Sacramentum caritatis
Sacramentum caritatis (“Sacrament of Love”) on the Eucharist as the source and climax of the life and mission of the Church is a post-synodal apostolic letter of Pope Benedict XVI of February 22, 2007. The letter summarizes the results of the 11th Ordinary Synod of Bishops from 2nd to 3rd October 23, 2005 together.
Structure and content
The extensive letter with three main sections and over 256 annotations as well as the connection to his first encyclical Deus caritas est expresses that the Eucharist is a mystery in which one believes, which one celebrates and lives. These three basic ideas are well-founded and explained; the guiding principles adopted by the Synod of Bishops were incorporated into this letter in an extraordinarily thorough discussion.
The three main sections
I. Eucharist, a mystery to be believed
II. Eucharist, a mystery to be celebrated
III. Eucharist, a mystery to be lived
With this triad, Pope Benedict XVI. the Eucharist at the center of contemplation. At the same time, he repeatedly refers to the positive influences of the liturgical reform of the Second Vatican Council on the life of the Church.
Core sentences and focal points
In summary, the following key messages could be highlighted:
On the liturgical reform
"3. In particular, the Synod Fathers noted and confirmed the beneficial influence that the liturgical reform, which had been implemented since the Second Vatican Council, had exercised on the life of the Church. As has been confirmed, the difficulties and some of the abuses mentioned cannot obscure the value and effectiveness of the liturgical reform, which harbors treasures that have not yet been fully explored. "
Eucharist and priestly celibacy
"24. It is necessary to reaffirm the profound meaning of priestly celibacy , which is rightly regarded as an inestimable asset; [...] In this choice of the priest , his devotion, which makes him like Christ , and his self-sacrifice exclusively for the kingdom of God are expressed in a very unique way . […] It is therefore not enough to understand priestly celibacy from a purely functional point of view. In reality it represents a special approximation to the lifestyle of Christ himself. "
Eucharist and indissolubility of marriage
"29. When the Eucharist expresses the irrevocability of God's love in Christ for his Church, it becomes understandable why, in relation to the sacrament of marriage, it includes that indissolubility for which all true love inevitably longs. […] The Synod of Bishops has confirmed the Church's practice, based on the Holy Scriptures (cf. Mc 10: 2–12), of not admitting remarried divorced people to the sacraments, because their status and situation in life are objectively that of the love union between Christ and his Church contradict, which is meant and realized in the Eucharist. "
The celebration of the Eucharist, a work of all Christ
"38. During the work of the Synod, the need was emphasized on several occasions to avoid any possible separation between the ars celebrandi , i. H. the art of right celebration, and the full, active and fruitful participation of all believers. […] With the emphasis on the importance of the ars celebrandi, the importance of the liturgical precepts becomes clear. The ars celebrandi must promote a feeling for the sacred and make use of external forms that educate this feeling, for example the harmony of the rite, the liturgical vestments, the furnishings and the holy place. "
Homily
"46. Priests must ' prepare the sermon carefully, drawing on an adequate knowledge of the scriptures '. Superficial general or abstract sermons should be avoided. In particular, I ask the preachers to see to it that the homily brings the preached word of God into such close connection with the sacramental celebration and with the life of the community that the word of God is really support and life for the church. "
The Latin language
"62. In order to better express the unity and universality of the Church, I would like to recommend what the Synod of Bishops, in accordance with the Second Vatican Council, proposed: it is good if, in addition to the readings, the sermon and the intercessions of the faithful, the celebration in Latin language is held; Likewise, the most famous prayers from the tradition of the Church should be spoken in Latin and possibly some parts should be performed in Gregorian chant. In general, I ask that future priests be prepared from the time of the seminary to understand and celebrate Holy Mass in Latin, to use Latin texts and to use Gregorian chant . [...] One should not ignore the possibility that the believers are also instructed to know the most general prayers in Latin. "
On the social implications of the Eucharistic mystery
"89. In this context it is necessary to express clearly the relationship between the Eucharistic mystery and social engagement. [...] From this awareness arises the will to transform the unjust structures in order to guarantee respect for the dignity of the human being, who is created in the image of God. [...] As I have already emphasized elsewhere, it is not the Church's own task to usurp the political struggle in order to achieve the fairest possible society ; nevertheless, it cannot and must not remain aloof in the struggle for justice. [...] The Synod Fathers recalled that Christ's sacrifice is a mystery of liberation that continually questions and challenges us. I therefore appeal to all believers to truly be peacemakers and authors of justice . "
Sacramentum Caritatis relates the mystery of the Eucharist to all three dimensions of church life in preaching, worship and social responsibility.