"CHURCH OPEN» (II episode) - BY JOHN ZANCHI, PRIEST OF THE DIOCESE OF AREZZO: THE PEOPLE OF GOD IS NOT WITHOUT ANY ABANDONED SACRAMENTS OF GRACE AND THE CHURCHES CLOSED

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We offer our readers this valuable video of our esteemed brother John Zanchi, priest of the Diocese of Arezzo, so that it can also serve as an effective and wise antidote to all those who unfortunately, at this time of extraordinary crisis and emergency, They have nothing better to do than argue, often in harsh and aggressive tone, against decisions taken by our bishops for safety reasons to protect public health: suspend the sacred celebrations and in many cases close the churches. Recall that the Church, during crises and emergencies, It has never been saved by the controversy of those who stand for all time the most faithful among the faithful or to the purest of the pure, but the unit. Someone has written these days that "the bishops are committing suicide the Italian Church". Unfortunately he did not understand anything of the essence of the Catholic faith: the church “if suicidal” attacking the bishops, instead follow them and support them in a moment of so severe test.

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VIDEO SHOOTING AND ASSEMBLY BY THE ISSUER TELESANDOMENICO (AREZZO)

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TEXT OF THE VIDEO

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John Zanchi

The texts of Father John Zanchi, director of the Pastoral Center Divine Worship of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Arezzo-Cortona-Sansepolcro, They are not meant as articles but as audio-narrative texts. We proceeded to transcribe audio text for our Readers.

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In these difficult days Our churches in Italy, made of stones and bricks remain open, "As a sign of the Church which remains present in the life of the community", our bishops say.

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But "the opening of the churches It is proposed as a sign, not as an invitation to haunt ", still say our bishops [cf. Episcopal Conference Tuscany], and this because of the essential prophylactic rules which must be respected as much as possible.

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In open churches This is still night and day Eucharistic Jesus; together with Jesus, in open churches remain present priests, that every day they continue to celebrate Mass, even alone. Why do they do? Let us explain briefly, considering two aspects …

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First look: Normally Mass sees the gathered clergy and the People; but the simple gathering of the faithful people is not enough by itself because you can celebrate Mass.

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To celebrate Mass it is absolutely necessary to have at least one priest, who through the sacrament of Holy Orders was conformed to Jesus Christ, the head of his mystical body which is the Church. The priest therefore acts in the person of Christ the head, the re-presents sacramentally and then Jesus acts mysteriously but really through the ministry of priests.

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second aspect: Mass is above all the sacramental representation of the redeeming sacrifice offered by Jesus once and for all by dying on the cross to free us from our sins; from this point of view, the only difference between Calvary and the altar is on Calvary that Jesus sacrificed himself physically spilling his own blood, Now Jesus is sacrificed on the altar sacramentally through the ministry of the priest. Recall now two documents of the present Church teaching their supernatural purpose of the Mass, even if celebrated by a priest alone. The two documents are: the encyclical of Paul VI The mystery of faith [the mystery of faith] and the (C)atechismo of the Catholic Church of St. John Paul II. In this regard, let us listen to the words of Saint Paul VI:

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"Every Mass, although privately he celebrated by a priest, However what it is not private, but the action of Christ and the Church, which in the sacrifice offering, He has learned to offer itself as a universal same sacrifice, applying the one and infinite redemptive virtue of the sacrifice of the Cross to the health of the whole world. Every Mass celebrated is offered not only for the salvation of some, but also for the salvation of the whole world ".

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It follows that, Also from the Mass celebrated privately by a priest "it comes in great detail thanks, to the benefit of the priest himself, both the faithful and of the whole Church, indeed around the world, thanks that you can not get in equal measure by virtue of one Communion » [The mystery of faith 33].

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Not being able to participate in the Holy Mass, having to give Holy Communion are the biggest hardships that Christians suffer in the current conditions. But behind the open doors of the deserted churches, all the priests continue to celebrate the Eucharistic Sacrifice, that is the greatest prayer of supplication and intercession will ascend to God for the spiritual and physical welfare of men.

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All are called to join spiritually priests which individually celebrate Masses in so many hours of the day, all they are called to spiritual Communion. A spiritually unite the priests who celebrate Mass alone, help us various media, by which we can follow the national and local commentary of Masses celebrated in many places, Also of our Diocese.

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In these difficult days the churches will be empty, but they are not empty and the men are not alone and abandoned in the face to the epidemic: by the priests who continue to celebrate Mass, Eucharistic Jesus is among us to comfort us and to save us.

To hear from you tomorrow on Open Church.

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Sansepolcro (Arezzo), 14 March 2020

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