PART THREE
MAN OF THE WORD AND FOR THE WORD
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Scalabrini explicitly
states that his most characteristic apostolic initiatives (catechesis,
pastoral visitations, migration, the deaf-mutes) are but the fulfillment of
Christ’s missionary mandate: “Go into the whole world and proclaim the good
news to every creature” (Mk 16:15) He is a man of the kerygma, the missionary
message of the gospel. For his diocese of Piacenza he adopts a new style of pastoral care, marked by an intense administration of the Word and the Sacraments, driven by an ardent “thirst for souls” and characterized by direct contact with the people of all classes and places. Five pastoral
visitations, personally conducted, of the more than three hundred parishes of
his diocese, three diocesan synods, and seventy pastoral letters give
concrete evidence of his aspiration to become all things to all so as to win
over all to Christ. Convinced that religious instruction is the primary means for Christian formation, he once again confers on catechesis the primacy in the work of evangelizing and rechristianizing a society rapidly becoming unchristian because of anticlericalism, rationalism and materialism. Consequently, he turns into a pioneer in the new catechetical movement, calling thousands of lay people to the catechetical ministry, encouraging parents to be the first catechists of their children, within the family, which is “the domestic church” where one prays and reads the gospel. St. Paul’s “woe to me if I do not preach the
gospel” finds concrete expression in Scalabrini’s instruction of the
deaf-mutes; in the gospel ideal ‑- not limited to the physically
handicapped ‑- of giving hearing to the deaf and speech to the mute;
and in the recovery of the sanctity of the Lord’s Day, the day of the
community’s joyful celebration of the banquet of the Word and of the
Eucharistic Bread. |
“The good of
souls, above all” ‑- this is the goal of his priestly and episcopal activity. He subordinates all his decisions and
activities to the salvation of human beings.
An apostle cannot remain inside the church. Like the Good Shepherd, he leaves his tent, he leaves the
sacristy. He goes in search of the
sheep lost in the hills and plains. He
goes out to “preach Jesus Christ and him crucified to all people,” ready to
give up his life, lavishly expending all his physical and moral energies.
“Faith comes
from what is heard, and what is heard comes through the word of Christ.” Christ
is the Word: “The word of Christ is not lesser than his body.” “Without preaching, the Church would be a
utopia; and, without the word, the Sacrifice would be an unproductive
commemoration.”
Without proper
training, instruction is sterile.
Popes, bishops, priests, and parents have the right and the inalienable
duty to train. The family, humanity’s
second soul, is where the first Christian training takes place. The holy day is the time for instruction and
training in the faith, the moment when all families become one single family
and anticipate the heavenly Jerusalem.
“Those you
gave me I have guarded”
Pray also for
me because today, the 20th anniversary of my consecration as bishop of your souls,
I feel more than ever the weight of responsibility I have for you before
God. My dearly beloved sons and
daughters, ask God to grant me the grace to love you always as I love you today
and to be able to say with serenity and confidence when I hand you back to him
at the end of my life: “Father, those you gave me I have guarded and none of
them was lost!”[1]
“To win over
all people to Christ: this is the constant and supreme aspiration of my soul”
Thirty years
have passed since this precious portion of Christ’s flock was entrusted to my
care. One day, which cannot be far off,
I must render God a most strict account of my stewardship. Will I have the joy of telling him: “Father,
those you gave me I have guarded and none of them was lost through my fault”?
This awesome
thought is always before my mind. It
impels me; it spurs me on to make up for the failures and defects of my long
episcopal reign with a thorough and comprehensive visitation.
So, dear
brethren and children of mine, I am announcing to you that I have decided to
personally conduct the 6th pastoral visitation of each and every parish of my
diocese.
Considering my
age, I should surely be dismayed at the prospect. But so keen in me is the desire to see and address you once more
as your shepherd and father that no difficulty frightens me and no labor is too
heavy for me.
But, conscious
as I am of my nothingness, I do not confide in myself but in the help of the
supreme Shepherd Jesus Christ. I
confide in the help of him who “went from village to village proclaiming the
good news and curing all sorts of illnesses among the people” and, after
moistening the earth with his sweat, gave blood and life for his beloved sheep.
So, my dearly
beloved, I will come to you in the name of God. I will come to announce his will to you, to remind you of the
eternal truths, to protect you against the poison of error, to correct abuses,
if any, to bring the lost sheep back to the fold, to implore heaven’s blessings
on your children, to pray for the eternal repose of your beloved deceased, and
to bring solace and comfort to everyone and to encourage you to do good.
