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Alianza de amor

March 18, 2021 By Magdalena Rosario Lira

Living in Covenant and Overcoming Extremism

Living in Covenant and Overcoming Extremism

At a time when the powerful make use of extremes to polarize society, manipulate the insecure, hijack their capacity for discernment and dominate social and political currents, it is essential to awaken the individual's capacity for discernment, so that he can find the middle ground in the truth in the organic world, and thus, his path of intellectual and affective liberation, for his own benefit and that of society.
F. Afonso Wosny and Sister M. Nilza
18 March 2021
Healthy bonds as an answer to polarization

Every person needs concrete expressions of love, to have someone at their side who looks at them with tenderness and helps them in everyday matters. In an audience, Pope Francis said that technology helps communication, but tenderness is exclusive to human hearts.  Technology “can do many things, but there is one thing it cannot do: give tenderness. Tenderness is the sign of the presence of Jesus, getting close to one’s neighbor, helping, sacrificicing oneself for the other.” [1]

It is urgent that we promote a covenant culture of welcoming the other; we all belong to each other as humanity. If we do not take care of each other, there will be no tomorrow. Pope Frances affirms: “There is no worse alienation than the experience of not having roots, of not belonging to anyone… a nation will bear fruit and will be able to generate a future only to the extent that it gives life to relationships among its members,”[2]

Real personal bonds, even if virtual

When it comes to internet use, relationships and personal bonds are topics that are always on the rise, both in conversations and in scientific studies. It is perceived that the feeling of being hidden in internet interactions makes many people become aggressive.

The algorithms of social networks allow isolation in bubbles, where we only have contact with people who think like us and totally exclude those who have different opinions.

Concentration camp Dachau | Welt.de
Extremism generates violence

Extremist thinking is always narrow and manipulative, it does not create healthy bonds. In a world with an almost infinite possibility of obtaining information and allowing everyone to express their ideas, it is paradoxical that such narrow-mindedness in the political sphere, and other areas as well, allows no other possibility but to position oneself  on the extreme right or left. There is much intolerance, divisions, aggressive relations, and lack of fraternal respect or respect for the authorities; an unwillingness to accept what others think, believing that only our political vision is the right one and finding nothing positive in what those who do not belong to my bubble do or say.

In his encyclical Fratelli Tutti, Pope Francis affirms that “today, in many countries, the political mechanism of tormenting, exaggerating and polarizing is used… others are denied the right to exist and to think, and, to this end, they resort to the strategy of deriding them, insinuating suspicions about them and repressing them. One does not accept their part of the truth, their values, and thus society is impoverished and ends up reduced to the arrogance of the strongest”.

The sociologist Zygmunt Bauman states that in the “liquid society”, evil also becomes liquid and people act aggressively, as if it were normal to deny those who are different the right to exist [3]. In this way, all those who “belong to another group” are treated as inferior and enemies.

Schoenstatt Argentina
Let’s use the media to generate unity

“The Internet is not responsible for this contemporary wave of populism or ultra-conservative governments” [4], says Pierre Levy, philosopher of cyberculture. He reminds us that social media is neutral in itself and can be used for unity and peace. But, just as Nazism used radio to manipulate opinions and establish an extreme dictatorship, today’s extremists use the Internet to impose their right-wing or left-wing ideologies, and there are many people who think that these are the only two possibilities to govern, which forms a very tragic future where there are no free personalities capable of controlling this current.

Pope Francis stresses that virtual relationships complement but do not replace personal encounters. Thus, he expresses, “How good it would be if, as we discover new distant planets, we would also discover the needs of the brother and sister orbiting around us!” [5]

Love transforms reality

Our covenant of love with Mary is tested, matures and deepens in the daily trials of loving our neighbor, even when that neighbor thinks the opposite of what I think. How many of our brothers and sisters need our attention! Often, violent speech and extremist opinions are expressions of fear and self defense mechanisms by those who feel insecure and fearful. The wounded on the roadside, as Jesus narrates in the parable of the Good Samaritan, can be found within our home or in an app group, and the exercise of small virtues is the service we can offer them on a daily basis.

