Cardinal Martini and Don Verzé: the confusion is so great

Cardinal Martini above a particular "ecumenical" and Don Verzé "prophetic"

Let's go back (after the post-June 5 ) to some reflection on the book that marks the reconciliation - apparently not just editorial - from the card. Martini and Don Verzè. The following article, taken from the more intriguing (in a good way!) " Padre Pio's Weekly "of the Franciscans of the Immaculate , returns to the subject with the firm and clear tones of Father Alphonse M. Bruno.

WE ARE ALL IN THE SAME BOAT

Father Alphonse M. Bruno, FI

It is an opinion piece on the new book by Martini-Verzé has resurfaced with illusions and moral and doctrinal confusion. Taking advantage of the Areopagus of social networks the aim is to give back to a public debate that once might be only the prerogative of the dictators of relativism.

We are all in the same boat is the title of a booklet of 92 pages in which the card. Carlo Maria Martini and Don Luigi Verzé interact by sliding the "basket" of their thinking on the product pus from the wounds of our society. I wanted to get hold of this book and read it in one breath, sipping the full charge of the sleep-inducing déjà vu and déjà entendu (the already seen and heard) the progressive Catholic. Despite the rhetoric of the two found wandering navigators, the book has the demerit of being boring, and the merit of being small enough to take a little boredom.

At one time, to exchange ideas, opinions and ideas was the town square. Perhaps in the cafes of yesteryear, frequented by bourgeois intellectuals, he would have talked about this book as advertised. In the last decade, in which social meeting space went from real to virtual, the square and the bars have become the social networking tool internet.La What intrigued me and I wanted to sail the "basket" of My critical to the ports and the squares of the blogs, read the post. I wanted to, then, analyze the reception of printing this book and then again the reactions of the traditionalists and the modernists because we're in the culture of polarization, reductive and misleading as a service to the truth, when you deal with matters related to faith and morality.

In the Company of anchormen card. Martini is now associated with all the progressive opening of the Catholic world, it was almost an icon. The book in question, "the devil's advocate" is Don Verzé with provocative questions and reflections to the Cardinal tries to clear the charge of relativism (p. 14). Don Luigi Verzé offered the chair at the University "St. Raphael" of which he is rector of people like Vito Mancuso, a former priest "contraception", Salvatore Natoli denier and supporter of the Eternal Life of neo paganism, Emanuele Severino defender of man " supergod "and co-eternity of creation to God, and Edoardo Boncinelli, militant-Darwinian evolution.

The weak thought is present in the book with a scheme to which we are already accustomed to: the ethos of the burning issues with summoning, the pathos of those who suffer for their own moral disorders, and the logos with a conciliatory conclusion, the invitation to find a solution, but without any statement of position (pp. 53 to 57). Popular writers, faithful to tradition, such as gnocchi and Palmaro write: "The average Catholic can not ignore that if the Pope decides on a theme, just check Cardinal Martini in a counterpoint. The Pope wrote a book about Jesus? He would have done better. The Pope liberalizing the Latin Mass? He would not have given rise to pernicious nostalgia. The Pope reaffirms the primacy of Peter? He appeals to collegiality. The Pope notes the slips of the Vatican? He calls the Vatican III "(the Free 20/5/09 p. 37).

With the progress, however, this book will not make the service much. He lacks ideological soul, a port of arrival where to moor the boat while it is surely that of Peter. To ensure sales and interest in the book, that is profit, the operation is the use of marketing with the help of the press. The frame of the warheads lends itself to the cause of large (commercial) back to the question "cooked and eaten," the divorced and remarried and priests from marrying (then hope that divorzino!, Ed) praising the retired archbishop of Milan, the "customs clearance ".

Cardinal says. Martini on priestly celibacy: "It's a delicate question. I believe that celibacy is a great value, which will always remain in the Church: Gospel is a great sign (ethos, ed.) Not that it is necessary to impose it at all, and already in the Eastern Catholic Churches are not required all the priests (pathos, ed.) I see that some bishops propose to give the ministerial priesthood to married men who already have some experience and maturity (viri probati). It would not, however, should be responsible of a parish, to avoid further growth of clericalism. It seems to me much more appropriate to make these priests linked to the parish as a group which operates in rotation. It is however a serious problem (logos, ed) "(p. 56).

