On the occation

of the second video conference

about of the

permanent training for the clerge

From Vetican, october 29th 2001

"Christ has loved the Church and he has given him-self for it, for making it holy, purified by the lavacre of the water, by saying his words" (Ef 5, 25-26).

By this paoline phrase, I would like to introduce the theme of the second video-conference: "The Ecclesiology from Second Vatican Council up today".

Following what has been said during the first meeting of the past month about the mystery of Christ, we have to remind that the Church is Body and Spouse of the Word made body. In fact, he is the original mistery that gives birth and life to the Church which is the effective proof and the mean of the intimate union of the man with God and of the unity of the umankind, " inseparable sacrament of unity" as Saint Cipriano clearly says (Saint Cipriano, Epist. Ad Magnum, 6:PL 3,1142) and "universal sacrament of salvation" according to the dogmatic Constitution Lumen Gentium (Lumen gentium, n. 48).

By the work left to the apostles and to their successors, Christ goes on giving life and improving his Church. In this way it is also easy to understand the relevance of the ecclesiological dimension of the priestly ministry that the Church contains and that lives for and respect to the Church.

Today, the teological excursus about the Ecclesiology from the Vatican Council II up today, will be faced into three parts that will last twenty minutes each: in first part there will be the speech of S.E. the Professor Mons. Rino Fisichella, which is the Auxiliar Bishop of Rome, the second one will be done by Prof. P. Silvio Cajiao, S.J. in Bogotà, the third by Prof. Rev. Carrasco Rouco in Madrid

Later there will be brief speeches of three minutes each: from New York, the Prof P. Michael Hull; from Johannesburg the Prof Enrico Parry; from Taipei the Prof. P. Aloysius Chang S.J; from Sydney the Prof P. Julian Porteous; from Manila the Prof P. Catalino Arevalo. Remind that during this talk we are linked in real time with the five continents. Then, again from Rome, from our See of the Congregation for the Clergy there will be the speech of Rev. Prof. P. George Marie Martin Cottier, who is the Theologian of the Casa Pontificia and Prof. Mons. Bruno Forte.

The scientific deepening of this video conference is a real act of love to the Church.