Sonderdrucke aus der Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg

HEINRICH POMPEY

Caritas – Theological foundations and shape of the ’s Charitable Ministry

Originalbeitrag erschienen in: Giampietro Dal Tosco, Heinrich Pompey (Hrsg. u.a): Church Caritas ministry in the perspective of Caritas-theology and social teaching. Olomouc: Palacy University, 2015, Seite 31-90. ISBN 978-80-244-4613 Caritas-Theology - Theological foundations and shape of the Church's Charitable Ministry

Heinrich Pompey

1 The Theological Message of the : (Caritas) Paul admonishes the Romans (Rom. 12:1-2): "Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of

God's mercy7, [ ••.]. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what 's will is- his good, pleasing and perfect will."

This is also the message of the last three Popes: Francis, Bene­ diet XVI and John Paul II in regard to the social-charitable com­ mitment of the Church. Because: "Human beings live not on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of God." (Matt. 4:4). In his Apostolic Exhortation "" , Francis emphasizes the meaning of these biblical messages concerning the ministry of and char itable institutions of the Church:

"Our commitment does not consist exclusively in activ­ ities or programmes of promotion and assistance; what the Holy Spirit mobilizes is not an unruly activism, but above all an attentiveness which considers the other "in a certain sense as one with ourselves" . This loving at­ tentiveness is the beginning of a true concern for their

7 In the it says "misericordia" , i.e. miseri cor dare, hence making reference to God's charitable ministry model behaviour.

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person which inspires me effectively to seek their good. This entails appreciating the poor in their goodness, in their experience of life, in their culture, and in their ways of living the faith." (Francis, 2013a, no. 199)

Therefore, for help and support inspired by , personal and comprehensive welfare are at the centre of care. continues:

"Since this Exhortation is addressed to members of the , I want to say, with regret, that the worst discrimination which the poor suffer is the lack of spiritual care. The great majority of the poor have a special openness to the faith; they need God and we must not fail to offer them his friendship, his blessing, his word, the celebration of the and a journey of growth and maturity in the faith. Our preferential option for the poor must mainly translate into a privileged and preferential religious care." (Francis, 2013a, no. 200)

As a consequence, it is important to demonstrate a journey of growth and maturity in the faith through "religious support" , i.e. helping religiously, according to the concept of "re-ligare" (Lat.) which considers the connection of human beings with God. In his Moto proprio "Intima Ecclesiae Natura" on the ministry of charity (IEN) referring to his first "" (DCE) Benedict XVI equally succinctly emphasizes the following: "The service of charity is also a constitutive element of the Church's mission and an indispensable expression of her very being (cf. ibid.); all the faithful have the right and duty to devote themselves personally to living the new commandment that Christ left us (cf. John 15:12), and to offering our contemporaries not only material as­ sistance, but also refreshment and care for their souls (cf. Deus caritas est, 28)." (IEN, Introduction) His message states: also achieving "refreshment and care for their souls" (IEN), going beyond the natural means of assistance and care. Pope Benedict XVI says further:

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"It is important, however, to keep in mind that "practical activity will always be insufficient, unless it visibly ex­ presses a love for man, a love nourished by an encounter with Christ" (ibid. 34). ( ... ] The Church's charitable activity at all levels must avoid the risk of becoming just another form of organized social assistance (cf. ibid. 31)." (IEN, Introduction) It concerns a "Humanitas christiana" which should influence all facets of Christian social work and which should represent a quality of behaviour and should not lead to the advantage of the helper or an assisting organisation, i.e. not economically settled and accounted for. Likewise, Pope John Paul !I already in 1980 said in an address in :

"Helping those who are in need, requires profound expert knowledge, qualified training, utilization of the best peo­ ple and means. However, human beings need far more than technical perfection. The human being has a heart and wishes to encounter a heart in those who help him. Humanity cannot be substituted by apparatus and ad­ ministrators. This is also one of the reasons why, despite the imperative of having the best technical knowledge and the best equipment, the volunteers in charitable ser­ vices must continue to have their role. It goes without saying, that they also require training. However, what is important is their willingness to help, their eye for the needs of others, the patience with which they listen; their gentleness without routine which does not only con­ tribute their expertise but primarily allows them to make an active personal contribution." (John Paul II, 1980, no. 2)

And at the Ad Limina visit of the German bishops in in 1999 he emphasizes that:

"The truth of faith must be matched with authenticity in life. In her varied activities, the Church is without doubt present in many different areas of society in your

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country, a fact that is recognized by circles that have no connection with the Church. However, so that this involvement will not harm her true mission, I ask you to examine and, if necessary, to sharpen the Christian image of institutions that work in the Church's name. A purely horizontal love of neighbour must be more and more crossed with the vertical love of God. The Cross, in fact, is not only an emblem that we Bishops wear on our chests. It is the great plus sign that identifiesus as Chris­ tians. Therefore, in Catholic homes the Cross should be more than a piece of jewellery or furniture. It should be the trademark of the tireless commitment of the numer­ ous Church workers in the social, educational and cul­ tural fields. Under the arms of the Cross the "culture of life" flourishes, where people are welcomed, particularly those who are usually marginalized all too quickly: the unborn and the dying. Therefore, the spiritual and moral formation of personnel in ecclesiastical or Church-related institutions must be encouraged in every way! For true with people must be solidly based in God. By sending his Son into the world God showed that he is a passionate "lover of life" (Wis. 11:26)." (John Paul II, 1999, no. 7)

Apart from the organized material assistance - as also offered by other service providers in the health and welfare sector in many countries in the world - the determining Christian element is the "refreshment and care of their souls" . Specifically, this means: ma­ terial assistance must be complemented by spirituality.8 Spirituality

8 The spirituality of helping represents an existential reality which is the re­ sult of the Being of God and his care towards human beings. It is primarily influenced in a "theo-logical" sense, as Benedict XVI states in the first part of his encyclical "Deus caritas est". It is founded in the redemptory rela­ tionship between God and humanity (DCE part 1) which is substantiated in the person of Christ. Or as Pope Ftancis emphasizes: "When we say that a Christian is a spiritual being we mean just this: the Christian is a person who thinks and acts in accordance with God, in accordance with the Holy Spirit." (Ftancis, 20 13c, p. 6) Spirituality - as participation in God's com-passion in Jesus Christ (DCE, no. 10) - is realized in incarnation, i.e. by the conscious descent into the suffering and guilt-ridden living realities

34 Caritas-Theology - Theological foundations and shape .. . combines living the faith and the Christian experience, i.e. existen­ tially combining the body and soul of the one and whole human being (Fraling, 2000, p. 856). For this purpose, in the helping relationship which intends existential refreshment and care, a sharing of life and suffering (Pompey, 1997; John Paul II, 1980, no. 2)9 between those who need care and those who offer it "nourished by the encounter with Christ" must be realized (DCE, no. 34); and according to John Paul II: "For true solidarity with people must be solidly based in God." (John Paul II, 1999, no. 7) Therefore, the ministry of charity differs fu ndamentally - quite literally in the sense of fundament - from other practices of public, private or independent providers of care services and social counselling, support and assistance services.

Purely in terms of human sciences, the "ministry of charity" - as Benedict XVI refers to the charitable ministries of the Church - does not resort to any other physiology, does not implement any other forms of psychology, or other pedagogical approaches etc. com­ pared to other service providers in the field of individual social sup­ port and care. The "Differentia specifica" of ecclesial caritas results solely:

a) from the consistent implementation of the Christian individual ethics in the course of treatment, care, counselling and support and

b) from the implementation of social ethics in the alignment of the organisation and the management of the services and in­ stitutions and in disaster relief and development aid, and also

of (Prototopos: Bethlehem) and migration (Prototopos: Search for shelter and the flight to ) as well as into the world of suffering of those who are psycho-socially abandoned and those affected by suffering (Proto­ topos: Gethsemane, court and humiliation) and physical suffering (Proto­ topos: scourging, crowning with thorns, the Way of the Cross, crucifixion) . The carer thus shares God's com-passion in Jesus Christ, i.e. his incarnation in the four main human areas of suffering.

9 Francis (20 13a, no. 269) says: "Moved by his example, [ ...] ,sharing the lives of all, listening to their concerns, helping them materially and spiritually in their needs, rejoicing with those who rejoice, weeping with those who weep; arm in arm with others, we are committed to building a new world. But we do so not from a sense of obligation, not as a burdensome duty, but as the result of a personal decision which brings us joy and gives meaning to our lives."

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when a society is engaging in advocacy efforts for the benefitof the poor, the rejected etc. i.e. politically raising one's voice fo r them. In particular, the Christian profile of these charitable services is displayed c) in the spirituality of their supportive individual care, i.e. the quality of their relationship as well as d) in providing a spiritual home for those who are rejected through their suffering.

This is the principal focus of the following caritas-theological explanations10, to ensure that, according to Benedict XVI, "the Church's charitable activity at all levels avoids the risk of becoming just another form of organized social assistance." (Benedict XVI, 2005, no. 31) Indeed, this existential and community-based quality of service is the unique feature of the caritas or charitable ministries of the Church. However, what precisely does it mean, according to Pope Fran­ cis, "to show a journey of growth and maturity in the faith" or according to Pope Benedict XVI, to offer "refreshment and care for their souls" besides a "lege artis" providing professional support to those who are suffering? Ultimately, "the ministry of charity" ac­ cording to Paul (1 Cor. 2:12) assumes: "Now, the Spirit we have received is not the spirit of the world but God's own Spirit, so that we may understand the lavish gifts God has given us." What does the caritas-theological worldly wisdom consist of11 , in order to be a religious support and of existential assistance to those in situations of crisis, material hardship, socially marginalized, for those who are disabled, elderly, grieving, sick or isolated? In a practical-theological sense, what is the basis of "attentive" and "religious care" in the

1 0 In German-speaking countries Caritas-Theology is researched and taught under the comprehensive concept of Caritas-Sciences or Christian social work (Pompey, 2001b). 11 The conveyance of this 2000-year old wisdom of active life about addressing suffering would not have established itself, if this knowledge about suffering and about coping with suffering had not been helpful. Interestingly enough, the oldest nursing order, the Maltese Care Organization expresses this in their maxim: "Tuitio fidei et obsequium pauperum", i.e. the solidarity be­ tween the "care of those in need" , i.e. "Obsequium pauperum" with the "strengthening in faith", i.e. "Tuitio fidei".

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"revolution of tenderness" (Francis 2013a, no. 199-200) which Fran­ cis emphasizes as the core of Christian vocation? What does John

Paul II's reference mean: "the human being [ ...] has a heart and wishes to encounter a heart in those who help him"? (John Paul II, 1980, no. 2) With his encyclical "Deus caritas est" from November 25th 2005 and ultimately with his "" (IEN) from November 11th 2012, Pope Benedict XVI seeks to substantiate and justify this ne­ cessity. To him the ministerial charity of the Church is rooted in the depths of the Church and its very nature and ultimately has its source in the love of God. In his caritas-theological analysis of the firstpart of the encyclical "Deus caritas est" he goes into more depth. According to Benedict XVI, the "ministry of charity as a community of love" (DCE, no. 19) arises from the existence of God and the exis­ tence of the Church. Referring to the logic of the TrinitarianGod 12 , Benedict XVI exposes practical-theological guiding perspectives for the ministerial-charitable supporting activities of the Church. Sub­ sequently, the main inspiration that determines the practice of the ministerial charity of the Church arises from the theology of the love of God. Benedict XVI wants to anchor this option with his "Motu proprio" (IEN) and make it legally binding for the Church13, so that a theological "ministry of charity" , analogous with God, specifically and definitively determines the practice of charity in the Church. Indeed, according to Pope Benedict XVI: "Faith is not a theory that can be personalized or even set aside. It is something very concrete: it is the criterion that determines our lifestyle" (Benedict XVI, 2006). The theology of charity (i.e. Caritas-Theology) forms the basis of the caritas-ministry and is therefore a core discipline of the "min­ istry of charity" in a "community of love" (DCE, no. 19). It is of the utmost importance to clarify, in practical terms, the practical­ theological consequences resulting from Caritas-Theology, as spiri­ tual core elements of the "ministry of charity" in the "community of love" - based on the Caritas-Theology options of Benedict XVI.14

12 As had never before happened in the history of the Church (Pompey, 2007, pp. 10-27). 13 Cf. article by G. Dal Toso. 14 The parallel meaning of other theological scientific disciplines is presented in other articles in this publication and the "differentia specifica" of the

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The consolidation of the theological foundations of the "min­ istry of charity" and the clear definition of the primary mission of the Church by Pope Benedict XVI are complemented in practical­ theology terms by Pope Francis' rousing operative ideas and inspi­ rations. The tangible effect of the Holy Ghost as Pater pauperum of the Church are clearly recognizable in his words and deeds, be it in his concrete advances towards the disabled15, prisoners16, the sick, towards migrants17, the poor and drug addicts18 etc. or be it his corresponding appeals to the Church and humanity as a whole to specifically support all those who are suffering (Francis, 2013a, no. 182-216). In this symphony of Pope Benedict XVI and Pope Francis, on the basis of the options of John Paul II, the ministerial­ charitable attributes of being a Christian and the existence of the Church become evident and the specifics of the charitable mission of the Church are laid down in theory and practice.

2 The Practical- Theological and Ecclesial Understanding of the "Ministry of Charity" The specificsof the "ministry of charity" in the "community of love" which evolve from the inherent nature of the Church also clarify and substantiate the practical-theological options of the second part of "Motu proprio" (IEN). The principal players of the "ministry of charity" are named as the individual faithful and then the Church as an entire community. It is said that: "11 the faithful have the right and duty to devote themselves personally to living the new commandment" , and "he Church is also called upon as a whole to the exercise of the ministerial charity" , whether in the small com­ munities of particular Churches or on the level of the diocese or the

Caritas-Theology is defined in relation to other theological disciplines, cf. articles by Dolezel und Gehrig. 15 Holy Mass in a nursing home or rehabilitation centre for the sick and the disabled, cf. Sternberg-Schmitz (2014). 16 E.g. on Maundy Thursday March 28th 2013, Pope Francis washed the feet of prisoners. 17 Pope Francis visited migrants on the island of Lampedusa, on July gth 2013. 18 Visit to a socially disadvantaged neighbourhood in Rome and his engage­ ment with drug addicts, the poor, the unemployed and former prisoners etc. (KNA, 2014, p. 5).

