SYNOD OF BISHOPS

THE MINISTERIAL PRIESTHOOD

JUSTICE IN THE WORLD

NATIONAL CONFERENCE OF CATHOLIC BISHOPS





SYNOD OF BISHOPS

THE MINISTERIAL PRIESTHOOD

JUSTICE IN THE WORLD

NATIONAL CONFERENCE OF CATHOEIC BISHOPS



RESCRIPT

OF THE AUDIENCE GIVEN BY THE HOLY FATHER

TO THE CARDINAL SECRETARY OF STATE

30 NOVEMBER 1971

The Holy Father has carefully examined the two documents containing

the proposals expressed by the Second General Assembly of the Synod of

Bishops on the themes, “ The Ministerial Priesthood ” and “ Justice in the

World ”, which had been put before the Assembly for study.

As he has already announced in his address at the General Audience of

24 November, the Holy Father desires that the aforementioned documents

be made public.

His Holiness now accepts and confirms all the conclusions in the two

documents that conform to the current norms: in particular, he confirms that

in the Latin Church there shall continue to be observed in its entirety, with

God’s help, the present discipline of priestly celibacy.

The Holy lather reserves to himself to examine carefully in due course

whether the proposals—and which of them—contained in the recommenda-
tions of the Synodal Assembly should be convalidated as directive guidelines

or practical norms.

John Cardinal Villot

Secretary of State



THE MINISTERIAL PRIESTHOOD



Digitized by the Internet Archive

in 2016

https://archive.org/details/ministerialpriescath



THE MINISTERIAL PRIESTHOOD

INTRODUCTION

In recent times, especially since the close of the Second Vatican Council,

the Church is experiencing a profound movement of renewal, which all

Christians should follow with great joy and with fidelity to the Gospel.

The power of the Holy Spirit is present to illumine, strengthen and perfect

our mission.

Every true renewal brings the Church undoubted benefits of great value.

We well know that through the recent Council priests have been fired

with new zeal and that they have contributed much to fostering this re-

newal by their daily solicitude. We have before our minds our many heroic

brothers who, in fidelity of their ministry, live lives dedicated to God with

joy, either among the peoples where the Church is subjected to a harsh

yoke or in mission lands. At the same time, however, the renewal also

entails difficulties, which are especially felt by all in the priesthood, whether

bishops or priests.

We should all scrutinize the signs of the times in this age of renewal

and interpret them in the light of the Gospel (cf. GS 4), in order that

we may work together in distinguishing between spirits, to see if they come

from God, lest ambiguity cloud the unity of the Church’s mission or exces-

sive uniformity hinder needed adaptation. Thus, by testing everything and

holding fast to what is good, the present crisis can give occasion for an

increase of faith.

In accordance with its importance, the Holy Father put forward the

ministerial priesthood for discussion by this year’s Synod. Before the Synod

many episcopal conferences examined this theme together with priests and

quite frequently with lay people. Some priests were also ’called to the

Synod as “ auditores ”, to assist the bishops in dealing with important

questions.

We wish to fulfil our duty with the evangelical simplicity which befits

5



pastors who are serving the Church. Considering our responsibility before

the fraternal community of the Church, we desire to strengthen the faith,

uplift the hope and stimulate the love both of our brothers in the ministerial

priesthood and of all the faithful. May our words bring solace to the

People of God and the priests dedicated to their service and renew their joy!

6



DESCRIPTION OF THE SITUATION

1. The extent of the Church’s mission was illustrated at length by the

Second Vatican Council. Indeed, the Church’s relationship with the world

was the subject especially of the pastoral constitution Gaudium et Spes. Many

good results followed from a closer consideration of this matter: it is

more clearly seen that salvation is not an abstract category outside, as it

were, of history and time, but that it comes from God and ought to permeate

the whole of man and the whole history of men and lead them freely to the

Kingdom of God, so that at last “ God may be all in all ” (1 Cor 15:28).

However, as is understandable, difficulties have also arisen: some priests

feel themselves estranged from the movements which permeate society and

unable to solve the problems which touch men deeply. Often too the

problems and troubles of priests derive from their having, in their pastoral

and missionary care, to use methods which are now perhaps obsolete to meet

the modern mentality. Serious problems and several questions then arise,

especially from real difficulties which they experience in exercising their

function and not—although this is sometimes the case—from an exasperated
spirit of protest or from selfish personal concerns. Is it possible to exhort

the laity as if from the outside? Is the Church sufficiently present to

certain groups without the active presence of the priest? If the situation

characteristic of a priest consists in segregation from secular life, is not the

situation of the layman better? What is to be thought of the celibacy of

Latin-rite priests in present-day circumstances, and of the personal spiritual life

of the priest immersed in the world?

2. Many priests, experiencing within themselves the questionings that

have arisen with the secularization of the world, feel the need to sanctify

worldly activities by exercising them directly and bring the leaven of the

Gospel into the midst of events. Similarly, the desire is developing of

cooperating with the joint efforts of men to build up a more just and fraternal

society. In a world in which almost all problems have political aspects,

participation in politics and even in revolutionary activity is by some con-

sidered indispensable.

7



3. The Council emphasized the pre-eminence of the proclamation of the

Gospel, which should lead through faith to the fullness of the celebration

of the sacraments. But current thinking about the religious phenomenon

fosters doubts in many minds concerning the sense of a sacramental and

cubic ministry. Many priests not suffering from a personal identity crisis

ask themselves another question: What methods should be used so that

sacramental practice may be an expression of faith really affecting the whole

of personal and social life, in order that Christian worship should not be

wrongly reduced to a mere external ritualism?

Since priests are very concerned with the image of herself that the

Church seems to present to the world, and at the same time are deeply

conscious of the singular dignity of the human person, they desire to bring

about a change within the Church herself in inter-personal relationships,

in relations between person and institutions, and in the very structures of

authority.

4. And still, relationships between bishops and priests and between

priests themselves are growing more difficult by the very fact that the exer-

cise of the ministry is becoming more diversified. Present-day society is

divided into many groups with different disciplines, which call for differing

skills and forms of apostolate. This gives rise to problems concerning

brotherhood, union and consistency in the priestly ministry.

Happily the recent Council recalled the traditional and fruitful teach-

ing on the common priesthood of the faithful (cf. LG 10). That, however,

gives rise, as by a swing of the pendulum, to certain questions which seem

to obscure the position of the priestly ministry in the Church and which

deeply trouble the minds of some priests and faithful. Many activities

which in the past were reserved to priests—for instance, catechetical work,
administrative activity in the communities, and even liturgical activities

—

are today quite frequently carried out by lay people, while on the other hand

many priests, for reasons already mentioned, are trying to involve them-

selves in the condition of life of lay persons. Hence a number of questions

are being asked: Does the priestly ministry have any specific nature? Is

this ministry necessary? Is the priesthood incapable of being lost? What

does being a priest mean today? Would it not be enough to have for the

service of the Christian communities presidents designated for the preserva-

tion of the common good, without sacramental ordination, and exercising

their office for a fixed period?



5 . Still more serious questions are posed, some of them as a result

of exegetical and historical research, which show a crisis of confidence in

the Church: Is the present-day Church too far removed from its origins

to be able to proclaim the ancient Gospel credibly to modern man? Is it

still possible to reach the reality of Christ after so many critical investiga-

tions? Are the essential structures of the early Church well enough known

to us that they can and must be considered an invariable scheme for every

age, including our own?

6. The above-mentioned questions, some of them new, others already

long familiar but appearing in new forms today, cannot be understood

outside of the whole context of modern culture, which has strong doubts

about its meaning and value. New means of technology have stirred up

a hope based excessively on enthusiasm and at the same time they have

aroused profound anxiety. One rightly asks whether man will be capable

of being master of his work and directing it towards progress.

Some, especially the young, despair of the meaning of this world and

look for salvation in purely meditative systems and in artificial marginal

paradises, abandoning the common striving of mankind.

Others dedicate themselves with ardent utopian hope devoid of refer-

ence to God to the attainment of some state of total liberation, and transfer

the meaning of their whole personal lives from the present to the future.

There is therefore a profound cleavage between action and contempla-

tion, work and recreation, culture and religion, and between the immanent

and the transcendental aspects of human life.

Thus the world itself is obscurely awaiting a solution to this dilemma

and is paving a way whereby the Church may go forward proclaiming the

Gospel. Certainly, the only complete salvation offered to men is Christ

himself. Son of God and Son of Man, who makes himself present in history

through the Church. He joins inseparably together love for God and the

love which God has until the end for men as they seek their way amid the

shadows, and the value of human love whereby a man gives his life for

his friends. In Christ, and only in him, do all of these become one whole,

and in this synthesis the meaning of human life, both individual and

social, shines forth. The mission of the Church, Christ’s Body, far from

being obsolete, is therefore rather of the highest relevance for the present

and the future: the whole Church is the witness and effective sign of this

union, especially through the priestly ministry. The minister’s proper task

9



in the Church’s midst is to render present, by the word and sacrament, the

love of God in Christ for us, and at the same time to promote the fellowship

of men with God and with each other. All this of course demands that

we should all, especially those who perform the sacred office, strive to

renew ourselves daily in accordance with the Gospel.

