Black omega catholic edition 19663/27/2023 ![]() ![]() 3 At the Synod it was stated on several occasions that the consecrated life has not only proved a help and support for the Church in the past, but is also a precious and necessary gift for the present and future of the People of God, since it is an intimate part of her life, her holiness and her mission. 1 In effect, the consecrated life is at the very heart of the Church as a decisive element for her mission, since it "manifests the inner nature of the Christian calling" 2 and the striving of the whole Church as Bride toward union with her one Spouse. The Bishops at the Synod frequently reaffirmed this: " De re nostra agitur" ("this is something which concerns us all"). Its universal presence and the evangelical nature of its witness are clear evidence?if any were needed?that the consecrated life is not something isolated and marginal, but a reality which affects the whole Church. The consecrated life: a gift to the Churchģ. This fact is an incentive to ecumenism, which fosters the desire for an ever fuller communion between Christians "that the world may believe" (Jn. It is also taking root or reemerging in the Churches and Ecclesial Communities which originated in the Reformation and is the sign of a grace shared by all of Christ's disciples. In fact it is particularly vibrant in the monasticism of the Orthodox Churches, where it is an essential feature of their life. Nor is the consecrated life flourishing within the Catholic Church alone. This shows that the choice of total self-giving to God in Christ is in no way incompatible with any human culture or historical situation. ![]() The consecrated life inspires and accompanies the spread of evangelization in the different parts of the world, where Institutes from abroad are gratefully welcomed and new ones are being founded in a great variety of forms and expressions.Ĭonsequently, although in some parts of the world Institutes of Consecrated Life seem to be experiencing a period of difficulty, in other places they are prospering with remarkable vitality. The Synod was a tangible sign of the universal extension of the consecrated life present in the local Churches throughout the world. ![]() Together let us thank God for the Religious Orders and Institutes devoted to contemplation or the works of the apostolate, for Societies of Apostolic Life, for Secular Institutes and for other groups of consecrated persons as well as for all those individuals who, in their inmost hearts, dedicate themselves to God by a special consecration. We are all aware of the treasure which the gift of the consecrated life in the variety of its charisms and institutions represents for the ecclesial community. It was my wish that the Synodal Assembly should include, together with the Bishops, a considerable number of consecrated men and women in order that they too might contribute to the common reflection. Because the role of consecrated life in the Church is so important, I decided to convene a Synod in order to examine in depth its significance and its future prospects, especially in view of the approaching new millennium. In this way, through the many charisms of spiritual and apostolic life bestowed on them by the Holy Spirit, they have helped to make the mystery and mission of the Church shine forth, and in doing so have contributed to the renewal of society.Ģ. Like the Apostles, they too have left everything behind in order to be with Christ and to put themselves, as he did, at the service of God and their brothers and sisters. In every age there have been men and women who, obedient to the Father's call and to the prompting of the Spirit, have chosen this special way of following Christ in order to devote themselves to him with an "undivided" heart (cf. ![]() By the profession of the evangelical counsels the characteristic features of Jesus as the chaste, poor and obedient one are made constantly "visible" in the midst of the world, and the eyes of the faithful are directed toward the mystery of the Kingdom of God already at work in history, even as it awaits its full realization in heaven. The Consecrated Life, deeply rooted in the example and teaching of Christ the Lord, is a gift of God the Father to his Church through the Holy Spirit. To the Bishops and Clergy, Religious Orders and Congregations, Societies of Apostolic Life, Secular Institutes and All the Faithful on the Consecrated Life and its Mission in the Church and in the Worldġ. ![]()
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