ARGENTINA
Association of Catholic Priests (Ireland)
Paul O’Connor OSA in Ecuador provides a translation of the then Cardinal Bergoglio’s pastoral letter for the Year of Faith, published in Buneos Aires last October. Recognising the whole article may be hard reading for some, he suggests they might slip to the section headed ‘Crossing the Threshold of Faith‘, where Padre Jorje tells what faith means to him.
Pastoral Letter from Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio of Buenos Aires, Octubre de 2012
Dear Brothers and Sisters:
Among the most striking experiences of the last decades is finding doors closed. Little by little increasing insecurity has made us bolt doors, employ means of vigilance, install security cameras and mistrust strangers who call at our door.
None the less in some places there are doors that are still open. The closed door is really a symbol of our today. It is something more than a simple sociological fact; it is an existential reality that is imposing itself as a way of life, a way of confronting reality, others and the future.
The bolted door of my house, the place of my intimate life, my dreams, hopes, sufferings and moments of happiness, is locked against others. And it is not simply a matter of the physical house; it is also the whole area of my life, of my heart. All the time there are fewer who can cross that threshold. The security of reinforced doors protects the insecurity of a life which is becoming more fragile and less open to the riches of the life and the love of others.
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