7. We know that there are some parts of the world in which th^t

profound cultural change has hitherto been less felt, and that the questions

raised above are not being asked everywhere, nor by all priests, nor in the

same way. But since communications between men and peoples have today

become more frequent and more speedy, we judge it good and opportune

to examine these questions in the light of faith and to give humbly but

in the strength of the Holy Spirit some principles for finding more concrete

answers to them. Although this response must be applied differently according

to the circumstances of each region, it will have the force of truth for all

those faithful and priests who live in situations of greater tranquillity.

Therefore, ardently desiring to strengthen the witness of faith, we frater-

nally urge all the faithful to strive to contemplate the Lord Jesus living in

his Church and to realize that he wishes to work in a special way through

his ministers; they will thus be convinced that the Christian community

cannot fulfil its complete mission without the ministerial presthood. Let

priests be aware that their anxieties are truly shared by the bishops, and

that the bishops desire to share them still more.

* * *

Moved by this desire, the Synod Fathers, in the spirit of the Gospel,

following closely the teaching of the Second Vatican Council, and consider-

ing also the documents and addresses of the Supreme Pontiff Paul VI,

intend to set forth briefly some principles of the Church’s teaching on the

ministerial priesthood which are at present more urgent, together with some

guidelines for pastoral practice.

10



Part One

PRINCIPLES OF DOCTRINE

1. Christ, Alpha and Omega.

Jesus Christ, the Son of God and the Word, “ whom the Father sanctified

and sent into the world ” {Jn 10:36), and who was marked with the seal of

the fullness of the Holy Spirit (cf. Lk 4:1, 18-21; Ac 10:38), proclaimed

to the world the Good News of reconciliation between God and men. His

preaching as a prophet, confirmed by signs, reaches its summit in the

paschal mystery, the supreme word of the divine love with which the

Father addressed us. On the cross Jesus showed himself to the greatest

possible extent to be the Good Shepherd who laid down his life for his

sheep in order to gather them into that unity which depends on himself

(cf. Jn 10: 15fi.; 11:52). Exercising a supreme and unique priesthood by the

offering of himself, he surpassed, by fulfilling them, all the ritual priesthoods

and holocausts of the Old Testament and indeed of the pagans. In his

sacrifice he took on himself the miseries and sacrifices of men of every age

and also the efforts of those who suffer for the cause of justice or who are

daily oppressed by misfortune. He took on himself the endeavours of those

who abandon the world and attempt to reach God by asceticism and con-

templation as well as the labours of those who sincerely devote their lives

to a better present and future society. He bore the sins of us all on the

cross; rising from the dead and being made Lord (cf . Phil 2 : 9-1 1 ), he reconciled

us to God; and he laid the foundation of the people of the New Covenant,

which is the Church.

He is the “ one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus
”

{1 Tim 2:5), “ for in him were created all things ” {Col 1:16; cf. Jn l:3ff.)

and everything is brought together under him, as head (cf. Eph 1:10). Since

he is the image of the Father and manifestation of the unseen God (cf. Col

11



1:15), by emptying himself and by being raised up he brought us into the

fellowship of the Holy Spirit which he lives with the Father.

When therefore we speak of the priesthood of Christ, we should have

before our eyes a unique, incomparable reality, which includes the prophetic

and royal office of the Incarnate Word of God.

So Jesus Christ signifies and manifests in many ways the presence and

effectiveness of the anticipatory love of God. The Lord himself, constantly

influencing the Church by his Spirit, stirs up and fosters the response of

all those who offer themselves to this freely given love.

2. Coming to Christ in the Church.

The way to the person and mystery of Christ lies ever open in the

Holy Spirit through the Scriptures understood in the living tradition of the

Church. All the Scriptures, especially those of the New Testament, must

be interpreted as intimately inter-linked and inter-related by their single

inspiration. The books of the New Testament are not of such differing

value that some of them can be reduced to mere late inventions.

A personal and immediate relationship with Christ in the Church should

still for the faithful of today sustain their whole spiritual lives.

3. The Church from Christ through the Apostles.

The Church which he had declared would be built on Peter, Christ

founded on the Apostles (cf. LG 18). In them are already manifested two

aspects of the Church: in the Group of the Twelve Apostles there are already

both fellowship in the Spirit and the origin of the hierarchical ministry

(cf. AG 5). For that reason, the New Testament writings speak of the

Church as founded on the Apostles (cf. Rev 21:14; Mt 16:18). This was

concisely expressed by ancient tradition: “ The Church from the Apostles,

the Apostles from Christ, Christ from God

The Church, which was founded on the Apostles and sent into the

world and is a pilgrim there, was established to be a sacrament of the

salvation which came to us from God in Christ. In her, Christ is present

and operative for the world as a saviour, so that the love offered by

* Tertullian, De Praescr. Haer. XXI, 4; cf. also I Letter of Clement Ad Cor. XLII, 1-4;

Ignatius of Antioch Ad Magn. VI and passim; Irenaeus Adv. Haer. 4, 21, 3; Origen De

Princip. IV, 2, 1; Seuapion, Bishop of Antioch, in Eusebius Hist. Eccl. VI, 12.

12



God to men and their response meet. The Holy Spirit stirs up in and

through the Church impulses of generous free will by which man par-

ticipates in the very work of creation and redemption.

4. The origin and nature of the hierarchical ministry.

The Church, which through the gift of the Spirit is made up organically,

participates in different ways in the functions of Christ as Priest, Prophet

and King, in order to carry out her mission of salvation in his name and by

his power, as a priestly people (cf. LG 10).

It is clear from the New Testament writings that an Apostle and a

community of faithful united with one another by a mutual link under

Christ as head and the influence of his Spirit belong to the original inalienable

structure of the Church. The Twelve Apostles exercised their mission and

functions, and “ they not only had helpers in their ministry (cf. Ac 6:2-6;

11:30; 13:1; 14:23; 24:17; 1 Th 5:12-13; Phil 1:1; Col 4:11 and passim),

but also, in order that the mission assigned to them might continue after their

death, they passed on to their immediate cooperators, as a kind of testament,

the duty of perfecting and consolidating the work begun by themselves

(Ac 20:25-27; 2 Tim 4:6 taken together with 1 Tim 5:22; 2 Tim 2:2;

Tit 1:5; Saint Clement of Rome to the Corinthians 44:3), charging them to

attend to the whole flock in which the Holy Spirit placed them to shepherd the

Church of God (cf. Ac 20: 28). They appointed such men, and made provision

that, when these men should die, other approved men would take up their

ministry (cf. Saint Clement of Rome to the Corinthians 44:2) ” (LG 20).

The letters of Saint Paul show that he was conscious of acting by

Christ’s mission and mandate (cf. 2 Cor 5: 18ff.). The powers entrusted to the

Apostle for the Churches were handed on to others insofar as they were

communicable (cf. 2 Tim 1:6), and these others were obliged to hand them

on to yet others (cf. Tit 1:5).

This essential structure of the Church—consisting of a flock and of
pastors appointed for this purpose (cf. 1 Pt 3: 1-4)—according to the Tradition
of the Church herself was always and remains the norm. Precisely as a

result of this structure, the Church can never remain closed in on herself

and is always subject to Christ as her origin and head.

Among the various charisms and services, the priestly ministry of the

New Testament, which continues Christ’s function as mediator, and which

in essence and not merely in degree is distinct from the common priest-

hood of all the faithful (cf. LG 10), alone perpetuates the essential work

13



of the Apostles: by effectively proclaiming the Gospel, by gathering together

and leading the community, by remitting sins, and especially by celebrating

the Eucharist, it makes Christ, the head of the community, present in the

exercise of his work of redeeming mankind and glorifying God perfectly.

Bishops and, on a subordinate level, priests, by virtue of the sacrament

of Orders, which confers an anointing of the Holy Spirit and configures

to Christ (cf. PO 2), become sharers in the fuctions of sanctifying, teaching

and governing, and the exercise of these functions is determined more

precisely by hierarchical communion (cf. LG 24, 27-28).

The priestly ministry reaches its summit in the celebration of the

Eucharist, which is the source and centre of the Church’s unity. Only a

priest is able to act in the person of Christ in presiding over and effecting

the sacrificial banquet wherein the People of God are associated with

Christ’s offering (cf. LG 28).

The priest is a sign of the divine anticipatory plan proclaimed and

effective today in the Church. He makes Christ, the Saviour of all men,

sacramentally present among his brothers and sisters, in both their personal

and social lives. He is a guarantor both of the first proclamation of the

Gospel for the gathering together of the Church and of the ceaseless renewal

of the Church which has already been gathered together. If the Church

lacks the presence and activity of the ministry which is received by the

laying on of hands with prayer, she cannot have full certainty of her fidelity

and of her visible continuity.

5. Permanence of the priesthood.

By the laying on of hands there is communicated a gift of the Holy

Spirit which cannot be lost (cf. 2 Tim 1:6). This reality configures the

ordained minister to Christ the Priest, consecrates him (cf. PO 2) and

makes him a sharer in Christ’s mission under its two aspects of authority

and service.

That authority does not belong to the minister as his own: it is a

manifestations of the “ exousia ” (i.e. the power) of the Lord, by which

the priest is an ambassador of Christ in the eschatological work of re-

conciliation (cf. 2 Cor 5:18-20). He also assists the conversion of human

freedom to God for the building up of the Christian community.

