September 15, 2005

On October 23, 2005, Chilean Jesuit priest, Alberto Hurtado, will be canonized.  In recognition of this joyous event, Jesuits in the Maryland Province will receive regular electronic bulletins featuring writings of Father Hurtado.  For more information on Father Hurtado, visit www.mdsj.org/hurtado.

THE CONFLICTS OF ALL CHRISTIANS

Two problems are constantly in the consciousness of every Catholic.  One deals with inner and moral life. As members of the Church, Catholics have a faith they must keep, a dogma they must know, rites and commandments they must observe and above all, they have a spiritual flame they must feed.  The other problem deals with external and social life. As members of society, Catholics must behave just as other good citizens should, fulfilling their duties with the community and the state. However, they must do so with an extra burden, which increases the difficulties, given that being Christians they must confront the demands of their social awareness with those of their religious consciousness, and then make compromises.

The first problem is certainly that of inner life. It is only from the inside, and only from that source that the solution, the strength, the necessary dynamism to face great sacrifices must come.  The world will not be returned to Christ by crusaders who only carry the cross engraved on their armor. Witnesses will not be of any use to the cause of Christ unless an authentic Christian spirit drives their heart and thoughts.

Far from excluding a social attitude founded precisely on the very same principles that our inner lives are based upon, the call from inside every one of us urges us to act according to such an attitude. We would be unable to become fully Christian, if being content with certain fidelity of practices, a certain serenity of the soul, and a purely inner spiritual order, we were to neglect the common good. We would also fail in this task if we only preached without practicing a religion in which the virtues of justice and charity comprise the moral summit, or if we did not constantly ask ourselves what demands such values place upon our social lives, which is the sphere in which these virtues are naturally employed.

It is far easier to come across those who defend the rights of the Church in external struggles than it is to find individuals who defend the integrity of religious consciousness. It is much easier to see the intentions behind a bill of law than it is to perceive how distant they are from the spirit of Christ and the practices of the social environment itself.

There is a high risk in our times, of satisfying ourselves with the fidelity of exterior practice albeit filled with sincere devotion. Some feel guilty if they shake hands with a Mason. However, they show no scruples whatsoever when violating charity with their words, works or selfish omissions, thus destroying the reputation of their brethren. Thus, appearances are saved, and these individuals feel they live in harmony among honest people showing little concern for scandalizing honest souls who judge by the spirit.

We must avoid committing such an error so that we may be at peace with our consciousness, and just as importantly to be able to safeguard the honor of the Church, which will be judged according to our attitudes. Catholics must respect order, but not as a sort of external imposition, but as an inner balance generated whenever justice and charity are fulfilled. An apparent tranquility obtained from the pressure of insurmountable forces does not suffice. We must all occupy the place meant for us according to our human nature. We must not only join in the work but also partake in the satisfactions, just like children who share the same father. Catholics equally reject immobility in disorder; and disorder in movement, because both disrupt the inner balance of justice and charity.

Those wishing to be loyal, in the full sense of the term, are perpetual nonconformists feeding their hunger and thirst for justice with the word of Christ, seeking the way to satisfy these devouring passions in the teachings of the Church, which is nothing more than the extension of Christ living amongst all of us.

Above all, Chirst urges us to mobilize all our strength in favor of a social solution to the serious social issues that are currently at stake, where the lives of so many of our brethren are at stake. The current social order does not correspond to the plan of Providence.  In every social area, Christian life is currently hindered by the problem of excess or of the inability to meet basic needs.

 By creating humankind, God wished to sanctify us. That is the reason of creation: to bring saints to this world; to have His children manifest the splendors of His grace.  Now then, how else are we to become holy in our present environment, than by means of a profound social change?

Everyone must be aware of the full range of social issues, the religious doctrines contending for the world, and above all, they must know the doctrine of the Church. They must be familiar with Chilean reality and must have a special concern for their university studies with a focus on the social problems linked to their professional field of study.  The study of social doctrine should above all, arouse in every one of us a deep social sense, nonconformity in the face of evil, a sense of scandal.