Coming across in life, and more in the times in which we find ourselves, with the book that serves as a reference in this journalistic reflection, constitutes a true blessing and grace from God. Its title is precisely “Meetings with Pedro Casaldáliga”published with its 228 pages, by “Fonte” -Monte Carmelo-, with the collaboration of the NGO “Tierra sin Males”, whose author is the Clinical Psychologist and Humanist Psychotherapist, Eduardo Lallana Garciahumanist and “collaborator of Pedro”. The Prologue is signed by Father Ángel García Rodríguezpresident of “Messengers of Peace”
The subtitle with which the author of these “Encounters” presents his protagonist is designed in the terms: “Mystic, prophet, poet and model of humanity”, curiously without any allusion to his ecclesiastical status as bishop. From the title of my review – “Good service to the people!” I mean that It is the farewell formula used by Casaldáligainstead of saying “goodbye, or see you later”.
In the photo and in each of the words on the cover of the book, it is said and preached its rich content of culture, gospel, and current affairs embodied in its protagonistwho in 1992 was a finalist for the Nobel Peace Prize, which she renounced in favor of Rigoberta Menchú “for being a woman, for being indigenous and because it was the 500th anniversary of the “discovery of America”.
Spanish by birth, Pedro, for a variety of understandable reasons, did not return to Spain. He poeticized such a decision in these verses: “I’m not going, my word goes / What more do you want? / I give you / everything I believe, / more than what I am”. Similar attitudes were maintained and signed by the Holy Inquisition and National Catholicism. In relation to Antonio Machado, Fray Luís de León and Saint John of the Cross, in his penitential times.
Please, be sure to reread the text of the interview with Pedro Casaldáliga, signed by Eduarda Lallana, in Mato Grosso- Brazil- and inserted in the third annex of the text:
“Your biggest flaw? Impatience: Your greatest virtue?: Hope. One of the important sins of the holy and sinful Church? The lack of capacity to unite the Churches, absolutizing what is not absolute and not responding to the testament of Jesus “that all may be one. In the event that you were named pope, what would be the first and most important decisions you would make? Abolish the Papal State and that the pope ceased to be Head of State. Put into question, in suspense, the Roman curia and reaffirm the ministry of Peter and propose with seriousness and Gospel the inculturalization of the different peoples and the relativeness of what is relative, which could be priestly celibacy itself, rigid legislation in the law canonical, in the liturgy and in the pastoral”. How would you like to be remembered? As someone who believes that God saves us all and saves everything.”
the human profilewith its high qualities, by Pedro CasaldaligaIt is designed in Edward’s booko Lallana, with the brushstrokes of coherence, tenderness, cordiality, understanding, unconditional welcome, austerity, optimism, hope, humility, wisdom, sense of humor, ability to relativize, meaning and experience of Unity, beauty, liberating and personalizing spirituality”.
It is possible that there are many who think that these virtues, today, neither canonize nor “elevate the honor of the altars… But that is trivial and relative. He is anti-poet, anti-prophet, anti-mystic and no model of humanity, however Episcopalian he has been and is.
And “as the doors and the heart are always open”, on this occasion my farewell is written by Pedro Casaldáliga with his “Good service to the People!” or “Good service to the Kingdom!”
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