The lifelong permanence of this reality, which is a sign, and which

is a teaching of the faith and is referred to in the Church’s tradition as

the priestly character, expresses the fact that Christ associated the Church with

14 '



himself in an irrevocable way for the salvation of the world, and that the

Church dedicates herself to Christ in a definitive way for the carrying out

of his work. The minister whose life bears the seal of the gift received

through the sacrament of Orders reminds the Church that the gift of God

is irrevocable. In the midst of the Christian community which, in spite

of its defects, lives by the Spirit, he is a pledge of the salvific presence

of Christ.

This special participation in Christ’s priesthood does not disappear

even if a priest for ecclesial or personal reasons is dispensed or removed

from the exercise of his ministry.

6. For the service of fellowship.

Even if he exercises his ministry in a determined community, the priest

nevertheless cannot be exclusively devoted to a particular group of faith-

ful. His ministry always tends towards the unity of the whole Church

and to the gathering together in her of all men. Each individual community

of faithful needs fellowship with the bishop and the universal Church.

In this way the priestly ministry too is essentially communitarian within the

presbyterium and with the bishop who, preserving communion with the

Successor of Peter, is a part of the body of bishops. This holds also for

priests who are not in the immediate service of any community or who work

in remote and isolated territories. Religious priests also, within the context

of the special purpose and structure of their institute, are indissolubly part

of a mission which is ecclesially ordered.

Let the whole life and activity of the priest be imbued with a spirit

of catholicity, that is, with a sense of the universal mission of the Church,

so that he will willingly recognize aU the gifts of the Spirit, give them

freedom and direct them towards the common good.

Let priests follow Christ’s example and cultivate with the bishop and

with each other that brotherhood which is founded on their ordination

and the oneness of their mission so that their priestly witness may be more

credible.

1 . The priest and temporal matters.

All truly Christian undertakings are related to the salvation of mankind,

which, while it is of an eschatological nature, also embraces temporal

matters. Every reality of this world must be subjected to the lordship of

Christ. This however does not mean that the Church claims technical

competence in the secular order, with disregard for the latter’s autonomy.

15



The proper mission entrusted by Christ to the priest, as to the Church,

is not of the political, economic or social order, but of the religious order

(cf. GS 42); yet, in the pursuit of his ministry, the priest can contribute

greatly to the establishment of a more just secular order, especially in places

where the human problems of injustice and oppression are more serious.

He must always, however, preserve ecclesial communion and reject violence

in words or deeds as not being in accordance with the Gospel.

In fact, the word of the Gospel which he proclaims in the name of

Christ and the Church, and the effective grace of sacramental life which

he administers should free man from his personal and social egoism and

foster among men conditions of justice, which would be a sign of the love

of Christ present among us (cf. GS 58).

16



Part Two

GUIDELINES FOR THE PRIESTLY LIFE AND MINISTRY

Considering the priestly mission in the light of the mystery of Christ and

the communion of the Church, the Fathers of this Synod, united with

the Roman Pontiff and conscious of the anxieties which bishops and

priests are experiencing in the fulfilment of their common role today, pre-

sent the following guidelines to clarify certain questions and to give

encouragement.

I. Priests in the mission of Christ and the Church

1. Mission: Evangelization and sacramental life.

a) “ By their vocation and ordination, the priests of the New Testament

are indeed set apart in a certain sense within the midst of God’s people.

But this is so, not that they may be made distant from this people or

from any man, but that they may be totally dedicated to the work for

which the Lord has raised them up ” (PO 3). Priests thus find their iden-

tity to the extent that they fully live the mission of the Church and exer-

cise it in different ways in communion with the entire People of God, as

pastors and ministers of the Lord in the Spirit, in order to fulfil by their

work the plan of salvation in history. “ By means of their own ministry,

which deals principally with the Eucharist as the source of perfecting the

Church, priests are in communion with Christ the Head and are leading

others to this communion. Hence they cannot help realizing how much is

yet wanting to the fullness of that Body, and how much therefore must be

done if it is to grow from day to day ” {AG 39).

b) Priests are sent to all men and their mission must begin with the

preaching of God’s Word. “ Priests have as their duty the proclamation

of the Gospel of Christ to all ... For through the saving Word the spark

of faith is struck in the hearts of unbelievers and fed in the hearts of the

faithful ” (PO 4). The goal of evangelization is “ that all who are made

17



sons of God by faith and baptism should come together to praise God in

the midst of his Church, to take part in her sacrifice and to eat the Lord’s

supper ” (5’C 10). The ministry of the Word, if rightly understood, leads

to the sacraments and to the Christian life, as it is practised in the visible

community of the Church and in the world.

The sacraments are celebrated in conjunction with the proclamation of

the Word of God and thus develop faith by strengthening it with grace.

They cannot be considered of slight importance, since through them the

word is brought to fuller effect, namely communion in the mystery of

Christ.

Let priests then perform their ministry in such a way that the faithful

will “ have recourse with great eagerness to the sacraments which were

instituted to nourish the Christian life ” (5'C 59).

An enduring evangelization and a well-ordered sacramental life of the

community demand, by their nature, a diaconia of authority, that is, a serving

of unity and a presiding over charity. Thus the mutual relationship between

evangelization and the celebration of the sacraments is clearly seen in the

mission of the Church. A separation between the two would divide the

heart of the Church to the point of imperilling the faith, and the priest, who

is dedicated to the service of unity in the community, would be gravely

distorting his ministry.

Unity between evangelization and sacramental life is always proper

to the ministerial priesthood and must carefully be kept in mind by every

priest. And yet the application of this principle to the life and ministry of

individual priests must be made with discretion, for the exercise of the

priestly ministry often in practice needs to take different forms in order

better to meet special or new situations in which the Gospel is to be

proclaimed.

c) Although the pedagogy of faith demands that man be gradually

initiated into the Christian life, the Church must nevertheless always

proclaim to the world the Gospel in its entirety. Each priest shares in the

special responsibility of preaching the whole of the Word of God and of

interpreting it according to the faith of the Church.

The proclamation of the Word of God is the announcement in the

power of the Spirit of the wonders performed by God and the calling of

men to share the paschal mystery and to introduce it as a leaven into con-

crete human history. It is the action of God in which the power of the

18



Holy Spirit brings the Church together interiorly and exteriorly. The

minister of the word by evangeUzation prepares the ways of the Lord with

great patience and faith, conforming himself to the various conditions of

individuals’ and peoples’ lives, which are evolving more or less rapidly.

Impelled by the need to keep in view both the personal and social

aspects of the announcement of the Gospel, so that in it an answer may

be given to all the more fundamental questions of men (cf. CD 13), the

Church not only preaches conversion to God to individual men, but also,

to the best of her ability, as the conscience of humanity, she addresses so-

ciety itself and performs a prophetic function in society’s regard, always

taking pains to effect her own renewal.

As regards the experiences of life, whether of men in general or of

priests, which must be kept in mind and always interpreted in the light

of the Gospel, these experiences cannot be either the sole or the principal

norm of preaching.

d) Salvation, which is effected through the sacraments, does not come

from us but from God; this demonstrates the primacy of action of Christ,

the one priest and mediator, in his body, which is the Church.

Since the sacraments are truly sacraments of faith (cf. SC 59), they

require conscious and free participation by every Christian who has the use

of reason. This makes clear the great importance of preparation and of a

disposition of faith on the part of the person who receives the sacraments;

it also makes clear the necessity for a witness of faith on the part of the

minister in his entire life and especially in the way he values and celebrates

the sacraments themselves.

To bishops and, in the cases foreseen by law, to episcopal conferences

is committed the role of authentically promoting, in accordance with the

norms given by the Holy See, pastoral activity and liturgical renewal better

adapted to each region, and also of determining the criteria for admission

to the sacraments. These criteria, which must be applied by priests, are

likewise to be explained to the faithful, so that a person who asks for a

sacrament may become more aware of his own responsibility.

Let priests, with consciousness of their office of reconciling all men in

the love of Christ and with attention to the dangers of divisions, strive

with great prudence and pastoral charity to form communities which are

imbued with apostolic zeal and which will make the Church’s missionary

spirit present everywhere. Small communities, which are not opposed to

19



the parish or diocesan structure, ought to be inserted into the parochial or

diocesan community in such a way that they may serve it as a leaven of

missionary spirit. The need to find apt forms of effectively bringing the

Gospel message to all men, who live in differing circumstances, furnishes

a place for the multiple exercise of ministries lower than the priesthood.

2. Secular and political activity.

a) The priestly ministry, even if compared with other activities, not

only is to be considered as a fully valid human activity but indeed as more

excellent than other activities, though this great value can be fully understood

only in the light of faith. Thus, as a general rule, the priestly ministry

shall be a full-time occupation. Sharing in the secular activities of men

is by no means to be considered the principal end nor can such participation

suffice to give expression to priests’ specific responsibility. Priests, without

being of the world and without taking it as their model, must nevertheless

live in the world (cf. PO 3, 17; ]n 17:14-16), as witnesses and stewards

of another life (cf. PO 3).

In order to determine in concrete circumstances whether secular activity

is in accord with the priestly ministry, inquiry should be made whether

and in what way those duties and activities serve the mission of the Church,

those who have not yet received the Gospel message and finally the

Christian community. This is to be judged by the local bishop with his

presbyterium, and if necessary in consultation with the episcopal conference.

