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On the way with the men and
the women
Live today and work for the future |
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- This was the subject of the international
meeting of the working priests. The wind of Pentecost seemed
to blow on this assembly of about 500 persons.
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- The presentations of human experiences
and solidarity action gave a strong missionary mark: The Church
exists first for those who do not belong to the Church. The future
is made of initiatives on the borderlines. The minister of the
working priests is minister of liberation of the persons. The
incarnation of Jesus has to be continued to make the society
more human with a priority for the oppressed.
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- It is so good to hear these words
from such witnesses!
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The celebration of Pentecost Eucharist
in the main room of the Congress Palace had a lot of character.
The people of God were celebrating around a large table the three
facts that Jesus wanted to link together at the Last Supper:
a new commandment, the washing of the feet, Eucharist. |
Behind each working-priest I could see
a thousand persons. This is because each priest has an extraordinary
impact due to his commitments, his struggles, and his priority
for the weakest. Through these priests I could see thousands
of people, a huge crowd invading the whole city of Strasbourg. |
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- To contradict my vision, newsmen
put me back to reality: "Working priests are getting old.
There are few young ones. What is the future?"
- "They will not disappear.
They opened a breach that will not be closed again. In the future
the situation will be reversed: the priests will not anymore
engaged themselves in the working condition. On the contrary,
the married or unmarried workers will be asked by the Church
to become priests".
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- Before leaving all the people were
singing with enthusiasm:
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- "They make themselves friends
of the oppressed
and share the destiny of the neglected.
With them they live side by side
speaking the same language on Pentecost day"
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