Carlo acute. The factory of the saints passed on the examination of criticism by the theologian Andrea Grillo

A debate was recently raised in some ways interesting, Even with some controversy, resulting from the interventions of Professor Andrea Grillo. His punctual criticisms and perplexities were aimed at how Blessed Carlo Acutis is officially presented and on the ecclesiastical advertisement that developed around him, which, according to him, It would be affected by a backward religious sensitivity, which would hold no account of the whole path made by the Church in the years of the post council on the subject of Eucharist.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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The popular saying, «Joking with infantrymen, Leave the saints alone ", In recent times it seems to have lost value towards the one who is considered the modern blessed par excellence: Carlo Acutis; soon raised to the honors of the altars together with the other young blessed Piergiorgio Frassati.

A short time ago comments have started to circulate about the opportunity of the canonization of Carlo Acutis; they came mostly - and I say it by exemplifying a lot -, with so -called conservative environments. The notes thickened around the speed of the canonization process, which appeared to them more a promotion of ecclesiastical policy than an invitation to holiness. As follows questions about the figure of the next saint who would have little to propose to today's young people, who travel on the network much faster than the blessed considered "information technology", Just for creating a simple website on Eucharistic miracles. It's still, criticisms were moved to the constant presence of the Acutis family; This too is a novelty tolerated by the Church that instead, in the past, It prohibited any public intervention by family members, As in the case of the mother and brothers of the young Santa Maria Goretti. Instead, today's situation where mothers promote the Holy Son promote, or the children and grandchildren who run to keep conference on their father, Mother, grandfather or grandmother high to the honors of the altars.

More recently, from a different front, An interesting debate was raised in some ways, Even with some controversy, resulting from the interventions of Professor Andrea Grillo, Liturgy professor at the Roman University of Sant'Anselmo, reported on his page facebook and on his blog. His punctual criticisms and perplexities were instead aimed at how Blessed Acutis is officially presented and on the ecclesiastical advertisement that developed around him, which, according to him, It would be affected by a backward religious sensitivity, which would hold no account of the whole path made by the Church in the years of the post council on the subject of Eucharist. In particular, He used the expression "bad education" by referring to the overflowing attraction towards the miraculous, underlined in the presentation of Blessed Carlo. Says Grillo:

«How is it possible that the whole path that the Church has made in the last 70 year old, on the level of understanding the ecclesial value of the Eucharist and its celebration, has been communicated in such a distorted way to the young burning communicator, so much that he suggests an understanding so incurred, so defective, so unilateral?».

He therefore moves a criticism, More than Blessed, never questioned, rather to the presentation that is made of him e, rcuardo all'acutis, If his was a passion towards the Eucharistic miracles, According to the professor this was not well addressed. From these statements that I have very summarized, a debate was born that, as always happens, provides favorable and against. Perhaps some claims of the teacher have been able to appear at times pungent, I am referring to those aimed at the famous Motti del Beato, who decreed their luck: "Not I but God" and "everyone is born original but many die photocopies". Nonetheless, Some questions raised are hardly circumvented, aimed above all at the promoters of the cause of canonization and not to the saint, who have "stopped" too unilaterally on the miraculous aspect of the presentation of the Eucharist.

Some problems are likely to emerge sooner or later, Regardless of the canonization of the young Blessed Acutis, Following the new rules issued by John Paul II, also early holy, which have made it possible to accelerate the times to ensure that contemporary figures could be presented, However, in the expense of the loss of a historical perspective and the impossibility of assessing the permanence of a memory and inspiration. The discourse in this circumstance becomes even more delicate because we speak, The Other Brother, of a boy who died at a very young age who, according to the agreed testimonies, humanly showed great enthusiasm, generosity and courage and that the Catholic Church has decided, with simplified procedures compared to the past, but not for this superficial, to propose as a possible model for everyone, especially for young people.

The process that leads to the canonization of a saint it is complex and delicate together. Eventually, It is like a delivery or a gift that the Church makes to all the faithful, When he recognizes the virtues of one of his children. But the faithful - and this often does not happen -, they should have that necessary maturity that comes from theological formation and beyond, that sense of faith which leads to a healthy discernment and critical spirit. Let's think, for example, to the current trend to consider all canonized as doctors of the Church, giving their writings an exorbitant value. While instead we should know that the canonization of a saint does not mean, that fact, that everything he has written or said is to be considered a colorful gold. All the more so when we are faced with the canonization of a teenager, which will certainly have had a non -complete or exhaustive formation. Once, to say, Only children or martyred teenagers were taken into consideration as saints, as in the famous limit of the unaware, Yet very venerated, Innocent saints.

