Resignation of Communion and Liberation's presidentDavide ProsperiGiussani's great teaching was to bring God back to life".Rimini to bring together scientists, intellectuals and artists in a cultural event"We have seen nothing like it" (Mk. 2:1-2). These words taken from the Gospel reflect the impact that Jesus was leaving on souls, in those years of the beginning of Christianity, in those lands of Judea and Galilee and in those people with whom he was crossing paths. Therefore, many times we have heard the question "And what about the rest of the places, with the passing of time and the rest of the people?".
The reading of the book that we propose to comment on can be considered a possible answer to this interesting question. Its author, Julián Carrón, explains that we Christians of every generation, in every period of history and in every corner of the world, are the ones who must become suitable and worthy instruments so that, around us, those divine impacts capable of transforming reality are manifested.
The outstanding work We have not seen anything like it. The transmission of Christianity todayby the New Testament professor Julián Carrón (Cáceres, 1950), who led Communion and Liberation from 2005 to 2021, offers us his vision of what God expects at each stage of history, in each place and through the Christians of each era, called to be leaven in the masses and light for the nations.
Evangelizing today
Together with the traditional messages that we have received in these years about the "New Evangelization": new in its ardor, in its method and in its expressions, as St. John Paul II, Benedict XVI and Francis have underlined, Carrón will add interesting new perspectives and lights that we wish to collect below.
Undoubtedly, the presence of Christ has left a profound mark on every person, as well as on cultures and civilizations throughout time and in different parts of the world. From this interpellation, innumerable fruits of holiness have arisen throughout history, but also, due to distancing and indifference, it has given rise to mediocrity.
It is significant that a Christian civilization such as ours, having lost the sense of the revelation transmitted by Jesus Christ-both oral and written and preserved by the magisterium of the Church-has ended up, at many times and in many places, reduced to an ideology, a set of ideas or mere beliefs.
The ideas of Julián Carrón
Julián Carrón's proposal in this work is developed through a series of interviews, round tables and short essays. Its purpose is to reflect the simple but vibrant life of the members of Communion and Liberation, who, over the years and with God's grace, have sought to challenge anew the heart of every man in his daily life.
I was able to verify this reality a few months ago in the auditorium of the Faculty of Dentistry, during a meeting on "Francisco de Vitoria and human rights", to which I was invited. There I had the opportunity to experience up close a Christianity lived in fullness.
Throughout the book, at various times, we are transported back to the times of early Christianity and the spread of the Gospel throughout the world. This happens thanks to the testimony of many lives transformed by the impact of the encounter with the risen Christ or by the attraction of his figure.
The way of beauty
Undoubtedly, the path of beauty continues to be the most effective way to approach Christ and his message of salvation. Carrón illustrates this idea by recalling the beautiful face of a woman that immediately refers us to the beauty and attractiveness of God, the source of all truth, goodness and beauty. In this sense, he affirms: "to attract is the art of God" (p. 121) and points out with certainty that "the beauty of God imposes itself". He then adds with naturalness that the disciples "recognized him and recognized him again" (p. 125).
Throughout the book, the figure of Luigi Giussani (1922-2015), founder of Communion and Liberation, is constantly present. His daily invitation to live in love with Jesus Christ continues to infect the members of the movement, who, with God's grace, manage to transmit it to companions in study, work and life, whether at home, at university or on the street. All this without forgetting a key idea: "The way to the truth is an experience" (p. 130).
The problem of evil
An interesting question raised by the book is: "Is God free to consent to evil" (p. 141). To this, Carrón responds with classic wisdom, "Who are we to enter into the mind of God and answer this question?" (p. 147). However, he clarifies that God respects our freedom because he values and appreciates it. Without it, we would not be able to glorify him or respond with love to our encounter with him.
Another relevant point is the question of "possible divine arbitrariness" (p. 154), already raised by William of Ockham. The answer is clear: Christ's redemptive love was both universal and personal. Justification has already been accomplished, but its application depends on the free acceptance of each generation. In this sense, the core of the book is not to be content just to be in the Church, but to be truly God's (p. 155).
Discovering Jesus Christ
In the second part of the book, Pilar Rahola asks: "Does God continue to fascinate" (p. 165). Carrón answers: "Yes, with conditions". He affirms that God continues to fascinate, but requires a new form of presentation.
Culturally, Christianity needs to be rediscovered, since many have received it in childhood, at school or in the family, but without sufficient intensity. As Carrón points out: "When Christianity fascinates Christians, then it is truly attractive" (p. 168).
In fact, one of the conclusions of the recent Vocations Congress, held in Madrid with more than 3,500 participants, 65 bishops and numerous Church institutions dedicated to youth ministry, was the fundamental importance of the Christian family.
In this sense, the role of the family, the school and the parish is key to fostering and consolidating vocations.
