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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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