How blessed I
will be if, at the end of this visitation, I will truly be able to say with the
Apostle Paul: “I have become all things to all so as to win over all to
Christ.”
To win over
all people to Christ: this is the constant and supreme aspiration of my soul.[2]
“The good of
souls, above all”
However, you
did absolutely the right thing by calling a spade a spade, and I don’t feel
hurt at all that you sent some of my letters to people you felt you should send
them to, since, as you know, I have nothing to hide from my superiors. Only my self-esteem felt a bit taken aback
because these were confidential letters, written to a bosom friend, which you
are, and, consequently, hastily drafted.
Anyhow, truth,
justice, and, above all, the good of souls: this is my ambition, as it is
yours.
Let us not get
discouraged, my good friend. Peace,
fortitude, prayer. We must fix our eyes
on Jesus Christ and place all our confidence in him alone.[3]
I have written
you know to whom. I have written him
several times, clearly and loudly, maybe too loudly. I have even told him that he will soon find himself before God,
to whom he will have to give an account of an army of souls being lost and of
the terrible sufferings being inflicted on bishops, who no longer have freedom
of speech or action because they are overwhelmed by the interference of lay
people, who are being encouraged and rewarded by those who should restrain
them, especially by the usual pharisaic faction, which is being tolerated and
indeed supported just when it is trying to subvert the hierarchical order
established by Jesus Christ, etc., etc. (...).
I go my merry
way, convinced as I am that the faithful and obedient bishops are not those
who, out of an ill-conceived sense of respect, foster certain deceptions and
perhaps make use of them, but those ‑- and they are few, poor fools! ‑-
who sacrifice their peace, their future, their all, so that the Holy Father may
be made aware of the deception and that the Church may be free of the
disastrous consequences of error.[4]
Unfortunately,
the situation is bad, very bad.
Everybody sees it, and no one does anything about it! Our only hope is in God. Since not even the loudest trumpets are able
to wake up the sleepers from their slumber or make the last illusions come
crashing down, we must let God do something.
We will peacefully go our way and try to save as many souls as we
can. The upright will love us and God
will reward us.[5]
As for me...
“salvation is only in the Lord.” Should
we become monks or Savonarolas? The
first would be a fine alternative for those who have a real vocation to that
life. The second would be a glorious
alternative for those who are up to it.
But maybe it’s better not to do anything and just do whatever we can to
promote the glory of God and the good of souls, with the assurance that “if we
know how to keep still and suffer, we will see the help of the Lord.”
Meantime, let
us work, let us pray and hope for better times.[6]
“Lord have
pity on the Shepherd, have pity on the flock!”
Beloved sons
and daughters, listen to the voice of one who seeks, desires, and wishes only
your good. I told you many times and I
am happy to repeat it: for me the greatest source of consolation and joy is
your faith, your piety, your loyal and sincere attachment to the Church.
But I cannot
deceive you. I have the duty in
conscience to tell you the truth. Woe
to me if I do not speak up! Listen:
evil is also in our midst and it is very serious. O Piacenza, my beloved city, think of the faith of your
forefathers and mothers. Look how you
have fallen from your ancient greatness!
Who betrayed you? Who reduced
you to such ignominy? Within your walls
I see many people who ignore all the duties faith imposes on them, who insult
the faith with satanic blasphemies, who desecrate the holy days, who constantly
offend God with their pagan lives, who read blasphemous books and newspapers,
who oppose the Church and her faithful ministers, who let themselves be duped
like children by all kinds of ideas, foisted on them with pretentious gravity
and ignorant pride by astute and boisterous people. What are you doing, my children?
Are these the works of your faith?
Is this how you reciprocate for the blessings God has lavished on
you? Shame on you, shame on your
city! Do you not see that, by acting in
this way, you are turning with insane pride against the Almighty, that you are
grieving your holy patrons, as well as Our Blessed Lady, the Mother of God and
your mother? 0 Lord, listen to the
groans of my deeply saddened soul! Why
did you let me live during this time of deviation and evil? When will these days of turmoil and
sacrilegious profanations end? Lord,
have pity on the Shepherd, have pity on the flock!
But in the
midst of sorrow there is also comfort.
Dearly beloved, I take comfort from the thought that up above there is
someone who keeps an account of all the sufferings we endure and our divine
Leader and Teacher endured before us.
