The People Speak Out

Local voices connecting globally

This is important: to get to know people, listen, expand the circle of ideas. The world is crisscrossed by roads that come closer together and move apart, but the important thing is that they lead towards the Good.  (Pope Francis)

Canon Law 212 calls upon the laity to speak up:

2 - The Christian faithful are free to make known to the pastors of the Church their needs, especially spiritual ones, and their desires.

§3. - According to the knowledge, competence, and prestige which they possess, they have the right and even at times the duty to manifest to the sacred pastors their opinion on matters which pertain to the good of the Church and to make their opinion known to the rest of the Christian faithful, without prejudice to the integrity of faith and morals, with reverence toward their pastors, and attentive to common advantage and the dignity of persons.

An addition to my earlier comment would be to say how I think this (opening up the Church) can be achieved would be to include in a secular priests training and subsequent commitment an understanding of the need to develop personal spiritual practice besides that of Reciting the Office daily. One might expect that being able to say Mass would be enough in that direction but I feel that many priests do not experience the Mass as a spiritual practice but rather experience it as a ritual. Of course, Mass is ritual but the purpose of it is to lead the people deeper through their witnessing presence to that which supports, pervades and underpins the Mass. I find that many, including priests, do not appriciate and therefore do not allow this crucial feature of spiritual growth. I do think that giving the development of a personal spiritual path a place of prime importance rather than remaining predominantly preoccupied with the development of morality and intellect, all neccessary but not indicative of spiritual maturity, would be most useful. I think many are most grateful as well as astounded by the example of Pope Francis in this regard.

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