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The group photo was of all the participants with Joe Chalmers
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What do we see? How do we judge? What do we do? These three questions framed the analytic dynamics that brought together 50 participants from 20 countries to Casa Beato Nuno Retreat Center in Fatima, Portugal from July 31 to August 15, 2006. Like the first course offered at Aylesford, England, this course gathered the Carmelite Family to explore the prophetic dimension of our character in light of Mary and Elijah. Each day began with prayer and usually ended before supper with Eucharist. Many also went down to the sanctuary for the nightly rosary at 9:30 p.m.
We certainly thank our hosts in Portugal and Father David Oliver Felipo, O.Carm. and the team from the Iberian Provinces for hosting the conference. We began by gathering the vision. Professor Arcadi Oliveres of the University of Barcelona provided the economic data as he summarized his latest book, Against Hunger and War (not translated into English). The director of Peace and Justice for the Diocese of Barcelona as well, Professor Oliveres investigated the connection between poverty and war in a globalized world. We participants then shared what is happening in our areas and what kind of work we are doing. In addition, two members of the parish team in Lisbon talked about their work in the Carmelite parish there.
Our Provincial General, Most Reverend Joseph Chalmers, O.Carm., then joined us for the first weekend and gave us a retreat on the role of Mary the Contemplative, the Prophet and Our Mother and Sister. Thus began our second phase: with what criteria and attitudes do we judge what we see happening in the world around us? Among the issues that surfaced were migration, the defense of human rights, children in the streets, drug addiction and the system of power that corrupts politics, wars like those in the Congo that destroy so many lives without little world attention, the frittering away of family life, the desperate search for jobs, women’s role in the church as well as in society, and the hunger and lack of medical care that affect so many of the poorest.
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Proclamation of Peace delivered to the U.S. Embassy in Lisbon
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Father Carlos Mesters, O.Carm., and Father Micael O’Neill O.Carm., then presented biblical and Carmelite perspectives. Father Carlos especially used the Elijan tradition rooted also in the Babylonian Captivity. He suggested what parallels between that period and our own times. How did Elijah the Prophet become a symbol of responding to God’s call in the midst of captivity and seeming desolation? The quiet breeze (1 Kings 19), not the awesome events like hurricanes, earthquakes and great fires, provides the clue for Elijah’s understanding that he is still in the Presence of God. His “dark night” of wonder gave way to his understanding that God is beyond our images. “It is not us who defend God but God who defends Elijah and us.” His other reflection compared Jesus in the Romanized world as a guide for understanding our role in a globalized world with Pax Americana.
Meanwhile, Father Micael was adding insights from ecclesial and Carmelite sources about spirituality and justice. In addition to the traditional concepts of justice as retribution and distribution, he emphasized “restorative justice”—pardoning is not completed until ‘the right relationship’ is restored. We live in a network of relationships. Spiritual growth is movement to fulfill God’s plan and so to understand our vocation within God’s call to love and be loved. Carlos talked about God being the first contemplative: God sees, listens, and moves. Father Micael then spoke about the silence of the Rule and the role of the community in discerning the will of God. Our meditation is never just personal. It is precisely Catholic and universal, and so we need to gather to discern the course of God’s action that answers our prayers.
After each session, in smaller groups, we meditated on such questions as: Are we hearing the cry of the poor? What are our images of God? And how do those images impact our lives? Are we ourselves poor? What does our vow mean in the contemporary world?
Sister Jane Remson, O.Carm., then guided us into the third phase: What do we do? She provided an overview of Church teaching on social justice. She then traced the history of the Carmelite interest in using its NGO (Non-Government Organization) status to become active in UN and other gatherings. Tony Hill of the United Nations also joined in the discussion. In his view, the NGO’s help to shape world opinion and so acts like a second superpower.
The last days of the conference were spent again in four smaller groups discussing action proposals for ourselves individually and for our leadership. The areas are: North South, Education, Communication & Formation, the integrity of creation, and the vulnerable persons and groups.
Speaking for myself, I was humbled to hear the work of so many other Carmelite colleagues around the world. Even the diversity of our Central and North American representatives was a joy. They included Sisters, Jane Remson, Helen Ojario, and Blase Fernando of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mt Carmel New Orleans, Louisiana; Brother Mark Zittle from Saint Elias Province; Father Darien Mayen from Calle Real in El Salvador; Father Mario Loya and Father Peter Hinde from Mexico, Brother John Sprissler from Phoenix, Arizona, and Father Thomas Schrader, from Encino, California, and Father Nelson Belizario from the Bronx, New York who are members of the Most Pure Heart of Mary Province Justice and Peace Commission.
On August 6th, the Feast of the Transfiguration, about half the participants went to the American Embassy in Lisbon to deliver a statement against war and the use of nuclear weapons. No wonder we were turned away at the gate, but the message was read at the plaza of the port in Lisbon. The Sunday of August 13th was dedicated to emigrants, and over 100,000 gathered in the Fatima Shrine for Mass. Our last day together was August 15th, the Feast of the Assumption.
More details of the talks are available upon request. Again, we thank the Order for encouraging this second course on justice and Carmelite spirituality, and we encourage at least one more such world gathering before the General Chapter. In a prayer shared by the Filipino community:
“Who will speak for the poor and the broken? Who will speak for the peoples oppressed? Who will speak so their voice will be heard? Who will speak if you don’t?”
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