There is comfort, nay, a soothing balm, in knowing that we are suffering
for justice’ sake and that we are suffering not with hatred but with love for
those who persecute us, so that they might be converted and live.[7]
“This is the
kind of shepherds our modern days call for”
The pastor,
then, as you well know, is indebted to everyone, always ready to help
everyone. Two extremes must be avoided,
however.
Let me be
practical, like a father.
Some dedicate
themselves so intensely to the salvation of others that they gradually lose
their spirit. They end up by losing
themselves without saving others. They
must remember that they do good to others only insofar as they are doing good
to themselves. Therefore they must cultivate
piety, for “piety is useful for all things,” especially in the works of the
ministry. “Just as a branch cannot bear
fruit on its own unless it remains on the vine, so neither can you unless you
remain in me” (Jn 15:4). They should
never neglect themselves, therefore, but be ever mindful of their own
sanctification (...).
There are
others, on the other hand, who, like shopkeepers, set up shop in the parish
house. If asked, they are ready to help
people. They do not neglect to instruct
the faithful that come to them. But
they are not moved by zeal. They do not
give thought to the needs and dangers of their flock. Because of misconceived prudence, timidity, or laziness they
neglect the means that are called for.
These men can be compared to flags that stand out on the poles for all
to see but do not ripple or flutter in the wind. The prophet speaks of them, when he says: “They are not made ill
by the collapse of Joseph” (Amos 6:6).
Such must not be the pastor’s life.
Remember what the master of the house told his servant: “Go out to the
highways and hedgerows and make people come in” (Lk 14:23).
These are the
zealous pastors that are absolutely needed in our times.[8]
“Come out of
your sacristies, but do so in order to bring holiness”
Venerable
brothers and beloved fellow workers of mine, you, above all, must grow ever
stronger in the spirit of your calling.
With courage persevere in your parish work, which will not be rewarded
by the world but by the One who has called you to the inestimable honor of
taking his place in the work of saving souls.
Redouble your efforts and your watchfulness. Speak out clearly and loudly so as to shield your flock from the
wiles of the seducers. At this time,
especially, make every effort to promote religious instruction and piety among
the people. Yes, do come out of your
sacristies, as they say today, but come out with your minds and hearts filled
with the Holy Spirit. Come out of your
sacristies in order to sanctify. The
sacrifices of your ministry are great, indeed much greater in these days when
this ministry is so beset by all kinds of obstacles. But, in heaven, these
sacrifices, even the smallest ones, are counted up. So, be patient and take courage.[9]
“Let us come
out of our tents!”
A well-known
modern writer has said that this is no time to remain lazily in our houses
sighing and crying, while the fire of unbelief and immorality is spreading and,
like natural fire, threatening to destroy the ark of faith in our land. So let us get out of our tents. Let us remember that we have only the
weapons of faith and love. With these
let us enter into public life, to the extent civil law and our consciences
permit, without taking sides politically, ready to die rather than to make
compromises with what is false and unjust.
Let us enter into public life not as enemies of constituted authority
but as relentless enemies of evil wherever it may be found. Let us enter as disciplined men and women
who, after the example of Christ and his Church, can tolerate evil itself but
without approving it or doing it ourselves.[10]
“The pastoral
visitation and the celebration of the synod”
You are my joy
and my crown. Neither the fear of
dangers nor the fury of unexpected circumstances or tribulations of whatever
kind will ever separate me from you.
With Jesus Christ, eternal Shepherd of our souls, may I be able to say
in all truth when the time comes: “Father, those you gave me I have guarded and
none of them was lost” (...).
The depravity
of our days, the clash of passions, and the arrogance of the various factions
(why fool ourselves?) have wrought great havoc elsewhere and have not left our
own Diocese untouched (...).
A certain
spirit of egoism and self-interest is attempting to penetrate even the less affluent
classes and to lead them to illicit gain.
And there is more! Young people
are attracted by false promises, and everything is being done to possibly tear
them away from all bondage, except the bondage of their passions. We are going through a period of history
that could be fatal to the salvation of many people! With all my heart I desire that all my good people elude all the
snares of this bleak age and always walk the path of truth and justice.
This will
happen, dearly beloved, if faith will not cease to reign in your hearts; if you
will always be docile to the motherly cares and rules of the Church; if you
always remember that, without love, one day neither the applause of the world,
nor the protection of the powerful, nor your accumulated riches will count for
anything; and that only a soul without sin, a conscience that is upright and
just before God, and a life of Christian resignation, adorned with good works,
are entitled to an eternal reward (...).
