#thescandal

These weeks I am seeing at St. Peter's Square so many persons that usually I do not see. I have seen cardinals, reporters and pilgrims from all over the world. Personally, the persons at St. Peter's that get most of my attention are those holding banners or wearing t-shirts that support an issue that they wish the future pope will address and reform. 

Ealier this week I saw supporters of gay rights demonstrating their wish that the Church changes its position on gay marriage. Yesterday a woman wearing liturgical garments reserved for priests was asking for ordination of women. Others hope priests will be allowed to marry. These days we find these persons on the Square unlike other times. They remind me how the world is expecting the Church to address the various situations and problems in our society and our local ecclesial communities. Other issues include reforms to prevent more cases of pedophile priests and reforms in the Roman Curia (the Vatican) to avoid scandals like the "Vatileaks.

Before resigning from the papacy, however, Benedict XVI repeated clearly that the greatest scandal in the Church of Christ is the division among Christians. The separation that exists among churches and denominations is as terrible as the sexual abuse of children. This issue of division is not only one that Church leaders hold in their hearts but is one that Jesus Christ addressed and prayed for before his crucifixion. Our Lord, praying for his disciples, said, “I pray not only for them, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, so that they may all be one, as you, Father, are in me and I in you, that they also may be in us, that the world may believe that you sent me. And I have given them the glory you gave me, so that they may be one, as we are one"(Gv 17:21-22). Jesus Christ's will and prayer is that all believers may be one. Instead, we the faithfull remember with sadness the year 1056 when Christianity was divided between West and East. We remember with sadness the year 1518 when protestant communities began to separate from the Catholic Church. This is the issue that should sadden us the most.

On the other hand, these days of preparation for the conclave I find relief in seeing the expression of affection for our Catholic Church from Orthodox Churches both in the Middle East and Eastern Europe. This affection reveals a progress towards unity with these Ancient Churches, the first ones that were part of the division of 1056. A Greek Orthodox priest told me that the Greek Patriarch had expressed all of his support to Benedict XVI when the ex-pope first announced his decision to resign. Providentially, the last day of Benedict's papacy, the Ethiopian Church elected successfully a new Patriarch. These news brought joy to many Catholics. Last week, the Patriarch of the Coptic Church of Alexandria, Egypt send a beautiful letter to our last pope thanking him for all his work and particularly for the support when Egyptian Christians were attacked. The Patriarch of the Russian Orthodox Church expressed this week his wish that Eastern Churches continue to get closer to the Catholic Church. In the Congregations at the Vatican, the Patriarch of the Maronite Church of Antioch has communicated to all the cardinals present the need and the desire of union. The Catholic Church has always been open to all of these forms of dialogue.

Internally in the Catholic Church itself, the reform of the Roman Curia should consist in seeking more communication and community among its members so that the Catholic Church finds unity in its geographical center. Such an internal change will help enormously to continue to advance toward an authentic communion with our Christian brothers in the East and even in protestant communities. And so we pray that the future pope will continue to do the serious ecumenism started at Second Vatican Council.