Mexican cardinal: Church cannot only be concerned with 'the afterlife'

Mexico City, Mexico, Jan 26, 2010 / 12:58 pm

In a direct reference to political groups supporting same-sex “marriage,” Cardinal Norberto Rivera Carrera, the Archbishop of Mexico City, recalled that the mission of the Church is not limited to teaching about “the afterlife,” but that she must also address “today's problems and situations.”

During his homily on Sunday, the cardinal underscored that “the Gospel must be applied to the present-day situations of the here and now.”  He continued saying that the voice of the Church is not limited simply to speaking about “the afterlife.”

“The Church is the body of Christ and is the privileged place for proclaiming the Gospel,” Cardinal Rivera said.   He then encouraged the faithful to live and apply the Gospel of Christ to the public square, as “the mission of Jesus and of the Church is to be a spark of light, liberation, kindness and grace.”

“The Gospel must be read in light of present-day problems and situations, so that the spark of divine light, kindness and grace will be ignited for us. Only then will it truly be good news,” he added.

The cardinal criticized those who wish to limit the Church’s voice and work.  “We sometimes hear the nonsense that the Church should just worry about the afterlife, but we must see Jesus through the eyes of the present, with all of today’s problems and situations.”

In this sense, the cardinal concluded, Mexican Catholics “continue to feel sorrow for the suffering of our brothers and sisters in Haiti, and we must continue collaborating so that our aid will reach those in need.”