Pastoral, Governmental care
During his own presentation, Archbishop Marchetto discussed pastoral activity itself, first noting that "the peculiar nature of gypsy culture makes evangelization merely 'from the outside' ineffective."
At the same time, he said however, "a genuine incarnation of the Gospel - called inculturation - cannot indiscriminately legitimize every aspect of their culture…Indeed, the universal history of evangelization affirms that the spread of the Christian message has always been accompanied by a process of purification of cultures.”
Bearing this in mind however, the Archbishop said that “purification does not mean emptying, but some amount of integration with the surrounding culture will be necessary: it is an intercultural process.”
“Reconciliation and communion between gypsies and non-gypsies, therefore, include legitimate interaction between cultures."
The Pontifical Council secretary went on to praise the "strong sense of family…seen among gypsies," but warned that this "should not degenerate, for instance, into perennial resentment between families and clans."
He also stressed the need among gypsies for equal rights between men and women and said that "honesty at work is a civic and Christian virtue, which cannot be disregarded."
The Archbishop admitted that “gypsies are a special minority because they have no country of origin to give them the support they might need and this means the lack of political guarantees and some degree of civil protection.”
He said that “while the arrival of other people seeking refuge and of 'boat people' enables mobilization of a given number of people and governments, that of gypsies usually brings about rejection, even if they come from very poor countries, and are sometimes forced to flee due to religious, racial or political persecution."
This situation, he opined, can only be overcome with a common and comprehensive global policy, pointing out that "it is vitally important that international organizations take an interest in gypsies."
Evangelization of gypsies, Archbishop Marchetto said, "is a mission of the whole Church, because no Christian should remain indifferent to a situation of marginalization with respect to ecclesial communion.”
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He added that within catechesis, “it is important to include dialogue that allows gypsies to express how they perceive and experience their relationship with God. Therefore, it is necessary to assess the convenience of translating the Bible, the various liturgical texts and prayer books, into the languages used by the different ethnic groups."
The Vatican noted that the new document will soon be translated and available for viewing at the Holy See’s website: www.vatican.va.