Dilexit nos: an invitation to reform Christianities that distance us from Jesus Christ Jaime Baquero jbaquero@usfq.edu.ec https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7765-0621 Universidad San Francisco de Quito
Abstract: Pope Francis has published an Encyclical letter entitled: “Dilexit nos, on the human and divine love of the Heart of Jesus Christ”. In it, one finds, among others, an invitation to return to the primitive Christocentrism that permeated the ecclesiology of the first centuries, and thus avoid excessive institutionalization that distances the faithful from the encounter with Jesus of Nazareth, but rather brings them closer to him in a humble and simple way. In order to achieve this, it is essential for Francis to accept the need for reforms within the Church, its institutions and entities, and thus guarantee personal spiritual paths in truth and freedom: this is the way to preserve the permanent youth that the voice of the Spirit transmits and to remedy the abuses that have become evident in recent years. Keywords: Christ, Church, reform, freedom, truth, dignity. Abstract: Pope Francis has published an Encyclical letter titled: “Dilexit nos, on the Human and Divine Love of the Heart of Jesus Christ.” In it, he extends, among other points, an invitation to return to the primitive Christocentrism that imbued the Ecclesiology of the early centuries. This approach seeks to avoid excessive institutionalization that might distance the faithful from an encounter with Jesus of Nazareth and instead draw them closer to Him in a humble and simple way. For Francis, achieving this requires embracing the necessity of reforms within the Church, its institutions, and entities to ensure personal spiritual journeys marked by truth and freedom. This is the path to preserving the perennial youth conveyed by the voice of the Spirit and addressing the abuses that have become evident in recent years.
Dilexit nos: an invitation to reform Christianities that distance themselves from Jesus Christ
1. Introduction
+From a purely grammatical perspective, the concept of “Christianity” or “Christian” cannot be separated from the figure of Jesus Christ. However, in practice it could happen that people and institutions – even in areas considered officially Christian or recognized as such by the ecclesiastical hierarchy – recognize themselves as Christian, but their behavior shows the opposite. It is the rupture between the real and the nominal, the first great crisis detected by Pope Francis: Christianities of incoherence, manipulation, worldliness, abuses (Baquero & Estevez, 2022).
Taking a step forward and from a theological reading of the problem, for the follower of Jesus there is an order of precedence: from a faith that is assumed as a gift received from above, before belonging to a specific human group, one is a follower of Christ who is considered, by the lumen fidei or light of faith, as the incarnate son of God. Therefore, everything that comes after this premise—which seems obvious but perhaps is not so—should be subordinated to the historical, divine and soteriological-revealed figure of Jesus of Nazareth: I believe, therefore I belong.
Another natural conclusion could be: the notion of Church, as it is deduced from the Gospel and New Testament texts, is not sustainable if Christ is removed from its foundation. The idea of Church has its origins in the ancient people of Israel, once the limits of a specific nation were sublimated—by Christ himself. Its reason for being is in what has been interpreted as a divine and Christological message at the same time. From this conception of revelation, the Church understands itself as that community “of preaching and of hearing” (Ratzinger, 2005, p. 83) that is born from a divine call: without that call, the “assembly” that it self engenders in the name of God would have no reason to exist (John Paul II, 1991). | V. 11 (2024), p.114 Jaime Baquero להק הוהי The Old Testament Hebrew notion of “Yahweh’s assembly,” qahal Yahweh ( ) and “assembly of the Lord”, qehal Adonai ( להק יָנֹדֲא ), later Hellenized as ekklesía tou Kyríou (ἐκκλησία τοῦ Κυρίου), it is translated into the modern languages in the following form: “Church of the Lord”, “Church of the Lord”, “Église du Seigneur”, “Kirche des Herrn”, “Chiesa del Signore”. The grammatical preposition “de, of, du, des, del” in this case -as in so many- indicates possession, belonging and origin: there is simply no Church without its Lord.dialogue of men among themselves” (Ratzinger, 2005, p. 83).
