AS VATICAN COUNCIL II drew to a close, forty bishops left their residences in the Vatican on the night of 16th November 1965 to gather in the underground ruins of a basilica in the Domitilla Catacombs outside Rome. In that holy place of centuries-old Christian dead, they celebrated the Eucharist and signed a document that expressed their personal commitments as bishops, to the ideals of the Council. The bishops were led by Archbishop Hélder Câmara of Recife, Brazil, one of the widely respected 20th-century champions of justice and peace. Later on, Cardinal Roger Etchegaray, who served as honorary president of the Pontifical Council, Justice and Peace, also signed it. On the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the culmination of the Second Vatican Council, we reflect on the relevance of the “Pact of the Catacombs” in today’s world and remember with gratitude those heroic bishops who took courage in leading by example. We also take this opportunity to reflect on the 13 promises those bishops made and see for ourselves how we might be able to apply them to our lives today, fifty years after that memorable night in the Domitilla Catacombs. THE PACT OF THE CATACOMBS "We, bishops gathered in the Second Vatican Council, made aware of the deficiencies of our lives of poverty according to the Gospel, encouraged by each other, in an initiative in which each one wishes to avoid singularity and presumption, united with all our brothers in the Episcopate, counting above all on the grace and strength of Our Lord Jesus Christ, on the prayers of the faithful and the priests of our respective dioceses, placing ourselves in thought and prayer before the Trinity, before the Church of Christ and before the priests and faithful of our dioceses, humbly conscious of our weakness, but also with all the determination and strength which God wishes to give us as grace, commit ourselves to the following: 1. We will seek to live according to the ordinary manner of our people, regarding habitation, food, means of transport and all which springs from this. 2. We definitively renounce the appearance and reality of riches, especially regarding to our manner of dress (rich material, loud colours) and symbols made of precious materials (they should in reality be evangelical signs) neither gold nor silver. 3. We will not possess real estate, goods, bank accounts etc. in our own names; if it should be necessary to have them, we will place everything in the name of the diocese, or of charitable and social works. 4. Whenever possible, we will entrust the financial and material administration in our dioceses to a commission of competent laity, conscious of their apostolic role, so that we may become less administrators and more pastors and apostles. 5. We refuse to be addressed, orally or in writing, by names or titles which signify prestige and power (Eminence, Excellency, Monsignor...). We prefer to be called by the evangelical title of Father. 6. In our behaviour and social relations, we will avoid anything which may seem to confer privileges, priority or any preference for the rich and powerful (such as: banquets, offered or accepted, class distinction during religious services.) 7. In the same way we will avoid the fostering or pampering of the vanity of anyone, in order to seeking reward or solicit donations, or for any reason whatsoever. We will invite our faithful to consider their donations as a normal participation in the cult, the apostolate and social action. 8. We will dedicate whatever is necessary of our time, reflection, heart, means, etc to the apostolic and pastoral service of people and groups of workers and of the economically weak and underdeveloped, without prejudice to the other people and groups in the diocese. We will support those laity, religious, deacons and priests who the Lord calls to evangelize the poor and the workers, sharing the work and life of labourers... To download the full 13 PROMISES OF THE BISHOPS who signed THE PACT OF THE CATACOMBS ... go to http://www.domitilla.info/idx.htm?var1=docs/moredocs.htm

• published: 29 Sep 2015
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