38 Caritas- Theology - Theological foundations and shape ... universal Church. The personal and community-based dimension of the ministry of charity which is clearly defined here has its deepest roots in the Trinitarian existence of the love of God, be it in the personality of the three divine persons as well as at the same time as their inseparable unity, i.e. their perichoretic community (Pospisil, 2010). With this personal and at the same time community-based character of the Trinitarian Caritas Dei, Benedict XVI founds the practice of the Church's caritas in relation to relevant options for ac­ tion regarding the charitably engaged individual and regarding the Church, in her different areas, in his encyclical "Deus caritas est" (DCE, no. 19); indeed, the ministry of charity requires the personal and the community-based form of expression, i.e. an individual's tender care as well as providing a spiritual home on a communial basis for those who are suffering. A spiritual home, i.e. hospitality, takes place in the openness of small communities, e.g. a for strangers and those who are in need, and is reflected in the organ­ isational and legal guarantee of the ministry of charity at the level of the diocese and the entire Church19, as the president of the Pon­ tifical Council Cor Unum Cardinal Sarah theologically elaborates and exposes in his contribution "The Ecclesiological Dimension of Caritative Activity" (Sarah, 2013). Additionally, the second part of "Motu proprio" (IEN) empha­ sizes the approach to and the specific quality of the Christian min­ istry of charity. In relation to the "ministry of charity" it says: "To devote themselves personally [ . ..J to offering our contemporaries not only material assistance, but also refreshment and care for their souls." (DCE, no. 28?0 Similarly, Pope John Paul II had already stated in 2002: "When, like the Good Samaritan, Christians respond to the needs of their neighbour, theirs is never merely material assis­ tance. It is always a proclamation of the Kingdom as well, and speaks of the full meaning of life, and love." (2002, no. 4) These obser-

19 It is about providing "services of charity" and "communities of love". For this reason a distinction is made between individual and community-based caritative service. 20 Benedict XVI (2006, no. 21) refers to the first : "In other words, the social service which they were meant to provide wasab solutely concrete, yet at the same time it was also a spiritual service; theirs was a truly spiritual office which carried out an essential responsibility of the Church, namely a well-ordered love of neighbour."

39 Caritas-Theology - Theologica l fo undations and shape ... vations of the Popes underline that the individual ministerial charity should apart from material and social assistance - which also in­ cludes the optimization of structural, social living conditions accord­ ing to the Social Teaching of the Church - also include a spiritual­ existential relief and strengthening as well as providing a meaning­ ful perspective of life. 21 , i.e. dealing with suffering and hardship, namely through personal care (Pompey, 1997a). Thus, the Church's ministerial charity is not only about social, material and structural services or as Pope Francis says: "Our commitment does not consist exclusively in activities or programs of promotion and assistance." (Francis, 2013a) There is the temptation of the ecclesial caritas to limit itself to material assistance. Regarding this temptation, Jesus admonishes: "Human beings live not on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of God." (Matt. 4:4) Jesus' mes­ sage undisputedly applies to coping with life's sufferingand hardship. The personal and spiritual relief, support and strengthening as well as healing must be practiced by the individual Christian and by the community of the faithful as a human service and must be ensured by the Church and its communities on a communial basis, in order to guarantee "an ordered service to the community" (IEN; DCE, no. 20).22 Arising from the "episcopal structure of the Church" (IEN), the bishops bear the "main responsibility" for the quality of the "ministry of charity" (IEN; Sarah, 2013, no. 1; Dal Toso, 2013; Pompey, 2000). They must ensure that the support is transformed into a personal existential ministerial charity where "refreshment and care of the souls" can take place through the tender care in a community of love so that the Church can be experienced as a "com­ munity of faith, hope and love" as proclaimed by the (Lumen Gentium, no. 8). This goes beyond mere benevolent assistance. Jesus also primarily helped on a personal and compre­ hensive basis and therefore established a personal relationship with the suffering.23 Jesus sees assuming the responsibility for structural and material assistance as a service of a society, as a precondition for

21 Regarding the ministerial charity Pope Gregory the Great (540-604) calls on those responsible to not only heal the physical wounds (cura exteriorum) but also the spiritual ones (cura interiorum), cf. Heckmann, 2003. 22 Cf. contribution by G. Dal Toso. 23 See Jesus heals a sick woman [Mark 5:24-34] and other reports of Jesus' healing (Pompey, 2009).

40 Caritas-Theology - Theological fo undations and shape ... the promotion of justice for the benefit of the poor (Pompey, 1993) and reminds his listeners of this in his public speeches.

3 How Does Personal, Spiritually Existential Assistance Within the "Ministry of Charity" Unfold in Practical-Theological Terms? Material and structural assistance: be it of financial or concrete na­ ture, e.g. clothes or food, improvement of social infrastructure and of the living conditions within society etc. are provided by many relief organisations and in the same way by non-ecclesial NGOs or NPOs from civil society or by the social administration of states. Therefore, this hands-on assistance approach is not a unique char­ acteristic or a specific feature but precisely the Church's ministry of Charity (DCE, no. 25a) . All humanitarian organizations provide such services. It goes without saying that this kind of social assistance is al­ lowed and should also be provided by the Church. Undoubtedly, providing purely material assistance is a welcome deed and there­ fore a "Bonum" , even though it does not fulfil the comprehensive personal and existential assistance requirement of the Church. Such helping activities without the theological traits of caritas constitute diaconia in a preliminary stage of a personal ecclesial caritas. Indeed, material assistance is not sufficient, especially in situations of par­ ticular hardship, as referred to by Popes John Paul 11 (1999, no. 7) and Benedict XVI (DCE, no. 28b) . The need for "refreshment and care for the souls" becomes par­ ticularly apparent when humans suffer from situations of severe ex­ istential hardship, very often they will then say:

• "What sense does life make, with this suffering, this general disaster?" "Nothing makes sense and nothing is of value any­ more."

• They will also complain: "I don't have strength anymore, I can't go on any longer, I'm giving up." Or: "We won't make it. This is the end." This means: The meaning of life and the vitality of a suffering human being or of a group of individuals overwhelmed by disaster collapses; an infarction of the trust in life is about to occur.

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Under such circumstances in life, apart from the necessary ma­ terial assistance, social-administrative support, psychological coun­ selling and physical healing, an inner healing process through the restitution of the meaning of life and a perspective of life as well as restoring the shattered courage to face life and vitality are also required. This means, according to Paul, enabling people to expe­ rience "Jesus as the power of God and the wisdom of God", i.e. proclaiming this in a tangible way (1 Cor. 1:24; 2 Cor. 4:7-12). This spiritual-existential assistance can only effectively unfold in a personal encounter.24 For this reason, substituting spiritually exis­ tential personal support is essential to human life in situations of particular hardship and in borderline situations, and not just well organized material support. Especially in situations of major shock when experiencing personal or generalized disaster, this restitution of personal assistance is imperative.

a) This personal and inner existential healing and spiritual stren­ gthening will occur, if - despite everything that has hap­ pened - it is possible to restore and revitalize the faith in the profound goodness of the suffering person's disintegrated life circumstances. And if those who are suffering recall the life-giving presence of God in all human beings and in their lives due to the faith-driven support in a situation of hardship, i.e. allowing the suffering person to experience through the appreciative and comprehending presence of the helper that God is closely and effectively connected to the poor, the sick, the disabled and to every refugee (Lengerke, 2007; Pompey, 1999a). Thus, in the poor the minister of caritas encounters "the image of its poor and suffering Founder. It does all it can to relieve their need and in them it strives to serve Christ" (Lu­ men Gentium, no. 8). Pope Francis emphasizes: "in the face

24 "Christianity is not a new or a new morality. We are only Chris­ tians if we encounter Christ." (Benedict XVI, 2008) "The Christian faith, as we know, is not born from the acceptance of a doctrine but from an en­ counter with a Person, with Christ, dead and risen. In our daily lives, dear friends, there are so many opportunities to proclaim this faith of ours to others simply and with conviction, so that from our encounter their faith can grow. And it is more urgent than ever that the men and women of our age know and encounter Jesus, and, also thanks to our example, allow themselves to be won over by him." (Benedict XVI, 2007)

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of each , especially of the smallest, the most fragile, the defenceless and needy, there is God's own image" (2014, p. 5). Thus, in practical terms ministerial charity means, acting in representation of the client, having faith in the goodness of the client and his life, despite all desperation in the face of the physical, psychological, spiritual and social condition of a client25 (=worthy-of-being-credible). It is essential to prac­ tically express in the concrete assistance - not primarily in words - the faith in the good forces in the life of a suffering person and the helping grace of God, despite all problems and difficulties. This witness (martyria Gr.) of the presence of God, His good­ ness in situations of deep crisis does not primarily happen through words but is sensed non-verbally by the suffering, namely through the compassionate and respectful way of help­ ing which "understands, assists and promotes" , as is clarified by Pope Francis in his Evangelii Gaudium (2013a, no. 179). The person who is suffering will immediately notice whether the helper is really convinced of God's presence and help and whether he is aware and feels supported by this belief when assisting in a situation of sufferingthat is challenging. On the occasion of the healing of the sick at Bethesda Jesus tells his disciples against all those who doubted: "My father still goes on working and I am still at work, too." (John 5: 17) This re­ sults in the courage to continue to assist and support people, even in extreme situations of suffering. "Confessio" and "car­ itas" form an effective inner unit, as Cardinal Sarah explains; indeed, only by "this ignition of the other, by the flame of our love, evangelization truly grows and the presence of the gospel which is not only words but lived reality" (Sarah, 2013, no. 4).

b) Then, an genuine assistance to overcome the suffering that has developed, presupposes that the helper continues to believe in a healing future life of the suffering, i.e. hoping for and trusting in a positive life development and future, despite hopelessness

25 No psychotherapist will be able to help, if he is not convinced of the potential for change of his client.

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when human development is lacking or when there is an irre­ versible crisis; be it when helping the disabled, the elderly, the socially deprived etc. This means that the helper is certain that the assisted suffering person has a future and that God never abandons the sufferingand that His grace and His bless­ ing strengthen him, even if the suffering person may have to continue to carry the social, physical or psychological burden as bearing his Cross of suffering. This means not to give up hope of life because of a potentially irreversible social, mate­ rial, physical or psychological deficit of life: "God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but the Spirit of power and love and self­ control." (2 Tim. 1:7) Hope is based on the faith conviction that someone supports us and shares our inalienable reality of life. This means: as a helper one must, in representation of the

suffering person, trust in God in this sense ( = being hope-ful).

c) On the other hand, the client must achieve reconciliation with his reality of suffering, i.e. with the Cross. However, reconcil­ iation is more than merely accepting a reality of suffering; it means not to condemn and reject oneself because of suffering, it means trying to continue to tenderly, positively mediate an affirmative approach to life (2 Tim. 1:7), i.e. a tender accep­ tance of one's own person, despite the remaining realities of suffering in one's life (2 Tim. 1:7). Jesus does not tell the par­ alyzed man of Bethesda (John 5:1-18) or the paralyzed man who was brought to Jesus by his friends (Luke 5:17-26), throw away your mat, but "take your mat and go" back to your life. A "mat" might always be part of one's life26 (Sarah, 2013, no. 4; Pompey, 1997f; id. Pompey, 1998a), but what counts, is how such an irreversible impairment for life is dealt with. 27 Closely linked to this, is to not burden oneself with accusations of guilt (Heereman, 2014, p. 203) but to exonerate oneself (i.e. forgive-

26 Be it psycho-physical irreversibilities, such as the need of a cardiac pace­ maker, medication for diabetes, implants for artificial limbs, the need for a prosthesis after a leg or arm amputation etc. or be it psycho-social irre­ versibilities, such as loss of home, divorce, death of a relative etc. 27 In terms of caritas philosophy F. Heereman explains (2014, pp. 201f.), based on practical examples of life, the relevance of the acceptance of one's own person.

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ness of sins by Jesus in the pericopes of healing and helping, John 9:2-5) and to let oneself be strengthened by new stimuli of faith and hope (see the helping behaviour und the words of Jesus) , in order to integrate the "mat" into one's own life in a more reconciled way. It is about releasing the vital energy with the help of this tender and at the same time realistic ac­ ceptance, be it by the relief of accusations of guilt or through a new inspiration by faith, hope and love, in order to not con­ sume the remaining or recovered vitality in the fight against an irreversible affliction. Often, people sufferingfrom an affliction are tormented by accusations imposed by themselves or others. The spirituality of His suffering discipleship recommended by Jesus also makes reference to accepting the fate of suffering, the Cross, hoping for God's help, just as he did himself (Matt. 16:24-28; Mark 8:34-9:1; Luke 9:23-27). This does not mean to glorify the cross. A cross is still a cross; a mat is still a mat (Heereman, 2014, p. 204).

Thanks to the surrogate love of the assisting helper, he who suffers, despite all hardship, despite all suffering, despite his fate, despite his remaining "mat" should experience the love of God; be­ cause clients often can no longer love themselves and their life, they want to throw it away. The psycho-social suffering of some clients is quite literally screaming to God. "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" (Mark 15:34; Matt. 27:46) For this reason, it is necessary, as a surrogate of the clients themselves, to love them, in order for them to gradually re-discover how lovable they are and will be, despite their sufferingand their "mat" .28 Only when the force of good as psychologists say (Rogers, 1982), takes effectagain, can there be a possibility of continuing to live, to rise-again, a "re-sur-rectio" (Lat.) from their feeling of being overwhelmed by their suffering. Practically, this means for the ministerial-charitable helper -- even if the person suffering, his relatives or other fellow beings are un­ kind towards the helper - that he must love the person afflicted by the irreversibility, his relatives as well as those who are immediately involved (=worthy-of-being-loved) .

28 People, who have a tender attitude towards the suffering, prove that the remaining, restricted life is still worthy of being loved.

