Fr. Alberto Eronti. 100 years ago, Joseph Kentenich heard the words spoken to him: “You are a priest forever, according to the rite…..” Divine Providence has permitted that while our Schoenstatt Family joyfully celebrates the 100th anniversary of the ordination of its Founder, the Church is shaken by a series of scandals produced by priests and bishops. These are scandals which hurt the Church and us, and they confuse the “men of good will.”
Around the decade of the 30’s, Father Kentenich perceived the crisis which was being incubated in many estates of social and ecclesial life. What he called “mechanistic,” the growing separation between faith and life, between the Model (God) and the modelee (man), etc., would produce – he would say – “a crisis of unsuspected dimensions.” He pointed to this crisis installed in the heart of the Western Church. Pointing it out meant 14 years of exile and obedient silence.
The crisis, he would say, would manifest itself in the relational capability of man, and he defined it as “the growing inability to create deep, solid and lasting attachments.” The priest, precisely, is a man whose vocation demands to be deeply “attached” to Christ, “identified” with Christ the priest. There is no identification without attachment, without a profound communion of life with Jesus.
The religious crisis we are experiencing and which is pointed to with expressions like: “laicism,” “secularization,” “neo-paganism,” “marginalization of God from personal and community life,”….. has deeply touched the followers of Christ, men and women, lay or consecrated. It has also touched the priesthood and some priests have been wounded by the crisis.
“A man of God” – “a priest with a particular and orginal paternal ability”
In this context, the Schoenstatt Family will jubilantly celebrate the 100th anniversary of Father Kentenich’s ordination. Undoubtedly that the prevailing feeling is that of gratitude to God who did “marvels” in and through his elected, like Father himself who, in Covenant with Mary, let Her show him to live Christ, of Christ and for Christ…..the only way of being also for mankind. Among the pedagogical ideas which Joseph Kentenich developed, we must highlight, in the context of the jubilee and the crisis referred to, his enormous ability to create attachments. In the first place, this ability made him: “a man of God,” and in the second place and because of that: “a priest with a particular and original paternal ability.”
When we say “paternal ability” or “paternal priesthood,” we are making reference to the paternal and the maternal. Both facets imply, in their own way, a loving service, passionate and unselfish to life…..to all life, and in particular, to life which is in the making, which is growing. If we accept that for many, the priestly image is in a critical situation (scandals, women priests, celibacy…..), we also affirm that we have before us a figure, a priestly image which is elevated as an answer to the crisis of priestly identity in the beginning of this new millennium: a priesthood according to the heart of Christ the Good Shepherd. This is from the Christ with paternal and maternal traits, capable of using with absolute spontaneity “the two hands of one same love: firmness (paternal) and tenderness (maternal).”
Respectful love, uplifting, dignified…..”extreme”
Only persons with profound paternal and maternal traits love, protect, respect and dignify the lives of the children whether they are children, adolescents or adults. The answer to the referred to scandals is not given only in the first place by means of justice, punishment, remorsefulness, etc., but that we must seek an “answer-solution,” and this is that of love. Respectful, uplifting, dignified love…..”extreme.” It is the love of the father and of the mother!
But, and this is of extreme importance to understand, it is about “two ways of expressing one and the same love,” and each “way” has its originality. Just as the parents “mean” the two ways of one and the same paternal love, the priest is called to unite in himself these two ways. We believe that here is the way for an answer to the crisis, but it also expresses our joy for the person and the priestly way of our Founder.
From here, a twofold proposal, in the light of the jubilee of the priestly ordination of our Father and Founder:
Because we are wounded and hurt by the weaknesses of the priests, we must grow in love for expiation, restorative love. Pope Benedict XVI has asked the priests from Ireland that all Fridays of the year be “penitential,” that is, to live them with a deep awareness of reparation. Could we not in our Schoenstatt Family do something along this line?
Because we are extremely joyful with the priestly image of our Father, we want to live it and proclaim it, share it with all. How can we live it? To live and proclaim “what is priestly” of our vocation – as priests or as lay persons – in the service to the life of others; thanking and caring for the priests through prayer for them and in gratitude to them. Prayer strengthens and supports, gratitude confirms and encourages.
It will be our way of saying: Father, your priesthood, our joy!
Translation: Carlos Cantú, Schoenstatt Family Federation, La Feria, Texas USA 043010
