PAMPLONA, Spain, SEPT. 14, 2004 (Zenit.org).- Pamplona-Tudela’s archbishop published a pastoral letter in which he suggests four ways to respond to the «secularist confessionalism» he says the Spanish government is trying to impose.
Archbishop Fernando Sebastian suggests: not to fear the defenders of secularism; to live the exigencies of Christianity with consistency; to focus on the fundamentals of the faith and not engage in debates on non-essential issues; and to participate in social life.
In regards to the first proposal, «the Church has always lived amid difficulties and Christians have often suffered for appearing and acting as Jesus’ disciples. These sufferings purify and strengthen us,» Archbishop Sebastian wrote.
He added that secularism’s arguments «must not make us doubt the truth and the value of our faith or of the institutions and conduct of the Church.»
It is necessary «not to lose courage just because we are a few or because we might be excluded for the realms of power,» the prelate added. «Our force is in the strength of his Word and life. It is precisely in these circumstances that we must proclaim Jesus’ message with simplicity and fidelity, a message preserved and constantly updated by Holy Mother Church. This is the best service we can give to our fellow citizens.»
In regard to the second proposal, Archbishop Sebastian said that «the strength of the Church is in the faith, piety and exemplariness of Christians. If we really live our faith, the testimony of our life will clarify many misunderstandings and, sooner or later, will convince men and women who are seeking the truth.»
The archbishop asked the faithful to attend Sunday Mass and he urged families to give witness through their lives.
«The stable and fecund Christian family is an eloquent sign of the humanizing and sanctifying force of the love of God, present and acting at the roots of human love,» the archbishop said.
«Starting from here, we can offer the testimony of a sober, joyful, just, generous life, loving and defending life itself and the world, without faltering, really seeking the Kingdom of God and the good of brothers, without opting for deceitful appearances or opportunistic interests,» he said.
The prelate also called for consistency in the internal unity of the Church.
«A true testimony of Christian life requires unity in faith, in the integral and balanced acceptance of Jesus’ Gospel, as lived by the saints, as proclaimed and preached by the pastors of the Church, in spiritual and visible communion with the Pope,» he said. «Dissidence, divisions, unjustified condescension weaken the credibility of the Gospel and lend arguments to those who, in some way or another, pretend to conceal the light that has come into this world.»
The archbishop also requested Christians to «focus on the essential.»
It is not a question of «priests or bishops ordering too much, nor would anything be resolved with a more traditional or more modern Church. What is really being debated in our society, even if it is not clearly articulated, is: If we are to live our human condition authentically, do we need to take into account the presence of the God of Jesus Christ who is near us or, instead, are we to do without any religious reference as if it belonged to a previous stage of human development.»
Lastly, the prelate appealed to Christians for greater social participation. In response to those who accuse the Church of trying to influence politics, the archbishop said: «Obviously.»
«At least like any other institution,» he said. «However, the Church’s influence in political life is not of a political but of an ecclesial nature, that is, of a religious and moral nature.
«By proclaiming the doctrine of Christ, educating consciences, and encouraging her faithful to live holily, the Church influences the global conduct of people and, in this way, also influences the exercise of their professional, social, public and political activities.»
Archbishop Sebastian added: «As a human activity, every political action must be moral and just and this justice cannot come, ultimately, from itself, or from the circumstantial consensus of specific pressure groups, but, instead, must come from conformity with an objective reference, either of a religious nature or simply ethical. The Church contributes in an important way to the clarification and strengthening of this moral conscience of the citizens who wish to listen to her. She does not impose but proposes.»
