AAS 80 - La Santa Sede
AAS 80 - La Santa Sede AAS 80 - La Santa Sede
1756 Acta Apostolicae Sedis - Commentarium Officiale vieto of our episcopal ministry. This organic view must take into account the perennial exigencies of the Gospel ; it must also express the indisputable priorities of the life of the Church today, both in her universal needs and in the special requirements of the Church in the United States. At the same time it must faithfully reflect the cali of the Second Vatican Council to reform and renewal as reiterated by the Bishop of Rome and the Worldwide Episcopate in communion with him. This communion is especially evident in the différent sessions of the Synod of Bishops, the conclusions of which are of special urgency for all pastoral planning in the Church. 2. One of the essential thèmes of the Gospel that has been emphasized by both the Second Vatican Council and the Synod of Bishops is the cali to penance or conversion—and consequently to reconciliation—incumbent on all members of the Church, and particulari^ relevant to our own lives and ministry as Bishops. Conversion as proclaimed by Christ is a whole program of life and pastoral action. It is the basis for an organic view of pastoral ministry because it is linked to ali the great aspects of God's révélation. Conversion speaks to us about the need to acknowledge the primacy of God in the world and in our individual lives. It présupposes the reality of sin and the need to respond to God in and through Christ the Savior, who frees us from our sins. Christ's command of conversion imposes on us "the obédience of faith" 2 in ail its implications. Conversion becomes for us a synthesis of the Gospel, and repeated conversions throughout the ages reflect the unceasing action of the Risen Christ on the life of the Church. Jesus himself introduces us to the meaning of penance or conversion when he says : "Repent and believe in the Gospel". 3 Conversion signifies an internai change of attitude and of approach to God and to the world. This is the way the Church has always understood this reality. The Synod of 1983 described it as "the inmost change of heart under the influence of the word of God and in the perspective of the Kingdom", and again as "a conversion that passes from the heart to deeds, and then to the Christian's whole life". 4 3. Our conversion is understood as a response to the call of Jesus to embrace his Gospel and enter his Kingdom. His call had been 2 Rom 1:5. 3 Mk 1:15. * Reconciliatio et Paenitentia, 4.
Acta Ioannis Pauli Pp. II 1757 anticipateci by the Precursor of his Kingdom, John the Baptist : "Repent, for the Kingdom of heaven is at hand 5 '. 5 Jesus himself entrusted this call to his Apostles and through them to us. On the day of Pentecost it was taken up by Peter who encouraged the people to proclaim Jesus Christ as Lord and Messiah, saying : "Repent and be baptized, every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit". 6 The Apostle Paul bore public testimony to the fact that he "preached the need to repent and turn to God, and to do works giving évidence of repentance 55 . 7 In imitating the Apostles Peter and Paul, by striving to embrace the reality of conversion and by preaching it, we are in effect proclaim ing the full content of the truth that Jesus revealed about repen tance. In speaking of conversion or penance we direct people's attention to God himself and to the need to live in conformity with the truth that God has expressed regarding human nature. To cali to conversion means to proclaim God's dominion over ali création, especially over ali humanity. It means extolling God's law and acknowledging ali the practical effects of création. In the act of conversion the human person proclaims his or her dependence on God and acknowledges the need to obey God's law in order to live in freedom. Conversion présupposes an acknowledgment of the reality of human rébellion against the majesty of God. In each person's heart conversion signifies the vast superiority of grace over sin, so much so trat "where sin increased, grace overflowed ali the more' 5 . 8 Conversion is made possible and actually brought about in human hearts by the victory of Jesus in his Paschal Mystery. Every individuai conversion is an expression of the divine plan whereby human beings must consent to God's salvific action. Henee every conversion expresses the nobility of human effort and at the same time its total insufficieney. Every conversion proclaims the supremacy of grace. 4. By reflecting on Jesus' words to be converted, to repent, to open our hearts to life and grace, to renounce sin, we discover the relationship between conversion and God's love, the relationship be tween conversion and God's power. As we reflect on the call of 5 Mt 3:2. 6 Acts 2:38. 7 Acts 26:20. 8 Rom 5:20.
