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Cardinal. Rouco calls for overcoming the crisis that began in mid priest of 60

The Archbishop of Madrid and president of the English Episcopal Conference (CEE), Cardinal Antonio Maria Rouco Varela, has encouraged priests to "renew" their faith and spiritual life in general to put an end to "overcome" the "priest crisis" suffered especially from 1965 to 1985, with the secularization of "tens of thousands" of priests worldwide.

The cardinal has delivered a speech this morning in Valencia with which he concluded the lecture series "Dialogues of Theology," organized by the Faculty of Theology San Vicente Ferrer of Valencia and the Library Almudí Priests. His intervention was conducted in the faculty itself, in the presence of the Archbishop of Valencia, Monsignor Carlos Osorio.

The SEC president has recommended to priests in particular as a way to improve your spirituality, the "practice of frequent confession, to which he described as "essential" and the deepening of faith, to "believe in the God of truth" and "love for Christ in a living form." He also advised them to "live and understand the priesthood, as well as spiritual guidance. "Thinking is effective not going down this path is wrong, as history is showing." In addition, "no pastoral fruits are more noticeable because it is grown more spiritual dimension," he assured.


Cardinal has linked the "crisis priest" to a real "crisis of faith" of many priests in the last third of last century, and stressed it was particularly "serious" until 1985. In this regard, it highlighted the work of Pope John Paul II to revitalize the life of the Church in general and of the priesthood in particular, a process that, as he added, is "culminating" Benedict XVI. However, he admitted the "huge effort" made on the same line by Paul VI, who "intervened" in this issue "in a martyrdom." Cardinal Rouco has placed, in fact, the "priest crisis" in the context of the revolution of 68, in the pontificate of Pope Paul VI.


response, with Juan Pablo II "there is a shock," because "with it is discovered that the whole problem was a crisis of faith and that, therefore, had to renew the faith. " The cardinal praised in this respect the work of Pope Wojtyla for "implementing the Second Vatican Council to renew the Church." "Not by chance I wanted to settle," he stated, in connection with the assassination attempt on Pope in St Peter's Square in 1981. From mid- eighties, "the recovery of the priestly ministry has been great," but "we must insist on it," he warned.


Madrid's archbishop has also referred to priestly celibacy and how it has been challenged since the 60's, which has affected , as considered in a decline in the own account of priestly ministry. At that time, he recalled, even some priests "tried to reconcile the Church's activities with other civilians, both in the administration public and private enterprise. " This led to, well, that is was "losing consciousness of priesthood" and that secularization was "progress."


The Cardinal Rouco conference entitled "Coaching and spiritual direction: from crisis to recovery" have been present also Auxiliary Bishop of Valencia, Monsignor Enrique Benavent, the vicar general, Vicente Fontestad, the vicar of Opus Dei in Valencia, Jorge Nava, the dean of the faculty Theology, Juan Miguel Diaz Rodelas, Jorge Molinero, priest of the Priestly Almudí Library, in addition to many priests, teachers and students of theology. Simple mode

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