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Consecrated life and psychology
Where are we?


by
MARIA ELENA ZECCHINI

  

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From December 11 to 14, 2012 will be held in Rome, in the auditorium of the university Urbaniana, the XXXVIII Conference on Religious Life, organized by the Institute of Theology of Consecrated Life "Claretianum". The theme, "Consecrated Life and Psychology. We make the point" reflects the need for a review of the long and controversial relationship between consecrated life and psychology. It was attended by about 500 people, mostly religious men and women, the reports were given by experts of various nationalities, who teach at various Roman Faculties. They have addressed the issue in an interdisciplinary perspective: first, in the light of the theological sciences, and with the contribution of the human sciences, particularly psychology.

The first day, after a welcome from the Director of the Institute, p. Santiago González Silva, was opened by the greeting of Msgr. Enrico Dal Covolo, Rector of the Pontifical Lateran University, where the "Claretianum" is associated. He acknowledged the "special and indispensable contribution of psychology to the understanding of choosing a vocation of consecrated life." He then pointed out that some psychological currents interpret the choice of consecrated life as a search for answers to needs and satisfactions that do not lead to a positive and creative development of person. Other currents emphasize an attitude "proreattivo" that fosters the human and religious development, developing the capacity to love so deeply and disinterestedly. These guidelines recognize the ability of the consecrated life to bear witness to the transcendent values ​​in a society that does not appreciate them.


        Beyond the psychological paradox


        Marko Ivan Rupnik opened the meeting with a report in some respects provocative: "What psychology can not give: secularization of spirituality?”. The psychology is presented as insufficient to understand the man in the Christian vision of being made up of body, soul and spirit; the latter enables him to open up to God and to welcome His life and action. The spiritual life that characterizes the person is outside the scope of investigation of psychology, which does not have the conditions and means to study how the human spirit unite and cooperate with the Holy Spirit.

There is an error of departure that may affect the use of psychology in the spiritual life and that is to not leave with the knowledge that it is not the Holy Spirit that is interpreted by the human, but it is exactly the opposite: the Spirit gives the right vision of the human. So the point of departure is the man loved by God and redeemed by Him. The formation to the consecrated life can not be seen as a route that goes from human to spiritual formation. Instead it is the only proper training, starting from the principle that the human being must be modeled on Christ to be truly himself.

The biblical approach was followed by Andrzej S. Wodka with the report: "In the soul-life and the Logos incarnate. Biblical reflections for the gift of discipleship." Illustrating some aspects of the psychology of Jesus, the speaker demonstrated how to reveal to man his own humanity and emerge a human revealed psychology. In this way opens up the possibility to psychology to take its origin from the source of the Trinity, in which man can finally meet, through the gift of self in the Easter following. It is a path that the speaker has called "psychological paradox" because it starts from the wounds of the wounded man to make emerge the resources that mature to agapic love and peace.

The Church's commitment to a balanced education, especially of candidates for the priesthood, was the basis of the report of Msgr. Vincenzo Zani. The theme "Guidelines of the Magisterium on the competence and the use of psychology", was carried out by examining some magisterial texts that establish the criteria for the use of psychology in the context of the formation and vocational discernment: the Apostolic Exhortation of Pope John Paul II "Pastores dabo vobis" (1992) and the two texts of the Congregation for Catholic Education: the "Guidelines on the preparation of educators in seminaries" (1993) and "Guidelines for the Use of Psychology in the Admission and Formation of Candidates for the priesthood” ( 2008).
         The Speaker reiterated the Church's appreciation for contemporary psychiatry and psychology, but also stated that "the achievements in the purely scientific field are not sufficient to provide a whole vision of the person and that they alone do not solve the fundamental questions concerning the meaning of life and the human vocation, which remains essentially spiritual, that is the work of grace."

