its collaboration in the formation of young people in the Lectio Divina method through the use of the internet. Those called“lectionautas” are increasing in number every day. Courses of Biblical formation by modern means of communication are also on the increase, for example, using the internet. We can state that the majority of publishers publish books in a great variety of editions on Biblical themes, from the most popular to the scientific. Today in America we can count on a vast Biblical bibliography in all the main languages. There currently exist a variety of editions of the Lectio Divina available for monks and religious as well as for the lay faithful. Figures and statistics We have to remember, as pointed out in the statistics, more than 50% of the world’s Catholics are to be found in the American continent. With four major languages and about 200 minor languages, we are faced with a very variable panorama of Biblical translations. Spanish is certainly one of most spoken languages by Catholics throughout the world. It is therefore very important to have texts adapted for many millions of people. Currently in America there are 26 versions or translations approved by the Catholic Church that can be found in different bookshops. Portuguese is one of the most popular languages in America and currently has 12 translations of the Bible. English is spoken in the United States, Canada and in a large part of the Caribbean and Central America. There are 5 translations of the New Testament, 1 Book of Proverbs, 6 of the Book of Psalms and 2 complete Bibles. French is spoken officially in Canada and in various Caribbean countries. A total of 8 versions of the Bible in French are in circulation. The united Biblical societies have 29 Bibles without the Deutero-Canonical books, 17 with them and 29 New Testaments. Different institutions have translated the New Testament into 216 native languages in America, which has been a great cultural battle. Many of these translations are also used by the Catholic Church. General number of Bibles distributed in the last 43 years To discuss the numbers distributed is very difficult, because the publishing companies do not always furnish this data, especially for recent years. We can say that, the first edition of the Latin American Bible had a distribution of 60 million copies, since 1972. In two years, 420,000 copies of our Bible were distributed. Descle de Brower have distributed approximately 150,000 copies each year of the Jerusalem Bible since the seventies (approximately 5 million copies of the Bible distributed). In total in Brazil in 2007, 9,250,301 copies of the Bible were distributed. It is important to point out that Biblical animation of the entire pastoral ministry is the culminating moment of ecclesial life, where the Bible is not a separate compartment, as if it was one of the many pastoral areas of an episcopal conference. On the contrary, the Bible is the main line that animates pastoral areas, since it roots its main reference in the Word, and makes the Word the Rock of the Church (cf. Benedict XVI, inaugural speech at   Aparecida). “To make the Word of God the source that animates all pastoral activities of the Church”. “The Biblical animation of the pastoral ministry, having as its background the Lectio divina, is the integration of the Word of God and life, as a point of reference necessary the Constitution Dei Verbum, and as a fundamental method and criteria of our reality, has in its present and future horizon the defense of life and human rights”. We, the bishops of Latin America and the Caribbean, wish to emphasize the biblical-doctrinal formation. With a strong religious experience and an obvious community living, our faithful need to study the knowledge of the Word of God and the contents of faith, since this is the only way to grow in one’s own religious experience. Along this road, fundamentally lived and in community, the doctrinal formation is not experienced as theoretical and cold knowledge, but as a fundamental and necessary instrument in the spiritual, personal and community growth. We feel the urgency of develop in our communities a process of initiation to Christian life starting with the kerygma, guided by the Word of God, which leads to a personal encounter, ever greater, with Jesus Christ, perfect God and perfect man (166), experienced as the fullness of humanity and which leads to conversion, to the sequela in an ecclesial community and in a maturity of faith in the practice of the sacraments, in service and in the mission (Document of Aparecida 289). Teaching prayer Among the many ways to approach the Sacred Scripture there is a privileged one, to which we are all invited: the Lectio divina, or the exercise of prayer reading of the Sacred Scripture. The prayer reading, if well done, leads to the encounter with Jesus the Teacher, to knowledge of the Mystery of Jesus the Messiah, to communion with Jesus the Son of God and to witness of Jesus the Lord of the universe (Document Aparecida 249). Public life. Christians living according to the Word Globalization has its positive aspects, especially when talking about information. We are informed of what is happening in the public lives of our countries, often with scandals of every sort. However, we deplore the fact that many protagonists of this social and political scenario have passed through our centers of formation (catechesis, youth groups, schools and universities). We should ask ourselves: what was the role of teaching the Word of God in them? Did we help them encounter the God of the Word? Why, when inserted in public life, whichever scenario they are involved in, are the Gospel values not the orientation of their lives? In a strong Christian formation, the encounter with the God of the Word is necessary, which changes, modifies the behavior to the point of transforming them into Christian behavior. Therefore it is necessary to re-elaborate the way in which we teach Biblical faith for the life of Christians. A life that must be manifested in all its aspects, and that must embrace the totality of actions, and not only their life within our temples.