45 Caritas-Theology - Theological fo undations and shape .. .

• Consequently, this "refreshment and care of the soul" explained above, aims at increasing the faith, strengthening hope and re-igniting love, as humans in need ask of Jesus when pray­ ing the with the help of Mary. 29 The accompanying silent prayer for these potentials of goodness has a strength­ ening effect on those who are suffering and the helpers them­ selves (Pompey, 200la) . Indeed, the re-vitalization of the core­ strength: Faith, hope and love is the basis for the inner healing of humans. The service of surrogate faith, hope and love con­ stitutes the indispensible sense of basic trust, the precondition for any successful healing or assistance carried out on the ba­ sis of "lege artis". Indeed, in the case of severe experiences of suffering, external medical or material, social assistance can only have a sustainable effect if the sense of basic trust in life is restored. 30

• Faith, hope and love are related virtues of a healing relation­ ship which can lead to partially overcoming existential suffer­ ing, especially when these three virtues are supported by the virtue of patience "which continues to do good even in the face of apparent failure" , and through the virtue of humility, "which accepts God's mystery and trusts him even at times of darkness" , as Benedict XVI underlines (DCE, no. 39).31

29 Faith, hope and love are described as divine virtues. They make humans more similar to God, the same is said of mercy (Luke 6:36). 3° Faith, hope and love provide strength and wisdom. However, when provid­ ing a service of faith, hope and love for the revitalization of vitality and the meaning of life/perspective of life, humility and patience are necessary, says Benedict XVI (DCE, no. 39). We know neither the time nor the hour when and how a human being will be relieved or redeemed from his Cross. The helping virtues of humility and patience are further strengthened when as­ sisting a suffering human being in crisis, if we live this service of faith, hope and love in faithfulness and closeness and therefore envisage God's promise on a surrogate basis. I am who I am. I am close and faithful to you, what­ ever may come (Ex 3:14). This is how- in the face of the suffering of His people in Egypt - God revealed himself to Moses in the desert (a place of limited life). With these virtues "the Mother of Mercy" , Mary, accompanied her son during his life on Earth until beneath the cross. 31 Further spiritual complements can be found in the specific caritas-theological options of the hymns and gifts of the Holy Spirit, the model of guidance for the spiritual work of charity and the virtue doctrine of individual ethics (Pompey, 2014).

46 Caritas-Theology - Theological foundations and shape ...

Faith, hope and love are indeed necessary in the face of the dread-ful message of an irreversible illness of an, until then, psycho-physically healthy life, a sudden severe accident, of an unexpected heart-less suffering of inability to work after a ful­ filling career, of the displacement due to war and natural disas­ ters (, Iraq or Tsunami, etc.), a loveless separation caused by the death of a close friend or the loss of one's homeland (e.g. displacements in Syria, Iraq, , , etc.) or of the disintegration of a happy family life etc. 32 In situations of distress, it is important to live a strengthening of faith, i.e. in these situations it is about advocating faith, hope and love with one's own existence (Fonk, 2008). It is a sacred strug­ gle which often leaves the combatant wounded and makes him pray: "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" (Matt. 27:46)

• In practical support which always takes place in space and time, it is also important to concretize the factor of space through the experience of closeness and optimizing the factor of time in a healing manner through experiences of faithfulness so that the suffering person realizes: "Despite my suffering, I am not forsaken, a person or a group of persons is close to me [in terms of space] and faithful towards me [in terms of time]. I am not abandoned, nor alone." This is the existential expe­ rience which Moses made in the desert, the place of withered life, full of sand when he experienced Yahveh as "I am here" , i.e. you are not alone and not forsaken (Ex 3:14).

• Neither social-material support, nor psycho-social overcoming of problems, nor physical-psychological healing can be effec­ tively achieved in the long run, if the sense of basic trust as revitalized faith, as sustainable hope and as infinite love as

32 In the helping encounter they practically form an effective unit: "Faith, hope and charity go together" (DOE, no. 39), so that the warmth and therefore the power and wisdom of God can enter into the world. They constitute an un-separated effective unit and at the same time can be explained as un­ diffused, i.e. as effectiveelements in themselves regarding their relevance for the ministerial charity of helping and healing. This is important, the Pope's aim is to "experience love" , so that the light and therefore according to him, the warmth of God can enter into the world (DOE, no. 39).

47 Caritas-Theology - Theological foundations and shape .. .

mentioned above, are not restored. As a consequence, when assisting people who are suffering, one must let the other per­ son participate in one's own vital power and life-wisdom, by giving an insight into one's personal life and into one's own experiences of crisis as well as into the sources of faith and hope, according to Jesus, in his life and his existence on Earth. This happens when a person is ministering charitably and help­ ing existentially and is willing to share his life experience, his suffering and his faith in closeness and faithfulness with the suffering. If a suffering human being experiences this sharing of life and faith (Pompey, 1997a), a new life can begin. A suffering person will then develop vitality and will find a per­ spective together with a new valuation of life. Vitality, i.e. the Greek "dynamis" , means vital power, wisdom of life in Greek is "Sophia" , which includes the unfolding of life ideas, life as­ pects, life visions, perspectives of life, these are two attributes or two essentials of the work of Jesus: "They were astonished and said, 'Where did the man get this wisdom and these mirac­ ulous powers?" (Matt. 13:54) "And everyone in the crowd was trying to touch him because power came out of him that cured them all" (Luke 6:19). "And the power of the Lord was there so that he should heal" (Luke 5: 17). According to Paul, Christ is "the power of God and the wisdom of God'' (1 Cor. 1:23-24; 2 Cor. 4:7-12).

• It is about the martyria, i.e. a practical testimony in life, as something to be experienced and a "confession" that the rule of the love of God, the kingdom of God has come. Accord­ ing to John Paul II, this includes a preparedness to participate (John Paul II, 1980, no. 2). According to this, the ministry of charity is basic evangelization, even if a direct recruitment of new members through these ministerial-charitable services is not intended by the Church. It is exclusively about let­ ting others participate in the real present love of God, namely in an altruistic way and without pursuing any other goals.33 When experiencing charity, some people who are suffering or

33 The Latin word "caritas" was merged with the Greek word "Charis" which means gift becoming the word "Charitas". Pure love does not have intention and is not purpose-oriented.

48 Caritas-Theology - Theological foundations and shape .. .

searching for a meaning in life, might silently or openly ask the helping person "where does your strength and inspiration come from, in order for you to commit yourself in this attentive and hopeful manner?" Then, a helper or a group of helping per­ sons may reveal their source of energy with confidence (2 Cor. 4:7-12) , then the Kairos (right moment) has come to give per­ sonal testimony of their faith also in terms of content.

Spiritually integrating the options of Caritas-Theology into the world of those who are suffering is therefore concrete and real-life evangelization which awakens the faith and the love in suffering hu­ man beings. This experienced, personal testimony of faith, hope and love in closeness and faithfulness continues to be appealing par­ ticularly to those who suffer. After all, analogous to God's action through Jesus Christ, Christianity is primarily a practical response of God to misery, suffering and sin in the world, as has been demon­ strated by Pope Francis on various occasions. God in Jesus Christ descended concretely to the hardship of poverty (in the stable of Bethlehem) and shared the fate of migration (search for shelter, flight to Egypt) and faced the suffering of psychological and social aban­ donment ( Gethsemane) and exposed himself to physical destruction (capture, torture and death, Golgotha). The Son of Man shares all the world's suffering with mankind. Through him all suffering is absorbed in the love of God and shared with God himself. With Jesus Christ, God is present in all peripheries of human existence. This has also been carried out by of ministerial-charitable assistance as followers of Jesus. In his encyclical (DCE, no. 40) Pope Benedict XVI reminds us of Martin of Tours, Francis of As­ sisi, , Camillus of Lellis, , , Teresa of Calcutta; even more names can be added, such as Elisa­ beth of Thuringia, Agnes of Prague, Gerard of the St. John's Order, Damian de Veuster, etc. "The saints are the true bearers of light within history, for they are men and women of faith, hope and love" says Benedict (DCE, no. 40). Subsequently, they bring light into the darkness and new energy to the helplessness of the suffering in this world. Thanks to the practical true-to-life evangelization, they give new strength to those who are powerless and inspiration of life to those who are hopeless. For, through the power of faith, hope and love the boundaries of life can be overcome in the discipleship

49 Caritas-Theology - Theological foundations and sha pe ... of Jesus and a life marked by scars can be mastered again i.e. trans­ cended (Lat) in the sense of overcoming.34 Only those who return to faith, hope and love develop new vitality and can prospectively discover a meaning of life again.

• Vitality and meaning of life cannot be "made" . They occur, they grow. When and how they occur depends on the grace of God. For this purpose, God makes this happen through the support of helping human beings. However, the second temp­ tation of Jesus Christ in the desert should be recalled which in the case of a client or the helper can consist in wanting to force God's help and assistance or challenging God and his helping support. In regard to such a temptation, Jesus says: "You must not tempt the Lord, your God." (Matt. 4:7) God does not allow his freedom or his plans to be put under constraints or impositions by anyone; it must be according to Jesus' pro­ vision: "Thy will be done."

• It is a personal, existential occurrence in which behaviour and words, deeds and testimony are connected to each other in a cause-effect relationship. Furthermore, the ministerial evan­ gelization of faith, hope and love can only be successful, if the helper himself disposes of a re-ligare, i.e. of a personal and community-based witness in the faith, i.e. these poten­ tials of the helper are rooted in a free "re-ligio" (re-ligare, Lat) . The deeds are proof of the word and the word underlines the behaviour. Only if they are congruent, will the helper be "trust-worthy" . For this reason, when it comes to their or­ ganisation, it is impossible to separate ministerial-charitable assistance and faith from each other, i.e. separating them into a social task alongside a pastoral part.35 In Jesus' assistance they also form a personal, symbiotic unit, as is underlined by the "Motu proprio" (IEN) with its options. Pope Benedict XVI

34 As in extreme situations, faith, hope and love, vitality and meaning of life are based on restored and newly established sources of life. 35 The uniquely large and gigantic charitable organization of the Church (As­ sociations, campaigns, schools, training institutes, activities of the parish, Masses, etc. with approx. 250, 000 members of staff), the Catholic Church and in analogy to this, also of the Protestant Church in Germany do not result in an increased sense of the faith or interest in the faith.

50 Caritas-Theology - Theological foundations and shape ...

already says in "Deus caritas est" that "it is very important that the Church's ministerial-charitable activity maintains all of its splendour and does not become just another form of so­ cial assistance" (DCE, no. 31). Furthermore, he says - as had John Paul II earlier on (cf. 1980 p. 2):

"Individuals, who care for those in needs, must first be professionally competent: they should be prop­ erly trained in what to do and how to do it, and committed to continuing care. Yet, while profes­ sional competence is a primary, fundamental require­ ment, it is not of itself sufficient. We are dealing with human beings, and human beings always need something more than technically proper care. They need humanity. They need heartfelt concern. Those who work for the Church's charitable organizations must be distinguished by the fact that they do not merely meet the needs of the moment, but they ded­ icate themselves to others with heartfelt concern, en­ abling them to experience the richness of their hu­ manity. Consequently, in addition to their necessary professional training, these charity workers need a "formation of the heart" : they need to be led to that encounter with God in Christ which awakens their love and opens their spirits to others. As a re­ sult, love of neighbour will no longer be for them a commandment imposed, so to speak, from without, but a consequence deriving from their faith, a faith which becomes active through love (cf. Gal 5:6)." (DCE, no. 3la) 36

36 Cf. John Paul II: "Helping those who are in need, requires profound ex­ pert knowledge, qualified training, utilization of the best people and means. However, human beings need far more than technical perfection. The human being has a heart and wishes to encounter a heart in him who helps him. Humanity cannot be substituted by apparatus and administrators. This is also one reason why, despite the imperative of having the best technical knowledge and the best equipment, the volunteers in caritative services must continue to have their role. It goes without saying, that they also require training. However, what is important is their willingness to help, their eye for the needs of others, the patience with which they listen; their gentleness

51 Caritas-Theology - Theological foundations and shape ...

Pope Francis also emphasizes this: "We can no longer separate a religious life, a pious life, from service to brothers and sisters, to the real brothers and sisters that we encounter. We can no longer divide prayer, the encounter with God in the Sacraments, from listening to the other, closeness to his life, especially to his wounds. Remember this: love is the measure of faith." (Francis, 2014)

• Furthermore, charitable ministry does not only require knowl­ edge of the facts etc. but besides inspiration from faith it also

requires an inner source of energy and motivation - - which induces compassion towards human beings in need. With this theological foundation of eros in the encyclical "Deus caritas est" (DCE, no. 3), Benedict XVI returns the inner dynamic to the caritas, hoping for an empowerment of the ministerial charity of the Church. Thus, he shows theologi­ cally to what extent the Christian (Latin: caritas) needs eros. Indeed, charitable ministry does not only require techni­ cal knowledge but also and to the same extent a strong moti­ vation, i.e. an inner energy source - namely eros. Through agape/eros the altruistic, freely giving care to the human being should occur which does not shy away from any effort and bur­ den to take care with loving kindness of those who are poor, forsaken, psychologically and physically suffering. Caritas is therefore not only aloof friendliness and client orientation but compassionate warm-heartedness and self-gifting compassion (according to miseri-cor-dare Lat. which means giving the heart to those in miseries) which includes the faith in the good­ ness of those who are struck by suffering and in the hope of finding new paths in life. With this option of a charitable ministry filled with life, based on eros, the Pope releases mo­ tivation and fluxes of warmth for assisting relationships. This com-passion - closeness filledwith charity - is revealed in an exemplary way by the social saints (DCE, no. 40).37

without routine which does not only contribute their expertise but primarily allows them to make an active personal contribution." (1980) 37 The caritative relation of a helping person must not only be objectively and technically perfect, it must also be influenced by enthusiasmand fascination,

52 Caritas-Theology - Theological fo undations and shape ...

Subsequently, the service of misericordia, i.e. "miseri cor dare" = giving one's heart to those who are in need and suffering, does not only include material but also existential loving and believing care, as is emphasized time and again by Pope Francis as the contempo­ rary mission of the Church, e.g. when he highlights going to the peripheries, to the places far from faith, places of hopelessness and un-charitableness i.e. in situations of extreme suffering and guilt. 38 It is said that Cardinal Bergoglio had already underlined shortly be­ fore the conclave that the proclamation of the Gospel is the raison d'etre of the Church. For this reason, She is called upon to come out of herself and to go to the peripheries of human existence. This includes sin, pain, injustice and every form of hardship. The Church must go to the periphery in order to evangelize through deeds and words (Francis, 2013c). Every grave suffering: an irreversible disability, social marginal­ ization as a migrant, loss of a close friend, multi-morbidity in elderly people etc. does not only cause social, physical or psychological but also inner wounds. It is important to descend to the suffering and to help them to carry the Cross which they would otherwise have to carry alone. In these love-less situations, it is also about reveal­ ing our faith in our deeds, i.e. releasing the healing power of love in these sick and poor people. For according to the spirit of Bene­ diet XVI's encyclical, for human beings in such desperation, it is vital to share with and therefore sensitively reveal faith, hope and love to the suffering.39 This does not occur by means of theologically wise speeches and recommendations. It only occurs by sharing one's own faith, hope and love in this situation of suffering, i.e. sharing the suffering, life and faith with that person which can mean bearing and admitting speechlessness and not pious dictums or meaningless

by the wish to tangibly share life and suffering with the affected personwhic h is also part of the character of eros. 38 "The church is called to come out of herself and to go to the peripheries, not only geographically, but also the existential peripheries: the mystery of sin, of pain, of injustice, of ignorance and indifference to religion, of intellectual currents, and of all misery. " (Pope Francis, 2013b) In such periphery situa­ tions of life, it is important, according to "Fides qua creditur" , to build up and impart sources of vital-force and life-wisdom especially in clients who are suffering. 39 This means: living a service of charity between Christians and also with non-Christians.

