2. The indications of the "Directory on popular piety and Liturgy" (December 17, 2001)

        At the end of the year 2001, the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments published a book of 300 pages which, though justly placing at the center of popular piety and of the Liturgy the mysteries of the life of Christ, it reserves a place of utmost importance to the Virgin Mary.  In this sense we can say that it indicates to Christians that in the new millennium it is necessary to "start afresh from Christ with Mary".

        The Directory is constituted by two parts. In the three chapters of the first part are presented the emerging lines of history, of the Magisterium and of the theology on popular piety. In the five chapters of the second part are offered indications necessary to harmonize, in an adequate way,  popular piety with Liturgy.

                Chapter II of the second part (nn. 183-207), is entirely dedicated to the Virgin Mary, and bears the title: "Veneration to the Mother of the Lord". It begins by showing the intimate relation that reigns and should reign in Christians between the love for Christ and the love for the Virgin Mary:  "Popular piety towards the Blessed Virgin ... is an important and universal ecclesial fact.  This springs from the faith and the love of the People of God towards Christ, Redeemer of the human race, and from the perception of the salvific mission which God has entrusted to Mary of Nazareth ....  In fact, the faithful easily understand the vital relation which united the Son with the Mother .... They celebrate her feasts with joy ... and instinctively mistrust those who do not honor her"  (n. 183).

        The prayer of the Rosary is recommended in a special way: "The Rosary or Psalter of the Virgin: "The Rosary or Psalter of the Virgin is one of the most excellent prayers to the Mother of the Lord. For this reason, the Popes have repeatedly exhorted the faithful to the frequent recitation of the holy Rosary, a prayer with a Biblical mark,  centered on the contemplation of the salvific events of the life of Christ, which were closely associated to the Virgin Mary ... The rosary is an essentially contemplative prayer... It is expressly recommended in the formation and in the spiritual life of the clerics and of religious" (n. 197).

3. The indications of the Instruction "Starting Afresh from Christ. A renewed commitment of consecrated life in the new millennium  (19 May 2002).

The Instruction "Starting Afresh from Christ", signed on May 19, was made public by the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life, on June 15, 2002. The document consists of an introduction (nn. 1-4) and four parts: First part: "Consecrated Life: the presence of the Love of Christ in the midst of Humanity (NN. 5-10); Second Part: "Courage to face trials and challenges" (nn. 11-19); third part: "Spiritual Life in the first place" (nn. 20-32); fourth part: "Witnesses to Love".

        The Congregation has explicitly declared that, even after the publication of the Instruction, the post-Synodal apostolic exhortation Vita consecrata remains and should remain as the most important "programmatic document" (n. 3), "the most significant and necessary point of  reference" (n. 3).

        Concerning the methodological approach as well as the evaluation of the content of both documents, it must be very clear that the intention of the Congregation in writing the new Instruction "was not to produce another doctrinal document  but rather to help consecrated life enter into the great pastoral lines of the Holy Father" (n. 4). Concerning the doctrine and the renewal of consecrated life the "fundamental document of the ecclesial Magisterium" (n. 3) was and remains the apostolic exhortation Vita consecrata. For the Church of the new millennium such an exhortation must remain the text par excellence on consecrated life, the principal point of reference.

        My task on this occasion is not that of making a complete analysis or an evaluation of the whole of the Instruction. Let it be clear, therefore, that I do not wish to deny any of its merits. Today, I have to and I want to limit myself to examine and to express an opinion only concerning the way in which the programme "Starting afresh from Christ with Mary" is presented to you.

        Reading the title and the subtitle of the Instruction, one is inclined to think that "Starting afresh from Christ" is the central theme of the document, the point that radiates from its structure, the conducting thread or the guide-motive which determines the articulation of all the parts and of the different sections. A careful examination of the concrete contents of the Instruction makes us discover, on the other hand, that the reality is different and that, creates in the reader a certain sense of disillusionment. In fact, not one of the four parts of the document is entitled: "Starting afresh from Christ". The title is given only to one section of the third part, that is numbers 21-22, even though its echo is also felt in the successive numbers (nn. 23-27) and sporadically in other numbers.

        Reading at the same time the title and subtitle of the document and the name of the Dicastery which published it, the reader is inclined from the beginning to think that the Instruction has the unique and a priority purpose to apply to consecrated life the programme and dynamism of the Apostolic Letter Novo millennium ineunte. The comparison, though, between the schema of the Letter and that of the Instruction makes us discover that the reality is different.

        As we have seen, the index of the Letter includes these four chapters: Chapter I: "Meeting Christ, the Legacy of the Great Jubilee"; Chapter II: "A Face to contemplate"; Chapter III: "Starting Afresh from Christ"; Chapter IV: Witnesses to Love". Chapter II of the Letter is a determining chapter in the structure of the document. That, in fact, on the basis of the texts of Sacred Scripture, and above all, on the witness of the Gospels, traces the Face to be contemplated and from which to start afresh.

