Towards one Church that rethinks itself in the light of the Gospel and of questions from women and men that he meets. It is the premise that accompanies Don’s research work Rolando Covi, priest of the diocese of Trento and teacher of Catechesis at the Theological Faculty of Triveneto, author of the book Parish, ministries, training. A proposal in dialogue with Spiritus Domini and Antiquum ministeriumpublished in the series Sophia from the Theological Faculty co-edited with Messaggero Editions Padua.
Questions and proposals
Which figure of parish? Which figure of ministry? Which figure of training? are the questions that transversally accompany the 200 pages of the research, in light of the proposal of an established ministry. For each question the author offers a basic problematization, the analysis of some useful indicators to advance the reflection and a possible pastoral action.
Investigation in the Diocese of Trento
The scope of investigation is restricted to the diocese of Trento, which is grappling with a rapid decline in priests. The book opens with listening to reality and the description of some ministries in progress, to then move on to analyze the documents of the magisterium Antiquum ministerium And Spiritus Domini. We therefore explore the figure of the parish necessary for a rethinking of ministeriality and the figure of ministry itself. An appendix offers a concrete training proposal that summarizes what was analyzed along the research path.
“To offer a working method”
«The themes in question are brought into focus through a work of synthesis – explains the author –, starting from the stimuli offered by listening to reality, keeping the synodal path in the background as an indication of a new already present». «Only by placing each ministry in relation to the mission of the church and not simply in a reciprocal relationship – underlines Covi – can we think of establishing new ones».
«It is not a closed and defined work – concludes the teacher, already responsible for youth ministry in the Diocese of Trento – but an exercise of thought which aims to offer a working method and thus try to accompany those who have the problem before them to change, very quickly, the ecclesial paradigm in which he grew up and for which he worked for a long time, a paradigm which is now difficult to sustain”.
Read a extract of the book.