53 Caritas-Theology - Theological fou ndations and shape.. . phrases of consolation. This can only happen if the helper believes that, despite being speechless, Christ's work unfolds in him, through him and with him and also in his neighbour (Lengerke, 2007). The incarnating and simultaneously evangelizing quality of the "service of charity" through the community of love must be ensured for the benefit of the people in today's Church, not by imposing legal regulations but primarily by sensitizing the faithful. Ultimately, according to Pope John Paul II, "the way of the Church is this man" (John Paul II, 1979, no. 14; Pompey, 1989). As Paul writes in his letter to the Galatians "in Jesus it is about having the faith working through love" (Gal 5:6). This view on faith is also underlined by Pope Benedict XVI in his encyclical "Deus caritas est" (DCE, no. 33) because love is the face of faith. The same applies in reverse, faith forms the foundation and the humus soil of love. It is relatively simple to clarify the relation between faith and ministerial charity: good fruit as the result of love can only be reaped if the soil of faith is cultivated accordingly: Every gardener, every farmer is aware that if he does not prepare and maintain the soil adequately i.e. fertilizing, watering, loosening the earth, weeding etc., he will not harvest good fruit. However, where and how do Christians acquire this potential of becoming stronger in faith? Where does the Church impart the abil­ ity to have faith in the goodness of life despite all negative things that can happen in individual or general disasters; to have hope in hopeless situations and to not lose love in loveless life situations? Where does the Church give those who are engaged in ministerial­ charitable work "God's strength and wisdom"? And where does She impart to those who are engaged in her social ministerial caritas a spiritual qualification, as it existed in the caritas of orders, i.e. in the social and care orders? Fromthe perspective of the Church's mission, this is indispensable.40 Furthermore, how does the Church impart the corresponding Caritas-Theology or caritas-spiritual competences (e.g. spirituality of the Holy Ghost, the stimuli of the virtues, the ca­ pability of carrying out spiritual etc.) to those who

40 Is it possible as a non-believer to impart this to a suffering person? Is it possible to implement something which one does not have? Is the testimony of caritas through the Church feasible without faithful members? Is it not so that the Church in Germany must face these questions concerning its caritative mission?

54 Caritas-Theology - Theological fo undations and shape...

were not socialized in a Christian spiritual manner and who work in her ministerial-charitable services and institutions, e.g. volun­ teers of the parish caritas (Pompey 2014; Pompey, 1997d; Pompey, 1999b), in order to give optimized assistance to those who are suf­ fering whilst taking up the evangelizing opportunity through procla­ mation? (Pompey 1994). This is why John Paul II admonishes the bishops: "Therefore, the spiritual and moral formation of personnel in ecclesiastical or Church-related institutions must be encouraged in every way!" (1999, no. 7) These helpers do not primarily need a theology course or but faith and life experience, as em­ phasized also by Pope Ftancis when talking about the mission of the

Church (Sternberg-Schmitz, 2014) . Where can this experience in a Christian environment and in Christian groups are gained? The "ser­ vice of charity" resources such as faith, hope and love are absolutely vital. They must be available or acquired. Perhaps the sharing of life, suffering and faith is easier to achieve for unpretentious believers than for experts on theology?41

4 The Work of Jesus as an Orientation: The Healing of the Sick at the Pool of Bethesda The specifically existential and personal service of charity also be­ comes evident in the light of Jesus' work as a helper (Pompey, 1999b); because Jesus did not only heal physically (Healing at the pool of Bethesda, healing of someone paralyzed, healing of lepers, healing the psychologically disturbed and the possessed, awaken­ ing of the dead etc.) and socially or psychologically (preventing a woman from being stoned, consulting a rich young man and coun­ cillor Nicodemus, accompanying the fleeing disciples on their way to Emmaus etc.), but he also wanted others to be able to experience the dawn of the Kingdom of God through his help; he has come so that they may have life and have it to the fu ll (John 10:10). With the example of the healing at the pool of Bethesda (John 5:1-18) the above mentioned caritas-theological and caritas-spiritual

41 These spiritual core options and powers of "the service of charity" evolve from the Caritas-Theology and not from the social teaching ·of the Church. The social teaching is based on the economic policy by shaping the rules whereas Caritas-Theology implements a practical helping and healing ser­ vice.

55 Caritas-Theology - Theological foundations and shape ... aspects can be further explained and underlined. In order to demon­ strate the spiritual relevance, they will be transferred to the con­ temporary perception and context of helping as examples. Accord­ ing to the Gospel of John, Jesus was on his way to a popular fair in Jerusalem with his disciples, i.e. with his "community of love" (v 1).42 They enter the city of Jerusalem through the Sheep Gate where there is a social and therapy centre which included five big colonnades (halls) and which was called Bethesda (v 2). Jesus inter­ rupts their journey to the festivity and visits this institution with his disciples (v 3). It is an institution for different areas of treatment, for the blind, the lame and for disabled people etc., as is said in these verses. Among the "many sick people" Jesus notices a man who is particularly affected and who has been paralyzed for 38 years and Jesus turns to him (v 5). His social empathetic instinct tells him that this man is living alone and has been suffering from his sickness for many years. Respecting the right to self-determination of the sick he asks him: "Do you want to get well?" (v 6). Jesus does not impose upon him, he wants the disabled man to fully sup­ port his healing process, i.e. be prepared to participate in it. The disabled man explains his suffering and tells Jesus that he is very sick and furthermore that he does not have any family or friends who could carry him to the healing thermal bath. If he tried to get himself into the pool, meanwhile the healing, possibly warm wa­ ter substances would be already degraded (v 7). The sick man is therefore not only sufferingphysically but also socially. He does not have any helpers thus, he is socially poor. There are no relatives who could provide him with a space close to the healing bath. He is alone and depends on himself completely. As is the case for all human beings, being-sick-and-alone considerably increases the strain imposed by the suffering. Furthermore, it is striking that Jesus does not resort to the thermal therapy of the institution for his healing. Instead, he heals with powerful words, because he wants to achieve an inner healing process (v 8). Only three core words (Get up! Take! Go!) of this spiritual strengthening and healing, i.e. the core ele-

42 Celebrating and festivities were not a contradiction to his social-moral proclamation and his caritative practice of support. Festivities and events celebrated together in a community stabilize them and increaseth e commit­ ment of its members of staff.

56 Caritas-Theology - Theological fo undations and shape ...

ments of His helping empowerment43 are conveyed: "Get up ". This is how he gives the first impulse: "You have vitality and vital po­ tential in you, you are capable of facing your fate. Believe in your inner power and strength, despite your physical and social suffer­ ing." "Take your mat". Jesus does not say "throw your mat away" , but as a second impulse: "Accept your mat". This could mean "rec­ oncile yourself with the irreversible part of your suffering. You are a loveable human being, despite your mat. Don't let your fate be defined by your mat, blocking your life." For, very often in many situations of hardship an element of the social, psychological, spir­ itual and physical suffering remains, which is beyond redemption. However, if the available energy and imagination bind themselves to this remaining irreversible suffering, these energy potentials for life are not available for prospection of life. They are consumed and used retrospectively, even though they are needed prospectively in order to handle a life with a "mat". The basic message of "Take your mat" is: "You are and remain lovable, despite your sickness." The third exclamation: "Go!" entails: "If you have faith in the goodness of your person and your life, as mentioned above, i.e. if you believe in the good forces in you and if you reconcile yourself with your mat i.e. if you accept the realities of life and despite your mat be full of love towards yourself, then you go, as you also have a future in your life, you can develop opportunities in your life and fill them with life."44 "Be hopeful!" With these three core impulses: * Strengthening through the faith in goodness, * Encouraging the love of one's own existence, de­ spite the irreversibility of the life situation as well as * Encouraging hope and faith in a future, Jesus renews what in psychology is de­ scribed as the sense of basic trust in life . This sense of fundamental trust in life, based and realized by faith, hope and love, forms the basis for any sustainable healing process and social change. Jesus favours inner healing, i.e. spiritual, mental healing, since the mat, as an expression for the irreversible impairment in life, remains (v 9a). Nevertheless, the person who was formerly sick goes his own way because this man is then healthy from the inside. He believes in his good potentials, accepts the irreversibility of his life situation and

43 i.e his full-power (Greek exousia) . 44 The Paralympic Games are an example of how to win life, despite a mat.

57 Caritas-Theology - Theological fou ndations and shape ... reconciles himself with them. He is caring towards himself and his life is filled with hope. However, soon afterwardsnew problems occur for the newly hea­ led (v 9b). His inner healing is challenged by others, be it because the helper breached the rules on the prescribed work-freetime (Sab­ bath rest) or be it in regard to the healing powers of the helper (professional competence). And resulting from that challenge, scep­ ticism is raised regarding the success of the inner healing process of the client. Social workers know about these contextual doubts when others tell an affected person: "You will never be able to do that; you will soon see that everything is back to what it was before etc." Additionally, Jesus' loving care does not know work-free time, i.e. Sabbath (v 10). Suffering-mats cannot just be put aside on a Sun­ day (Sabbath), life must also be addressed on a Sunday, despite all suffering. Furthermore, caritas, i.e. the tender, hopeful and credible care of the suffering must also be provided on a Sunday. In these verses, the healed man tries to defend his inner healing, thanks to the "Get up, take your mat and go" (v 11). However, it is no use. The criticism voiced by his surroundings persists. The responsible people at the time want to find out exactly who has illegally acted as such a helper, claiming such competence of healing which he does not officially possess (v 12). Jesus' anonymity as a helper also shows that, what counts, is not the name of the helping person but his inner care and conviction. Jesus gives help from one human being to another human being (v 13). Furtherhelping steps will follow. The sick person feels by his own accord that God's involvement was relevant for the re-generation of his vitality and re-inspiration of his perspectives of life and that only his own strength and inspiration were not the effective causes which restored his health, despite his mat. As a consequence, he thanks God in the temple (v 14a). This corresponds to Jesus' understanding of help, as is also demonstrated by other healings and which is also shown by the healed man's encounter with Jesus in the temple. As a precaution, Jesus then asks him to carefully watch his behaviour in the future (v 14b). The healed man was successfully helped; however, other misconducts in life can easily occur. As a consequence others and he himself might worsen their situation again. Jesus does not patronize him and does not point out possible shortcomings in his life; he invites him to walk on the path of self-knowledge. Ultimately

58 Caritas-Theolog)' - Theological fo undations and shape ... self-knowledge is the best way to improvement. Sustainable help means taking responsibility with the intention of realigning one's life (this is called the theological Metanoia) . The man is happy to know who his healer was and tells the Jewish leaders who had put the healed man under pressure (v 15). However, the supposed experts of the art of spiritual healing are annoyed with Jesus who had considered loving care to be more important than the rules (the law) (v 16). They also could be motivated by envy, as he helps and heals better than they do. Jesus clarifies the basic difference to his critics (v 17): the creator of this type of healing is God. He and the Father have an effect in every christo-logical social and loving care event; as Jesus emphasizes. Because it is only with God's grace and power the potential of revitalization of a socially and physically sick human being can be released. Thus, a Christian social worker can be sure that in his service of charity he will never be alone and is always accompanied by God. Indeed, in prayer he can establish a direct contact with God and make use of this direct connection (e.g. telling God about his own helplessness and despair or expressing his frustration that nothing changes, or asking God for His support or making God partially responsible for the success of help or passing on to God the overwhelming sadness of a human being, etc.). Even 2000 years later it is still perceived as a provocation when social workers, pedagogues, psychologists etc. claim that God has a decisive effect in their tender care (v 18). Such a statement, i.e. that God helps through human beings causes a great deal of hostility and rejection. Consequently, the inner, genuine and spiritual healing of Jesus, as can be concluded from these verses, includes the following as­ pects: * the willingness of the client to change, * the exploration of different aspects of suffering by the sick person, * the revital­ ization of faith, hope and love, * the acceptance and not rejection of an irreversible social, psychological, spiritual Cross of suffering (i.e. the mat), * the re-alignment of vitality and vision of life to­ wards the future, * understanding the message of a sickness for the regenerated life, * not losing sight of the destabilizing, suspicious and critical interventions surrounding the healed person or the per­ son reintegrated into society * also cultivating a relationship with God, in order to have a life foundation and having a direct con­ nection (i.e. having a culture of prayer in situations of great chal-

59 Caritas-Theology - Theological foundations and shape ... lenges in life). "Refreshment and care of their souls" (IEN) becomes contagious through such a personal, comprehensive and existential help. With His empowerment by revitalization of faith, hope and love, Jesus also associates the forgiveness of sins (i.e. reconciliation of hu­ mans with God and with their fellow men and reconciliation of the sufferingwith themselves) . Sustainable help according to Metanoia is a realignment of life with a new life-style, this is Jesus' concern. Liberation from burdensome and blocking guilt and gaining new per­ spectives of life can result in joy and gratitude of those who have been healed. Those who were holistically healed by Jesus go to the temple to thank him, and this is where Jesus findsth em (John 5:14). Others go to a Priest and offer gifts( Matt. 8:4; Mark 1:44) and Jesus alludes to the aspect of giving thanks (Luke 5:14; Luke 17:14) or they pub­ licly praise God, e.g. the man healed from leprosy (Luke 17:15) or the paralyzed person and the people surrounding him joining him in his praise (Luke 5:25) or Jesus speaks to the fleeing Emmausdiscip les and celebrates giving thanks (Luke 24:30), i.e. the eucharistia. This is how the service of charity (Diaconia) is connected to the sacra­ ment of the forgiveness of sins and with the celebration of giving thanks (Heereman, 2014, p. 202), i.e. with the of thank­ ing ( "Eucharistia" ) and with the sacramentals of the intercessional prayer and the blessing of the new path of life.45 This helping re-