When activities of this sort, which ordinarily pertain to the laity, are

as it were demanded by the priest’s very mission to evangelize, they must

be harmonized with his other ministerial activities, in those circumstances

where they can be considered as necessary forms of true ministry (cf. PO 8).

h) Together with the entire Church, priests are obliged, to the utmost

of their ability, to select a definite pattern of action, when it is a question of

the defence of fundamental human rights, the promotion of the full

development of persons and the pursuit of the cause of peace and justice;

the means must indeed always be consonant with the Gospel. These

principles are all valid not only in the individual sphere, but also in the

social field; in this regard priests should help the laity to devote themselves

to forming their consciences rightly.

In circumstances in which there legitimately exist different political,

social and economic options, priests like all citizens have a right to select

20



their personal options. But since political options are by nature contingent

and never in an entirely adequate and perennial way interpret the Gospel,

the priest, who is the witness of things to come, must keep a certain

distance from any political office or involvement.

In order that he may remain a valid sign of unity and be able to preach

the Gospel in its entirety, the priest can sometimes be obliged to abstain

from the exercise of his own right in this matter. Moreover, care must be

taken lest his option appear to Christians to be the only legitimate one or

become a cause of division among the faithful. Let priests be mindful of

the laity’s maturity, which is to be valued highly when it is a question of

their specific role.

Leadership or active militancy on behalf of any political party is to be

excluded by every priest unless, in concrete and exceptional circumstances,

this is truly required by the good of the community, and receives the

consent of the bishop after consultation with the priests’ council and, if

circumstances call for it, with the episcopal conference.

The priority of the specific mission which pervades the entire priestly

existence must therefore always be kept in mind so that, with great

confidence, and having a renewed experience of the things of God, priests

may be able to announce these things efficaciously and with joy to the men

who await them.

3. The spiritual life of priests.

Every priest will find in his very vocation and ministry the deep

motivation for living his entire life in oneness and strength of spirit. Called

like the rest of those who have been baptized to become a true image of

Christ (cf. Rom 8:29), the priest, like the Apostles, shares besides in a special

way companionship with Christ and his mission as the Supreme Pastor:

“ And he appointed twelve; they were to be his companions and to be sent

out to preach ” {Mk 3:14). Therefore in the priestly life there can be no

dichotomy between love for Christ and zeal for souls.

Just as Christ, anointed by the Holy Spirit, was impelled by his deep

love for his Father to give his life for men, so the priest, consecrated by the

Holy Spirit, and in a special way made like to Christ the Priest, dedicates him-

self to the work of the Father performed through the Son. Thus- the whole

rule for the priest’s life is expressed in the words of Jesus: “ And for their

sake I consecrate myself, that they also may be consecrated in truth
”

{Jn 17:19).

21



Following the example of Christ who was continually in prayer, and

led by the Holy Spirit in whom we cry, “ Abba, Father, ” priests should

give themselves to the contemplation of the Word of God and daily take

the opportunity to examine the events of life in the light of the Gospel, so

that having become faithful and attentive hearers of the Word they may

become true ministers of the Word. Let them be assiduous in personal

prayer, in the Liturgy of the Hours, in frequent reception of the sacrament

of penance and especially in devotion to the mystery of the Eucharist.

Even if the Eucharist should be celebrated without participation by the

faithful, it nevertheless remains the centre of the life of the entire Church

and the heart of priestly existence.

With his mind raised to heaven and sharing in the communion of saints,

the priest should very often turn to Mary the Mother of God, who received

the Word of God with perfect faith, and daily ask her for the grace of

conforming himself to her Son.

The activities of the apostolate for their part furnish an indispensable

nourishment for fostering the spiritual life of the priest: “ By assuming

the role of the Good Shepherd, they will find precisely in the pastoral exercise

of love the bond of priestly perfection which will unify their lives and activi-

ties ” (PO 14). In the exercise of his ministry the priest is enlightened

and strengthened by the action of the Church and the example of the

faithful. The renunciations imposed by the pastoral life itself help him

to acquire an ever greater sharing in Christ’s Cross and hence a purer

pastoral charity.

This same charity of priests will also cause them to adapt their spiri-

tual lives to the modes and forms of sanctification which are more suitable

and fitting for the men of their own times and culture. Desiring to be

all thing to all men, to save all (cf. 1 Cor 9: 22), the priest should be attentive

to the inspiration of the Holy Spirit in these days. Thus he will announce

the Word of God not only by human means but he will be taken as a valid

instrument by the Word himself, whose message is “ living and active

and sharper than any two-edged sword ” {Heb 4: 12).

4. Celibacy.

a) The basis for celibacy.

Celibacy for priests is in full harmony with the vocation to the apostolic

following of Christ and also with the unconditional response of the person

who is called and who undertakes pastoral service. Through celibacy, the

22



priest, following his Lord, shows in a fuller way his availability, and embark-

ing upon the way of the Cross with paschal joy he ardently desires to be

consumed in an offering which can be compared to the Eucharist.

If celibacy is lived in the spirit of the Gospel, in prayer and vigilance,

with poverty, joy, contempt of honours, and brotherly love, it is a sign

which cannot long be hidden, but which effectively proclaims Christ to

modern men also. For words today are scarcely heeded, but the witness of

a life which displays the radical character to the Gospel has the power of

exercising a strong attraction.

b) Convergence of motives.

Celibacy, as a personal option for some more important good, even a

merely natural one, can promote the full maturity and integration of the

human personality. This is all the more true in regard to celibacy under-

taken for the Kingdom of heaven, as is evident in the lives of so many saints

and of the faithful who, living the celibate life, dedicated themselves totally to

promoting human and Christian progress for the sake of God and men.

Within modern culture, in which spiritual values are to a great extent

obscured, the celibate priest indicates the presence of the Absolute God,

who invites us to be renewed in his image. Where the value of sexuality

is so exaggerated that genuine love is forgotten, celibacy for the sake of

the Kingdom of Christ calls men back to the sublimity of faithful love

and reveals the ultimate meaning of life.

Furthermore, one rightly speaks of the value of celibacy as an eschato-

logical sign. By transcending every contingent human value, the celibate

priest associates himself in a special way with Christ as the final and absolute

good and shows forth, in anticipation, the freedom of the children of God.

While the value of the sign and holiness of Christian marriage is fully

recognized, celibacy for the sake of the Kingdom nevertheless more clearly

displays that spiritual fruitfulness or generative power of the New Law by

which the apostle knows that in Christ he is the father and mother of his

communities.

From this special way of following Christ, the priest draws greater

strength and power for the building up of the Church; and this power can

be preserved and increased only by an intimate and permanent union with

Christ’s Spirit. The faithful people of God wish to see in their pastors

this union with Christ, and they are able to recognize it.

Through celibacy, priests are more easily able to serve God with un-

divided heart and spend themselves for their sheep, and as a result they

23



are able more fully to be promoters of evangelization and of the Church’s

unity. For this reason, priests, even if they are fewer in number, but are

resplendent with this outstanding witness of life, will enjoy greater apostolic

fruitfulness.

Priestly celibacy, furthermore, is not just the witness of one person alone,

but by reason of the special fellowship linking members of- the presbyterium

it also takes on a social character as the witness of the whole priestly order

enriching the People of God.

c) Celibacy to be kept in the Latin Church.

The traditions of the Eastern Churches shall remain unchanged, as

they are now in force in the various territories.

The Church has the right and duty to determine the concrete form of

the priestly ministry and therefore to select more suitable candidates,

endowed with certain human and supernatural qualities. When the Latin

Church demands celibacy as a necessary condition for the priesthood

(cf. PO 16), she does not do so out of a belief that this way of life is the

only path to attaining sanctification. She does so while carefully considering

the concrete form of exercising the ministry in the community for the

building up of the Church.

Because of the intimate and multiple coherence between the pastoral

function and a celibate life, the existing law is upheld: one who freely

wills total availability, the distinctive characteristic of this function, also

ireely undertakes a celibate life. The candidate should feel this form of

living not as having been imposed from outside, but rather as a mani-

festation of his free self-giving, which is accepted and ratified by the

Church through the bishop. In this way the law becomes a protection

and safeguard of the freedom wherewith the priest gives himself to Christ,

and it becomes “ an easy yoke ”.

d) Conditions favouring celibacy.

We know well that in the world of today particular difficulties threaten

celibacy from all sides; priests have indeed already repeatedly experienced

them in the course of the centuries. But they can overcome these difficulties

if suitable conditions are fostered, namely: growth of the interior life

through prayer, renunciation and fervent love for God and one’s neighbour

and by other aids to the spiritual life; human balance through well-ordered

integration into the fabric of social relationships; fraternal association and

companionship with other priests and with the bishop, through pastoral

24



structures better suited to this purpose and with the assistance also of the

community of the faithful.

It must be admitted that celibacy, as a gift of God, cannot be preserved

unless the candidate is adequately prepared for it. From the beginning,

candidates should give attention to the positive reasons for choosing celibacy,

without letting themselves be disturbed by objections, the accumulation and

continual pressure of which are rather a sign that the original value of

celibacy itself has been called in question. Let them also remember that the

power with which God strengthens us is always available for those who

strive to serve him faithfully and entirely.

A priest who leaves the ministry should receive just and fraternal treat-

ment; even though he can give assistance in the service of the Church, he is

not however to be admitted to the exercise of priestly activities.

e) The Law of Celibacy.

The law of priestly celibacy existing in the Latin Church is to be

kept in its entirety.^

* * *

/) The ordination of married men.

