Cardinal Felipe Arizmendi, Bishop Emeritus of San Cristóbal de Las Casas and head of the Doctrine of the Faith at the Mexican Episcopal Conference (CEM), offers Exaudi readers his weekly article.

FACTS

That there are fractures within our Church is undeniable. For example, some people greatly enjoy the Latin Mass, even though they don’t understand it, because they imagine that God hears prayers better in that language, given that Jesus didn’t speak Latin, but Aramaic. Some insist more on prayer, devotions, and liturgical celebrations, while others insist on the social commitment of faith. Some loved John Paul II and Benedict XVI more, and not so much Francis. Now they would like to pull Pope Leo to their own preference, supposedly to restore order where Francis, according to them, caused a revolution. The four Popes, as well as the previous ones, led us to Jesus and to live as true disciples, although each in his own style. That is completely normal.

John the Baptist and Jesus lead very different lives; however, they don’t attack each other, but rather appreciate and exalt one another. The apostles Peter and John are very different, but they always walk together. Peter and Paul have their differences and argue, but they don’t exclude each other. The four evangelists each describe the life and message of Jesus in their own way, but if we compare Mark and John, they have little similarity, and some like one more than the other. God made us different, not identical. Differences in the style of following Jesus are normal and cannot and should not be avoided, because, when well articulated, they are a treasure.

From the earliest centuries, sects and schisms arose that still persists, such as those between East and West, between Catholics and Protestants, and among Catholics themselves. Always, but especially since the Second Vatican Council, the Popes, and we have worked to fulfill Jesus’ desire: that we remain united. Differences are desired by God; not divisions. Jesus does not desire uniformity, but unity. He wants us to remain united, as there is unity between the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, who are also different.

LIGHTNING

Pope Leo XIV, from the beginning of his ministry as Successor of Peter, expressed:

I would like this to be our first great desire: a united Church, a sign of unity and communion, which becomes a leaven for a reconciled world.

In our time, we still see too much discord, too many wounds caused by hatred, violence, prejudice, fear of what is different, by an economic paradigm that exploits the earth’s resources and marginalizes the poorest. And we want to be, within this mass, a small leaven of unity, communion, and fraternity. We want to say to the world, with humility and joy: Look to Christ! Draw near to Him! Welcome His Word that enlightens and consoles! Listen to His proposal of love to form His unique family: in the one Christ, we are one. And this is the path we must travel together, united among ourselves, but also with our sister Christian Churches, with those who walk other religious paths, with those who cultivate the restlessness of searching for God, with all women and men of good will, to build a new world where peace reigns.

This is the missionary spirit that should inspire us, without confining ourselves to our small group or feeling superior to the world; we are called to offer God’s love to all, so that unity may be realized, which does not erase differences but values ​​the personal history of each person and the social and religious culture of each people.

This is the hour of love! The charity of God, which makes us brothers and sisters, is the heart of the Gospel. With the light and power of the Holy Spirit, let us build a Church founded on the love of God and a sign of unity, a missionary Church that opens its arms to the world, that proclaims the Word, that allows itself to be challenged by history, and that becomes a leaven of concord for humanity. Together, as one people, all as brothers and sisters, let us journey toward God and love one another.  (18 May 2025)

“I want my episcopal service to be a service to unity. The unity of the Church and among the Churches is nourished by forgiveness and mutual trust, which begins with our families and our communities. Indeed, if Jesus trusts in us, we too can trust in one another, in his name”  (June 22, 2025).

ACTIONS

Those of us who have different styles of being Jesus’ Church, let us respect and appreciate one another, valuing the action of the Holy Spirit in each other, so that all of us, each according to our ecclesial journey, may collaborate in the improvement of our world.