45 The fact that these are central aspects of a diakonia based on Caritas­ Theology and the bible, occurred to me in an ecumenical encounter. Af­ ter the end of Communism, Russian Orthodox metropolitan Nikolaj of Nizhny Novgorod asked me to support, in terms of Caritas-Theology, the re-establishment of the Sisterhood of Mercy in Nizhny Novgorod. During a joint dinner he asked me to not impart a heretical caritas, as it is practiced to some extent in the West; he was referring to Germany. I was astonished about this remark. Then he asked me whether I had read the Holy Scrip­ ture and carefully studied Jesus' approach to help. I answered to him that this goes without saying for a caritas - theologist. Then he said that, for sure I must have noticed that when Jesus helps and heals that it is always connected with a forgiveness of sins and that the healed go to the tem­ ple or Jesus sends them to the temple in order for them to offer a gift of thanks. Furthermore, Jesus wants to testify the dawn of the Kingdom of God through his help. "Where and how is this expressed in the caritative activities in Germany?" he asked. "If in , we do not offer more than the social administration or public health care", then the following sentence expressed by Jesus would apply: ''Very well, pay Caesar what belongs to Caesar - and God what belongs to God" (Matt. 22:21) and would leave

60 Caritas-Theology - Theological foundations and shape ...

lation according to Jesus' example elucidates the caritas-theological aspects for action of the "service of charity" .46 Acts of loving ministry which are influenced in this jesuanic way, (i.e. by this interaction between diaconia and liturgia) is a testimony of the Reign of the Love of God (kerygmajmartyria)Y This is why Benedict XVI underlines: "The Church's deepest nature is expressed in her three­ fold responsibility: of proclaiming the word of God (ke­ rygma-martyria), celebrating the sacraments (liturgia), and exercising the ministry of charity (diaconia). These duties presuppose each other and are inseparable. For the Church, charity is not a kind of welfare activity ( ...] but is a part of her nature, an indispensable expression of her very being." (DCE, no. 25a) The helping care of Jesus, his "service of charity" shows how contextually liturgia and martyria occur and thus shows steps of evangelization and of how an access to lived evangelization can occur, (i.e. via diaconia and liturgia and therefore to martyria). It is no coincidence that Pope Francisis seeking closeness to the suffering, i.e. going to the peripheries of human existence. These are the genuine places of lived evangelization, i.e. the places of poverty (Bethlehem), migration (Egypt), of psycho-social hardship (Gethsemane) and of physical suffering (torture and Golgatha).

5 "Service of Charity" as "Community of love" In the second part of the encyclical "Deus caritas est" and in the introduction of the "Motu Proprio" (IEN) Pope Benedict XVI makes reference to a further aspect of charitable ministry support (that to some extent is on the decline in Europe) by giving the practical part of his encyclical the heading: "Caritas - the Practice of Love by the Church as a community of love" (DCE, no. 19). Pope Benedict XVI therefore emphasizes a further central dimension of caritas, i.e. that

social diakonia to the state right away. This is why he asked me to impart an orthodox Caritas-Theology and caritas practice. 46 Hence, they result from Christo-logy and Caritas-Theology and do not con­ stitute derivations from the social doctrine. 47 Can one separate help and proclamation, i.e. deeds and words from each other and therefore in practice split caritas and pastoral into two services?

61 Caritas-Theology - Theological foundations and shape ... the "service of charity" must be realized as a "community of love" by the Church. Since, in addition to the individual face-to-face "refreshment and care of their souls" realized by personally sharing of life and faith by "making an active personal contribution" (John Paul II, 1980), Popes Benedict XVI and Francis both call attention to a further in­ tensification and consolidation of existential, inner healing and help­ ing: extending the "bonum individuale" to the "bonum commune" . Benedict XVI explains this in more detail when emphasizing that the "Church as the community of faith, hope and love" (Vaticanum II, 1964, no. 8) must be "God's family in the world" (DCE, no. 25b). Furthermore, in his "Motu proprio" on the service of charity (IEN) he clarifiesthat "the Church is also called as a whole to the exercise of the diaconia of charity" .48 The Second Vatican Council had already underlined "a sign and instrument both of a very closely knit union with God and of the unity of the whole human race" (cf. Second Vatican Council, 1964, no. 1), namely as the universal Church, as Episcopal local Church, as a parish, as groups of parishes and man­ ifold communities of Christians (orders, brotherhoods, associations, other groups etc.). Indeed the Second Vatican Council emphasizes, we are not redeemed as individuals but as a community (cf. Second Vatican Council, 1964, no. 9). In practice this means: The individual "refreshment and care of their souls" by means of personally sharing life and faith should be supplemented by ministerial-charitable and loving hospitality, i.e. by offering the suffering (be they sick, aban­ doned, marginalized, expelled etc.) a community of life, faith and suffering. This means - analogous to the history of the caritas - to live as a church or as a parish the culture of hospitality of the early Church49, i.e. providing hospitality in the sense of the "service of

48 In the second section of the "Motu proprio" on the service of charity all main players of the service of charity are called upon, the individual faithful and then the Church as an entire community. It is said that: "all the faithful have the right and duty to devote themselves personally to living the new commandment", and "the Church is also called upon as a whole to the exercise of the diaconia of charity, whether in the small communities of Episcopal particular Churches or on the level of the universal Church" . 49 In the history of the Christian caritas, the community-based quality of the caritas was realized by the practice of hospitality of the orders and brother­ hoods since Basil the Great in the Eastern Catholic Church (4th cen-

62 Caritas-Theology - Theological foundations and shape ...

charity" and providing a religious and/or a parish reference group to suffering people who are often marginalized. 50 The latter being real­ ized for example in the form of small communities in a parish up to differentlyst ructured and legally organized communities of a diocese or of the universal Church, 5 1 as the president of the Pontifical Coun­ cil Cor Unum H. E. Cardinal Sarah has impressively emphasized in theological and in practical terms (Sarah, 2013) . Indeed marginalized people (severe illnesses, great material hard­ ship, unemployment, irreversible disability, migration etc.) from the communities they live in as can be the consequence

• of a serious illness with hospitalization and a stay in a reha­ bilitation centre or nursing home, hence separation from the family and friends,

• of a termination of employment, which leads to a separation from the company environment and from the fieldof work into unemployment,

• of escaping from their home country which takes them to a foreign country and strangers,

• of a natural disaster or a civil war which destroys their local community,

• of falling into poverty which leads to enforced renouncement of some aspects of their normal lives and therefore results in isolation from fellow human beings etc. As a consequence, in the face of their marginalization, those who are suffering and searching are looking not least for a ministerial­ charitable and loving home and for a personal community experience

tury) and Benedict in the Western Church (6th century) . People who were sick, poor and homeless lived under the same roof with brothers and sisters of the order or in a monastery complex (s. The Plan of St. Gall around 800 or the order hospital of the Order of St. John/Order of in Jerusalem (11th century)). 50 This community character of the caritas is also based on the fact that we are created by God in his image and likeness, i.e as individual and collective beings; because God is: three persons and of the same nature, a community­ based unit. 51 It is about offers of the service of charity and of communities of love. For this reason individual and community-based caritative services are distinguished from each other.

63 Caritas-Theology - Theological fo undations and shape ... full of love. Ministerial charity in terms of social pedagogics is not limited only to general re-integration into society allowing those in need to survive economically or giving people a new home, main­ taining regular contact with those who are suffering etc. It has a special quality of help. These are important community-based types of ministerial-charitable and loving support. As a result, parishes as local spaces and cells of life are challenged to think about how they can provide an experience within a "community of love" to the sick and disabled, to migrants and to the poor. Parishes and Christian communities are equally relevant for charitable ministry-social work as the diaconia of institutions and counselling of experts. The hos­ pitality of Christians during the first centuries, (i.e. their hospitality towards the poor, migrants, widows, orphans etc.) was the main rea­ son for the missionary success of the Church in the early Christian times, despite at the same time being rigorously persecuted. Ultimately, "the practice of love by the Church" and the "ser­ vice of charity" must be a "manifestation of Trinitarian love" (DCE, nr. 19) .52 This means -- according to the theo-logy of caritas, if God is love - then loving, ministerial-charitable closeness and faithful­ ness have a personal and community-related dimension. Indeed, the Christian caritas should simultaneously make present the personal and the community-ba..'led dimension of God's Trinitarian caritas.53 The personal existential and the community-based dimension should permeate each other. In terms of Trinitarian theology this concerns a circumincessio (perichoresis, Greek; circum incessio, Lat.) a unit or permeation of the individual-personal caritas in the community­ based dimension of love without an amalgamation. Un-diffused and inseparable, they are relevant for life. This mutual indwelling ( cir­ cumincessio, Lat.) of individual tender gestures of care occurs within a community and pervades this community with love so that the wholeness of these gestures is more than the total sum of them. As

52 In God personality and communality are combined. 53 Cf. id.: "God is the Tr inity, he is a communion of love; so is the family despite all the differences that exist between the Mystery of God and his hu­ man creature, an expression that reflects the unfathomable Mystery of God as Love. In marriage the man and the woman, created in God's image, be­ come "one flesh" (Gen 2:24), that is a communion of love that generates new life. The human family, in a certain sense, is an icon of the because of its interpersonal love and the fruitfulness of this love." (Benedict XVI, 2009)

64 Caritas-Theology - Theological foundations and shape ...

a consequence: the service of charity always requires personal and community-based forms of expression - un-diffused and insepara­ ble - i.e. individual tender care and at the same time providing a loving home to those who are affected by extreme suffering. This makes parishes and their groups and manifold Christian communi­ ties into favoured places of the ministerial charity of the Church which are supported by assisting specialized services. 54 The bishops must guarantee (cf. Sarah, 2013) that helping becomes a ministerial charity where the "refreshment and care of their souls" occurs by means of loving care and the welcoming of the sufferinginto a loving community in order to ensure that (according to the Second Vatican Council) the Church can be tangibly experienced as "a community of faith, hope and love" (Lumen Gentium, no. 8). This constitutes a clear demand expressed by Benedict XVI in his "Motu proprio" (IEN).s5 God's loving existence is personal and community-based at the same time. Benedict XVI substantiates this divine reality referring to the living culture of family. The family is the temporal icon of the Holy Trinity56 and is therefore the guiding light for the Church and Her communities. This is how Pope Benedict XVI translates his option saying: "The Church is God's family in the world" (DCE, no. 25b).57 The agape must "never be a purely individual matter" , it must "become an essential action of the Church as a community" , as he also emphasizes, (DCE, no. 32)58, it must therefore be brought up to date by the community as a whole. Consequently, She must be a community of faith, hope and love, as is underlined by the Second Vaticanum.

54 The caritas at parish level is not organized in this way. The Catholic Church in Germany is currently employing more than 500,000 experts in Her special­ ized services and institutions and She has neglected the community-based parish caritas. As a result, many voluntary secular self-help communities have developed instead. 55 See contribution by G. dal Toso. 56 "The human family is the icon of the Trinity." (Benedict XVI, 2009; Pompey, 2008b)

57 The precondition for this is the existence of small concrete communities within a parish. 58 The Church organizes caritative services but She is also a spiritual home to those who are marginalized due to their suffering and hardship.

65 Caritas-Theology - Theological fo undations and shape.. .

5.1 The Necessity and Practice of the "Community of love" In relation to the loving ministerial-charitable family-based culture and the mission of the Church i.e. Her community-based caritas, Benedict XVI distinguishes between two different tasks when em­ phasizing: "God's family must be a place where help is given and received, and at the same time, a place where people are also prepared to serve those outside her confineswho are in need of help." (DCE, no. 32)59 A rule of life in many European countries is this saying "a sorrow shared is a sorrow halved" . Thus for communities and groups within the Church or a parish should develop a living culture which exists within families as well as fostering an open, human warm-hearted community of life and not excluding strangers. The increasing num­ ber of large parishes in Europe constitutes an opportunity in this spirit to give room to a large number of small communities with different spiritual and social options (Pompey, 1999c) . Giving human beings a home again and maintaining a stable con­ tact with people who are suffering etc. are important community­ based supports which in view of today's state welfare and health care system, constitute a new challenge. Parishes should consider how they might be able to offer the sick and the poor an experi­ ence within a "community of love" . The agape must "never be a purely individual matter" . It must become "an essential action of the Church as a community" (Benedict XVI, 2006).6° Consequently, the ministry of faith, hope and love cannot only be practiced with the help of the virtues humility and patience but also by means of transmitting consistent faithfulness and warm closeness. Faithful­ ness and closeness are coordinates of a community-based caritas. In the way similar to how God was experienced by the oppressed people in Egypt and later as He revealed Himself to Moses as Yahweh in the desert, so is the Church the close and true one i.e. as: "I am

59 This "service of love" available to all human beings therefore includes the observation made by : "Let all our actions be for the good of everybody, and especially of those who belong to the household of the faith." (Gal 6:10 ) 60 The Church is the responsible body of caritative services but also a home to those who are marginalized by their suffering and their hardship.

66 Caritas-Theology - Theological foundations and shape ...

close and faithful to you - you are not forsaken I am with you." It is imperative to make this experience of faithfulness and closeness visibly present as in representation of God. His closeness and faith­ fulness must be made a tangible experience for the suffering. As a consequence, space and time occur and are consolidated in a healing way in the basic coordinates and components of life - space and time, e.g. space as closeness and time as faithfulness. Caritas organizations in Central Europe employ specialized ser­ vice providers; social workers, pedagogues, psychologists, physicians etc. in order to provide technically optimized support e.g. by pro­ viding highly competent social, pedagogical, psychological and care services in specialized institutions. However, these charitable in­ stitutions are only partially successful: in providing the suffering human beings with a home in warm-hearted and friendly environ­ ments and communities61• This is something that can be found to a much larger extent in countries outside Europe where the Catholic Church is present, thanks to the caritas which is primarily practiced in the parishes and due to the networks between pastoral-charitable services fostered to this end. Consequently, the "service of charity" must also always be put into practice as a "community of love" . The technically organized and working Caritas organizations of the Church must therefore not limit itself to being an organizational structure for technically opti­ mized social services which are subject to labour and service law; it must also have a caritas counterpart at parish level. And the "service of charity" of a parish cannot limit itself to mere face-to-face care in the form of outreach services and donation activities for ministerial­ charitable organizations or campaigns. Otherwise, the Caritas of the Church fails to testifythe plethora (abundance, pleroma Gr.) of

61 In most European homes for children and young people, hospitals run by religious orders and old people's and nursing homes, the Sisters and Brothers nowadays no longer live together with the sick, the elderly and the socially disadvantaged young people. Fazenda da Esperan<;a is one special exception (Pompey, 2008a). The nursing staff and the social workers are only present during their shifts. Additionally, many specialized services are delegated to experts who do not necessarily share the Christian spirituality. Contrary to the pedagogical practice of Don Bosco, Mary Wards or the practice of many nursing orders including who shared their lives with the sufferingby living together with them in the same house and celebrating Mass together.

