Catholic Church faces tremendous challenges posed by hardening of borders across the world coupled with suspicion, exclusion, politics and fear which could be overcome only with love, said Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, pro-prefect of Vatican’s Dicastery for Evangelization. “Even within the same parish and the diocese, the Christian universal love is forgotten,” Tagle said. The Philippine cardinal made the remarks during an address to about 200 delegates at the biennial Meeting of the International Societies of Apostolic Life (MISAL) in the western Indian state of Goa on Dec. 2. The Dec. 2-6 event is hosted by the Society of Pillar, an indigenous missionary religious society founded by Father Benito Martins in 1887. Delegates from 22 religious congregations from across the world joined the gathering, themed “Journeying Together: Encountering Frontiers.” Tagle said conflict within the Church is a cause of concern nowadays.
The gathering coincides with the 18th Exposition of the Sacred Relics of St. Francis Xavier at Old Goa, the Patron of the Missions. In his keynote speech, Tagle said Christian love goes beyond all frontiers to witness Jesus through their mission. He emphasized the importance of understanding “frontiers” in the context of walking together for evangelization and offered a threefold explanation of the term. “A frontier is a border between two territories, encompassing civil, historical, cultural, and ethnic dimen-sions,” he said, adding that understanding these borders aids in describing local churches and facilitates inculturation. He pointed to Jesus’ example of moving across territories to foster appreciation and to disentangle Christianity from being identified with one culture. Highlighting the need for attentive-ness to frontiers, Tagle stressed the import-ance of redefining cultural elements for better understanding. “While respecting the first frontiers of borders, we fail to give testimony to the universal frontiers of Christian love,” he remarked.
Spanish bishops speak out after leaks of their meeting with Leo XIV
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