        In the Instruction, on the other hand, no chapter with a similar role exists,  that is, no chapter with the purpose of designing, with texts taken especially from the Gospels, the most important features of the Face of Christ which consecrated persons, in  a specific way, have to  contemplate and render visible.  No Biblical design of the Christ of the evangelical counsels exists. No accurate presentation exists of the traits of the Face of Christ, consecrated, obedient, chaste, poor, prayerful and missionary.  It speaks about "Starting afresh from Christ", without first having proposed, in an adequate way, the contemplation of  the Christ of the Gospels from whom consecrated persons have to start afresh in the new millennium. 

        The reason for this absence?  Perhaps it was considered that such a  Face had already been designed in the exhortation  Vita consecrata. It is necessary to recognize that this exhortation is the document of the Magisterium which offers the best specific elements to draw the Biblical Face of Christ which can be offered to the contemplation of consecrated persons and that, in that sense, it is the best way of making concrete the Christological dynamism for consecrated life as proposed in chapter II of  the Letter Novo millennium ineunte.

        In this Letter, "A spirituality of communion" (nn. 43-45) was the content of the first and more determinant section of chapter IV, entitled "Witnesses of Love". In the Instruction, on the other hand, "The spirituality of communion" (nn. 28-29) has been placed before the fourth part, also entitled "Witnesses of Love". It is not a question of making a negative evaluation of this change. It is a question of showing that the reasons for the structuring of the Instruction do not coincide with the reasons for the structuring of the Letter.

        "Starting afresh from Christ" is the subtitle of numbers 21-22 of the Instruction. At the beginning of number 27 is found the best of what the Instruction offers concerning this point: "Starting afresh from Christ"  means to proclaim that consecrated life is a special following of Christ, 'a living memorial of  Jesus' way of living and acting as the Incarnate Word in relation to the Father and in relation to the brethren'  (VC 22). This implies a particular communion of love with Him, who has become the center of life and the continuous source of every initiative.  As Vita consecrata reminds us, it is experience of sharing, 'a special grace of intimacy' (VC 16);  it is to become one with him, taking on his mind and his way of life' (VC 18); it is a life 'held fast by Christ' (VC 25);  'touched by his hand, attained by his voice, sustained by his grace'" (n. 22).

        In the last number of the Instruction we find another beautiful synthesis of the Christological identity of a member of an institute of consecrated life: "We truly need courageous young people who, allowing themselves to be conformed by the Father, by the force of the Spirit and becoming 'Christ-like' persons' (VC 19), may offer to all a clear and joyful witness of their 'specific acceptance of the mystery of Christ' (VC 16) and of the particular spirituality of  their own Institute (cfr. VC 93)" (n. 46).

         As we can see, the descriptions are a sort of compendium of some of the most beautiful formulae of the exhortation Vita consecrata on the Christological identity of consecrated life. Nevertheless, to have an explanation of those formulae, it is necessary to re-read and meditate, with docility, the rich contents of that exhortation.

        In conclusion,  it must be affirmed that, even after the publication of the Instruction, the apostolic exhortation Vita consecrata  is the document which explains better to consecrated persons the Biblical, Theological and Spiritual characteristics of the Christ of the Gospels to be contemplated and from whom one must start afresh, with renewed impulse, in the new millennium.

        Passing on to the examination of the Marian elements, we should ask ourselves: Do we find in the Instruction the concrete and adequate explanations to be able to live the Marian dimension of the programme "Starting afresh from Christ with Mary"? Unfortunately, the results of the analysis are disappointing. The Virgin Mary has a marginal place in the document.  To Mary are dedicate only about fifteen lines (cfr, nn. 8; 10; 46). Her name does not appear in any of the titles of the four parts neither in any of the subtitles of the thirty-two sections of the Instruction.

         Let us give a very significant example. According to the Instruction, the most important part of the Instruction is the third part: "The most important call is that of a renewed commitment in spiritual life" (n. 4).  Well, in all this part, the name of Mary does not appear even once.  In neither of its thirteen numbers is there any mention of the need to foster, with renewed impulse in the new millennium, a Marian spiritual life. Neither is there a minimum space dedicated to the description of the fundamental importance which the commitment of living a solid and profound spirituality of communion with Mary and in Mary has for the harmonious spiritual development of every consecrated person  and of every community.

        Therefore, consecrated persons who seek the importance, the beauty and the positiveness of the Marian character of consecrated life, have to go back to the Exhortation Vita consecrata. In the Exhortation, and not in the Instruction, they will find the adequate Marian dynamism to start afresh from Christ "with Mary".