The BBC comes to the fruit with the letters to the Editors of TV hosts Pippo Baudo and Gerry Scotti. The two negative values ​​represent Italy in the paradigm of easy money and who wants to approach the Blessed Sacrament as married or divorced partner. Pippo Baudo writes the "Dear Director" Ferruccio De Bortoli, "The opening of the card. Martinis for divorced, can not but welcome surprise. And if the Church decides to take on this instance would be a big step forward for those who, like me, have lived "in sin" according to the canonical code, but remained in their underwear believers and practitioners [...]».
I remember that shortly before his death, Alberto Sordi was a guest in an episode of "Sunday in". When the Roman actor resumed his famous statement: "I am a believer, a devout Catholic. I go to Mass on Sundays. I do Communion, "Pippo Baudo mocked him. How to privacy Pippo Baudo, civilly married for eighteen years with the Italian opera singer Katia Ricciarelli and distinct from her in 2004, had two children (not her): Alexander, had by Mirella Adinolfi in 1963 and recognized only by the presenter in 1996 following a legal matter, and Tiziana, now his secretary and assistant, founded in 1970 by his marriage to Angela Lippi. Between the two marriages Pippo Baudo has had a long relationship with Alida Chelli, former wife of Walter Chiari. His problem, therefore, is not the "canonical code."

Gerry Scotti, however, writes: "Dear Editor, I am a divorced man in my position and waited for the progressive Catholic Church had ruled on the issue of the sacraments to those who have a marriage behind. I guarantee that this second kind of original sin must feel that divorce is a burden on him. And if you attend a community, you get to take communion in the ashamed [...] For many reasons, including confidentiality, are not so present in the church. I recently happened to a funeral and a confirmation, that does not concern me directly [if the funeral had been about the "directly" we hardly could tell him now ... editor's note]: taking the Eucharist, however, I wanted to show that attending deeply. And then if I was wrong once, and the good Lord has forgiven me, I can not risk mistakes again. "

I just want to point out that the presenter has never been married in church, even though it is currently a second companion, and that nothing would prevent him from then to approach the sacrament of marriage, contrary to the Eucharist received in sacrilege - as he puts it - "not mistakes again. "

It would be very desirable in the next book, Archbishop Emeritus of Milan, some knowledge in pill form (hopefully not the legitimate birth control!) [Father, do not suggest, there is no need ... ed] on the Commandments, the Sacraments, devotion to Our Lady ("the golden mean ... ': cf p. 91) and prayers to help people like Gerry Scotti who goes to Mass at the funeral [which do not directly riguardanoi ed] Confirmations or Pippo Baudo and that there should be at the wedding of his daughter, both of regret not being able to receive Communion, because it really claim to be "practicing Catholics" and I'm so convinced that we "almost" we believe.

It is on blog posts, however, that reveals the true soul of the common people, those Italians moved by a healthy fidelium sensus that martini or other interested very little. One internet user writes on Twitter: "I too like many others, in almost twenty years of marriage I have thought many times of divorce. I did not because I have always believed that the promise exchanged on their wedding day was sacred, not a deal any, any contract. Many friends and acquaintances rather have quietly divorced when they felt like it, maybe even several times (and of course they go to Mass and Communion, because I have never seen a priest refuse communion). What will they say to the poor Verzé Don Martini and fes (...) who have believed and that in spite of difficulties and sacrifices have opted for the most difficult choice, that is not to divorce? They will tell you: Well, you could just get a divorce is the same time? ".
A phrase that stuck with me in the book is that of Don Calabria, of which he was Secretary Don Verzé own: "I hear Jesus crying my Church, my Church" (p. 9). This convinces me that, contrary to what is written on the back cover of We're in the same boat, those thoughts will never be a real hope for mankind in the future. The two pilots have strayed off course.

Better read Dante: "And here is come to us for ship / old, white haired old, / crying:" Woe to you depraved souls! / Not Isperia never see the sky, / i 'I come to menarvi to the other bank / w and eternal darkness, and in hot' n cold '"(Inferno, Canto III).

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