Communion and Liberation, Mnsgr. Lorenzo Albacete, and a couple of "non-protesting Protestants"

A week ago, Pastor John and I received an e-mail from David Jones, creator of this blog informing us that we should attend a Communion and Liberation meeting here in San Diego to meet with his spiritual father, Mnsgr. Lorenzo Albacete.

Before finding this blog, I had never heard of Communion and Liberation, and from the posts that David makes about their activities and publications, I still didn't quite get what is they do and who they are. According to this "What is CL" page, Communion and Liberation is a movement founded by Father Luigi Giussani which "synthesizes the conviction that the Christian event, lived in communion, is the foundation of the authentic liberation of man."

The thing is, as I quickly found out, it's hard to really know what C&L is until you actually meet the people who compose their ranks. John and I drove out to meet a C&L group that was gathering to host Mnsgr. Lorenzo Albacete on a strand of beach connected to Coronado island in San Diego. When we arrived, we found a rather cheery group of about fourteen or so adults with nearly as many children, who were playing on the periphery of the location on their red wagons in the sand.

We introduced ourselves as the "non-protesting Protestants" sent by Major David Jones who were very interested in what Communion and Liberation has to say to us and the Church as a whole as we seek to be faithful together in the life of the church. At the mention of David Jones' name, further looks of recognition and smiles greeted us as we all acknowledged our catholicity in the peculiar ways that we are all connected throughout the world.

Within a few minutes, Mnsgr. Albacete arrived and received us all warmly. Right away I could tell that he had a great sense of humour. We all sat down around a long table and sang a couple of songs to prepare ourselvs for our time together. We weren't familiar with the songs, but was okay because thankfully, Pastor John and I have some gifts in sight reading.

Then, three people in the group shared their testimonies of how their lives have been impacted by Communion and Liberation: their time together studying as a group in their emphasis on education; their readings of Father Giussani's writings, who founded the movement; and in focusing upon their families and communion together as a body. Once the testimonies were over, Mnsgr. Albacete spoke for a time about Communion and Liberation, recounting how in the many failed attempts to categorize the movement, our true end in the mystery of Jesus Christ gives us truth beyond any human-made dualisms.

Part of Mnsgr. Albacete's talk contained an anecdote about a gathering near the U.N. building in New York where he was asked, "Are you here protesting?"

To which he replied, "Yes."

When asked what Mnsgr. Albacete was protesting, he said, "Dualisms."

The interviewer immediately left. Perhaps she was a dualist, to which we will never know.

Rich and funny stories like this were the hallmark of Mnsgr. Albacete's time with us, as he tied each of the three previous testamonies into his talk. He ultimately illustrated that within all of our human moments there is a trancendence already there beyond it that calls us toward itself, and that is the mystery and person of Jesus Christ, who is both fully human and fully God.

Growing up as a protestant, actually in real "protest" to much of Roman Catholicism (although no longer, obviously), a few things struck me as rather profound about this group. The first and most evident is that they have no interest in being defined by the "right/left" politics of the modern liberal nation state.

The second observation which is subtle at first but rather significant, is that they have no problem with talking in metaphysical language about our being. While I am rather fully engaged in reading texts at the moment in my studies that have no qualms about speaking in ontological terms, growing up as a protestant was devoid of such talk and thinking. The Triune God is almost never talked about as a transcendent being from whom all Being is given as gift, but instead God is merely one with whom we have a "personal relationship." Part of this could be the often ahistorical nature of much of protestantism (outside the founding of the United States, at least), but I think it also is very much grounded in the individualism inherent in much of it as well.

I think the lost discussion of ontology is something that needs to be regained in all of the church. Why? Because if we don't acknowledge it theologically under the witness and practice of the Church, then we will most likely allow other entities (i.e. the nation state) to narrate our being instead. We as Christians are citizens of the heavenly city first and foremost, looking to Christ as our goal in all we desire. I'm definitely not the best at that by any means, but that's what we should be doing, anyway!

I look forward to further fellowship with our new friends in Communion and Liberation. In San Diego, their Friday night education together will soon be focusing on Father Giussani's The Psalms. Pastor John and I may stop by on occasion to join them. It seems that e-mail is the way to stay in touch! :)

Pastor John and I are both very thankful for this time with new friends and to connect to other parts of the Body of Christ that are doing wonderful things.

(Cross-posted to ericisrad.com)