Let us reflect on what our Father and Founder says: “The point of view by which we will be judged is love of thy neighbor…. In the faces of those around me, I see the footprints of God the Father, the footprints of Christ and of the Blessed Mother. Here a whole world is opening up that we must conquer anew… we must strive to form families everywhere, so that man will once again have the capacity for attachment” [6].

Note: This text is a clipping and synthesis of the talk given at the October Congress of the Southeast 2020 Regional in Brazil..

References (in Portuguese):

[1] http://www.vatican.va/content/francesco/pt/audiences/2020/documents/papa-francesco_20200930_udienza-generale.html

[1] http://www.vatican.va/content/francesco/pt/speeches/2018/september/documents/papa-francesco_20180925_autorita-tallinn-estonia.html

[3] In: “Mal líquido – Vivendo num mundo sem alternativas”, Ed. Zahar

[4] https://www.fronteiras.com/videos/internet-e-responsabilidade-politica

[5] https://www.vaticannews.va/pt/papa/news/2020-10/papa-francisco-conversao-ecologica-ponti-academia-ciencias.html

[6] Pe. Kentenich em: “Que se faça o homem novo”

Filed Under: Exilzeit, News Tagged With: Alianza de amor, Convenant of Love, Cultura de alianza, Extremism, pandemic, Polarización, polarization, Violence

October 30, 2020 By Sr. M. Cacilda Becker

Message to the Schoenstatt Family

Message to the Schoenstatt Family

We are committed to a thorough historical examination

Written by: Fr. Juan Pablo Catoggio

Dear Schoenstatt Family,

These are difficult times for all of us. In an article on katholisch.de the previous accusations against our founder, Father Joseph Kentenich, are presented and documented in more detail. These include excerpts from a book written by Alexandra von Teuffenbach. This accumulation of accusations is shocking and confusing.

All the testimonies – whether positive or accusatory – were processed in the “Causa Kentenich” (i.e. in the beatification process) and known only to the persons responsible. This means for the present case that the connections were examined and determined for further thorough study by the responsible Vatican authority. They were thus evaluated in their significance and taken seriously. According to the normal practice in beatification proceedings, this process did not take place in public. No one is authorized to bring testimonies from a beatification process into the public eye, as is unfortunately the case here. Many of the documents cited in the book belong to the confidential files of the beatification process.

For this reason, the recent publications are new and shocking for all the communities of the Schoenstatt Movement. All of us are confronted with the question of whether or not the accusations are true. These accusations contradict our very positive experiences with the person and the message of Father Kentenich. They contradict our own experiences, precisely in areas that are so important for Father Kentenich and for Schoenstatt: Freedom, human dignity, especially of women, healthy natural and religious bonds, to name but a few.

The collection of documents presented is not sufficient to determine the truth. To find the truth requires thorough research and includes more than an accumulation of accusations and defenses. It requires time, competence, and diligence.  We are committed to face the challenge of such a thorough and responsible historical examination.

We are not afraid of the truth. We are interested in everything coming to light. This was always Father Kentenich’s fundamental desire. Like him, we are confident that the truth will prevail in spite of everything and that the Blessed Mother will guide us today as she has always done in the past.

 

Schoenstatt, October 30, 2020

Father Juan Pablo Catoggio

General Presidium of the Schoenstatt Movement

Filed Under: News Tagged With: 18 de octubre, Alianza de amor, Peregrinos, Vallendar, Virgen Peregrina

October 23, 2020 By Luciana Loyola

A Day of Hope: Our Covenant 2020

A Day of Hope: Our Covenant 2020

A Warm Celebration from the Original Shrine.

Written by: Luciana Loyola P.
Pilgerkirche - Schoenstatt International.