67 Caritas-Theology - Theological fo undations and shape ...

God's love as a unit or permeation (perichorese Gr.) of the personal and community-based dimension of His love. In South for instance, social service centres of Caritas do not only provide tangible, material and psychological support, they also offertheir clients a home in one of the many communities in the parishes such as the , Vincent De Paul groups, church choirs, the Foculare Movement, Neocatechumenate, Kolping, Fran­ ciscan communities, Communione et liberatione, the Marian Con­ gregation etc. in order for them to no longer be alone with their suffering. Ultimately, a sorrow shared is a sorrow halved. This con­ nection between individual and community-based help is probably the foundation of the impressive mission of the Korean Church. A practical experience at Caritas South Korea illustrates this. A completely paralyzed sister named Sister Joon who is quadriplegic, lying in a rollaway bed, was taking part in a seminar for and members of staffof Caritas Korea on "caritative diaconian assistance for those suffering and seeking on the basis of the power and the wisdom of the Christian faith" .62 For me as a speaker at this event, her presence represented a great challenge. After the lecture this sister told me the following: At the age of 11 she had fallen sick with rheumatic arthritis which had led to a standstill of her growth and to her becoming completely paralyzed. She can only move her head and her small hands. Nevertheless, she tried to give her life a meaning. She made efforts to draw and paint. Despite some successes, she was desperate and angry when thinking of her hopeless situation. At the age of 30, she took up an art course at university in Seoul. At that time, she came into contact with a group of young Christians who welcomed her into their community. There, she found a community of caritative Christianity put into practice. Without obligation, she could take part in the community prayers and in the religious debates of the community.

62 My own training courses for Sisters and Brothers of the poor in the poor city of Kkottongnae Korea - with its 2,000 prostitutes suffering from aids, alco­ holics and drug addicts as well as old and sick homeless people, abandoned people, disabled children and adults - were a caritas-theological challenge for me and at the same time an inspiration for alternative caritative ap­ proaches. This Korean experience as well as similar encounters in , or in reveal Jesus' incarnation as the Redeemer of the world. In these caritative initiatives God's word becomes truly human.

68 Caritas-Theology - Theologica l fo undations and shape ...

This practically experienced faith and benevolent interaction wit­ hin this community filled her with hope and gave her strength and enabled her to accept her fate. Together with the spiritual care pro­ vided by Father Park she overcame her desperation, her anger and her suffering. At the age of 32, she let herself be baptized. Thanks to this newly gained faith - this was what she related in a con­ versation later - she overcame the paralysis of her life, even if not her physical paralysis and, together with Father Park, developed the idea of founding an order for disabled and healthy sisters and broth­ ers for the caritative support of disabled people. In 1984, together with Father Park she founded a centre for the disabled called "House of Love" which became the first cell of the community of the Sisters of the Child Jesus. Sister Joon was the first Mother of the community. Meanwhile, she has founded branches of her community not only in Korea but also in the and in China.63 Later she said: "Exactly what you talked about is what I was allowed to experience." "Thanks to the strengthening in faith, hope and love, in the experience of closeness and faithfulness of this community my vital force increased and new perspectives of life developed. Hence, despite my irreversible paralysis I could rise to life again." Her experience with her fate therefore illustrates that even if sufferingand hardship do not disappear completely through "services of love" and the participation in a community of love - a mat cannot be thrown away either -- a suffering person nevertheless, give thanks to a personal and community-based ministry of love, and so is able to deal with their suffering in a different way and develop a new dynamic in life. This experience demonstrates what it means when it is said that faith can move mountains (Mark 11:23; Matt. 17:20 par.). Options for assistance influenced in this way are not intended or practiced by private or public welfare organizations. In the light of the singularization of European societies and in the face of the reduction of treatment and counselling times of social and nursing services as a consequence of technical advances and cost cutting64 , and the increased need for support and care services as

' 63 Sister Joon s hobby is still her arti tic activities. Her works were acknowl- s · edged by the Seoul National Gallery. 64 E.g., the average time of hospitalization has reduced considerably. This means that the reconvalescence phase has to take place in the home envi-

69 Caritas-Theology - Theological fo undations and shape ... a result of demographic change, and the limitation of state funding for social projects etc., and substitute and complementary social­ charitable initiatives and assistance offers in the people's lives, (i.e. in our parishes) are become increasingly more necessary.65 For example, in European and North American countries a sick person - after a short treatment -will often findthemselves back in their apartments suddenly isolated and forsaken. 56 In a society which

ronment. Without doubt, hospitals have become a highly qualified repair station for swift and quite effective medical care. Their relationship culture however, has as a consequence deteriorated. Any existential coping with sickness and care are excluded as a result of the condensed working time, the caps imposed on the reimbursements of costs, the non-remuneration of times dedicated to talking to the patient etc. Even if the staff of a mu­ nicipal or private hospital wanted to foster a relationship culture with the patient and amongst each other, it would not be possible, due to these time constraints. Additionally, human care on behalf of the physicians and the nursing staff is not or hardly remunerated by the health insurance and free time resources are lacking. Due to its optimized pharmacological and surgical treatment options, today's medical art does not require any longer periods of hospitalization of the patients so that from a purely physical perspec­ tive a longer period of hospitalization is not necessary. Besides which and due to the high costs associated with hospital stays, the health insurances and the hospital 's economists are pushing for shorter periods of hospitaliza­ tion (cost capping, flat rate payment, DRGs, reduction of working hours) etc. Additionally, there are no more nursing orders working with the sick in European and North American countries, consequently their geographi­ cal proximity to the sick and their selfless caritative care are lacking. As a result, patients and clients in today's hospitals are not provided with a spir­ itual home within a protective, supportive and caring community in order to also emotionally integrate and therefore sustainably anchor their severe sickness into their concept of life which is often also associated with a change in their life circumstances. It is increasingly common practice for patients to be discharged and sent home two or three days after a surgical intervention or internal medical treatment. From a purely medical perspective this might be correct however, in anthropological terms it is associated with disadvan­ tages. Since, in the absence of these two aspects, there is not enough time for an existential coping with an irreversible sickness and for establishing personal relationships. Consequently, hospitals are nowadays not a place of existentially caring relationships or a spiritual home for the time of sickness. 65 Additionally, in the Romanic countries e.g. , hospitals are not part of the caritas of the Church i.e. not of the "Secours catholique" but of the "Oeconomie sociale" , as is the case with the few nursing orders. Morally speaking, it is quite legitimate to generate income for an order by providing hospital services. 66 Thus, a hospital for instance, - physically speaking and correctly - is nowadays not a place where community-based help and human security can

70 Caritas-Theology - Theological fo undations and shape ...

is becoming increasingly individualistic this is nothing unusual, as in many cities in these countries people live in single households.67 Parish house call services and members of staff of patient transport services or emergency home calling services and meals-on-wheels ser­ vices know how many sick and elderly people live in their apartments, abandoned, lonely and helpless. Up until now, this phenomenon is to some extent not as drastically present in African cultures, as the family continues to emotionally and physically take care of sick fam­ ily members and very often lives close to the hospital in the case of hospitalization and therefore maintains the family closeness and faithfulness. For living on a day-to-day basis in Europe and North America new voluntary support services must be established in the parishes which provide the sick who are being taken care of in purely medical terms with assistance in day-to-day concerns and which give them a sense of humane security, be they old, single parents, disabled etc. and who areadditionall y prepared to share their lives, their suffering and their faith. Many industrial countries are particularly challenged to live an easily accessible solidarity with those neighbours who are suffering in their local communities.

5.2 Spiritual Stimuli for the "Ministry of Charity" in the Culture of a "Community of Love" The helping groups of a parish or the experts of a charitable ser­ vice must themselves be caritas communities lived in practical terms only then will they be strong and dynamic. Spiritual, human in­ dividual and genuine support and assistance can only be successful in the long run if the individual helpers themselves are members of a "community of love" (i.e. if they have their roots at home in a spiritually supportive community of like-minded people.) The ministerial-charitable community of helpers on the other hand is only able to provide a supportive home to socially vulnerable and spiri­ tually shattered people if it fosters a lively ministry of charity with a community culture. The "communit y of love" is only able to sus­ tain the care, help and medical services for those who are socially

be experienced. Medical and nursing support are becoming increasingly specialized and i ndividualized. 67 In Freiburg e .g. 50 % of al l households a re already single households. The same applies to Stuttgart and Berlin.

71 Caritas-Theology - Theological fo undations and shape ... uprooted, sick, old and affected by disaster and the related psycho­ logical and physical burden and the social disappointments of daily life if it establishes a supportive charitable ministry community cul­ ture. However, what is this living culture in practical terms? After all, it is impossible to be either a single-helper or a single-Christian. With the words: the Church as the "community of love" or "the Church is God's family in the world" (DCE, no. 25b) Pope Bene­ diet XVI returns to the Church as a "community of love" and there­ fore also to the parishes in highly developed and emerging countries, a clear and profound charity ministerial character i.e. he assigns these service-communities an emotional relationship quality e.g. a charitable ministry family-like bond, a feeling-of-depending-on-each­ other, an understanding and forgiving character; since, in every fam­ ily there is suffering and conflict, joy and hardship. The sharing life, faith and suffering is indispensable (e.g. in the case of individuals with burnout etc.). With the following indication: "The Church is God's family in the world" Pope Benedict XVI emphasizes: "In this family no one ought to go without the necessities of life." It is essen­ tial to develop a family-like helping culture among the expert and voluntary members of staff. Accordingly, every parish as part of the Church must constitute a "community of love" , i.e. they must form a cell of love. Indeed, particularly in the smaller communities of the parish the Church can be experienced best as the family of God in the world (DCE, no. 25b).68 Regarding the ministerial charity-family mission of the Church and therefore Her communities Benedict XVI underlines two main tasks: "The Church as God's family must be a place where help is given and received, and at the same time, a place where people are also prepared to serve those outside her con­ fines who are in need of help." (DCE, no. 32)69

68 The Church can only become a "community of faith, hope and love" (Second Vatican Council, 1964, no. 8), if the diaconia of faith, love and hope unfolds its power and inspiration also at community-based level i.e. when the helping relationship and the suffering person are supported by a "community of love" (DCE Heading 2nd Part), as the encyclical opts for concerning the communities of the Church and Her parishes. 69 At the same time however, the caritas agape goes beyond the limits of the Church: "The parable of the Good Samaritan remains the benchmark, it pre-

72 Caritas-Theology - Theological fo undations and shape ...

That is to say according to Paul (Gal 6:10) "let all our actions be for the good of everybody, and especially of those who belong to the household of the faith" . This means for the Church commu­ nities that they have to be an "intentional" family and to develop a family-like living culture. They must also act as an open family; open towards others i.e. they should be experienced by others, as a warm and open life option and as a life community. According to Benedict XVI, two aspects result from a community-based and inter-connected ministerial charity, namely, apart from providing a home filled with loving care to those suffering and seeking (by wel­ coming those who are marginalized as a result of their suffering), they must also live the ministerial charity community culture of the helping community of service. With regard to the vivacity of this guiding encouragement ex­ pressed by Benedict XVI, the Church being a "community of love" Herself, the inevitable question regarding the 3rd basic service arises: how can individual and community-based caritas in a parish and its associated smaller communities best be cultivated and how can the corresponding experience of faith, hope and love best be developed on a day to day basis? In his first Epistle to the Corinthians, Saint Paul refers to how he was asked by the community in Corinth (1 Cor. 7: 1, 16 and 17) to give his view on problems and division tenden­ cies of the community. At the end of his problem supervision he writes: "And now I am going to put before you the best way of all." (1 Cor. 12:31b) and refers to central spiritual factors of a "commu­ nity of love" in his Magna Carta caritatis (1 Cor. 13:4-7) which also Benedict XVI expressly refers to as the "Magna Carta of all ecclesial service" (DCE, no. 34). In terms of practical theology, the individual impulse of this community-based caritas culture for the "service of charity as a community of love" , (be it a parish commu­ nity or a community of service of a ministerial-charitable specialized institution) can be implemented as follows: Love is fo rbearing: The members of the Church of a "community of love" are fore-bearing with others, love has patience, it does not

scribes the universality of love that takes care of those in need and who we come across "by coincidence" (s. Luke 10:31) whoever he might be. Notwith­ standing this universality of the commandment of love there is also a specific ecclesial mission - i. e, within the ecclesial family no member should suffer through being in need." (DCE, no. 25b)

73 Caritas-Theology - Theological fo undations and shape ... easily abandon a suffering person and its own community, despite problems. Love is benevolent: The members of a "community of love" are convinced of their own goodness and that of their clients, despite wrongdoing and they trust in their mutual goodness. It does not complain, it does not boast, it does not puffit self up: The mem­ bers of a "community of love" are natural, honest and sincere towards each other and do not feel the need to prove anything to each other and do not boast with their willingness to help in front of a new mem­ ber. It does not act indecently: The members of a "community of love" are respectful and mind the physical intimacy of the members and those who are entrusted to them. It does not take advantage: The members of a "community of love" do not want to attain or gain anything from welcoming or supporting a sufferingpers on; they wish only to serve this accepted client in an altruistic way. 70 It does not let itself be provoked to anger: Towardsthe sick and their colleagues the members of a "community of love" have their emotions under control e.g. they take part in spiritual supervisions. It is not re­ sentful: On a daily basis, the members of a "community of love" are above the emotional wounds inflicted on each other and by a new member. It is not happy about injustice but it feels joy about the truth: The members of a "community of love" are not malicious nor do they gloat, they remain realistic, they love the truth and avoid distortions of the facts etc. It bears everything, believes everything, hopes everything and resists everything: The members of a "commu­ nity of love" bear the suffering and incapability of their clients and that of their own members likewise. Together they are a pillar of strength, when in a situation or accident of disaster "all hell breaks loose" . Their faith in life succeeding is "solid as a rock" (Matt. 15). That means that they have a Petrine faith which acts free of fear when "all hell breaks loose" . They give each other support etc. The last spiritual option: "Love bears everything, believes every­ thing, hopes everything and resists everything " of the "Magna Carta caritatis" is undoubtedly a demand of the highest order. Only rarely if ever, will a "community of love" as a whole or individual member

70 John Paul II illustrates the complete generosity underlying this helping care (2002, no. 4-5). He wants his Kingdom which is near to be spread (s. Matt. 10:5) by demonstrations of charity of his disciples which do not demand anything in return. "In the very love which God has for us, there lies the call to give ourselves freely to others in turn."