To you,
venerable brothers, the apple of my eye and the support of my weakness, I make
this one recommendation: read and meditate seriously and tirelessly on all the
regulations which, in accord with you, I have promulgated in the Synod and just
published since it is my intention that they take full effect throughout the
whole Diocese this coming October 15.
The more you
conform to this code of laws, the more you will sanctify yourselves and others
and call down on yourselves and others the blessings of Almighty God (...).
Venerable
brothers and beloved faithful, I am happy to tell you that with the help of
God, I have brought to a happy and successful conclusion the sacred pastoral
visitation and the celebration of the Synod, two very serious and important
obligations of my pastoral ministry.[11]
“We must not
get lost in the past but prepare the,future
Thank you ever
so much for your kind and uplifting letter.
I have the impression the Holy Spirit has granted you the sensus
Christi with which to understand the state of your diocese so rapidly and
so well.
As a rule,
priests who live isolated in the mountains are good, have no pretensions, and
are loyal to the bishop. What they need
is not corrections and acts of authority so much as encouragement and loving
nudges to do good, as circumstances require.
I repeat: by and large, your priests will not bring you any grief.
Yes, my
venerable brother, without wasting time with the past but preparing the future,
we must awaken the Christian spirit in our young people, which has been half
destroyed by the adults. It won’t be
too hard if God gives you the grace to do what you have in mind. The religious wave of Christian spirit will
penetrate into the families through the young people who come together in our
youth centers. Families are always
touched very much by the good done for their children. The care of children and the care of the
sick: these are the two tools with which to win all people over to God. This is what I keep telling the pastors of
my diocese. [12]
“To restore
all things in Christ”
It is
absolutely essential to put God at the head of society, to lead all people back
to Jesus Christ, who is the way, the truth and the life; to call them back to
the Church, who is mother, teacher, guardian, and defender of all rights and
all legitimate authority. It is
essential to train our young people according to Christian principles, to
sanctify the family; to restore a balance among the different social classes,
in keeping with Christian norms and traditions; to profess the faith openly and
fearlessly; to practice all kinds of works of charity, without regard for
oneself or for earthly recompense. In a
word, “it is essential to restore all things in Christ.” This is the remedy for
our ills. This and this alone is the
secret of the greatness and the power that will ensure the peace and prosperity
of both families and nations.[13]
“I would be
ready to sacrifice my very own life”
You must not
take advantage of God’s goodness and forbearance any longer. You must not fool yourselves any
longer. Wake up from your sleep of
death. Come to your senses, return to
your conscience, reconcile yourselves to God.
This is the prayer of your shepherd and father, who loves you deeply. Dearly beloved, have pity on
yourselves. Fear, yes, fear the day
that will come when you will wish you had time to repent but, to your utter
ruin, will not have it. If today you
hear the voice of the Lord, repent, repent at once. Do the number and gravity of your sins frighten you? Or are you afraid that the God whom you have
offended will not lovingly welcome you back.
If I, a poor creature bereft of all virtue, am so consumed with zeal for
your welfare that I would be ready to give up my very life for your return to
the heavenly Father’s house, how great then must be the desire of an all good,
tender, and merciful God to take you back to his bosom; of a God declaring he
does not want the sinner to die but to be converted and live. Cheer up, then! Conquer all fear, dearly beloved, and rest assured of the help of
God.
Once you have
become friends of God and heirs to heaven, you will taste in this life the
peace of the godly and in the life to come the joy of the elect.[14]
“I will come
and in all simplicity preach Jesus Christ and him crucified to you”
Do not expect
sublime eloquence from me nor clever tricks of human learning. I will come and in all simplicity preach
Jesus Christ and him crucified to you; Jesus Christ who is the way, the truth
and the life; Jesus Christ, without whose knowledge we would work in vain to
achieve salvation; Jesus Christ, his immense love, his mysteries, his teaching,
the infallible magisterium of his Church.
These are the things that will quicken and increase your faith. The faith!
Oh, how precious it should be to you! (...).