Two formulas were proposed to the vote of the Fathers;
^

Formula A: Excepting always the right of the Supreme Pontiff, the

priestly ordination of married men is not permitted, even in particular cases.

Formula B: It belongs solely to the Supreme Pontiff, in particular

cases, by reason of pastoral needs and the good of the universal Church

to allow the priestly ordination of married men, who are of mature age

and proven life.

* * *

^ Result of the vote on this proposition: Place/ 168. Non placet 10. Placet iuxta modum 21.

Abstentions 3.

^ According to the directives of the Presidents the vote was taken not by Placet or Non

placet, but by the choice of the first or second formula. The first formula, A, obtained 107 votes;

the second, B, obtained 87. There were 2 abstentions and also 2 null votes.

25



II. Priests in the communion of the Church

1. Relations between priests and bishop.

Priests will adhere more faithfully to their mission the more they know

and show themselves to be faithful to ecclesial communion. Thus the

pastoral ministry, which is exercised by bishops, priests and deacons, is an

eminent sign of this ecclesial communion, in that they have received a spe-

cial mandate to serve this communion.

But in order that this ministry may really become a sign of communion,

the actual conditions in which it is exercised must be considered to be of

the greatest importance.

The guiding principle expressed by the Second Vatican Council in the

decree Rresbyterorum Ordinis, namely that the very unity of consecration

and mission requires the hierarchical communion of priests with the order

of bishops, is considered fundamental to a practical restoration or renewal,

with full confidence, of the mutual relationship between the bishop and

the presbyterium over which the bishop presides. This principle is more

concretely to be put into practice especially by the diligence of the bishops.

The service of authority on the one hand and the exercise of not merely

passive obedience on the other should be carried out in a spirit of faith,

mutual charity, filial and friendly confidence and constant and patient dia-

logue. Thus the collaboration and responsible cooperation of priests with

the bishop will be sincere, human and at the same time supernatural (cf. LG

28; CD 15; PO 7).

Personal freedom, responding to the individual vocation and to the

charisms received from God, and also the ordered solidarity of all for the

service of the community and the good of the mission to be fulfilled are

two conditions which should shape the Church’s proper mode of pastoral

action (cf. PO 7). The guarantee of these conditions is the bishop’s author-

ity, to be exercised in a spirit of service.

The Council of Priests, which is of its nature something diocesan, is an

institutional manifestation of the brotherhood among priests which has

its basis in the sacrament of Orders.

The activity of this council cannot be fully shaped by law. Its effective-

ness depends especially on a repeated effort to listen to the opinions of all

in order to reach a consensus with the bishop, to whom it belongs to make

the final decision.

26



If this is done with the greatest sincerity and humility, and if all one-

sidedness is overcome, it will be easier to provide properly for the common

good.

The Priests’ Council is an institution in which priests recognize, at a

time when variety in the exercise of their ministry increases every day,

that they are mutually complementary in serving one and the same mis-

sion of the Church.

It is the task of this Council, among other things, to seek out clear and

distinctly defined aims, to suggest priorities, to indicate methods of acting,

to assist whatever the Spirit frequently stirs up through individuals or

groups, and to foster the spiritual life, whence the necessary unity may

more easily be attained.

New forms of hierarchical communion between bishops and priests

(cf. PO 1) must be found, to facilitate contacts between local Churches. A

search must be made for ways whereby priests may collaborate with bishops

in supra-diocesan bodies and enterprises.

The collaboration of religious priests with the bishop in the presby-

terium is necessary, though their work is of valuable assistance to the

universal Church.

2. Relations of priests with each other.

Since priests are bound together by an intimate sacramental brother-

hood and by their mission, and since they work and plan together for the

same task, some community of life or a certain association of life shall be

encouraged among them and can take various forms, including non-institu-

tional ones. This shall be allowed for by the law itself through opportune

norms and by renewed or newly-discovered pastoral structures.

Priestly associations should also be fostered which in a spirit of ecclesial

communion and being recognized by the competent ecclesiastical authority,

“ through an apt and properly approved rule of life and through brotherly

assistance ” (PO 8), seek to advance the aims which belong to their function

and “ holiness in the exercise of the ministry ” {ibid.).

It is desirable that, as far as possible, ways be sought, even if they

prove rather difficult, whereby associations which perhaps divide the clergy

into factions may be brought back to communion and to the ecclesial

structure.

There should be greater communication between religious priests and

27



diocesan priests, so that true priestly fraternity may exist between them

and that they may provide one another with mutual help, especially in

spiritual matters.

3. Relations between priests and laity.

Let priests remember “ confidently to entrust to the laity duties in the

service of the Church, allowing them freedom and room for action. In

fact, on suitable occasions, they should invite them to undertake works on

their own initiative ” (PO 9). The laity, “ likewise sharing their cares,

should help their priests by prayer and work to the extent possible, so that

their priests can more readily overcome difficulties and be able to fulfil their

duties more fruitfully ” {ibid.).

It is necessary to keep always in mind the special character of the

Church’s communion in order that personal freedom, in accordance with

the recognized duties and charisms of each person, and the unity of life

and activity of the People of God may be fittingly combined.

The pastoral council, in which specially chosen clergy, religious and lay

people take part (cf. CD 27), furnishes by its study and reflection elements

necessary for enabling the diocesan community to arrange its pastoral pro-

gramme organically and to fulfil it effectively.

In proportion as the co-responsibility of bishops and priests daily

increases (especially through priests’ councils), the more desirable it becomes

that a pastoral council be established in each diocese.

4. Economic affairs.

The economic questions of the Church cannot be adequately solved

unless they are carefully examined within the context of the communion

and mission of the People of God. All the faithful have the duty of assisting

the Church’s needs.

In treating these questions account must be taken not only of solidarity

within the local Church, diocese or religious institute, but also of the

condition of dioceses of the same region or nation, indeed of the whole

world, especially of the Churches in the so-called mission territories, and

of other poor regions.

The remuneration of priests, to be determined certainly in a spirit of

evangelical poverty, but as far as possible equitable and sufficient, is a duty

of justice and Ought to include social security. Excessive difierences in this

28



matter must be removed, especially among priests of the same diocese or

jurisdiction, account also being taken of the average condition of the people

of the region.

It seems greatly to be desired that the Christian people be gradually

instructed in such a way that priests’ incomes may be separated from the

acts of their ministry, especially sacramental ones.

CONCLUSION

To priests exercising the ministry of the Spirit (cf. 2 Cor 3:4-12) in the

midst of the communion of the entire Church, new ways are open for giving

a profoundly renewed witness in today’s world.

It is necessary therefore to look to the future with Christian confidence

and to ask the Holy Spirit that by his guidance and inspiration doors may be

opened to the Gospel, in spite of the dangers which the Church cannot over-

come by merely human means.

Having always before our eyes the Apostles, especially Peter and Paul, as

the examples for the renewal of the priesthood, we should give thanks

to God the Father that he has given us all the opportunity of manifesting

more faithfully the countenance of Christ.

Already there are true signs of a rebirth of spiritual life, while men

everywhere, amid the uncertainties of modern times, look forward to

fullness of life. This renewal certainly cannot take place without a

sharing in the Lord’s Cross, because the servant is not greater than his master

(cf. Jn 13:16). Forgetting the past let us strive for what is still to come

(cf. Phil 3:13).

With real daring we must show the world the fullness of the mystery

hidden through all ages in God so that men through their sharing in it may

be able to enter into the fullness of God (cf. Eph 3: 19).

“ We proclaim to you the eternal life which was with the Father and was

made manifest to us—that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also
to you, so that you may have fellowship with us; and our fellowship is

with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ ” (1 ]n 1:2-3).

29





JUSTICE IN THE WORLD





JUSTICE IN THE WORLD

INTRODUCTION

Gathered from the whole world, in communion with all who believe

in Christ and with the entire human family, and opening our hearts to

the Spirit who is making the whole of creation new, we have questioned

ourselves about the mission of the People of God to further justice

in the world.

Scrutinizing the “ signs of the times ” and seeking to detect the

meaning of emerging history, while at the same time sharing the

aspirations and questionings of all those who want to build a more

human world, we have listened to the Word of God that we might be

converted to the fulfilling of the divine plan for the salvation of the

world.

Even though it is not for us to elaborate a very profound analysis

of the situation of the world, we have nevertheless been able to

perceive the serious injustices which are building around the world of

men a network of domination, oppression and abuses which stifle

freedom and which keep the greater part of humanity from sharing in

the building up and enjoyment of a more just and more fraternal world.

At the same time we have noted the inmost stirring moving the

world in its depths. There are facts constituting a contribution to the

furthering of justice. In associations of men and among peoples them-

selves there is arising a new awareness which shakes them out of any

fatalistic resignation and which spurs them on to liberate themselves

and to be responsible for their own destiny. Movements among men

are seen which express hope in a better world and a will to change

whatever has become intolerable.

Listening to the cry of those who suffer violence and are oppressed

by unjust systems and structures, and hearing the appeal of a world

that by its perversity contradicts the plan of its Creator, we have

shared our awareness of the Churches vocation to be present in the

heart of the world by proclaiming the Good News to the poor,

33



freedom to the oppressed, and joy to the afflicted. The hopes and

forces which are moving the world in its very foxmdations are not

foreign to the dynamism of the Gospel, which through the power

of the Holy Spirit frees men from personal sin and from its conse-

quences in social life.