Even if you don't want to exasperate doctrinal problems highlighted by the prof. Andrea Grillo, of understanding of the Eucharist above all, But also with regard to eternal fate - I refer to the statements of our blessed about the desire to skip purgatory thanks to the hospital sufferings - there is no doubt that suits the shepherds and to follow the faithful the ability to know how to skillfully discern everything, knowing how to bring out, According to the evangelical saying: "New things and ancient things" (Mt 13,52).

In my opinion, The gift that Blessed Carlo Acutis is doing to the Church this is it. He unfortunately, as we know, He did not have time to develop a structured knowledge of Eucharistic theology or other aspects of the Christian mystery and stopped at an intuition that has become passion and devotion in him. Of course, It is easy for us to mention San Tommaso d'Aquino, Insigne theologian, where he discusses the Eucharistic miracles and limits their meaning (cf.. QUESTION, III, 76, 8) and compare what may appear to appear an adolescent fixation of our blessed. But the fact is precisely this: that we would compare a theological speech with something that is not theological speech and does not want to be. It is precisely passion and devotion. Not everything can be perfect as we would like it or we expect. We saw it in the emblematic case of Medjugorje, where the Holy See in the end promote the religious experience that you live in that place, while he downgraded the firmness of the Marian messages that started from there, considering them only presumed, In fact, not recognizing them as authentic.

Casomai we can ask ourselves - and in this he helps the blessed Carlo Acutis - Why after the Council of Trent many devotions were born that enriched the Christian experience, that put the simplicity of life in the center, interiority, common life? It was a much more secular than clerical movement, which in itself did not have its own elaborate and structured theology, Yet it translated the Christian faith into a sensitivity, in practices, in ways of living. And instead this did not happen following the last council. We have not been able to renew those devotions, nor give birth to others, despite all the theological and ecclesiological effort of the liturgical movement that, If on the one hand he had reduced many devotions, on the other hand he offered content, Insights and new opportunities for renewed paths. As it is possible that such a rich and vital understanding has not also become devotion, Sensitivity and form of language? So today we are faced with a modern blessed teenager who has thrown himself passionately on aspects of the Eucharist considered devotional, like eucharistic miracles, to which all the most recent acquisitions on that important mystery have not been received. E, According to the presentation that is made of that blessed, It seems that all that wealth has not passed even to the promoters of the cause of Carlo Acutis, even to those who promote forms that leave, as it were, perplexed, like that of a transmission YouTube 24h on 24h of the sepulcher of Blessed Carlo.

The question about why we don't have devotions today that take into account the wealth of the latest acquisitions, who know how to tie liturgical life and testimony of faith marked by the Gospel, With at its center the Eucharist which together is the landing and source of the life of the believer and the communities, It is not so peregrine. In light of two other facts, the second of which is somewhat painful. The first is that the whole course of the process that led to the beatification and now to the canonization of Blessed Acutis, as well as the spread of his cult, They took place during the pontificate of Pope Francis. In Carlo we find the example, indeed, of that "holiness of the next door" to which papal exhortation hints Rejoice and rejoice the 2018. Really, the post synodal exhortation of the 2019, Christ lives, explicitly appoint the blessed, despite being still venerable at the time and he even dedicates him more than one reference (no. 104-107). Someone asked: How is it possible, also from this point of view, that nothing to "reconcile" has been transmitted; Since Pope Francis was greeted as the first pontiff son of the Council?

The second fact is that today, According to the investigations on religiosity in Italy and in particular that of young people, It must be admitted that if we have a next saint boy on one side with a passion and devotion to the Eucharist, Perhaps little formed; on the other there is a great majority of young people and young people who have no devotion to the Eucharist, Last to the "ecclesial value of the Eucharist and its celebration". Is this, For almost all of them, After years and years of catechism and training in specific groups. Here too someone said, probably exaggerating, but without going too far from the truth, which remained only a "some humanitarian and ecological value".

Why all these questions and the debates arising from the canonization of Blessed Carlo Acutis do not remain a sterile exercise or, As often happens lately also within the ecclesial community, a mark your field, still distancing others who think differently, it would be useful to treasure it. And therefore a reflection would be important at all levels, Starting from the highest in the church, On how to resume a path of training to the Christian life of young people who are serious, that takes into account multiple experiences, but also to start offering solid food to the boys, Without bordering them, of course, But not even taking them simply for the hair, because otherwise they run away or bore themselves. Certain something is being done, But I think the time has come not to waste any more time. The treasures of the Word of God, of liturgical life, understanding the Church compared to these and its tradition, The thousand and more experiences and testimonies of Christian life need to be placed again in the center to make them become culture and why not, also devotion, Passion for Christian life lived in modern times. For the demanding task I imagine that the Church expects the substantial intercession of the two next saints.

From the Hermitage, 23 July 2023

 

 

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