Pope John Paul I, while Cardinal of Venice, wrote in December 1973 a fictitious letter to St. Bonaventure which is included in Luciani’s book Illustrissimi. I’d like to quote an excerpt below on freedom, Christ as a model, the world, and the Church.
“Freedom? Of course, but, without God, what freedom? Progress, science tell you more and more about how this world is made; only the doctrine of Christ tells you why you are in the world.
“A model? Christ is the valid choice, always, for all. He took a certain road and He said: Follow me! The road is a bit narrow, but it is the road of loyalty, of love for all, with special love for the humble and the poor; and the road leads to the ‘glory of the Father.’ On the Cross, He offered Himself to the Father; in resurrecting Him, the Father declared acceptance of the offer, glorifying His humanity and the humanity of all those who are His, joyously announcing that the whole world will one day be transformed into ‘a new heaven and a new earth.’
“A world to improve, fighting for justice, to eliminate the causes if wrongs? Of course, but let each begin by improving himself. And let us make sure we are not falling into ingenuous utopias…. Let us not judge men without appeal; let us not make radical divisions… Life is always very complex: even the good have failings, even the bad have virtues.
“Faithless Church? …. made up of sinners, in fact, the Church is perforce also a sinner, but it continues to give valid help and examples of holiness to all those who have faith in it….. The Church that a certain writer (perhaps also in good faith) has in his mind is one thing, the true Church, as it really exists outside of the writer’s mind, is something else.”
There is something here for all of us to think about. A little something for everyone.
Papa Luciani, pray for us!