2. The conciliar event
The so-called “Second Vatican Ecumenical Council” was a significant Catholic ecclesial event of the second half of the twentieth century, the scenario of the twenty-first conciliar assembly that the Church has had since its inception. From the point of view of ecclesiological theology, the central document emanating from the Council was the Dogmatic Constitution Lumen Gentium, on the Church. Contrary to what one might think, Lumen Gentium, “light of the gentiles,” does not refer to the Church itself —its name is not self-referential— but to Jesus Christ (Second Vatican Council, Dogmatic Constitution “Lumen Gentium” on the Church, 1964). The conception of the Church as instrumentum salutis, instrument, sacrament of salvation, has developed with new vitality from the teachings of the Council. The instrument is a tool used by a concrete actor: instrumental cause that depends on a first cause, which in this case is understood to be Jesus Christ. And so as not to forget it, the Council coined phrases such as the following: Christ, the only Mediator, instituted and constantly supports his holy Church, community of faith, hope and charity, as a visible organism, through which he spreads truth and grace to all (Second Vatican Council, Dogmatic Constitution “Lumen Gentium” on the Church, 1964, p. 8). The Church seeks nothing other than to continue, under the guidance of the Consoling Spirit, the very work of Christ, who came into the world to bear witness COLLOQUIA, V. 11 (2024), p.115 Dilexit nos: an invitation to reform Christianities that distance Jesus Christ from the truth, to save and not to condemn, to serve and not to be served (Second Vatican Council, Pastoral Constitution “Gaudium et Spes” on the Church in the Modern World, 1965).
The missionary activity (of the Church) has no other end than to serve man by revealing to him the love of God manifested in Christ Jesus (Second Vatican Council, Decree “Ad Gentes” on the missionary activity of the Church, 1965). In short, the centrality is Christ’s and the instrumentality falls on the Church, invited to maintain, with humility and closeness, its subordinate and welcoming function, so as not to be carried away by vain glories foreign to “the suffering reality of the faithful people” (Pope Francis, Apostolic Exhortation “Evangelii Gaudium”, on the proclamation of the Gospel in the modern world, 2013, p. 96)1.
There will always be the danger, according to Pope Francis himself, of forgetting that the Kingdom of Heaven is not of this world (Jn 18:36), falling into a search for triumphalism, flattering statistics, contacts or social conquests and recognitions distant from the attractive and radical simplicity of the Gospel2. 1The whole paragraph is illuminating: “In this context, the vainglory of those who are content with having some power and prefer to be generals of defeated armies rather than simple soldiers of a squadron that continues to fight is fed. How many times do we dream of expansionist apostolic plans, meticulous and well drawn, proper of defeated generals! Thus we deny our history of the Church, which is glorious because it is a history of sacrifices, of hope, of daily struggle, of life frayed in service, of constancy in work that is tiring, because all work is “the sweat of our brow.” Instead, we entertain ourselves vainly talking about “what should be done” (…) as spiritual teachers and wise pastors who point from the outside. We cultivate our imagination without limits and lose contact with the suffering reality of our faithful people.” (Pope Francis, Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii Gaudium on the proclamation of the Gospel in the modern world, 2013, p. 96).
2An example of what has just been mentioned: “Some people are ostentatiously concerned about the liturgy, the doctrine and the prestige of the Church, but without concern for the Gospel having a real insertion in the faithful People of God and in the concrete needs of history. Thus, the life of the Church becomes a museum piece or a possession of a few. In others, there is hidden a fascination with showing social and political achievements, or a vainglory linked to the management of practical affairs, or a fascination with the dynamics of self-help and self-referential achievement. It can also be translated into various forms | V. 11 (2024), p.116 3. Dilexit nos: returning to the Heart of Christ Jaime Baquero
On October 24, 2024, Pope Francis published his fourth Encyclical Letter entitled: “Dilexit nos, on the human and divine love of the Heart of Jesus Christ.” Throughout his pontificate and in continuity with the Second Vatican Council, Francis has sought to center the reason for being and the very action of the Catholic Church on the person and message of Jesus Christ.
Truth
(Second Vatican Council, Declaration “Dignitatis Humanae” on religious freedom, 1965). This “letting be” implies – of course – accompaniment, guidance, correction when necessary; understanding at the same time – with profound humility – that the work is God’s and not that of the authorities or the trainers. Doctrine without indoctrination, ideas without ideologization, love for the group without falling into sectarianism, formation of consciences without trying to replace them (Pope Francis, 2016)3.
Outdated structures
When an institution that is part of the Church enters into recession, whether due to the loss of members, the lack of attraction for a youth who intuits where they can find meaning for their lives and where they cannot, etc., the easiest thing is to blame this crisis on the general decrease in religious fervor, the change in the classic paradigms of morality or the current world situation. It takes a lot of humility to accept, for example, that the attraction of such declining ecclesial institutions is exercised almost exclusively—on people who respond to a certain psychological profile that seeks security, norms and conscience-soothing in the form of the papal text: “We find it difficult to leave room for the conscience of the faithful, who often respond as best as possible to the Gospel within its limits and can develop their own discernment in situations where all patterns are broken. We are called to form consciences, but not to try to replace them” (Pope Francis, 2016, p. 37).
