THE SPEECH

By His Most Reverend Eminence the Cardinal

Darío Castrillón Hoyos

Prefect of the Congregation for the Clergy

 

 

 

On the occasion

of the second video-conference

within the framework of

permanent formation for the clergy

 

 

 

 

 

 

From the Holy See, November 29th 2001

 

"Christ showed love for the Church and he gave himself up on its behalf, he would hallow it, purify it by bathing it in water, in which His word gave life" (Eph 5, 25-26).

With this expression of the thoughts of Saint Paul, I wish to introduce the theme of the second video-conference: Ecclesiology from the Second Vatican Council to our days".

In continuity with all that we discussed during our first encounter last month concerning the mystery of Christ, let us remember that the Church is the Body and the Bride of the Verb made flesh. He, in fact, represents the source of the mystery from which the Church grows and lives, the effective mark and the means of man’s intimate union with God and of the unity of all mankind, "Inseparable sacrament of unity" as Saint Cipriano states so well (SainT Cipriano, Epist. ad Magnum, 6: PL 3,1142) and the "universal sacrament for salvation" according to the dogmatic Constitution Lumen Gentium (Lumen gentium, n. 48).

Through the work entrusted to the Apostles and to their successors, Christ continues to give life to His Church and to enlarge it. This way it is also easy to understand the importance of the ecclesiological dimension of the priestly ministry, integrated within the mystery of the Church and that lives for and facing the Church.

Today, the theological excursus on the Ecclesiology from the Second Vatican Council to our days" will take place in three sections, each lasting twenty minutes: the first part will include a speech by His Excellency Professor Monsignor Fisichella, Auxiliary Bishop in Rome, the second speech will be presented by Professor Fr. Silvio Cajiao, S.J. in Bogotà, and the third by Reverend Professor Carrasco Rouco in Madrid.

These will be followed by three brief three minute speeches by Professor Fr. Michael Hull from New York; by Professor Fr. Enrico Parry from Johannesburg; by Professor Fr. Aloysius Chang S.J. from Taipe ; by Professor Fr. Julian Porteous from Sydney; and by Professor Fr. Catalino Arevalo from Manila. We would like to remind you that throughout this dialogue we will be connected live with all five continents.

Then, once again from Rome, from our Seat of the Congregation for the Clergy, there will be speeches by the Most Reverend Professor Fr. Georges Marie Martin Cottier, Theologian of the Papal Seat and by Professor Monsignor Bruno Forte.

The scientific in-depth study that is the subject of this video-conference wishes to be a sincere act of love for the Church.