(ANS - Rome) - The priest as Alter Christus was one of the figures outlined in the conference on the Venerable Fr Joseph Quadrio, held yesterday, 23 October, at the Salesian Pontifical University on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of his death. The conference looked also at the "priest who knows how to put himself in the shoes of others" and "the disembodied priest." These were images spoken of by Fr Quadrio himself, and they are images which have become more relevant than ever in today’s Church.
The conference in memory of Fr Quadrio opened with testimonies of people who had shared some of their lives with him. Fr Sabino Palumbieri said that Fr Quadrio "communicated peace and invited others to radiate peace." Fr Cesare Bissoli commented that "there was a lovely spirit in the Crocetta [...] but it was also a place where they took study seriously."
Father José Luis Plascencia focused his talk on the priest as Alter Christus. "In the thoughts and writings of Fr Quadrio on priesthood, we see a perfect convergence between his thoughts on the ordained ministry in the Church and his personal life as a Salesian priest. It could be said that when he describes the identity and mission of the priest he is describing his own intimate personal life."
Referring to the ontological understanding of the priest as Alter Christus, Fr Plascencia also spoke of priests who leave the ministry and repeated the words of Father Quadrio "even though priests leave, they remain true priests forever." He went on to say that the description of the priest as Alter Christus is not something magical, but refers to the virtues of the priest and the way he makes Christ present.
Speaking of Father Quadrio’s ability to understand others and put himself in their shoes, he added: "Always listen with patience and understanding, but without pretence. Start with personal relationships, make inquiries, show interest directly but discreetly, guard secrets jealously, and never betray confidence. If the common good demands a revelation, speak first to the person concerned, and as far as possible, correct him or her personally and not through a third party [...]. We need to understand in order to help."
Since Don Quadrio’s words are now more relevant than ever, Fr Plascencia went on to quote him: "There may even be a disembodied priesthood, where God was not able to take on a true and full humanity. Then we have priests who are not fully authentic as men, but larvae of humanity, inhuman and alien like Martians rained down from the sky, unable to understand and to be understood by people of their time and their environment. They forget that Christ came to save mankind, was incarnate and was made man, and wanted to become like us in all things except sin. But perhaps more serious for us is the opposite risk, that of a secularized priesthood, in which the human has diluted or suffocated the divine. Then we have the pitiable spectacle of priests who may perhaps be good teachers and organizers, but are no longer men of God [...] There is an infallible thermometer to measure the consistency of one’s priesthood - prayer."
Fr Plascencia concluded by saying that young people today require priests like Fr Quadrio, who can meet the demand of young people of their time, which is always the same: "We want to see Jesus."
Published 24/10/2013