74 Caritas-Theology - Theological fo undations and shape ...

of the community be able to fulfil it. It would of course be ideal if this Pauline ministerial charity relationship culture characterized the concrete "service of charity" and the rescuing "community of love" and therefore the respective helping community. However, in regard to these high demands John Paul II realistically says that Christians must not gradually change these objectives or make any concessions regarding these spiritual objectives but he refers to the gradualness of their path i.e. allowing for a gradual achievement of this objective (John Paul II, 1981, no. 34). For, even a "community of love" will only be able to achieve these objectives in their entirety when God's Kingdom is fulfilled. Even some of the Blessed and Saints have only been close to practically living these virtues in their "service of char­ ity" e.g. Saint Agnes, Saint Hedwig, Saint Vincent, Saint Camillus etc. A community shaped in this ministerial-charitable spiritual manner has a potential power which in the face of the respective challenges in life and coping with problems sustainably_ stabilizes strengths of the community by far exceeding the strength of the individual members. Courage and affection towards each other and towards the sufferingallows for mutual support as has been described above. The same effectpot entially arises for the creativity of action. Thanks to the exchange within a community characterized by char­ ity, the life experience of the members and the diversity of ideas for life etc. are enhanced. 71 It is said that Aristotle stated that the en­ tirety of a life unit possesses a larger idea and energy potential than do the sum total of the individual elements of this life unit. This means: A helping community has a greater diversity of potentials than many individual helpers. Only as ministerial-charitable com­ munities magisterially alive can the Church and Her communities be a contrasting society to the economistic, hedonist and egocen-

71 Thus, devout Christians can give vitality and wisdom of life, so that "the people may have life and life in full" (John 10:10). This is the objective of the incarnation of Jesus. The Church as a "community of love" which consists of numerous parishes and communities is God's most precious gift to humanity in order for human beings to be able to participate in Jesus' deed of redemption. If the Church, its parishes and communities succeed in unfolding the caritative character that belongs. to them and is able to develop the caritative quality they are vested with, they will be the liberating home for all people suffering and troubled which will provide them with vitality and open perspectives of life.

75 Caritas-Theology - Theological fo undations and shape ... tric society in which we live today.72 The question arises as to how the community-based ecclesial dimension of charitable action repre­ sented by Cardinal Sarah can be developed (Sarah, 2013)? Further, similar central aspects of spirituality (cf. Pompey, 2014) of the "service of charity" in the "community of love" are also de­ scribed in the Hymns of the Holy Sp irit or the Doctrine of virtue, particularly the way it was argued by Thomas Aquinas (8Th II 2 q 23-·56)13 - in connection with the psychomachia theory of St. Prudentius (*348 tuntil after 405) as well as the tradition of the Sp iritual Works of Mercy and mention theories which determine the practice of helping as well as virtues in order to face the challenges of life on behalf of the clients. According to learning psychology, the helper's or the caritative community's example of spiritual behaviour can impart new basic virtues to the suffering, thus enabling them to cope with life.74

6 The Caritas- Theology Gradualness of the Social Services of the Church In view of the aspects outlined above, different dimensions of help, care, nursing and assistance etc. can be gradually distinguished on the basis of Caritas-Theology as not all forms of support are the same even if they are good for the most part.

6.1 Helping as a Good Deed If Christian existential or Christian ethical oriented support is not specifically intended and it is merely material, structural, admin­ istrative, physical or psychological, it can nevertheless be a good deed. Indeed, with the biblical and educational options of indivi­ dual and community-based help guided by Christianity presented in this article, it is not contested that already every "lege art is" 75 help,

72 The Church and the parish must not be a congregation of single-Christians. 73 Cf. ThomasAqui nas,pa rticularly q 30 on Misericordia, q 31 on Beneficentia, q 32 on charity, q 33 on the Correctio fraterna (Pinckaers, 2004). 74 The caritas-theological and practical-theological theories which were gath­ ered here historically determined charitable action long before the develop­ ment of the Social Teaching of the Church. 75 "This term describes the following: an action must be carried out according to social norms and scientific standards or laws taking into consideration all

76 Caritas-Theology - Theological foundations and shape ...

assistance, support, counselling, nursing and healing carried out in accordance with the natural moral law - e.g. in accordance with the good Samaritan who helps tangibly and furthermore bears the costs for the follow-up care - is a "bonum" . It therefore represents a good and laudable deed, in correspondence with Pope Benedict XVI's un­ derstanding:

"Following the example given in the parable of the Good Samaritan, Christian charity is first of all the simple re­ sponse to immediate needs and specific situations: feed­ ing the hungry, clothing the naked, caring for and healing the sick, visiting those in prison, etc. The Church's char­ itable organizations, [ . . . ] ought to do everything in their power to provide the resources and above all the person­ nel needed for this work." (DCE, no. 31a) It is possible to do good in this way if "lege artis" help is provided i.e. in accordance with the realities of the order of Creation and if help is provided according to natural moral law and on the basis of expert knowledge. According to Paul the reason behind this is that "ever since the creation of the world, the invisible existence of God [ . ..] h as been clearly seen by the mind's understanding of created things" as well as "His existence and everlasting power" (Rom 1:20). State and privately organized charity services - e.g. in the sense of the "economie sociale" or the "economie sociale et solidaire" or the commitment within civil society - correspond to this rationale and provide praiseworthy services. Services which limit themselves merely to providing "lege artis" material support which only give socio-administrative and psycho­ logical counselling and help which seek to offer first aid in situations of social crisis, in regions affected by disaster (floods, earthquakes, tsunami etc.) philanthropically speaking are undoubtedly welcome as charity services. The Church caritas shares this commitment with other social N GOs or NPOs (e.g. UNICEF, terre des hommes, the Red Cross, Doctors without Borders, etc.). In this sense, the Church offering Her caritas services can also be the owner and provider of

useful knowledge and technical means and applying one's personal physical and intellectual abilities, competences and knowledge." (German Wikipedia 21/9/14)

77 Caritas-Theology - Theologica l fou ndations and shape ... such social services. However, this type of help still does not have a clear Christological character, only to the extent that everything truly human is also Christian (Paul VI, 1964). If the Church limits herself to acting on this generally humanistic level She will be one of the many charitable non-governmental organizations or the state social administrations in the world and will be a provider of nor­ mal social and health services which undoubtedly is not a "malum" . However, quite rightly as the Popes remind us: "The Church's char­ itable activity at all levels must avoid the risk of becoming just an­ other form of organized social assistance (DCE, no. 31)." (IEN, Introduction) Just as other providers of social services the ecclesial charita­ ble ministry services and institutions must also provide "lege artis" help and must continuously review the technical expertise of their services and consequently adapt them to the state of the art of the corresponding social and human sciences (e.g. psychology, pedagogic and social work science etc.). Only then will they succeed in guar­ anteeing the technical quality of their services.76 Pope John Paul II emphasizes: "Helping those who are in need, requires profound expert knowledge, qualified training, utilization of the best people and means." (1980) Analogous to this, Pope Benedict XVI writes in his encyclical "Deus caritas est" : "Individuals who care for those in need must first be pro­ fessionally competent: they should be properly trained in what to do and how to do it, and committed to continu­ ing care." (DCE, no. 31a) Resorting to the basis of human sciences e.g. to psychological knowledge of a helping relationship is necessary for all forms of help and must be understood according to the conclusions of 's (150-220): "caro cardo salutis" (De carnis resurrectione, 8,3) i.e. the flesh is thepivotal point of or according to Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274) : "Gratia supponit naturam et perficit earn" (STh I, 1, q 8 ad 2; I. 2, q 2 ad 1.) or Karl Rahner's (1904-1984) radicalization thesis (1975, p. 399). The latter means that the Christian roots an­ chor the Human element more deeply (=radix Lat.) and radicalizes it, i.e. consolidating and strengthening it.

76 Cf. articles by J. Dolezel and R. Gehrig.

78 Caritas-Theology - Theological foundations and shape ...

However, in order to underline the Christian added-value which goes beyond the "lege artis" quality Benedict XVI emphasizes:

"Yet, while professional competence is a primary, funda­ mental requirement, it is not of itself sufficient. We are dealing with human beings, and human beings always need something more than technically proper care. They need humanity. They need heartfelt concern. Those who work for the Church's ministerial-charitable orga­ nizations must be distinguished by the fact that they do not merely meet the needs of the moment, but they dedicate themselves to others with heartfelt concern, en­ abling them to experience the richness of their humanity. Consequently, in addition to their necessary professional training, these charity workers need a "formation of the heart" : they need to be led to that encounter with God in Christ which awakens their love and opens their spirits to others. As a result, love of neighbour will no longer be for them a commandment imposed, so to speak, from without, but a consequence deriving from their faith, a faith which becomes active through love {cf. Gal 5:6)." (DCE, no. 3la)

John Paul II had already emphasized in 1980:

"Helping those who are in need, requires profound expert knowledge, qualifiedtr aining, utilization of the best peo­ ple and means. However, human beings need far more than technical perfection. The human being has a heart and wishes to encounter a heart in those who help him." (1980, no. 2)

6.2 Optimized Technical and Ethical Help Apart from the technical qualification, the ministry of charity men­ tioned and opted for above also requires a ministry of justice which is geared to individual ethics as well as to social ethics. The rea­ son is that from a Christian perspective the goodness of healing and helping is optimized if norms of individual ethics and social ethics of traditional faith are consistently applied by all members of staff

79 Caritas-Theology - Theological fou ndations and shape ... and by the management of specialized charitable services and by the charitable groups of the parishes and communities who are engaged in charitable activities. Be it norms which promote the practice of help, which respect the dignity of human beings, which promote sin­ cerity and openness, which do not support unjust activities, which do not have any ulterior motives, which help on a sustainable basis and do not cause emotional damage, which do not violate the integrity of the human body, which communicate a truth of suffering in a sensi­ tive way, which do not deceive e.g. which exclude insurance fraud or the misuse of social benefits, which promote the faithfulness between people and within the family, which do not place any exaggerated demands on the state or their fellow citizens etc. Indeed, when faced with one of life's disasters (such as loss of a relative, property, ac­ commodation or livelihood etc.) , in order to opt for new perspectives of life, a client needs the relevant ethical guidance for the assessment of new living conditions and for the alignment of the future path. 77 A re-orientation is based on the theological, existential worldly wis­ dom of the Church and one based on individual ethics, i.e. the living tradition of the faith (Fonk, 2002).

a) Thus, for social institutions and services of the Church and independent charitable ministerial initiatives of Christians it is necessary to consistently implement principles of individual ethics when providing their services (Fonk, 2014; 2015). This applies to ecclesial services such as marriage and family coun­ selling, counselling for pregnant women and in situations of conflict, care and nursing of the elderly, institutions provid­ ing medical care to migrants, the hospice, in- and outpatient services of the social orders, etc. This ethical orientation ap­ plies to many institutions and services e.g. to the specialized ministerial charity services in Europe. As opposed to this, un­ fortunately free initiatives of Catholics (which form according to CIC Can. 216 and Can. 299 as private church associations) can deliberately and illicitly contrast with the ethical option of the Church (in Germany e.g. with the initiative "Donum vi­ tae" which offers counselling to pregnant women in situations of conflict and does not fundamentally exclude abortions) .

77 John 5:14: "Do not sin any more, or something worse may happen to you."

80 Ca ritas-Theology - Theological foundations and shape ...

In some European countries the adherence to principles of indi­ vidual ethics of the Church is guaranteed by the management of the respective institution. 78 Corresponding personal ethi­ cal convictions of the employees are not a general pre-requisite in order to work for such magisterially charitable institutions. Non-Christians can for instance work in parish equipes of the Secours Catholique in Franceor in institutions of the Caritas of the German Church even though Christian ethical criteria do not constitute a personal option, due to their religion or their world view. In Germany, according to the legally binding rules regarding protection of Church institutions , all mem­ bers of staffare obligated to respect these principles. However, the question is whether a kerygmatic quality can be attributed to a ministerial-charitable service if this ethical alignment of an organization is guaranteed by administration rather than personal conviction. Christian ethics as a framework in life requires a personal and credible testimony. This cannot be guaranteed on a purely cognitive basis (Deutsche Bischofskon­ ferenz, 2014, p. 30) it must be embedded in people's hearts, according to the Popes.

For non-ecclesial providers of social services and institutions in most countries the ethical orientation of day-to-day prac­ tice is guaranteed on the basis of the respective legal pro­ vh;ions by the management of the institutions. 79 Regarding clear behavioural guidelines of individual ethics however, there can be considerable discrepancies between Christian and non­ Christian providers of social and nursing services, particularly in terms of sexual morals and the protection of life etc.

78 The German bishops have recently been emphasizing the faith profile not only of the management services (e.g. to some extent Die deutschen Bischofe [The German Bishops], 1993; ibid. Die deutschen Bischofe, Kommission fiir caritative Fragen [The German Bishops, Commission for Caritative Affairs], 1999; ibid. Die deutschen Bischofe [The German Bishops], 2009) but also to some extent of the members of staffworking directly with clients, calling for these employees to personally be anchored in caritas spirituality (Deutsche Bischofe[ German Bishops] , 2014, 33-35). Non-Christian and non-Catholic members can nevertheless continue to contribute to many services with their work, cf. Deutsche Bischofe [German Bishops] (2014) 33-35. 79 For Germany cf. Pompey (1997c) .