The uncertainty of history and the painful convergences in the

ascending path of the human community direct us to sacred history;

there God has revealed himself to us, and made known to us, as it is

brought progressively to realization, his plan of liberation and salvation

which is once and for all fulfilled in the Paschal Mystery of Christ.

Action on behalf of justice and participation in the transformation of

the world fully appear to us as a constitutive dimension of the preaching

of the Gospel, or, in other words, of the Church’s mission for the

redemption of the human race and its liberation from every oppressive

situation.

34



I

JUSTICE AND WORLD SOCIETY

Crisis of universal solidarity

The world in which the Church lives and acts is held captive by

a tremendous paradox. Never before have the forces working for

bringing about a unified world society appeared so powerful and

dynamic; they are rooted in the awareness of the full basic equality

as well as of the human dignity of all. Since men are members of the

same human family, they are indissolubly linked with one another

in the one destiny of the whole world, in the responsibility for which

they all share.

The new technological possibilities are based upon the unity of

science, on the global and simultaneous character of communications

and on the birth of an absolutely interdependent economic world. More-

over, men are beginning to grasp a new and more radical dimension of

unity; for they perceive that their resources, as well as the precious

treasures of air and water—without which there cannot be life

—

and the small delicate biosphere of the whole complex of all life on

earth, are not infinite, but on the contrary must be saved and preserved

as a unique patrimony belonging to all mankind.

The paradox lies in the fact that within this perspective of unity

the forces of division and antagonism seem today to be increasing in

strength. Ancient divisions between nations and empires, between

races and classes, today possess new technological instruments of destruc-

tion. The arms race is a threat to man’s highest good, which is life;

it makes poor peoples and individuals yet more miserable, while making

richer those already powerful; it creates a continuous danger of con-

flagration, and in the case of nuclear arms, it threatens to destroy all

life from the face of the earth. At the same time new divisions are

being born to separate man from his neighbour. Unless combatted

and overcome by social and political action, the influence of the new

35



industrial and technological order favours the concentration of wealth,

power and decision-making in the hands of a small public or private

controlling group. Economic injustice and lack of social participation

keep a man from attaining his basic human and civil rights.

In the last twenty-five years a hope has spread through the human

race that economic growth would bring about such a quantity of goods

that it would be possible to feed the hungry at least with the crumbs

falling from the table, but this has proved a vain hope in underdeveloped

areas and in pockets of poverty in wealthier areas, because of the rapid

growth of population and of the labour force, because of rural stagnation

and the lack of agrarian reform, and because of the massive migratory

flow to the cities, where the industries, even though endowed with

huge sums of money, nevertheless provide so few jobs that not in-

frequently one worker in four is left unemployed. These stifling

oppressions constantly give rise to great numbers of “ marginal
”

persons, ill-fed, inhumanly housed, illiterate and deprived of political

power as well as of the suitable means of acquiring responsibility and

moral dignity.

Furthermore, such is the demand for resources and energy by the

richer nations, whether capitalist or socialist, and such are the effects

of dumping by them in the atmosphere and the sea that irreparable

damage would be done to the essential elements of life on earth, such

as air and water, if their high rates of consumption and pollution,

which are constantly on the increase, were extended to the whole of

mankind.

The strong drive towards global unity, the unequal distribution

which places decisions concerning three quarters of income, investment

and trade in the hands of one third of the human race, namely the

more highly developed part, the insufficiency of a merely economic

progress, and the new recognition of the material limits of the bio-

sphere— all this makes us aware of the fact that in today’s world new
modes of understanding human dignity are arising.

The right to development

In the face of international systems of domination, the bringing

about of justice depends more and more on the determined will for

development.

36



In the developing nations and in the so-called socialist world, that

determined will asserts itself especially in a struggle for forms of claiming

one’s rights and self-expression, a struggle caused by the evolution of

the economic system itself.

This aspiring to justice asserts itself in advancing beyond the

threshold at which begins a consciousness of enhancement of personal

worth (cf. Populorum Progressio 15; A.AS. 59, 1967, p. 265) with

regard both to the whole man and the whole of mankind. This

is expressed in an awareness of the right to development. The right

to development must be seen as a dynamic interpenetration of all those

fundamental human rights upon which the aspirations of individuals

and nations are based.

This desire however will not satisfy the expectations of our time

if it ignores the objective obstacles which social structures place in the

way of conversion of hearts, or even of the realization of the ideal of

charity. It demands on the contrary that the general condition of

being marginal in society be overcome, so that an end will be put to

the systematic barriers and vicious circles which oppose the collective

advance towards enjoyment of adequate remuneration of the factors

of production, and which strengthen the situation of discrimination with

regard to access to opportunities and collective services from which

a great part of the people are now excluded. If the developing nations

and regions do not attain liberation through development, there is a

real danger that the conditions of life created especially by colonial

domination may evolve into a new form of colonialism in which the

developing nations will be the victims of the interplay of international

economic forces. That right to development is above all a right to

hope according to the concrete measure of contemporary humanity.

To respond to such a hope, the concept of evolution must be purified

of those myths and false convictions which have up to now gone with a

thought-pattern subject to a kind of deterministic and automatic notion

of progress.

By taking their future into their own hands through a deter-

mined will for progress, the developing peoples—even if they do not
achieve the final goal—^will authenticaly manifest their own person-
alization. And in order that they may cope with the unequal relation-

ships within the present world complex, a certain responsible nation-

alism gives them the impetus needed to acquire an identity of their

37



own. From this basic self-determination can come attempts at putting

together new political groupings allowing full development to these

peoples; there can also come measures necessary for overcoming the

inertia which could render fruitless such an effort—as in some cases
population pressure; there can also come new sacrifices which the

growth of planning demands of a generation which wants to build

its own future.

On the other hand, it is impossible to conceive true progress

without recognizing the necessity—within the political system chosen

—

of a development composed both of economic growth and participation;

and the necessity too of an increase in wealth implying as well social

progress by the entire community as it overcomes regional imbalance

and islands of prosperity. Participation constitutes a right which is to

be applied both in the economic and in the social and political field.

While we again affirm the right of people to keep their own

identity, we see ever more clearly that the fight against a modernization

destructive of the proper characteristics of nations remains quite

ineffective as long as it appeals only to sacred historical customs and

venerable ways of life. If modernization is accepted with the intention

that it serve the good of the nation, men will be able to create a culture

which will constitute a true heritage of their own in the manner of a

true social memory, one which is active and formative of authentic

creative personality in the assembly of nations.

Voiceless injustices

We see in the world a set of injustices which constitute the nucleus

of today’s problems and whose solution requires the undertaking of

tasks and functions in every sector of society, and even on the level

of the global society towards which we are speeding in this last quarter

of the twentieth century. Therefore we must be prepared to take

on new functions and new duties in every sector of human activity and

especially in the sector of world society, if justice is really to be put

into practice. Our action is to be directed above all at those men and

nations which because of various forms of oppression and because of

the present character of our society are silent, indeed voiceless, victims

of injustice.

Take, for example, the case of migrants. They are often forced to

leave their own country to find work, but frequently find the doors

38



closed in their faces because of discriminatory attitudes, or, if they can

enter, they are often obliged to lead an insecure life or are treated in

an inhuman manner. The same is true of groups that are less well off

on the social ladder such as workers and especially farm workers who

play a very great part in the process of development.

To be especially lamented is the condition of so many millions

of refugees, and of every group or people suffering persecution—some-
times in institutionalized form—for racial or ethnic origin or on tribal
grounds. This persecution on tribal grounds can at times take on the

characteristics of genocide.

In many areas justice is seriously injured with regard to people

who are suffering persecution for their faith, or who are in many ways

being ceaselessly subjected by political parties and public authorities

to an action of oppressive atheization, or who are deprived of religious

liberty either by being kept from honouring God in public worship,

or by being prevented from publicly teaching and spreading their faith,

or by being prohibited from conducting their temporal affairs according

to the principles of their religion.

Justice is also being violated by forms of oppression, both old and

new, springing from restriction of the rights of individuals. This is

occurring both in the form of repression by the political power and

of violence on the part of private reaction, and can reach the extreme of

affecting the basic conditions of personal integrity. There are well

known cases of torture, especially of political prisoners, who besides are

frequently denied due process or who are subjected to arbitrary proce-

dures in their trial. Nor can we pass over the prisoners of war who even

after the Geneva Convention are being treated in an inhuman manner.

The fight against legalized abortion and against the imposition of

contraceptives and the pressures exerted against war are significant

forms of defending the right to life.

Furthermore, contemporary consciousness demands truth in the

communications systems, including the right to the image offered by

the media and the opportunity to correct its manipulation. It must be

stressed that the right, especially that of children and the young, to

education and to morally correct conditions of life and communications

media is once again being threatened in our days. The activity of families

in social life is rarely and insufficiently recognized by State institutions.

39



Nor should we forget the growing number of persons who are often

abandoned by their families and by the community: the old, orphans,

the sick and all kinds of people who are rejected.

The need for dialogue

To obtain true unity of purpose, as is demanded by the world

society of men, a mediatory role is essential to overcome day by day

the opposition, obstacles and ingrained privileges which are to be met

with in the advance towards a more human society.

But effective mediation involves the creation of a lasting atmosphere

of dialogue. A contribution to the progressive realization of this can

be made by men unhampered by geo-political, ideological or socio-

economic conditions or by the generation gap. To restore the meaning

of life by adherence to authentic values, the participation and witness

of the rising generation of youth is as necessary as communication

among peoples.

