Reflection on Theology of Pastoral

1. Resume of the Article

The article The Pastoral Nature Of Vatican II: An Evaluation written on the website http://theradicalcatholic.blogspot.com/2015/02/on-pastoral-nature-of-vatican-ii.html, is a very interesting article. This article is a written copy of a video presentation given by Msgr. Brunero Gherardini in December 2010. It was posted to the website on Monday, February 2, 2015. Broadly speaking, the article talks about what pastoral care means according to the Second Vatican Council.

Although it cannot be equated, the pastoral itself is figuratively compared to the Arabian Phoenix. Where exactly is the similarity? This is what the sentence in this article asserts: "Once upon a time, there was the Arabian Phoenix. Everyone talked about her, but no one had ever seen her. And today there is an updated version, also much talked about, but nobody can tell what it may be. Its name is Pastoral." Pastoral is very commonly mentioned and used in the Catholic Church. Despite its familiarity, the definition and adequate explanation of pastoral has yet to be elaborated.

In this article, Msgr. Brunero Gherardini attempts to explain and elaborate on the meaning of the word pastoral etymologically and also in the context of the Second Vatican Council. Because the concept of pastoral itself received more attention in the Second Vatican Council, even though its role was not obvious. Pastoral is often contrasted with dogma and doctrine. Pastoral can also be understood more deeply as the embodiment of the teachings of the Christian faith in the midst of the people. At the time of the Second Vatican Council and afterwards, pastoral was already widely used and became a method or means of proclamation, even though it was not a fundamental teaching of the Council. There was no compulsion to apply the Council's teachings, but the call to develop the Church amidst the challenges of the times was urgent. The Second Vatican Council has tried to show how important it is to see and develop ourselves in the midst of change, without losing our identity.

In this article, there are four levels to which the Council itself is placed:

I.The generic level of ecumenical council as ecumenical council.

II.The specific level of its "pastoral" role.

III.The level of appeal to other councils.

IV.The level of its innovations.

It is emphasized that the Councils including Vatican II occupy the first rank. It fulfills all the requirements to be an authentic Council of the Catholic Church. It is the twenty-first in a series of Councils. Its Magisterium is the solemn and highest magisterium of the Council. After the Council, the second level sees the pastoral role. The pastoral role in this context is to verify the importance of the Council beyond the boundaries of faith and theology. Certainly mentioned are mass media, technology, politics, in short, all aspects of developments in the world. 

The second level, then, refers more to the contextualization of the teachings of faith. At the third level, the Council is more focused on other councils. And finally, it places innovations that can be effective outside the Council. It is clear that at this level, Vatican II and all other Councils are situated. Each Council will essentially be able to establish some specific innovations that have a direct impact on the world. The real innovation must lead the Church to dare to go out, proclaim Christ without forcing others to follow our will. The Church is directed to dare to build relationships with fellow human beings regardless of their boundaries.

2. Critical Observation

"Ecclesia semper reformanda" (The Church is always developing itself), is an adage that illustrates the importance of seeing developments and changes both inside and outside the Church. The above sentence truly shows the new face and direction of the Church in the future. The Catholic Church, which was once known to be very "rigid" and "fixed", can slowly but surely adjust to the times without losing its identity. In its history, before the Second Vatican Council, the Church had determined that: "Extra ecclesia nulla salus" (outside the Church there is no salvation). This adage was interpreted as the Church closing its doors to inputs or suggestions and even to teachings of faith from other religions. The Church today has a tendency to assume that the only true religion "only" exists within the Catholic Church.

Outside of that, nothing! However, in the course of its development, the Church has courageously and even humbly developed its understanding of others. An adage that was only echoed after the Second Vatican Council. The adage "extra ecclesia salus est" (outside the Church there is also salvation) has placed the Church's attitude clearly towards other religions. The Church that was once exclusivist has now become inclusive. With full awareness and the Church itself has opened itself and directed itself to arrive at dialog with fellow human beings. Dialogue is a process and a continuous effort to recognize and acknowledge the truth and holiness in other religions. Although the direction of the Church seems to be outward, the focus on strengthening and developing the Church from within is not neglected. In this context, pastoral care can be a powerful tool and method.