On the historical process that separates the natural and supernatural orders, on the way to a deepening of the personal value of each individual, the recognition of their rights and respect for their own conscience, cf. (Fazio & Baquero, 2023) COLLOQUIA, V. 11 (2024), p.119 Dilexit nos: an invitation to reform Christianities that distance themselves from Jesus Christ in the form of spiritual directors and clear predetermined rules: the rest usually look towards more attractive versions of Christianity, due to their greater harmony with Jesus Christ4
The aforementioned youthful intuition is better in tune with environments of freedom, self-realization and hope (not for that reason deprived of demand), distant from the anachronistic intra-ecclesial obsolescence to which Francis refers in Dilexit nos. For the Pontiff, the solution is Christ: missionary and close, source and inspiration of a Church, precisely “on the move”, as he has insisted on so many occasions (Pope Francis, Apostolic Exhortation “Evangelii Gaudium”, on the proclamation of the Gospel in the modern world, 2013).
The Bergoglian tone of this “Church on the move” has created a certain break with a far-sighted and timid vision of Christianity, where —above all—advice, guides and dynamics prevail around: “be careful”, “danger”, “sin”, “guilt”, “this has always been done this way”. Through the pontifical directives, the structure of each ecclesial community has received the cordial invitation to a profound examination, without fear of recognizing error and asking for forgiveness, in order to act from charitable faith and facilitate the renewing action of the Spirit. In addition, there are several institutions within the Church that have been called, in a more direct manner, to this change, by the express prescription of the Pontiff, nominatim. This invitation could have been interpreted, in certain cases, as a subtle persecution or a: “they do not understand us.” It is, however, a pastoral convocation towards the revision of one’s own charisms that, if they are genuine, bring one closer in a simple, friendly and attractive way to Christ and his Church: “the soul that walks in love, neither tires nor gets tired” (Juan-de-la-Cruz, 2003). 4
Henry Nouwen has written: “It is not surprising that many people are strongly attracted to communities in which life is totally structured, and ideas absolutely delimited. Their deep-seated fears make them willingly sacrifice their freedom for the sake of their security (…). Routines have a clear place in our lives. They also offer us a certain security and comfort. But when they become our fundamental point of view, they are the source of our rigidities, of our death. Without some form of ecstasy, we cannot survive for long” (Nouwen, 1996). | V. 11 (2024), p.120 Jaime Baquero The ultimate reason for this invitation to renewal in ecclesial structures is Christ himself who, in the eyes of faith and in the life of authentic Christians, always makes all things new (Rev 21:5): this is precisely the novelty to which Francis refers. In a changing world, the invitation is to overcome the structures of fear or confinement and to lose the fear of evangelizing for the new times.
A self-referential vision or that of a supposed elite —intellectual, doctrinal, moral, organizational— of certain intra-ecclesial groups may not be fully aware of their own confinement. Being in tune with current challenges since, according to the same Pontiff, “we are not simply living in a time of change, but a change of era” (Pope Francis, 2019). Pope Francis’ call for a missionary pastoral, of openness and outreach, has been permanent since the beginning of his pontificate: Let all pastoral be in a missionary key. We must go out of ourselves to all the existential peripheries (…). A Church that does not go out, sooner or later, becomes ill in the vitiated atmosphere of its confinement. It is also true that a Church that goes out can experience what happens to any person who goes out: an accident. Faced with this alternative, I would like to tell you frankly that I prefer a thousand times an accident-ridden Church than a sick Church. The typical illness of the closed-in Church is self-reference; looking at itself, being bent over itself like that woman in the Gospel. It is a kind of narcissism (…) that (…) then prevents us from experiencing “the sweet and comforting joy of evangelizing” (Pope Francis, Letter to the participants in the 105th Plenary Assembly of the Argentine Episcopal Conference, 2013). .
Adoration of one’s own mentality and obsessions from other times
An ecclesial version detached from one’s own way of seeing life and open to the new breaths of the Spirit, is destined for spiritual progress: it grows, walks, enriches others and is enriched with each era. On the contrary, when the Church or any of its parts are considered an end in themselves and COLLOQUIA, V. 11 (2024), p.121 Dilexit nos: an invitation to reform Christianities that distance us from Jesus Christ not a means of salvation, people take a backseat. The effect is often, according to Francis himself, that the good name and prestige of certain ecclesial institutions wish to be preserved above transparency and the recognition of their own errors and limitations. Individuals are transformed into mere instruments, with the usual attack on their dignity: corruptio optimi, pessima (the corruption of the best leads to the worst).
