(LifeSiteNews) — I read in La Prensa that Buenos Aires Archbishop Jorge García Cuerva has published a pastoral letter proposing a “revolution of joy.” It follows the distinguishing characteristics of Pope Francis, especially his exhortation Gaudete et exsultate. The news is illustrated with a photograph of the smiling prelate.
For more than half a century, people occasionally at the forefront of the Church have been enthusiastic about this side of Christian life, repudiating “vinegar face” and the memory of calamities. Pope John XXIII, in announcing the celebration of an ecumenical council, lashed out at the “prophets of calamities.” I do not deny that evangelical joy is a value that integrates the Christian conception of life, of course, but it is also undeniable that calamities have existed, do exist, and that the prophets were right to warn about them. I cannot imagine Our Lord Jesus Christ with a perpetual smile. Gravity, depth, and discretion are unavoidable aspects of the Gospel. How can Catholic leaders not perceive that they are falsifying reality and thus misleading the faithful?
After listing the characteristics of the city, the archbishop of Buenos Aires writes that he considers it “fundamental to reflect on our pastoral mission in Buenos Aires, in light of the joy, the joy of the heart, the profound joy, the joy of the Gospel, on which the Pope insists so much and which should mark a new evangelizing stage.” What illusion, prejudice, and ensuing cluelessness! What is lacking is an objective, comprehensive reflection that is not afraid to recognize evils and warn about them.
The Gospel and the Church’s centuries-old Tradition do not hesitate to condemn errors. It is enough to glance at the many encyclicals of the pontiffs that reveal the evils lying in wait and prepare the faithful not to be misled by the wiles of the devil. It seems to me that the turning point was reached at the famous Second Vatican Council. It is time to examine the past several decades and recognize the results in Argentina and in the world. There is no need for a “revolution of joy”; what is lacking is good sense and courage.
READ: St. James’ courageous martyrdom has inspired the conversion and pilgrimage of many
Revolutions are very frequent events all over the world, but history records those that have truly transcended and marked an epoch. I remember three that have this character and color the modern centuries: The English Revolution took place between 1642 and 1688. The French Revolution was and is a revolution with a capital “R” par excellence, sowing with its ideology “the rights of man and citizen.” It is considered the origin of republican regimes; the République is the iconic model of numerous political upheavals. And the Russian Revolution of 1917 meant the seizure of power by the Bolshevik Party and the beginning of a dictatorship that exported communism all over the world, with varying degrees of Marxist contagion, until it started collapsing due to exhaustion in 1989. I leave here these references eluded by the argument of this pastoral letter.
Let us return to the archbishop’s pastoral letter that proposed a (minuscule) “revolution of joy.” The first thing that can be advised to Archbishop García Cuerva is to get to know the city, its neighborhoods, its squares, and the contrast of greatness and misery – that is the space in which his pastoral government must be exercised. To take the city towards God, to bring it closer to Him, and to take charge of the religious ignorance so widespread among the Argentine people.
Then, to recognize the pastoral organization in force for several decades, namely the division of the city into four zones: Downtown, Belgrano, Devoto, and Flores. This system allows the archbishop to be aware of the city’s problems. Each zone is led by one of the auxiliary bishops, and they all periodically meet as a pastoral council. I was vicar of the Belgrano zone for six years; the current Pope Francis was at that same time vicar of the Flores zone. The city is complex and multifaceted – revolution is not needed, but rather an attentive monitoring of the changes and rhythm of life in a big city.
In apostolic times, Corinth and Rome posed problems and alternatives analogous to those currently posed by Buenos Aires. Archbishop García Cuerva has been sent to the city as successor of the apostles. The smiling “revolution of joy” cannot replace the serious and sober joy in Christ that has its seat in the Christian heart.
+ Héctor Aguer
Archbishop Emeritus of La Plata
Buenos Aires, Thursday, July 25, 2024
Feast of St. James the Apostle