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II

THE GOSPEL MESSAGE AND THE MISSION OF THE CHURCH

In the face of the present-day situation of the world, marked as it

is by the grave sin of injustice, we recognize both our responsibility

and our inability to overcome it by our own strength. Such a situation

urges us to listen with a humble and open heart to the word of God,

as he shows us new paths towards action in the cause of justice in the

world.

The saving Justice of god through Christ

In the Old Testament God reveals himself to us as the liberator of

the oppressed and the defender of the poor, demanding from man faith

in him and justice towards man’s neighbour. It is only in the obser-

vance of the duties of justice that God is truly recognized as the liberator

of the oppressed.

By his action and teaching Christ united in an indivisibile way the

relationship of man to God and the relationship of man to other men.

Christ lived his life in the world as a total giving of himself to God

for the salvation and liberation of men. In his preaching he proclaimed

the fatherhood of God towards all men and the intervention of God’s

justice on behalf of the needy and the oppressed {Lk 6:21-23). In this

way he identified himself with his “ least brethren ”, as he stated:

“ As you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it

to me ” (Mt 25:40).

From the beginning the Church has lived and understood the Death

and Resurrection of Christ as a call by God to conversion in the faith

of Christ and in fraternal love, perfected in mutual help even to the

point of a volimtary sharing of material goods.

Faith in Christ, the Son of God and the Redeemer, and love of

neighbour constitute a fundamental theme of the writers of the New

Testament. According to St. Paul, the whole of the Christian life is

summed up in faith effecting that love and service of neighbour which

involve the fulfilment of the demands of justice. The Christian lives

41



under the interior law of liberty, which is a permanent call to man to

turn away from self-sufficiency to confidence in God and from concern

for self to a sincere love of neighbour. Thus takes place his genuine

liberation and the gift of himself for the freedom of others.

According to the Christian message, therefore, man’s relationship

to his neighbour is bound up with his relationship to God; his response

to the love of God, saving us through Christ, is shown to be effective

in his love and service of men. Christian love of neighbour and justice

cannot be separated. For love implies an absolute demand for justice,

namely a recognition of the dignity and rights of one’s neighbour.

Justice attains its inner fullness only in love. Because every man is

truly a visible image of the invisible God and a brother of Christ, the

Christian finds in every man God himself and God’s absolute demand

for justice and love.

The present situation of the world, seen in the light of faith, calls

us back to the very essence of the Christian message, creating in us a

deep awareness of its true meaning and of its urgent demands. The

mission of preaching the Gospel dictates at the present time that we

should dedicate ourselves to the liberation of man even in his present

existence in this world. For unless the Christian message of love and

justice shows its effectiveness through action in the cause of justice

in the world, it will only with difficulty gain credibility with the men

of our times.

The mission of the Church, Hierarchy and Christians

The Church has received from Christ the mission of preaching the

Gospel message, which contains a call to man to turn away from sin

to the love of the Father, universal brotherhood and a consequent

demand for justice in the world. This is the reason why the Church

has the right, indeed the duty, to proclaim justice on the social, na-

tional and international level, and to denounce instances of injustice,

when the fundamental rights of man and his very salvation demand it.

The Church, indeed, is not alone responsible for justice in the world;

however, she has a proper and specific responsibility which is identified

with her mission of giving witness before the world of the need for

love and justice contained in the Gospel message, a witness to be

carried out in Church institutions themselves and in the lives of

Christians.

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Of itself it does not belong to the Church, insofar as she is a religious

and hierarchical community, to offer concrete solutions in the social,

economic and political spheres for justice in the world. Her mission

involves defending and promoting the dignity and fundamental rights

of the human person.

The members of the Church, as members of society, have the

same right and duty to promote the common good as do other cit-

izens. Christians ought to fulfil their temporal obligations with

fidelity and competence. They should act as a leaven in the world, in

their family, professional, social, cultural and political life. They must

accept their responsibilities in this entire area under the influence of the

Gospel and the teaching of the Church. In this way they testify to

the power of the Holy Spirit through their action in the service of men

in those things which are decisive for the existence and the future of

humanity. While in such activities they generally act on their own

initiative without involving the responsibility of the ecclesiastical hier-

archy, in a sense they do involve the responsibility of the Church

whose members they are.

43



Ill

THE PRACTICE OF JUSTICE

The Church’s witness

Many Christians are drawn to give authentic witness on behalf of

justice by various modes of action for justice, action inspired by love

in accordance with the grace which they have received from God.

For some of them, this action finds its place in the sphere of social and

political conflicts in which Christians bear witness to the Gospel by

pointing out that in history there are sources of progress other than

conflict, namely love and right. This priority of love in history draws

other Christians to prefer the way of non-violent action and work in

the area of public opinion.

While the Church is bound to give witness to justice, she recognizes

that anyone who ventures to speak to people about justice must first

be just in their eyes. Hence we must undertake an examination of the

modes of acting and of the possessions and life style found within the

Church herself.

Within the Church rights must be preserved. No one should be

deprived of his ordinary rights because he is associated with the Church

in one way or another. Those who serve the Church by their labour,

including priests and religious, should receive a sufficient livelihood

and enjoy that social security which is customary in their tegion. Lay

people should be given fair wages and a system for promotion. We

reiterate the recommendations that lay people should exercise more

important functions with regard to Church property and should share

in its administration.

We also urge that women should have their own share of responsi-

bility and participation in the community life of society and likewise

of the Church.

We propose that this matter be subjected to a serious study employ-

ing adequate means: for instance, a mixed commission of men and

women, religious and lay people, of diflering situations and competence.

44



The Church recognizes everyone’s right to suitable freedom of

expression and thought. This includes the right of everyone to be

heard in a spirit of dialogue which preserves a legitimate diversity

within the Church.

The form of judicial procedure should give the accused the right

to know his accusers and also the right to a proper defence. To be com-

plete, justice should include speed in its procedure. This is especially

necessary in marriage cases.

Finally, the members of the Church should have some share in

the drawing up of decisions, in accordance with the rules given by the

Second Vatican Ecumenical Council and the Holy See, for instance

with regard to the setting up of councils at all levels.

In regard to temporal possessions, whatever be their use, it must

never happen that the evangelical witness which the Church is required

to give becomes ambiguous. The preservation of certain positions of

privilege must constantly be submitted to the test of this principle.

Although in general it is difficult to draw a line between what is needed

for right use and what is demanded by prophetic witness, we must

certainly keep firmly to this principle: our faith demands of us a

certain sparingness in use, and the Church is obliged to live and admini-

ster its own goods in such a way that the Gospel is proclaimed to the

poor. If instead the Church appears to be among the rich and the

powerful of this world its credibility is diminished.

Our examination of conscience now comes to the life style of all:

bishops, priests, religious and lay people. In the case of needy peoples

it must be asked whether belonging to the Church places people on

a rich island within an ambient of poverty. In societies enjoying a

higher level of consumer spending, it must be asked whether our life

style exemplifies that sparingness with regard to consumption which

we preach to others as necessary in order that so many millions of

hungry people throughout the world may be fed.

Educating to justice

Christians’ specific contribution to justice is the day-to-day life of

the individual believer acting like the leaven of the Gospel in his

family, his school, his work and his social and civic life. Included

with this are the perspectives and meaning which the faithful can give

to human effort. Accordingly, educational method must be such as to

45



teach men to live their lives in its entire reality and in accord with the

evangelical principles of personal and social morality which are expressed

in the vital Christian witness of one’s life.

The obstacles to the progress which we wish for ourselves and for

mankind are obvious. The method of education very frequently still

in use today encourages narrow individualism. Part of the human

family lives immersed in a mentality which exalts possessions. The

school and the communications media, which are often obstructed by

the established order, allow the formation only of the man desired by

that order, that is to say, man in its image, not a new man but a

copy of man as he is.

But education demands a renewal of heart, a renewal based on the

recognition of sin in its individual and social manifestations. It will

also inculcate a truly and entirely human way of life in justice, love

and simplicity. It will likewise awaken a critical sense, which will lead

us to reflect on the society in which we live and on its values; it will

make men ready to renounce these values when they cease to promote

justice for all men. In the developing countries, the principal aim of

this education for justice consists in an attempt to awaken consciences

to a knowledge of the concrete situation and in a call to secure a total

improvement; by these means the transformation of the world has

already begun.

Since this education makes men decidedly more human, it will help

them to be no longer the object of manipulation by communications

media or political forces. It will instead enable them to take in hand

their own destinies and bring about communities which are truly human.

Accordingly, this education is deservedly called a continuing edu-

cation, for it concerns every person and every age. It is also a practical

education: it comes through action, participation and vital contact

with the reality of injustice.

Education for justice is imparted first in the family. We are well

aware that not only Church institutions but also other schools, trade

unions and political parties are collaborating in this.

The content of this education necessarily involves respect for the

person and for his dignity. Since it is world justice which is in question

here, the unity of the human family within which, according to God’s

plan, a human being is born must first of all be seriously affirmed.

Christians find a sign of this solidarity in the fact that all human beings

are destined to become in Christ sharers in the divine nature.