Pastoral does not have a concept that can be seen clearly but has a real impact on the people. Pastoral is truly a bridge between dogmatic teachings and concrete reality on the ground. It is not present to counter the dogmatic teachings of the Church, but rather to contextualize these teachings in the praxis of daily life. A common and permanent understanding of pastoral care itself needs to be sought together. As Msgr. Brunero Gherardini stated that the Second Vatican Council suggested that the development of pastoral studies in formation institutions should be pursued, this needs to be taken seriously. The urge to always develop ourselves from the position of the Church is actually a step forward for the renewal of the Church. The movement in the Church universally also has a special impact on the formation houses for prospective priests and of course on the MSC Congregation. I see that this development is happening in the MSC (Missionaries of the Sacred Heart of Jesus), Indonesian Province.

As a member of the MSC congregation, I see how the direction of movement and the focus of the congregation's great mission, namely: Proclaiming the Love of the Sacred Heart of Jesus to the whole world, to everyone without recognizing the boundaries of difference. By not closing our eyes and guided by the results of the Second Vatican Council, we also tried to develop the pastoral dimension in the ministry. This can be validated as it is evident in the aspects of formation of a religious candidate for the MSC priesthood. In the formation system at the MSC Indonesia House of Scholasticate, the pastoral aspect is placed and becomes one of the 12 aspects of formation that can support the preparation of a prospective priest before ordination. The pastoral aspect is placed not only through words or just mentioned, but it is clearly written in the Scholastic Directory Book. The College Directory is a set of basic provisions that provide direction, guidance and direction for the implementation of the formation process in the College, in order to ultimately achieve the goals as formulated in the Vision of Formation.

The pastoral apostolate in the context of the participation and involvement of the congregation in the mission of the local Church to build true brotherhood, directs pastoral formation to pay attention to: Tradition of the congregation, Development of the local Church, Development of participatory categorical pastoral skills, Openness and partnership, Signs of the times and their changes, Preference and involvement for and with people in distress (preferential option for the poor).

It should be recognized that all of the above concepts and expectations are indeed very clear, as well as expected to be implemented. However, we must also humbly recognize the reality that there is still a "gap" between these extraordinary expectations and the reality on the ground. It is true that some missions are already well underway and that needs to be appreciated. However, the ways or methods to develop pastoral care must always be updated continuously. Renewed to keep up with the times. Of course, once again, the intended renewal does not necessarily lead us to "excuse" the teachings of faith and Holy Tradition in the Church and in the Tradition of the Order.

I see and hear that often in the practice, for example in a parish, there is a tendency for a pastor to be first and center. This is often referred to as a "pastors centric" phenomenon. Everything must be based on the pastor (all parish affairs). It is true that the parish priest is the head of a parish and is responsible for the pastoral care of the parish, but that does not make him the expert on everything. He is with the people he shepherds. So, he must also humbly listen to and involve as many people as possible in the development of the parish. Now, this is what I mean by the big gap between implementing the mission of the Congregation and the Church in the world and the fact that there is still a tendency in every priest to be the center of all "pastoral" activities. In fact, the mindset, feeling pattern, and action pattern should have undergone a change like the Church which courageously in humility developed itself. The tendency to stay in one's own comfort can be an obstacle to realizing the mission of salvation in the midst of the world.  Finally, pastoral development should always be a process. We do not have to demand results now. But we need to develop it slowly but surely based on values that are appropriate to the context.

3. Recommendation

The purpose of formation in pastoral or apostolic life is to develop knowledge, attitude and pastoral skills. In the context of the MSC Congregation, pastoral development needs to be based on a spirituality of the Heart that allows us to dare to fight for and witness to true Christian brotherhood, the ability to work together with MSC partners, and the ability to read the signs of the times. Thus, some recommendations can be offered for pastoral development among the people:

1. Every member of the MSC needs to develop in himself the spirit to serve others as a "shepherd" in his good and true testimony of life. In this context, the values of fraternity are displayed.

2. Build an attitude of humility to dare to work together with anyone. Humility as well as simplicity in conveying the teachings of faith so that they can be understood by every believer. In this context, we are called to be shepherds who are able to direct the sheep to "green pastures" (salvation in the knowledge and appreciation of faith).

3. An MSC must be able to develop up-to-date pastoral skills, in order to apply them in the pastoral work of the people. He must not be comfortable with a mindset that may be outdated. He must dare to think and act "out of the box", without being "out of context".

4. One of the pastoral concepts created by the early missionaries was: "enter through their door, exit through our door". This means that we need to adjust to who we are serving. After that, we can direct them towards salvation as expected by the Church.