Days before October 18th, the weather reports had been alerting us of possible rain and winds; already with the distancing measures due to the pandemic, it was feared that it would be a not very warm celebration. The great concern to offer a program full of spirituality was evident, especially in these times of so much adversity.

Against all odds and with the help of our MTA, a day of celebration for the foundation of Schoenstatt was held free of rain with special conferences, commemorative Masses, and the participation of people from different regions of Germany, some who sealed the Covenant of Love in the Original Shrine.

At the beginning of the day, families, youth, children, and members of the different Schoenstatt branches arrived at the Original Shrine to celebrate the 106th anniversary of the foundation. Applying security measures, about 250 people participated in the German-English Mass celebrated by Father Ludwig Güthlein, in which a special dedication was made to the theme of the day, Mary, hope for all. Flags from different countries made a formal entrance into the Pilgrims’ Church representing the internationality of Schoenstatt and giving way to the auxiliary image of the Pilgrim Mother.

Family receiving a blessing from Fr. Antonio Bracht at the Original Shrine - Schoenstatt International.

Simultaneously, in another corner of the valley, 20 members of the Portuguese-speaking community had moments of prayer and reflections on the Covenant of Love, led by their advisor, Sister Isabel of Brazil.  Two young couples plus 11 members of the Schoenstatt Rosary Campaign gave their Yes to the exchange of hearts with the Mother Thrice Admirable in the Covenant of Love. During the warm ceremony, which was celebrated by Father Antonio Bracht, Member of the General Council of the Schoenstatt Fathers, the children also made a special consecration to the Blessed Mother in which each one received a special medal.

“This is a great joy, we are very happy to be able to consecrate our marriage and our Benjamin to Mary” – this is how Mateus Cançado Moura and Anneliese Neumann described it; they are a Brazilian couple who have been living in Germany for 4 years and traveled from Munich with their 5-month-old son to Schoenstatt. 

Soon after, the secretariat of hispanic language, led by Sister Carolina, offered more than 60 people a moment of singing and prayer. With the participation of Father Pablo Pol, Rector of the Original Shrine, 17 people sealed their Covenant of Love, 10 children were consecrated to our Blessed Mother and 4 images of the Pilgrim MTA were blessed and sent out.

“It was a very beautiful experience! We came with a group from the Catholic mission from Hannover to be able to consecrate our children to the Virgin” commented Sharon Jiménez Delgado, from Costa Rica who has been living in Germany for 13 years with her daughter Maria.

At this time of day, a Spanish-Portuguese Mass was celebrated in in the Pilgrims’ Church along with all the families who traveled to Schoenstatt. During the homily, Father Antonio Bracht made a brief reflection referring to the context of the pandemic, about how for some people, hope is the vaccine while for others the vaccine is hope, offering words of comfort and encouragement regarding the circumstances in which we are currently living. He concluded by saying “truly, our hope is Mary!”

Pilgrim signing the Covenant book - Schoenstatt International.

And this is how the afternoon was going. Each minute brought us closer to the exact moment when Father Kentenich, from the small chapel in Vallendar, decided to seal the first Covenant of Love. 

 

With great care for the health and safety of all, more than 430 visitors were able to participate in the ceremony which was translated into 4 languages and transmitted through the internet by official channels. It is good for us to be here, let us build three tents! Without a doubt these words are a symbol of shelter which during this rite of renewal solidified our commitment to the Shrine and our dedication to the Mother Thrice Admirable. The atmosphere was spiritual and full of joy. The celebration concluded with the traditional burning of the offerings to the contributions to the Capital of Grace and several songs to our Mother Thrice Admirable, Queen and Victress of Schoenstatt.

You can access to the video of this event through this link: www.bit.ly/sch106

Covenant of Love Renovation event

Filed Under: News Tagged With: 18 de octubre, Alianza de amor, Peregrinos, Santuario original, Schönstatt, Vallendar, Virgen Peregrina

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