46



The basic principles whereby the influence of the Gospel has made

itself felt in contemporary social life are to be found in the body of

teaching set out in a gradual and timely way from the encyclical Rerum

Novarum to the letter Octogesima Adveniens. As never before, the

Church has, through the Second Vatican Council’s constitution Gau-

dium et Spes, better understood the situation in the modern world,

in which the Christian works out his salvation by deeds of justice.

Pacem in Terris gave us an authentic charter of human rights. In Mater

et Magistra international justice begins to take first place; it finds more

elaborate expression in Populorum Progressio, in the form of a true

and suitable treatise on the right to development, and in Octogesima

Adveniens is found a summary of guidelines for political action.

Like the apostle Paul, we insist, welcome or unwelcome, that the

Word of God should be present in the centre of human situations.

Our interventions are intended to be an expression of that faith which

is today binding on our lives and on the lives of the faithful. We all

desire that these interventions should always be in conformity with

circumstances of place and time. Our mission demands that we should

courageously denounce injustice, with charity, prudence and firmness,

in sincere dialogue with all parties concerned. We know that our

denunciations can secure assent to the extent that they are an expression

of our lives and are manifested in continuous action.

The liturgy, which we preside over and which is the heart of the

Church’s life, can greatly serve education for justice. For it is a

thanksgiving to the Father in Christ, which through its communitarian

form places before our eyes the bonds of our brotherhood and again

and again reminds us of the Church’s mission. The liturgy of the

word, catechesis and the celebration of the sacraments have the power

to help us to discover the teaching of the prophets, the Lord and the

Apostles on the subject of justice. The preparation for baptism is

the beginning of the formation of the Christian conscience. The

practice of penance should emphasize the social dimension of sin and

of the sacrament. Finally, the Eucharist forms the community and

places it at the service of men.

Cooperation between local Churches

That the Church may really be the sign of that solidarity which

the family of nations desires, it should show in its own life greater

47



cooperation between the Churches of rich and poor regions through

spiritual communion and division of human and material resources.

The present generous arrangements for assistance between Churches

could be made more effective by real coordination (Sacred Congregation

for the Evangelization of Peoples and the Pontifical Council “ Cor

Unum through their overall view in regard to the common adminis-

tration of the gifts of God, and through fraternal solidarity, which

would always encourage autonomy and responsibility on the part of

the beneficiaries in the determination of criteria and the choice of

concrete programmes and their realization.

This planning must in no way be restricted to economic pro-

grammes; it should instead stimulate activities capable of developing that

human and spiritual formation which will serve as the leaven needed

for the integral development of the human being.

Ecumenical Collaboration

Well aware of what has already been done in this field, together

with the Second Vatican Ecumenical Council we very highly commend

cooperation with our separated Christian brethren for the promotion

of justice in the world, for bringing about development of peoples

and for establishing peace. This cooperation concerns first and fore-

most activities for securing human dignity and man’s fundamental

rights, especially the right to religious liberty. This is the source of

our common efforts against discrimination on the grounds of differences

of religion, race and colour, culture and the like. Collaboration

extends also to the study of the teaching of the Gospel insofar as it is

the source of inspiration for all Christian activity. Let the Secretariat

for Promoting Christian Unity and the Pontifical Commission Justice

and Peace devote themselves in common counsel to developing effective-

ly this ecumenical collaboration.

In the same spirit we likewise commend collaboration with all

believers in God in the fostering of social justice, peace and freedom;

indeed we commend collaboration also with those who, even though

they do not recognize the Author of the world, nevertheless, in their

esteem for human values, seek justice sincerely and by honourable

means.

48



International action

Since the Synod is of a universal character, it is dealing with

those questions of justice which directly concern the entire human

family. Hence, recognizing the importance of international cooperation

for social and economic development, we praise above all else the

inestimable work which has been done among the poorer peoples by

the local Churches, the missionaries and the organizations supporting

them; and we intend to foster those initiatives and institutions which

are working for peace, international justice and the development of

man. We therefore urge Catholics to consider well the following

propositions:

1. Let recognition be given to the fact that international order is

rooted in the inalienable rights and dignity of the human being. Let

the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights be ratified by all

Governments who have not yet adhered to it, and let it be fully ob-

served by aU.

2. Let the United Nations - which because of its unique purpose

should promote participation by all nations - and international or-

ganizations be supported insofar as they are the beginning of a system

capable of restraining the armaments race, discouraging trade in weapons,

securing disarmament and settling conflicts by peaceful methods of

legal action, arbitration and international police action. It is abso-

lutely necessary that international conflicts should not be settled by

war, but that other methods better befitting human nature should be

found. Let a strategy of non-violence be fostered also, and let con-

scientious objection be recognized and regulated by law in each nation.

3. Let the aims of the Second Development Decade be fostered.

These include the transfer of a precise percentage of the annual

income of the richer countries to the developing nations, fairer prices

for raw materials, the opening of the markets of the richer nations

and, in some fields, preferential treatment for exports of manufactured

goods from the developing nations. These aims represent first guide-

lines for a graduated taxation of income as well as for an economic

and social plan for the entire world. We grieve whenever richer

nations turn their backs on this ideal goal of worldwide sharing and

responsibility. We hope that no such weakening of international soli-

49



darity will take away their force from the trade discussions being

prepared by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Develop-

ment (UNCTAD).

4. The concentration of power which consists in almost total

domination of economics, research, investment, freight charges, sea

transport and securities should be progressively balanced by institu-

tional arrangements for strengthening power and opportunities with

regard to responsible decision by the developing nations and by full

and equal participation in international organizations concerned with

development. Their recent de facto exclusion from discussions on

world trade and also the monetary arrangements which vitally affect

their destiny are an example of lack of power which is inadmissible

in a just and responsible world order.

5. Although we recognize that international agencies can be

perfected and strengthened, as can any human instrument, we stress

also the importance of the specialized agencies of the United Nations,

in particular those directly concerned with the immediate and more

acute questions of world poverty in the field of agrarian reform and

agricultural development, health, education, employment, housing, and

rapidly increasing urbanization. We feel we must point out in a

special way the need for some fund to provide sufficient food and

protein for the real mental and physical development of children. In

the face of the population explosion we repeat the words by which

Pope Paul VI defined the functions of public authority in his encyclical

Populorum Progressio: “ There is no doubt that public authorities

can intervene, within the limit of their competence, by favouring the

availability of appropriate information and by adopting suitable mea-

sures, provided that these be in conformity with the moral law and

that they absolutely respect the rightful freedom of married couples
”

(37; A.A.S. 59, 1967, p. 276).

6. Let governments continue with their individual contributions

to a development fund, but let them also look for a way whereby most

of their endeavours may follow multilateral channels, fully preserving

the responsibility of the developing nations, which must be associated

in decision-making concerning priorities and investments.

7. We consider that we must also stress the new worldwide

preoccupation which will be dealt with for the first time in the con-

50



ference on the human environment to be held in Stockholm in June

1972. It is impossible to see what right the richer nations have to

keep up their claim to increase their own material demands, if the

consequence is either that others remain in misery or that the danger

of destroying the very physical foundations of life on earth is preci-

pitated. Those who are already rich are bound to accept a less

material way of life, with less waste, in order to avoid the destruction

of the heritage which they are obliged by absolute justice to share with

all other members of the human race.

8. In order that the right to development may be fulfilled by

action:

a) people should not be hindered from attaining development

in accordance with their own culture;

h) through mutual cooperation, all peoples should be able

to become the principal architects of their own economic and social

development;

c) every people, as active and responsible members of human

society, should be able to cooperate for the attainment of the common

good on an equal footing with other peoples.

Recommendations of the Synod

The examination of conscience which we have made together,

regarding the Church’s involvement in action for justice, will remain

ineffective if it is not given flesh in the life of our local Churches at

all their levels. We also ask the episcopal conferences to continue to

pursue the perspectives which we have had in view during the days

of this meeting and to put our recommendations into practice, for

instance by setting up centres of social and theological research.

We also ask that there be recommended to the Pontifical Commis-

sion Justice and Peace, the Council of the Secretariat of the Synod

and to competent authorities, the description, consideration and deeper

study of the wishes and desires of our assembly, and that these bodies

should bring to a successful conclusion what we have begun.

51



IV

A WORD OF HOPE

The power of the Spirit, who raised Christ from the dead, is contin-

uously at work in the world. Through the generous sons and daughters

of the Church likewise, the People of God is present in the midst of

the poor and of those who suffer oppression and persecution; it lives

in its own flesh and its own heart the Passion of Christ and bears

witness to his resurrection.

The entire creation has been groaning till now in an act of giving

birth, as it waits for the glory of the children of God to be revealed

(cf. Rom 8:22). Let Christians therefore be convinced that they will

yet find the fruits of their own nature and effort cleansed of all impurities

in the new earth which God is now preparing for them, and in which

there will be the kingdom of justice and love, a kingdom which will be

fully perfected when the Lord will come himself.

Hope in the coming kingdom is already beginning to take root in

the hearts of men. The radical transformation of the world in the

Paschal Mystery of the Lord gives full meaning to the efforts of men,

and in particular of the young, to lessen injustice, violence and hatred

and to advance all together in justice, freedom, brotherhood and love.

At the same time as it proclaims the Gospel of the Lord, its

Redeemer and Saviour, the Church calls on all, especially the poor, the

oppressed and the afilicted, to cooperate with God to bring about

liberation from every sin and to build a world which will reach the

fullness of creation only when it becomes the work of man for man.

52





1972

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