Excerpt from TRANSLATION of www.viriprobati.it into English (please pardon the formatting issues):
Why this site
This site is a modest study but the result of long reflections, studies and interviews with expert people and priests who welcomed the principles set out despite the perplexities due to the times of the Church. It is useful that this study stimulates the reflection of other prepared people and competent: priests, theologians, simple faithful, etc. to perfect what is exposed in the vision of a Church closer to the primitive model often reported by the Magisterium.
As you can see, the inspiring principles of the celibacy of priests in general but the roles and state of life of ministers ordained in the two fundamental conditions for the existence of the Church: true elderly priests also married for local life and young ministers celibate apostles of the itinerant Kingdom for the loving and continuous visit of the Churches and the re-evangelization of the world.
LETTER to the SYNOD of the BISHOVI 2005
04-10-05
To Archbishop Nikola Eterovic,
Secretary General of the Synod of Bishops
00120 Vatican City RM
I am sending you a letter with this letter which I beg you to come to the reflections of the Bishops and therefore half of yours to the Holy Father in that he offers, in my opinion, to the vocational crisis, a serious reflection on the need to extend the presbyteral ministry to the elderly by revisiting theologically passages of the Holy Scripture and tradition of which I speak in the letter. After reflection, prayer and contacts with prepared priests I believe that such a significant topic in the Eucharist cannot be overlooked.
I believe in his charity and benevolence to receive a welcome response.
Devoutly in Christ
Oliviero Gulot
1st Letter to His Holiness Benedict XVI
attached to the previous Synod of Bishops with hope of delivery
04/10/05
To His Holiness
Benedict XVI
Vatican City
00100 ROME RM
Holiness,
I am a family man and grandfather with a priest son. Allow me to write them without presumption and in all humility because an inner zeal for the Church has tormented me for years for the lack of vocations and priests, who will prove dramatic as of now and even more in a few years. If, as you said recently, there are no magical solutions to the problem, certainly the Lord is not deaf to ours prayers and, perhaps, the scribes of the Kingdom of Heaven choosing? new and ancient things ” could find a solution reflecting on the realities of our times, where we often witness uncomfortable situations, if not in crisis, of many priests left alone and of communities without their constant presence.I believe not to be alone to beg you so that with the grace of your great theological knowledge and experience reconsider a better suitability of this ministry than in the words of the S. Writing, neglect over time and unjustly relegated as if they were contingent facts, they inform of a ministry born with the elderly ( presbyters ) but now, practically, proposed only to young people.
These are the main questions that times seem to suggest:
- respecting the Tradition and the call to excellence of the priesthood of young "eunuchs for the kingdom of heaven ", generous and enthusiastic, it is not fair to think that they deserve much more than usual educational substitute service with young people in the parishes?
- the term presbyter is not a reminder, first of all, of wisdom in piety and experience of the elderly with family? When the first communities "breaked bread in houses" who, if not the boss family or an elderly person did this? Not ignoring the call of the apostle Paul: ".. if one he cannot direct his family as he will be able to take care of the Church of God "they were therefore put in charge of the Communities themselves.
- then, why not extend the ministry to prepared and solid faith elders? Of course they were not missing ministers then! Why should they miss us today? In the Middle Ages, the Church did not resolve serious ones then problems ordering "viri probati"?
There is no wrong to the celibacy of young people with a ministry redundant to the elderly. We have in ours community many pious and intellectually prepared people who need only a short, even if indispensable, specific study in the ministry. Furthermore economically independent of the Church because chosen over sixty years and cared for by wives or children.
Your Holiness, these things have been exposed to several prepared priests and scholars and nobody has placed reservations except on the times; indeed, some also appreciated them because they would improve the relationship with people and, in my opinion, allowed young celibate priests to devote themselves to true evangelization in the ministry of "episcopo-inspector" necessary, in this case, for the sure increase in attendance and vitality in the Church.
Forgive me if I dared to write to you, but I hope the present can reach you through those people that are of help and overcome, so, every just and responsible control, I can, for benevolence, receive a welcome feedback.
I offer my prayers for the Lord to enlighten you and always support you in the guidance of the Church. I devoutly greet you.
His in Christ.
Oliviero Gulot
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