81 Caritas-Theology - Theological fo undations and shape ...

b) There is a stronger Christianization, a Christian character, es­ pecially of the services and institutions, if principles of ethics are considered in the alignment of the respective management, in the processes of the services and in the organization of an in­ stitution (Fonk, 2010). This includes: respecting the principles of solidarity/ collective well-being and of justice/peace enforce­ ment, of subsidiarity /self-determination, sustainability /res­ ponsibility etc. 80 c) Also, political, structural and tangible social changes to living environments require a reconstruction initiative and the re­ sponsible entities for these support services need a correspond­ ing orientation service on the basis of individual and social ethics, as, apart from material and existential interventions, structural intervention is often also required, be it as a conse­ quence of environmental or economic disasters, political turbu­ lences, civil wars etc. In the context of development aid for the structural re-organization of living environments, social and health-related support structuresmust be re-implanted. To this end, the principles of social ethics provide important orienta­ tion guidelines. As a general rule, these duties are implemented by in Rome and by national professional associations or the national relief organizations of the Church. It concerns an improvement or active shaping of the environ­ ments in terms of family policy, health services and economics, particularly if the respective environments have been destroyed or were non-existent. Such projects and services act according to Christian Anthropology. d) Furthermore, the "service of charity" requires services relating to social in the sense of an advocacy function based on the guiding principles of the Christian social teaching and social science theories. They are essential in the context of their advocacy function, i.e. their prophetic criticism regard­ ing the political, economic and social living conditions (Fonk, 2000) for the benefit of the poor, the sick, the marginalized, the disabled and the elderly etc.81 Indeed, the Christian so­ cial teaching offers important orientation and organizational

8° Cf. institutional ethics of economic sciences. 81 Cf. the mission statements of these charitable organizations.

82 Caritas-Theology - Theological foundations and shape ...

guidelines for the fight against structural causes of suffering and for the inevitable restructuring of living conditions in the context of a disaster relief operation or when restoring a de­ stroyed living space. These perspectives for economic policy by shaping the rules are presented by Pope Benedict XVI in the encyclical (2009) and by Pope Francisin the Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii gaudium (2014). In these ex­ positions, the love of God is also the origin, the visible symbol and the basis for the organization of socio-structural services of the Church (Roos, 1991, p. 44). e) Fortunately, the principles of social ethics are also applied in many services and institutions which are not specifically Chris­ tian, because they are to some extent an integral part of the secular understanding of help or because they are taken into consideration by responsible and ethically sensitive Christian employees of institutions which do not belong to the Church. As a consequence, the organizational structure and the under­ standing of help of non-Church social and health care services are often shaped by principles of individual and social ethics. Assistance provided to people in situations of hardship on the basis of individual ethics and the organization of services and insti­ tutions based on social ethics and socio-political advocacy for the poor, the persecuted, refugees, victims of war and disaster alone do not express the full, specific, Catholic character of a charitable ser­ vice even if their application constitutes a practical Christianization of help. The demand for a specifically Christian ethical character of the ministerial-charitable services of the Church is and will be undis­ puted in the future, especially as ethical principles are increasingly drifting apart in our society and there is an increasing divide between lawmakers and Christian moral values. Indeed, the core business or added-value of Caritas-Theology occurs primarily through existen­ tial, ad personam, spiritual care, nursing, counselling, healing and promotion.

6.3 Existential (Genuine) Spiritual Help, Care, Nursing and Healing The most intensive Christian and therefore specifically caritas-theo­ logical character and a genuinely evangelizing relevance in analogy

83 Caritas-Theology - Theological foundations and shape... to Jesus' helping approach are attributed to the social services of the Church and the Church communities, if they do not restrict them­ selves to observing the above mentioned principles of human sciences and social and individual ethics but if they consciously also offer ex­ istential help - in the sense of a "refreshment and care for their souls" - services which explore the vitality of the faith and which specifically offer the recovery of perspectives of life on a personal basis to those who are suffering, according to how it is practiced by the so-called order caritas e.g. in the spirit of St. Charles Borromeo, St. Vincent de Paul, St. Camillus, St. John Bosco, Blessed Gerard of the Maltese etc. However, the pre-requisite for this are members of staff who are anchored in the Christian faith, hope and love i.e. employees who do not work merely for the wage they earn (John 10:12-13; Matt. 25:24-26). A workforce of this kind is consequently a genuine com­ munity of service of believers who wish to give testimony of their faith as wage earners but also as volunteers in their social welfare work. Only by means of this Christological, spiritual and existen­ tial alignment, will the missionary diaconal mission of the Church achieve the highest level and will offer the suffering in the world comprehensive, existential and optimum assistance.H2 For this con­ sistent alignment of personal help, on the basis of Caritas-Theology, the helper must be prepared and able to share his life, suffering and faith.

6.4 Providing a Home of Ministerial Charity to Those who are Marginalized, Sad, Disabled or Physically Suffering Existential help on the basis of Caritas-Theology will be sustain­ able in terms of evangelization, i.e. religiously supported it will be strengthened, if it is also possible to provide a spiritual home to the suffering in a ministerial-charitable community e.g. a parish, a Christian community. This may be for marginalized unemployed persons, migrants, the disabled, the elderly etc. and therefore it of­ fers access to a community of faith, hope and love to the forsaken

82 Such a caritas integrates findings from human and social sciences, considers social and individual ethics in its organisation and support exploring theo­ logical and spiritual sources of life as a response to suffering and hardship, as was admonished by Pope Benedict in his encyclical "Deus caritas est" (DCE) and in his "Motu proprio" (IEN).

84 Caritas-Theology - Theological fo undations and shape ...

and uprooted,83 as is practiced in an exemplary way by the Sisters of Mother Teresa, the Fascendas da Esperanza, the Community of Sant' Egidio and others. A communal-charitable ministry helps form a faith which is only guaranteed by the personal faith of the employ­ ees and a corresponding culture of the religious groups of a parish. After the decline of social orders in Europe and North America the above mentioned personal and community-based caritas is now pri­ marily fostered by volunteers and their groups. It is through them that ministerial charity and the mission of the Church following the example of Jesus is practiced in the most consistent and qualified way. In the following Table 1 the dimensions of "Christianization" of the services and the institutions of caritas are summarized.

7 The Evangelizing Relevance of a Spiritually Guided Caritas-Ministry Consequently, different dimensions regarding the evangelizing qual­ ity of ministerial-charitable services and institutions of a missionary Church (Baumann, 2007, pp. 6-25) for the benefit of the suffering and the poor can be distinguished. In terms of evangelization it con­ cerns practically testifying and making individual's experience the dawn of God's Kingdom through Jesus in the hearts of the people and in their lives - despite their suffering, hardship and sins - by support based on Caritas-Theology from fellow human followers of Jesus (i.e. substantiating the Reign and the power of His love in situations of suffering) and therefore proclaiming it by serving to represent believing, hoping and loving, in order to - psychologi­ cally speaking - restore a sense of basic trust.84 Pope Francis says accordingly:

"In effect, the visible sign a Christian can show in order to witness to his love for God to the world and to others,

83 S. the denomination of the Church in the Second Vatican Council (1964, no. 8). 84 The creation of the human being in the image of God and our caritative discipleship of Jesus mean: the helping human being is not only a human being, he must become a God-like human by being a Christian, in order to complete himself in God, i.e. in order to therefore advance the "Theopoiesis" (Gr. to become more like God) or the "Theosis" (Gr), the fathers in God.

85 Caritas-Theology - Theological fo undations and shape...

Table 1: Dimensions of "Christianization" of the services and the institutions of caritas

First HEALING AND HELPING PRACTICED ON dimension of THE BASIS OF "LEGE ARTIS" Christianiza- implemented in accordance with the natural moral tion (guided law and with human rights is a BONUM by the theology of Creation) Second occurs through through optimized dimension of individual ethical organization economy Christianiza- consciously responsible based on social ethics tion (guided support and through e.g. by means of quality by revealed ethical life orientation of management and theology) the client socio-political advocacy action Group of Primarily skilled salaried employees individuals (guided by EXISTENTIAL SPIRITUAL HEALING AND Trinitarian HELPING theology) is the core business of Carita..'l-Theology Third Individual/personal ministerial-charitable healing dimension of and helping by sharing faith and life, Christianiza- * as refreshment and care of the souls tion (Benedict XVI, DCE no. 28) * as a journey of growth and maturity in the faith (Francis 2013a, no. 199) Fourth Healing and helping on a communityjcommunial Dimension of basis, i.e. Ministerial-charitable hospitality /living Christianiza- community as a community of life, faith and tion suffering and as a community of service (entrepreneurial culture) . * living the caritas as a "community of love." (DCE, no. 19) - * the Church as a community of faith, hope and love (Second Vatican Council, 1964, no. 8.) * "the Church is also called upon as a whole to the exercise of the diaconia of charity" (Benedict XVI, 2012, IEN) The all fo ur dimensions represents the optimal or the full realization of (Pleroma Gr.) Christian caritas. implementing Primarily voluntary staff group

86 Caritas-Theology - Theological fo undations and shape ...

to his family, is the love he bears for his brothers and sisters." (2014)

This is how evangelization and Christianization must occur and how the suffering should be filled with God's spirit (i.e. to confirm) (Francis, 2014) or to do missionary work by deeds, non-verbally. Je­ sus has come so that they may have life and have it to the full (John 10:10). This practically implemented proclamation of the love of God is the ideal approach to evangelization,85 i.e. substantiat­ ing or re-establishing faith in God. Taking into consideration the two central aspects of faith "Fides quae creditur" and "Fides qua creditur" , the "service of charity" must be associated with the faith aspect: "Fides qua creditur" (Pompey, 1997e). "Christianity is not a new philosophy or a new morality. We are only Christians if we encounter Christ" (Benedict XVI, 2008), as Benedict emphasizes. This encounter can be experienced through the "service of charity" . Benedict XVI also underlines:

"The Christian faith, as we know, is not born from the acceptance of a doctrine but from an encounter with a Person, with Christ, dead and risen. In our daily lives, dear friends, there are so many opportunities to proclaim this faith of ours to others simply and with conviction, so that from our encounter their faith can grow. And it is more urgent than ever that the men and women of our age know and encounter Jesus, and, also thanks to our example, allow themselves to be won over by him." (2007)

The "service of charity" is the practical, simplest and most gen­ uine path towards encounter. This does not mean that there is not also an intellectual and cognitive way of evangelization according to "Fides quae creditur". Whether this way of evangelization can be successful with any concrete ministerial-charitable relationship ex­ perience can certainly be questioned. Evangelization through the "services of charity" on the other hand, does not exclude testimony according to "Fides quae creditur" when the helper is asked about

85 Lengerke (2014) elaborates, in a very inspiring way, on the role of diakonia in the new evangelization.

87 Caritas-Theology - Theological fo undations and shape ... the power and the sense behind his helping care. This does not imply theological indoctrination, it means being an open and alert Chris­ tian, in order to be sensitive for the Kairos (Gr.) of help from faith, i.e. inspiration instead of manipulation, without obligation. This is what Benedict XVI means, when he says that the helper knows when to speak and when to remain silent. 86 The persons responsible in the Church must ask themselves what the consequences are that result from the caritas-theological dimen­ sions of the social diaconia of the Church exposed above, for those who are responsible for explicitly ministerial-charitable services or institutions and where and how they must guarantee these core el­ ements of Caritas-Theology in the institutions and services of the Church in the living spaces of the parishes? Indeed, as had already been said by the social ethicist and caritas - theologian Heinrich Weber in the 20ies of the last century: "A caritas deed can only grow from a caritas-spirit and the caritas deed will be all the more joyful and richer, the more profound and the truer the caritas-spirit is." (Weber, 1928, p. 219) If the persons responsible neglect the spiritual and evangelizing core mission of the ministerial-charitable service, they must be aware in order to not be tempted by the third temptation of Jesus in the desert when the devil wanted to mislead Jesus to primarily gain power, magnitude and influence through his mission. Jesus Christ replies to the tempter: "The Lord your God is the one to whom you must do homage, him alone you must serve." (Matt. 4:10) This is the temptation Benedict XVI mentions when he reminds his audience of the risk of a "detachment of the world" in his speech of Freiburg and calls attention to e.g. risks of privileges. 87

86 "A Christian knows when it is time to speak of God and when it is better to say nothing and to let love alone speak." (DCE, no. 31c) 87 "A Church relieved of the burden of worldliness is in a position, not least through her charitable activities, to mediate the life-giving strength of the Christian faith to those in need, to sufferers and to their carers." "For the Church, charity is not a kind of welfare activity which could equally well be left to others, but is a part of her nature, an indispensable expression of her very being." (DCE, no. 25) "At the same time, though, the Church's charitable activity also needs to be constantly exposed to the demands of due detachment from worldliness, if it is not to wither away at the roots in the face of increasing erosion of its ecclesial character. Only a profound relationship with God makes it possible to reach out fully towards others, just as a lack of outreach towards neighbour impoverishes one's relationship

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Likewise, Pope Francis also reminds the bishops and the priests of the risks of seeking power, magnitude and influence.88

8 Conclusion In conclusion, this article aims at demonstrating which evangelizing potentials can be released by the "service of charity in the community of love" and how they must be sustainably guaranteed by the Church for the benefit of those who are suffering, because "the service of charity is also a constitutive element of the Church's mission and an indispensable expression of her very being" , as says Benedict XVI.89 This specific and independent article on Caritas-Theology was elab­ orated in order to clarify just that. The "service of charity" is based primarily on spirituality relating to soteriology and the theology of relational care which results from the theology of the caritas (Pom­ pey, 1997e). Caritas-Theology as a theory guiding the practice of the ministerial charity and the service of charity of the Church finds its main inspiration in the encyclical "Dens caritas est" . Addition­ ally, the ministerial charity draws basic theological inspirations from the biblical and systematic theology (Pompey, 1997e). Furthermore, the manifold fields of action of caritas must consider individual and social ethics, as do many other practical theological services. The genuine practice of caritas and therefore the implicitly guiding the­ ology for the practice can be found in the stages of the early of the Church (Pompey, 1995; 2011; Valica, 2008). On this basis an at­ tempt was made to illustrate and in some way substantiate Cardinal Sarah's statement:

with God. Openness to the concerns of the world means, then, for the Church that is detached from worldliness, bearing witness to the primacy of God's love according to the Gospel through word and deed, here and now, a task which at the same time points beyond the present world because this present life is also bound up with eternal life. As individuals and as the community of the Church, let us live the simplicity of a great love, which is both the simplest and hardest thing on earth, because it demands no more and no less than the gift of oneself." (Benedict XVI, 2011) 88 Such a risk cannot be denied for the biggest services provider in Germany with more than 500,000 members of staff. This means power and influence within the state. 89 As is said in regard to the encyclical "Deus caritasest" in the "Motu proprio" (IEN).

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"The caritas is not a special field within the Church. It is the sap which comes from the vine, it is the life of the entire body. It is a universal call, to live our faith and to help our humanity to grow through the Gospel." (2013, no. 1)90

90 This chapter was translated by Isabel Meyke (http://www.isabelmeyke.de).

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