I will make
every effort, as my duty requires, to reawaken this faith in all of you, that
living and active faith whereby the saints conquered the world and ascended to
the kingdom; the faith that reduces to nothing the glamour of flesh and blood,
that dispels the darkness of human reason with its light, that makes people see
things not as they appear but as they are in reality; the faith that is a
shield and a breastplate with which to hold fast and fight bravely against the
princes of darkness and against spiritual iniquity; in a word, the faith that,
like everyday food, strengthens all the powers of the soul with grace and, in
Paul’s words, forms the life of the righteous: “The righteous one lives by
faith.”[15]
“I will come to
you in the name of God”
Venerable
brothers, I am absolutely confident that dew will come down from heaven in
abundance to make my humble efforts, and yours, fruitful, so that purity of
morals, modesty, religion and harmony will once again soon flourish in the
illustrious Church of Piacenza with a new beauty. And you, especially, are expected to spread the fragrant aroma of
Christ. I am firmly convinced that,
from the visitation I am about to begin, many good things will come: a
reawakening of Catholic life; the observance of Sundays and holy days; respect
for our churches, attendance at Church, reception of the sacraments, attendance
at classes of Christian Doctrine; attachment to the glorious and infallible See
of Peter and his most worthy successor, the great, the angelic, the immortal
Pius IX; and, finally, charity, which is the bond of perfection, the soul of
the soul, the seed and foundation of all Christian virtues.
I will
therefore come among you in the name of God, dearly beloved sons and daughters. I will not rely on my poor abilities but
expect everything from the grace of his Holy Spirit, wishing you good things
for your well-being from Our Lord Jesus Christ, who is the support of the
bishops of his Church. Christ is the
torch that illumines the bishops, the fire that warms them, that communicates
the word of life to them, that impels them to announce this word of life to the
people, without hesitation, without fear, in all frankness.
How blessed I
will be if, in this way, “I can finish my course and bear witness to the gospel
of God’s grace” (Acts 20), sanctifying all of you and at the same time awaiting
with ever-present fear the tremendous Judgment of God.[16]
“The sweetest
consolation of all”
To better
dispose the faithful to this sacred visitation, I direct that, in every parish,
it be preceded by the Spiritual Exercises or at least by three days of special
preaching.
My venerable
fellow workers, see to it that, when I come, I may distribute the bread of
angels to everyone, from the First Communion children to those who are on the
threshold of eternity; to everyone, without exception. My brothers, my sons and daughters, this is
the sweetest, the most cherished consolation you could possibly give your
bishop in the midst of the incessant cares and grave concerns of his pastoral
ministry.
Again, I
recommend myself to your prayers and eagerly look forward to embracing all of
you in Jesus Christ. With affection and
tenderness, I give you my pastoral blessing.[17]
“I am here to become
all things to all”
Go, Jesus
Christ said to his Apostles, go and make disciples of all nations, teaching
them to observe all that I commanded you: docentes eos servare omnia
quaecumque mandavi vobis. And in
obedience to that voice, the Apostles did go.
They went from city to city, from hamlet to hamlet, from village to
village, wherever followers of the Crucified One could be found, to bring the
light of the truth and the life of grace to all people.
I am here once
more among you, dearly beloved sons and daughters. I come as the successor of the Apostles, unworthy though I
be. Oh, how happy I am to see you again
after so many years! I still remember
with deep emotion the demonstrations of kindness you offered me the first time
I set foot in your illustrious town.
Now you wanted to renew these demonstrations of affection by celebrating
my arrival among you with an outpouring of festivity and jubilation. I thank you, beloved sons and
daughters. I thank you in the name of
Jesus Christ, whose humble representative I am. In me do not see the man, for I am so weak and sickly, but Him
whom I represent, in whose name I speak, in whose name I work, whose graces I
am ready to dispense from the treasury of the Church (...).
I have come
here to bring you peace, to bless your families, your work, your fields and the
graves of your beloved departed. I am
here to become all things to all: to speak to the adults with a heart brimming
with fatherly love, to call down the Holy Spirit upon the Confirmation children,
to console the afflicted, and to promote the glory of God and the salvation of
souls in every possible way.[18]
“Your souls
are as dear to me as my own soul”
My beloved
sons and daughters, with your consciences restored to peace, with newness of
heart, and with strength from the table of the Divine Lamb, you will find great
joy in joining your Bishop in the sacred functions he will be celebrating. Together, we will visit the cemetery where
the ashes are resting of your beloved parents, your brothers and sisters, your
husbands and wives, your sons and daughters, your relatives and friends, and
all your fellow townspeople. We will
kneel on that sacred ground and, in the somber and sublime silence of the
tombs, implore God to grant eternal rest to your beloved departed.
Parents, you
will bring your children to me in church, so I may sign their tender foreheads
with the sacred chrism and call down upon them the Holy Spirit who will fill
them with his many gifts, so that they will not be seduced and ruined by
corruption.
