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Letter from Brazil

 

Greeting to all the brothers of the Jesus Caritas Priests Fraternity, from all the 34 delegates from 22 countries at the 9^th General Assembly in Sao Paulo, Brazil from 7^th -22^nd November 2006 on the theme; “Re-invent with the strength of the Spirit in our cultures and churches the witness of Brother Charles”.

 

Away from the bustling city we are able to savor the quiet and cool ambiance of the “Green Pastures” of Santa Fe Pastoral Centre. Here we are drawing from the wellspring of our being brothers in Jesus of Nazareth, from the witness of Blessed Brother Charles and from the variety of our different backgrounds of church, of culture and nationality.

 

There is so much to receive from each others` presence, from each others` presentation and each others` participation. Openness and attentive listening to the reports and testimonies of our brothers challenge us all to question and review our own lives and ministry as priests facing the griefs and hopes of our people.

 

We have experienced fraternity in ways that are familiar to you throughout the fraternity. The daily adoration and celebration of the Eucharist, the desert day and the sharing the Word of God read in the scriptures and in the stories and experiences of each others life. Differences of language, race, culture and age have been the occasion for new insight, wonder and respect for each other.

 

Brazil has opened its heart to us and has in turn helped to open our hearts and minds and (with the help of some Samba) our bodies too. The welcome and hospitality here has been overwhelming. Fraternity priest of Brazil and the lay staff have constantly and tirelessly accompanied us. The parishes and communities whose lives we have shared at the weekend allowed us to experience life in abundance and generosity. Celebrations of faith have been joyous, exuberant yet humble expressions of an irrepressible faith which is liberating and spontaneous.

 

Brazil, the whole of Latin America and the Caribbean holds on to the “Cry of the Poor”, which calls out for solidarity in order to challenge and help to change the institutions of economy and politics as well as of religion that crush and deface the earth and the children of God.  This witness of our brothers and sisters striving to be present to and journey with their ecclesial communities is as firm as the FIAT of Mary of Nazareth, Our Lady of Aparecida.

 

We have been privileged to see examples of the Church’s witness to the call of the Gospel to be with the poor. We have heard from Latin American Theologians, local and missionary priests and the Little Sisters of Jesus of the response of the Church to the Gospel call to fraternal living with those whom the world considers least and yet who have so much to teach us.

 

Europe and North America is blessed with material prosperity. Along with it flourish relativism and pluralism. Congregations decline, aging clergy with slim percentage of younger vocations and the humiliating scandals cast a shadow of concern. However in many places groups of young people and adults are searching for the Transcendent. The challenge to live in dialogue with migrants is a strong call of The Good Samaritan today to offer relief and hospitality. As with Brother Charles, there is so much to learn in the encounter with Islam which has now come to our doorstep.

 

We perceive in our countries a great hunger for relationship, for friendship, for true fraternity but are witnesses to a great tragedy. There is material deprivation of millions of people in many parts of the world while in other parts there is a profound spiritual impoverishment.  Both undermine basic human relationships of trust, openness and dignity. The hunger for acceptance and love, so frequently unmet, is reflected in the rising tide of abortion, suicide and violence and other forms of deviant behavior. Meanwhile the poor and the vulnerable are pushed to the margins and like so many here in Brazil. Some are forced to live in subhuman conditions which make life almost unbearable.

 

The influx of migrants now affects most of our countries. Genuine relationship and fraternity is often precarious due to mutual distrust. The spread of Islam in many of our countries is perceived as a challenge to established religions. Dialogue and understanding becomes a formidable task. In many of our countries the catholic population is ageing and in decline. Evangelical churches are on the rise with their creative spirit and invite us into ecumenical collaboration. Something of the spirit of the Second Vatican Council has been smothered. Is this because of fear of an uncertain future and a lack of faith in the presence of the Holy Spirit? At the same time the burdens on priests grows heavier. Are we trying to take on the messianic task of solving the problems of the world or rather withdrawing to become “sacristy priests”, overwhelmed and disillusioned?

 

Our lives in the fraternity of priests is like the experience of the disciples on the road to Emmaus; we may be sharing our struggles but we notice also the fire burning within our hearts. This we have experienced here in Sao Paulo. Jesus of Nazareth, the God who has pitched his tent among his people has offered himself up to death and is risen and walks with us, concealed yet consoling. Brother Charles was amazed at this God whom he had set aside in his younger years and had come to befriend in his midlife confusion and desolation. His search for the last place reveals to us a gracious God bending down to love and unite all his creatures.

 

In the silence of our Adoration and the breaking of bread in the Eucharist we draw life from the immense love and fraternity of God, the Absolute. Here we see all our brothers and sisters as the beloved of God.

Our experience of life in the Fraternity has brought us mutual affirmation and support among our brother priests. But beyond the crossroads of contradictions within ourselves and the wider world, we are invited and challenged to take the road less traveled; the way of Jesus of Nazareth; the way of Brother Charles; the way of the Poor. At this Assembly we are called to fraternity, to be brothers, to walk with the weary and the wounded, with those broken and betrayed by the empty promise of wealth and power. We must be present among them. Though they may live in great deprivation, they keep alive the hope of redemption in the bits and pieces of daily life.

 

In 2007 the bishops of Latin America and the Caribbean will meet in Aparecida in Brazil to relive and revive the spirit of Vatican II and the later conferences of Medellin and Puebla. We join in this pilgrimage of hope for a new dawn for the Church and the Poor in Latin America and indeed for the whole church. It was a joy for us to have visited and prayed together in this Sanctuary during one of the weekends of the Assembly. There we also met members of the Lay Fraternity.

 

We have looked at the need to renew our own roots in fraternity life and the gospel. The beatification of Brother Charles in 2005 has opened his spirituality to the whole church. It invites us to answer the question; do we want to follow the way of Brother Charles in our priestly lives?  We need to promote among our fraternities the value and importance of the Day in the Desert and the Month of Nazareth. These two elements of the Fraternity are vital. We see in the beatification of Charles an opportunity to make renewed efforts to reach out to younger priests in our dioceses. A deeper commitment to the gospel and a simple life is essential.  This will lead us into a stronger love and presence in the lives of our people and especially the poorest.

 

We remember our brothers from some parts of Asia, Africa, Australia and Eastern Europe and regret their absence due to various reasons.

 

Gratitude is the memory of the heart. We are sincerely thankful to Mariano along with the International Team for their prophetic service to the Fraternity.

We pray God’s blessing on the newly elected International Responsible, Abraham Apolinario (Dominican Republic), and his new team, José Bizon (Brazil), Richard Reiser (USA) and Eddy Lagae (Belgium). The future is in good hands.

 

We are finally deeply grateful to the Brazilian fraternity, José Bizon, the lay staff and the people of Sao Paulo for their generosity and wonderful hospitality.

 

To the Father we abandon ourselves for the road is long.

What lies ahead we entrust in confidence to the love of Jesus. Amen

 

Obrigado/a.