- Page 1706 and 1707: 1706 Acta Apostolicae Sedis - Comme
- Page 1708 and 1709: 1708 Acta Apostolicae Sedis - Comme
- Page 1710 and 1711: 1710 Acta Apostolicae Sedis - Comme
- Page 1712 and 1713: 1712 Acta Apostolicae Sedis - Comme
- Page 1714 and 1715: 1714 Acta Apostolicae Sedis - Comme
- Page 1716 and 1717: 1716 Acta Apostolicae Sedis - Comme
- Page 1718 and 1719: 1718 Acta Apostolicae Sedis - Comme
- Page 1720 and 1721: 1720 Acta Apostolicae Sedis - Comme
- Page 1722 and 1723: 1722 Acta Apostolicae Sedis - Comme
- Page 1724 and 1725: 1724 Acta Apostolicae Sedis - Comme
- Page 1726 and 1727: 1726 Acta Apostolicae Sedis - Comme
- Page 1728 and 1729: 1728 Acta Apostolicae Sedis - Comme
- Page 1730 and 1731: 1730 Acta Apostolicae Sedis - Comme
- Page 1732 and 1733: 1732 Acta Apostolicae Sedis - Comme
- Page 1734 and 1735: 1734 Acta Apostolicae Sedis - Comme
- Page 1736 and 1737: 1736 Acta Apostolicae Sedis - Comme
- Page 1738 and 1739: 1738 Acta Apostolicae Sedis - Comme
- Page 1740 and 1741: 1740 Acta Apostolicae Sedis - Comme
- Page 1742 and 1743: 1742 Acta Apostolicae Sedis - Comme
- Page 1744 and 1745: 1744 Acta Apostolicae Sedis - Comme
- Page 1746 and 1747: 1746 Acta Apostolicae Sedis - Comme
- Page 1748 and 1749: 1748 Acta Apostolicae Sedis - Comme
- Page 1750 and 1751: 1750 Acta Apostolicae Sedis - Comme
- Page 1752 and 1753: 1752 Acta Apostolicae Sedis - Comme
- Page 1754 and 1755: 1754 Acta Apostolicae Sedis - Comme
- Page 1758 and 1759: 1758 Acta Apostolicae Sedis - Comme
- Page 1760 and 1761: 1760 Acta Apostolicae Sedis - Comme
- Page 1762 and 1763: 1762 Acta Apostolicae Sedis - Comme
- Page 1764 and 1765: 1764 Acta Apostolicae Sedis - Comme
- Page 1766 and 1767: 1766 Acta Apostolicae Sedis - Comme
- Page 1768 and 1769: 1768 Acta Apostolicae Sedis - Comme
- Page 1770 and 1771: 1770 Acta Apostolicae Sedis - Comme
- Page 1772 and 1773: 1772 Acta Apostolicae Sedis - Comme
- Page 1774 and 1775: 1774 Acta Apostolicae Sedis - Comme
- Page 1776 and 1777: 1776 Acta Apostolicae Sedis - Comme
- Page 1778 and 1779: 1778 Acta Apostolicae Sedis - Comme
- Page 1780 and 1781: 1780 Acta Apostolicae Sedis - Comme
- Page 1782 and 1783: 1782 Acta Apostolicae Sedis - Comme
- Page 1784 and 1785: 1784 Acta Apostolicae Sedis - Comme
- Page 1786 and 1787: 1786 Acta Apostolicae Sedis - Comme
- Page 1788 and 1789: 1788 Acta Apostolicae Sedis - Comme
- Page 1790 and 1791: 1790 Acta Apostolicae Sedis - Comme
- Page 1792 and 1793: 1792 Acta Apostolicae Sedis - Comme
- Page 1794 and 1795: 1794 Acta Apostolicae Sedis - Comme
- Page 1796 and 1797: 1796 Acta Apostolicae Sedis - Comme
- Page 1798 and 1799: 1798 Acta Apostolicae Sedis - Comme
- Page 1800 and 1801: 1800 Acta Apostolicae Sedis - Comme
- Page 1802 and 1803: 1802 Acta Apostolicae Sedis - Comme
- Page 1804 and 1805: 1804 Acta Apostolicae Sedis - Comme
Acta Ioannis Pauli Pp. II 1757<br />
anticipateci by the Precursor of his Kingdom, John the Baptist :<br />
"Repent, for the Kingdom of heaven is at hand 5 '. 5 Jesus himself<br />
entrusted this call to his Apostles and through them to us. On the<br />
day of Pentecost it was taken up by Peter who encouraged the people<br />
to proclaim Jesus Christ as Lord and Messiah, saying : "Repent and<br />
be baptized, every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the<br />
forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy<br />
Spirit". 6 The Apostle Paul bore public testimony to the fact that<br />
he "preached the need to repent and turn to God, and to do works<br />
giving évidence of repentance 55 . 7<br />
In imitating the Apostles Peter and Paul, by striving to embrace<br />
the reality of conversion and by preaching it, we are in effect proclaim<br />
ing the full content of the truth that Jesus revealed about repen tance.<br />
In speaking of conversion or penance we direct people's attention to<br />
God himself and to the need to live in conformity with the truth that<br />
God has expressed regarding human nature. To cali to conversion<br />
means to proclaim God's dominion over ali création, especially over<br />
ali humanity. It means extolling God's law and acknowledging ali<br />
the practical effects of création. In the act of conversion the human<br />
person proclaims his or her dependence on God and acknowledges<br />
the need to obey God's law in order to live in freedom.<br />
Conversion présupposes an acknowledgment of the reality of human<br />
rébellion against the majesty of God. In each person's heart conversion<br />
signifies the vast superiority of grace over sin, so much so trat "where<br />
sin increased, grace overflowed ali the more' 5 . 8 Conversion is made<br />
possible and actually brought about in human hearts by the victory<br />
of Jesus in his Paschal Mystery. Every individuai conversion is an<br />
expression of the divine plan whereby human beings must consent<br />
to God's salvific action. Henee every conversion expresses the nobility<br />
of human effort and at the same time its total insufficieney. Every<br />
conversion proclaims the supremacy of grace.<br />
4. By reflecting on Jesus' words to be converted, to repent, to<br />
open our hearts to life and grace, to renounce sin, we discover the<br />
relationship between conversion and God's love, the relationship be<br />
tween conversion and God's power. As we reflect on the call of<br />
5 Mt 3:2.<br />
6 Acts 2:38.<br />
7 Acts 26:20.<br />
8 Rom 5:20.
Change language