FORTY YEARS
FROM THE COUNCIL

 

        
in the words of  Mons. Domenico Sigalini


Rita Salerno (
courtesy)

Italian version
 

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He says that the Council is young because it gives space to dreams and welcomes the youths. The best synthesis of the Council for the youths is the speech of Paul VI on 7 December 1965. The Pope explains: “With the Council the Church has chosen to throw herself totally into the arms of humanity with its problems, not to the end of being suffocated by it, but offer hope. The Council offers to the youths a hope and a place, the Church, in which hope may grow and become life. The youths must know that, if a great part of the world does not believe and does not invest in them, there is someone, who has a space, a hope and a meaning for them. This someone s the Church of the Council",

Monsignor Domenico Sigalini was born at Dello, province and Diocese of Bologna, on 7 June 1942. He completed his studies of Secondary School and Theology in the seminary of Brescia. In 1971 he graduated in Mathematics from the University of studies in Milano. He taught this subject in the Seminary of Brescia from 1967 to 1991.

He is the author of several publications, above all articles on pastoral magazines: Orientamenti Pastorali, Settimana, Note di Pastorale Giovanile, in the Magazines of the Catholic Action and other reviews.  From 1966 till 1969, he was Vicar feast co-operator at Frontignano and Bargnano (Brescia) He has been also a diocesan vice-assistant of the Italian Catholic Action, from 1974 till 1980, and its assistant from 1980 till 1991. In 1991, they called Monsignor Sigalini to Rome as a responsible of the National Service for the Youth Pastoral of the CEI.  He kept until 2001, when he was appointed Vice-assistant Ecclesiastic General of the Italian Catholic Action, a task he continues to fulfil.

The principal commitment of Monsignor Segalini in these latest months has been the preparation and celebration of the World Day of Youths in Denver, Manila, Paris, Toronto and Rome. We have asked him to answer some questions on the actuality of the Ecumenical Council Vatican II.

At a distance of 40 years, the Ecumenical Vatican Council II does not yet stop raging a burning debate among the persons in charge of the work. To you, what is the correct interpretation of the event and its doctrinal value?

"It is a unique ecclesial experience, which has written afresh the face of the Church for today's world, not only in the modernity, but also for its post-modernity. It has been a dialogue at par with the world, without any sense of superiority or inferiority. I would invite all persons, who criticise and do not understand the Council, to read the talk of Paul VI, December 7 1965, the promulgation day of the last documents. It is there that the great affection of the Council for the contemporary man and the hand stretched to respect the dignity and to offer the greatness of the Christian faith emerges clearly.

Is it misleading to read the Council as breaking off with the past?

"If by breaking off we mean a discontinuity of the truth and following of the Gospel, surely it was not a breaking off. If we mean that the plaster, which stiffened the Holy Scriptures, the liturgy, theology, the pastoral the self-sufficiency of the Catholic Church, if compared with other Christian confessions, was broken off, then we must say that there has really been a breaking off and that it is still to be realised!

In the introduction of the volume published by the Daughters of St. Paul on the council heritage, Monsignor Loris Capovilla states, "The heritage of the Council asks all the Christians to conjugate faithfulness with renewal". In which way can we translate this priority commitment?  What is the role of the Bishop in this sense?

"It is always a matter of going back to listening to the Word, to sacramental and liturgical life,       to the works of charity, within a strong accentuation of the contemplative choice. Therefore, the problem is not of an organising type, but of welcoming the gift of the Gospel into our lives. The first think that, as a Bishop, I feel committed to promote and support, is the regeneration of my faith and of that of the people of God, of presbyters and the laity. Today we the mission and the first announcement challenge us.  Only a church in which we live the co-responsibility can face this seriously",

The Pope, in the year 2000, wanted a congress of study on the actuation of the Council. How much have we understood of the spirit of the Council? What are the eventual obstacles, which have prevented us from perceiving it?

"I think that some fundamental elements have been perceived well. We still have many difficulties in our liturgy, but all can see that there is a lively, aware and mature participation of our people. Many Christian communities can see the co-responsibility of the laity at good maturity level, of awareness and evangelising action. The role of the Word of God is very precise. There are many   who study, read it and allow themselves to be transformed by it. The relation with the world is neither that of the Talebans, nor that of spineless persons, but that of persons who know how to be a seed with invincible strength, though always in weakness, which finds the unique and necessary strength in Jesus.  The main obstacles are no longer, so much, the nostalgic people of the old way of living the Christian community life, but the challenges of the post-modern world, which is liquid and without references. Above all, it is the Christianising process, not the internal hesitations of some opposing persons.  There were at the beginning people who opposed the Council, but not today. Now nobody believes anymore and the witnessing community must face its mission with more determination".

What church image emerges from the documents of the Council? What is it and what is it not?  What do its extraordinary actuality and strength consist of?

"What emerges from the Council is the image of a people saved by a God who walks with all men on a single boat to be always a sign of God's love. We see in this the extraordinary strength of God for those who trust him alone. The actuality is in the strength of a seed, of the leaven, of salt, of a light, which finds in today's church more awareness and more decision".

What direction does she walk towards today?  How could we reconcile faithfulness and renewal on the basic priority of the ecumenical journey?

"The ecumenical journey, today, explodes in our communities spontaneously. We have Orthodox Protestant, Protestants and Anglicans because of the great mixing of people. Families are bound to live together; all realise of having to be missionaries in their area of life. Many are experiencing the desire of praying together, of facing the challenges together. An Orthodox Pope told me: is it not possible to exercise the youth pastoral together, though respecting our belonging? The Romanian and Italian youths must face the same provocations of Faith, since they are in the same consumerism.  He is right and, probably, this is the new way, besides that of the traditional prayer".

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