Parents, I
will examine your children on the things all Christians should know if they
want to be worthy of the name they bear and save their souls. You will proudly hear them giving me the
right answers, I hope. But if some of
your children seem to need more instruction, you will sincerely resolve in the
presence of God that, from now on, you will look after the religious
instruction of your children with greater care, taking them personally to
catechism classes....
What a
magnificent holy day you will all experience with your Bishop, dearly beloved,
if ‑- and I have not doubt of it ‑- you will spend it in the joy of
the Lord and in prayer. Dearly beloved,
see to it that I will go away with the consoling thought that this time, too,
my visitation will have done some good to your souls, as dear to me as my own
soul. I seek only souls. I want only the souls of my children. I do not want any of them to be lost![19]
“I know my
sheep and they know me”
Venerable
brothers and dearly beloved sons and daughters, ever since I was called by the
Holy Spirit, unworthy though I was, to rule this illustrious and glorious
Diocese of Piacenza, I had no concern other than you and the welfare of your
souls. To achieve this goal ‑-
and God is my witness ‑- I would willingly have given my blood and my
life if necessary.
Loving you
deeply as he does, your father was impatient to see his children with his own
eyes. In his solicitude, your shepherd
was impatient to see his entire flock personally. Praise the Lord! Finally
my wishes have been fulfilled.
Now I can
truly say that there is no part, albeit remote, of this mystical vineyard that
I do not know fully. Like Jesus Christ,
the model and head of all shepherds, I can say in all truth: “I know my sheep
and they know me.” I can say what St.
Paul told the faithful of Rome: “I came to you with joy by the will of God and
was refreshed together with you.”[20]
“In you we
found the consolations of the faith”
In a word, dearly
beloved, I was happy to find in you the consolations that the Apostle Paul
appreciated so much: “the consolations of the faith” (...)
Proof of this
faith was, first of all, the fact that so many persons of both sexes, of all
conditions and classes, young boys and girls, went to confession and received
Communion from me.
Proof of this
faith was the great effort all made to attend all the public devotions, readily
leaving behind work and business; the eagerness to take part in the sacred
functions with devotion and to listen with religious hunger to the divine word,
which I never neglected to preach to them with evangelical freedom and in all
simplicity, several times a day, both in the parishes and public oratories and
on any other opportune occasion, paternally “admonishing them to stand firm in
the faith” and to live “in a manner worthy of the Lord, so as to be fully
pleasing, in every good work bearing fruit and growing in the knowledge of
God.”
Proof of this
faith ‑- and we saw it with our eyes ‑- was the patience and
diligence with which all the teachers of Christian Doctrine were instilling
into the hearts of the children the holy fear of God, along with the first
rudiments of the faith. Proof of this
faith was the genuine concern of good parents to send their children to church
for this purpose, as well as the parents’ boundless pride and joy in presenting
their children to me so that I might mark them with the sign of the brave
through the anointing with sacred chrism.
Proof of this
faith was the fact that, as a rule, I found the churches either restored or
beautified or even in the process of construction through the munificence and
pious largess of the faithful. Together
with their pastors, zealous and solicitous for the dignity of the house of God,
the faithful did not spare any sacrifice in also enriching these churches with
sacred furnishings, religious paraphernalia, precious works, and noble
artifacts.
Finally, proof
of this faith was the festive welcome I received everywhere at my arrival from
all the people I intended to visit; the way they humbly knelt as I passed by,
in hopes of receiving my blessing; the way they escorted me at my departure for
long stretches of road despite, more often than not, the harshness and
difficulties of the trails, the rainstorms, the swollen torrents, the bad
weather, and the severity of the seasons.
Finally, I am
deeply grateful for the very effective help the tireless sons of St. Vincent De
Paul gave me with their precious work and cooperation; for, in almost all the
three hundred sixty-five parishes of the Diocese, they went ahead of me like
angels of God to prepare the way for me, to give our people “the knowledge of
salvation through the forgiveness of their
sins.” The truly copious fruits
we gathered from this visitation are due mostly to them. They are due to these worthy laborers of the
Gospel, as well as to the priests ‑- religious and diocesan ‑- who
on this blessed occasion exercised the ministry of the word.[21]
“For the third
time I visited the Diocese”
For the third
time I visited the Diocese, as circumstances permitted, and spent time at three
hundred and eight parishes. Several
times a year, I have administered the sacrament of Confirmation. I have preached the word of God. I have carried out all the duties of a
bishop.
During this
third pastoral visitation, I climbed Mount Penna which rises 5200 feet above
sea level. That mountain range is
inhabited nine months out of the year by about three hundred workers, who are
extremely poor. They cut wood, make
charcoal, and do other similar jobs.
