In the pre-conclave meetings, before he was elected pope, Cardinal Bergoglio gave a challenging, prophetic speech on evangelization and the Church. He said the Church "is called to come out of herself" to evangelize and "go to the peripheries."
In commentary relevant to "ecclesial institutions" from the upper echelon of the Catholic hierarchy down to the parish level:
In commentary relevant to "ecclesial institutions" from the upper echelon of the Catholic hierarchy down to the parish level:
When the Church does not come out of herself to evangelize, she becomes self-referent and then she gets sick. (cf. The hunchback woman of the Gospel). The evils that over the course of time happen in ecclesial institutions have their root in a self-reference and a sort of theological narcissism. In Revelation, Jesus says that he is at the door and knocks. Evidently the text refers to his knocking from outside in order to enter but I think of the times in which Jesus knocks from within so that we will let him come out. The self-referent Church keeps Jesus Christ within herself and does not let him come out.
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