"The kingdom of heaven is like a shepherd who had a hundred sheep and, having lost ninety-nine, he scolds the last sheep for their lack of initiative, check out and then close the fold, he goes to the pub to discuss the problems of their pastor's life. " This story was written by the then Archbishop of Bologna, Cardinal Giacomo Biffi, in his famous book "The Fifth Gospel" (Editrice Ancora, Milano, 1970) and, as they say in these cases for whom has not yet realized the depth and detail of the story: "any resemblance to reality is pure coincidence."
By turning to the familiar parable that we proclaimed in the liturgy on Sunday, Cardinal Biffi absurd and contrary to the Gospel denounces attitudes of priests and other pastoral workers, to scare the sheep that are in the fold, rather than care for and work with them to bring the many who are lost. And entered fully into this subject St. Augustine in the famous Sermon on the pastors who, precisely, we read these days in the Office of Readings.
I give special sad cases of people or groups, the Gospel and the Church, which does not sit well to the priest on duty, which takes no more than "his" line and begins to look to the pastor of the "fifth gospel" Biffi.
I mean, for example, new movements, but often have a traditional profile, are true innovators in the Church. Often encounter the irrational mistrust and prejudices - I do not see anything in the pastoral prudence always necessary - of many priests who contribute their attitude to these movements have to grow (because they leave, therefore, to grow) a little less than underground.
I also refer to people - young or old - who, having experienced many times a sincere conversion - not just in a group dynamic or similar - but through continuous prayer, the renunciation of its services, the frequency sacramental, spiritual direction, etc.. just show as "overly" pious. Automatically, in many parishes, they become suspect. Because they spend much time praying while others share a brotherly (from outside the temple gates or doors in the bar) after the Mass, because they speak in catechesis of sin or hell because - oh, this really is sin and deadly! - Call the communion of knees, etc..
not fair. The Catholic Church is every pastor has to have a Catholic mind, that is, universal. Usually cross from closed to such groups or individuals. The priest closes the door to them. Who is the "closed", then? If a faithful believer or group shows fidelity to the Gospel and the Church, the pastor who is otherwise qualified to make a Catholic out of these people? Does your line does not match mine and I bother?, Well the problem is mine, if both the line of those like mine are Catholic.
The problem is not that there are different trends in the Church, which has Latin Mass priests and other church "Skid" (by the way in celebrating and jumping in "Skyboard" in the headings). The problem is ever, that we appropriate the Church to the point of believing ourselves and judges of her own, able to say that there is a line Catholic Church itself has said that is Catholic. And, having lost ninety-nine sheep, we have the luxury of casting, lack of initiative, which remained faithful.
contemplate our ecclesial and social reality in the light of the parable of Jesus, and why not?, In light also of the parable of Giacomo Biffi. "Where is renewing the Church? Are there pastors who, having lost ninety-nine, are determined to dismiss the only one left in the fold? Why then go to talk grazing to the pub?
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