The addictive relationship of Catherine Aubin: "From prayer to psychology" drew an inner journey to get to the heart of man, in which resounds God's question to Adam, "Where are you?" (Gen 3:9). We need to get back into our hearts to meet with God, or rather to meet that part of us, the most hidden and most true, where we can open up to Him. Each of us, in fact, may be the Pharisee or the publican of the note parable in Luke 18:9-14. The parable seems to treat of prayer, but in fact goes further, speaks of the attitude of the heart, of the spirit that animates us. In this sense, prayer can become a psychological and spiritual detector.
The Pharisee is the pious and observant man, or at least wearing the mask, slipping in fact in a state of falsehood and illusion so he thinks to have anything to ask. It is closed in its condition of apparent justice that separates him from others and even from God. The publican, indeed, ask crying out for help, for salvation; he immerses in ihis own darkness, falls into the meaningless gap that has within himself: God can enter here. So starts the change that brings the publican to meet God and to be profoundly changed: "he went down to his house justified" (Luke 18:14).


        On the road and in dialogue


        In the second part of the conference, the speakers stressed the need for a unified and integral formation of the person.

Bruna Zaltron, in her report responding to the question: "Psychologist or trainer?", she recalled that "the goal of every formation is the unification of the various components of the person" For this it is necessary to distinguish the specific functions of the trainer, who is called to help those in formation to grow in conformity to Christ, from those of the psychologist, which must accompany the people to achieve greater authenticity and integration of his inner forces. It should be encouraged not only self-knowledge but also the change in decision-making, evolutionary and relationships. In this process it should be borne in mind that the person is not determined only by his inconsistencies, but also by a dynamism of existential transformation which makes it able to take what his choice of life behaves as an ideal to live.

In the report: "Psychotherapy and vocational fidelity," Jorge Luis González has reviewed some situations where it is appropriate a therapeutic relationship. These cases do not concern only those who have psychological disorders, or who is normally balanced, but subjected to excessive stress of work or community, but also those who "wish to put their whole being to the service of love." The speaker then identified the traits of a psychotherapy that helps them to be faithful; and he has set out the criteria for the selection of the psychotherapist and finally hatched some therapeutical aptitudes - hope, acceptance of the lights and shadows of the people, authenticity, empathy - that help the religious community to grow in that love which knows how to profit from the difficulty and brings to light the potential of people.
Giuseppe Crea developed the theme: "The psychological distress: how to recognize them and how to prevent them" urged not to stand in front of the psychological distress in a "purely reparative perspective" which makes us pasive, but to identify "reconstructive strategies for prevention and treatment”, creating a climate of support in the community and encouraging the request for help. If the community learns to become aware of what happens to the "difficult" subject and welcomes the challenge of growing together, each brother / sister will be able to capitalize on his/her opportunities of aging, contain any dysfunctional events and responsibly assume the dynamics of their vocation in personal and community history.
        The final report: "Values ​​and ideal of life: the contribution of psychology in education" has been entrusted to Amedeo Cencini, that first of all pointed out as today the relationship between psychology and spiritual theology provides "a moving panorama” and that it is necessary ”honest dialogue” between the two disciplines. The speaker pointed out the possible contribution of psychology in vocational enlivement and in the initial formation, indicating, finally, some elements which could contribute to the formation for alla the life. The own contribution of psychology is to help you to be real with ourselves, with God, with others and react to own vocational project, while remaining faithful to his logical: grasping "the meaning of life in the gift received, which tends by its nature to become a good given."

What "point" identified from the conference? In today's socio-cultural landscape certainly the continuation of the dialogue between theology and psychology is imposed, taking some clarities: the vocation is above all a gift of grace, but it works on nature, then only an anthropology open to the Transcendent can support the psychology in the task of accompanying persons and communities in responsible and creative fidelity to God's plan and only the interdisciplinary can support a true and liberating training.

 

Maria Elena Zecchini smr
Director of Riparazione mariana
Via Monte Velino, 30 - 00141 Roma

 

 

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