They live in the shelter of age-old elm trees, seeking cover under their
branches from the inclemency of the weather.
They never, or hardly ever, receive the spiritual ministrations of a
priest. During my visit, the only local
rustic house was transformed into an episcopal residence and a cathedral. I stayed there four days and, by word and
works of piety, I heartened this abandoned portion of my flock. Their simplicity of faith and morals
comforted me very much. Really, Your
Eminences, where the efforts of human beings are lacking, there the grace of
God overflows on behalf of the faithful who seek God with a pure heart and
sincere will.
I consecrated
twenty-eight churches, some of them entirely new, others restored or
beautified. I blessed eighteen sets of
bells, usually climbing to the top of the belfry.
Many rural
parishes were in desperate need of suitable and decent cemeteries in conformity
with the requirements of the law.
Whenever I had a chance, I never failed, privately and publicly, to
recommend this matter to the competent civil authorities. I did not speak out in vain; for, during the
past three years, I blessed thirty-five new cemeteries, set up properly as
required by Canon Law and the Synods.[22]
“A work that
exceeds my strength”
When I got
back from my pastoral visitation after an absence of several weeks, I found
your welcome letter waiting for me. I
had been looking forward to it for such a long time. You can imagine how happy it made me. Thank God, I too feel fine, notwithstanding my constant
labors. In three weeks, I visited
twenty parishes at the very top of the mountains. I had to travel on horseback for several hundred miles. How good I feel in the midst of those
people, so full of faith, so far away from the noise and gossip of the world!
During the
week, I will leave once again, this time for Borgotaro, and will continue the
visitation during the whole month of July.[23]
This is the
123rd parish I am visiting this year: the pace is insane. But I want to make up for time lost last
year. Thank God, my health is always
excellent. People tell me I’m getting
younger: yes, with the youthfulness of the flower that blossoms beautiful and
full of life in the morning but withers come evening. But it doesn’t matter as long as we achieve our purpose.[24]
To expect not
to have aches and pains at our age is asking for too much. The body is wearing out and I am swiftly
approaching the end. In the meantime, I
talk, I write, I preach, I ride on horseback, I travel, I sweat, I work ‑- all to please at least the Lord.[25]
With
overwhelming joy I have received here, where I am conducting my pastoral visitation,
your most cordial letter of the 2nd of this month. With all my heart and all my soul I thank you for your
thoughtfulness and affection. Those
newspaper people are busybodies. They
wrote of me as if I were close to death.
Instead, my indisposition was nothing more than a slight 24-hour fever,
which surprised me just as I was coming back from a most arduous visit to the
parishes of the upper Apennines. I
overworked myself beyond words but tried to recoup my energies with a 3- or
4-day rest; and then off again. I don’t
know how to slow down, and I can’t resign myself to changing pace; and yet I
will have to.
I’m getting
older; I’m 64. I am feeling the work
load more and more, but the needs are becoming ever more pressing. The socialist tide is rising. Everything is spurring me on and pushing me
to labors that are above my physical and moral frailty. But, in the name of the Lord, forward march!
as long as I have breath.[26]
“The divine
Word became man and came as the ineffable word to speak to human beings”
Beloved sons and
daughters, first of all, we must listen to the word of God. Why?
Precisely because it is the word of God; because it is the word of him
who is our creator, our lawgiver, our sovereign, our teacher, our master, our
father; because his word is, above all, the truth, truth itself, absolute
truth, supreme, unchangeable, and eternal truth; and because, after the Most
Holy Eucharist, nothing on earth can equal the excellence, nobility, holiness,
and greatness of this very word.
The holy books
tell us that from all eternity, God contemplates himself and pronounces a
word. This word, as measureless as his
immensity, as infinite as his being, as powerful as his omnipotence, is the
living, substantial, and absolute expression of all that He is. It is the Word of God, the Second Person of
the most august Trinity. The divine
Word became man and came as the ineffable word to speak the word of eternal
life to human beings.[27]
“The word of
God is as necessary as faith”
Dearly
beloved, faith is the most precious of treasures, the source of all graces, the
foundation of all virtues, the root of our Justification, the gate of
heaven. But how can we obtain this
faith? By the word of God. This is precisely what the Apostle Paul
teaches when he says: “Who will call on the name of the Lord and be saved? Those who have believed. But how will they believe in the truth of
the faith if they are not taught? And
how will they be taught if someone does not preach to them?” Hence, the faith of Christ comes through
hearing, and the hearing of the faith comes through the word of Christ
preached: “Faith comes from what is heard, and what is heard comes through the
word of Christ.” It follows then that, if faith comes through hearing the word
of God, the word of God is as necessary as faith.