From there, as Francis has also explained, a path could be unleashed that implies the existence —sad but real— of different forms of abuse (Baquero, The right to recognize your rights: Classical natural law as a safeguard against abuses of authority within the Catholic Church, 2023): spiritual, of power, of conscience and even sexual (Pope Francis, Letter to the People of God, 2018). One consequence of the aforementioned “worship of one’s own mentality” could be, on the one hand, the devaluation of other ecclesial realities alien to one’s own—which are viewed with a bit of compassion and from a certain superiority complex—and the internal overvaluation, within these ecclesial institutions, of particular figures above—even—Christ, even if they were even saints canonized by the Church itself.
This is not, of course, an explicit declaration; but it is a practice that could become common, for example, in internal formation: few references to the Gospel (and to sacred texts) and many to the life and words of the saint in question. The Pope wrote in number 22 of the Apostolic Exhortation Gaudete et Exultate, on the call to holiness in today’s world: To recognize what the Lord wants to say through a saint, it is not good to dwell on the details, because there can also be errors and falls. Not everything a saint says is fully faithful to the Gospel, not everything he does is authentic or perfect. What we must contemplate is the whole of his life, his entire journey of sanctification, that figure that reflects something of Jesus Christ and that results when one succeeds in composing the meaning of the totality of his person (Pope Francis, Apostolic Exhortation “Gaudete et Exultate”, on the call to holiness in today’s world, 2018) | V. 11 (2024), p.122 Jaime Baquero
If the saints, in a subtle way, come to occupy the place of Christ, if the preaching in certain ecclesial places focuses on the life and work of specific people rather than on the life and work of Jesus Christ, there is a risk that the word “adoration,” used by the Pontiff himself, can — effectively— be interpreted as a path to a certain type of idolatry, embedded in a moment of history —of the saint— to which one turns again and again, losing the perspective of the future, the need for constant change and the illusion of being with the joys and challenges of each moment of history: not all past time was better.
He announced the not-too-distant destruction of the Temple, and his words shocked those who thought that the sole and exclusive place of encounter with God would be destroyed. However, that announcement—real and historical—was an invitation to look beyond: the worship of the Father, to be authentic, must be done “in spirit and truth” (John 4:23-24). When Francis asks his Church to renew certain ecclesial structures, he wants the same: to facilitate the spiritual encounter, face to face, with Christ, the Son of God, the only one worthy of worship: dignus est agnus qui occisus est accipere virtutem et divinitatem et sapientiam et fortitudinem et honorem et gloriam et benedictionem (Rev 5:12)5. 7.
Conclusions
The pontificate of Pope Francis and, in particular, the Encyclical Dilexit Nos are invitations to us, among others, to an ecclesial reform that looks back to early Christianity, where the figure of Jesus of Nazareth has been —and should be today— the reason, the source and the culmination of all ecclesial action and never the other way around: the name of Christ should not be used to gain followers, nor would it be appropriate to manipulate or hide the truth to sustain prestige or the supposed good name of the Church or its institutions. The challenge is Translation: “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain to receive power and wealth, wisdom and strength, honor, glory and praise.” Related texts from the Holy Scriptures: Is 11, 1-10; Gn 49, 9-10; Jn 1, 29; Dn 7, 10; Psalm 141:2. COLLOQUIA, V. 11 (2024), p. 123
Dilexit nos: an invitation to reform Christianities that distance themselves from Jesus Christ, to return to a Christocentric Church and to leave aside the purely ecclesiocentric or self-referential Church. The attractive (non-proselytizing) motivation for every human being who wants it is to meet Christ face to face. The Church must consider herself and prepare to be a suitable instrument in order to foster this encounter: always a means, never an end in itself. Therefore, her behavior must respect and foster the personal dignity and the capacities for wonder and contemplation of the faithful and of those who approach her seeking the welcome proper to a mother. In this environment, personal itineraries to Christ, as rich and varied as God allows, will be able to flourish, free from any form of control, judgment or pigeonholing that is supposedly spiritual, with an abuse that is disguised as spirituality, as Francis himself has explained.
Hand in hand with the Sacred Heart of Jesus, the protection of every form of openness to mystery, authentic spirituality and even mystical life is the noblest mission of the Church: of those who represent her and of all the baptized. It is the testimony that the world awaits to discover who Jesus of Nazareth, son of Mary, is. Pope Francis’ invitation to a permanent examination of conscience and spirit of reform should not be seen as a malicious dedication against certain ecclesiastical institutions, but rather the opposite: it is a call from the Pastor to preserve and make fruitful one’s own charisms, to facilitate the personal encounter with Christ, in freedom and love.
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Dilexit nos: una invitación a reformar cristianismos que distancian de Jesucristo