Pope Paul VI at the end of the Second Vatican Council said “in previous times, in the past and in the present century, that church was absent and cut off from human culture”. This is a damming thing to say. Siege mentality that was often used.
This all dramatically changed, and it is in the light of this change that Paul VI made his comments. The day before Paul VI made his speech there were four documents released by the Second Vatican Council. One of them was “The Pastoral Constitution of the Church in the Modern World” or “Gaudium Et Spes”. The opening sentences of the document have become emblematic of the church’s recovery of its incarnational historical reality. Listen to these words
“The joys and the hopes,The griefs and the anxieties of the people of this age, Especially those who are in any way poor or who are afflicted, These are the joys and the hopes, The griefs and the anxieties of the followers of Christ. Indeed, nothing genuinely fails to raise an echo in their hearts.
For theirs is a community composed of human beings, That is why this community realises That it is truly linked with humankind In its history by the deepest bonds”.
From now on the Church is Endeavouring to be a historical reality and not “a-historical self-perception” or a meta-physical that stands outside of history (detached). This lets us off the hook to easily. It also denies our identification with the incarnation. It denies the true nature of the church.
This leads to a shift from “telling” to “conversing”. A “telling” church is a very different church To a “conversing” church. The “telling” assumes one has the answers Or that one is right. Or perhaps that one cannot be wrong Such a disposition makes one vulnerable to arrogance, pride, triumphalism. It also builds barriers To transparency and honesty. Especially when one is called to face one’s limits. And even one’s sinful actions. The “Telling” mentality makes it truly difficult For the Holy Spirit To be active in our midst.
On the other hand The “Conversing” mentality is a very different approach To oneself and the world. Conversation implies that one sees oneself as pilgrims. We are a pilgrim church. We are a church on a journey. We are seekers. We do not have “The” answers. We don’t know everything that needs to be known. We journey together. We journey together with the citizens of the world. We are in the world as Jesus was in the world. Part of history.
(Audio Available)