Yes, dearly
beloved, this and this alone is the road that, as a general rule, God has set
down for the salvation of believers. He
could have saved them in other ways: by heavenly apparitions, by supernatural
inspirations, by miracles, and so on.
Instead, he was pleased to save them by means of preaching: “It was the
will of God through the foolishness of the proclamation to save those who have
faith.”[28]
“The word of
Jesus Christ is not inferior to his body”
We must listen
to the word and receive it not as the word of man but as the word of God. Tell me, my brothers, says St. Augustine,
according to you which of these two things has the greater dignity: the word of
God or the body of Jesus Christ? If you
want to be honest, you will have to admit that, in the eyes of faith, the word
of Jesus Christ is not any less precious or worthy of esteem than his body:
“The word of Jesus Christ is not inferior to his body.” If this is true, as in
fact it is, it is easy to understand that we ought to listen to the word with
attention, with respect, and with the firm resolve to put it into practice.
According to
this same Doctor, we must listen to the word with such attention that the care
we take lest any particle fall to the ground during the distribution of the
body of Christ is to be used also with the divine word, making sure that, while
thinking or speaking about other things, we do not lose any particle of the
word or let it fall from our heart. Nor
is this a vain scruple, because ‑- St. Augustine concludes with
frightening words ‑- those who hear the word of God with indifference are
no less guilty than those who let the smallest particle of the body of Christ
fall to the ground with indifference.
Besides, dearly beloved, we must never forget that, while the preacher
speaks to us from the pulpit or the altar, it is Jesus Christ who speaks to us
from heaven, that while the sound of the voice strikes the ears externally, the
Teacher is within us. Hence, rather
than the ears of the body, we must open the ears of the spirit to his
word. He will make us understand in a
mysterious but very clear way what he wants of us.[29]
“The power of
the word is tied to the divinity of the ministry”
The word of
God does not lose any of its power and remains always the word of God even when
it comes forth from the mouth of the lowliest priest, as long as he is
legitimately commissioned. As long as
he does not overstep the bounds of orthodoxy and has not renounced the faith,
the Word of God commits himself to making himself present through his mouth,
just as on the altar he commits himself to making himself present through the hands of his minister, even though
imperfect.
A celebrated
orator says that, though God has chosen human beings to illuminate, evangelize,
teach, and sanctify people, he did not want the efficacy of these ministries,
entrusted to human beings, to depend on the virtue or the holiness of human
beings. Otherwise, human beings would
owe their sanctification and their salvation to human beings. Dearly beloved, keep this clearly in mind:
the power of the word of God is not tied to the personal qualities, to the
gifts or even the holiness of the minister but to the divine nature of the
ministry. It is tied to the word of a
human being in so far as that word speaks of Jesus Christ and in the name of
Jesus Christ or rather in so far as Jesus Christ speaks through the human
being.[30]
“The gospel
word is like a letter sent to you by the Father”
The gospel word
is like a letter sent to you by your heavenly Father. Now, a loving child does not dilly-dally over whether the paper
is expensive or cheap, whether the characters are neat or smudged, but rushes
to see what his father has written. So,
even with regard to sacred preaching, we must pay attention not to the person
speaking or his manner of speaking but only to the truth he proclaims. There is no way, then, that your soul will
not be filled with the most profound and loving respect (...).
Is the word of
God meant to make us Christians at heart and in deed? If so, then the word must be transformed into love. Not only must we understand the truth but
also love it, and not just love it but put it into practice as well. “Living the truth in love,” as the Apostle
Paul teaches us. The sign that the
divine word has borne fruit in us is the works we perform because, if faith
without love is dead, love without works is not love. When he speaks, God makes us understand what we must do; but, at
the same time, he helps us do what we have come to know.[31]
“Were it not
for Eucharistic preaching, the Church would be a society of utopians”
Realize how
important your preaching is. Herein
lies the whole salvation and well-being of the Church. The fruit of this preaching is that it makes
one leave infancy behind and begin to live and walk along the path of
prudence. What would the Church be
without Eucharistic preaching? A
religion without sacrifice, a society of utopians, a house built on sand. Christ himself would become a fable, a myth.[32]
“Without the
word, the Sacrifice would be a fruitless commemoration”