Octavi Vilà: "The Church, and also Opus Dei, must work on issues such as the abuse of power"

GironaAt the end of the month it will be a year since it was officially appointed bishop of Girona. Well, the anniversary can only be repeated every four years, because it was on February 29 that Octavi Vilà (Tarragona, 1961) surprised everyone by becoming the first monk to occupy the position of bishop of Girona in 593 years. The square seemed cursed after more than two years vacant. Abbot of the monastery of Santa Maria de Poblet For nine years, Vilà embraced religious life at a late age, 43 years old. In the last twelve months he has made a drastic change of life: he no longer lives in a community and his agenda is full of meetings and encounters with the faithful. After getting to know the bishopric, he is now immersed in changes in the closest team, and must decide on a reorganization of the work of the priests and parishes, due to a lack of priests.

Before starting to talk about Girona, I wanted to ask you about the Pope's healthHow do you feel about him wanting his condition to be known?

— This way, speculation is avoided. If things are not reported, it is even worse, because there is a lot of speculation. It is true that he is 88 years old, who has been suffering from lung problems for many years, who has both lungs affected, etc. It is a somewhat complicated situation, difficult to wait and trust. I see that our diocese, like the whole universal Church in general, prays for his health and also suffers a little from the uncertainty of how he will evolve and what the immediate future will be.

And another topic of political relevance, Following the results in GermanyShould the European Church take a position on the growth of reactionary movements?

— Every economic crisis situation brings with it the emergence of extreme movements within the political and social world. This time, the crisis of 2008 and the successive crises have not been an exception and this is evident. Along with problems such as immigration, which are easily exploited from the point of view of the most populist politics. I believe that Pope Francis has given good guidelines for welcoming immigrants and getting to the root of the issue. At the last Episcopal Conference of Tarragona, it was decided to create a secretariat dedicated to migration, as it is one of the most important problems at this time within our society. The position of the Church must always be to welcome all people and, above all, to care for people who have problems because this welcome is deficient.

Now in Girona, it has been a year since you were elected bishop. How has your life changed?

— I could say it in two ways. One, that it has changed radically. And the other, that nothing has changed. Nothing has changed because I continue to serve the Church. Obviously, there has been a lot of change in the pace of life and the pace of life. A monastic community produces a regular, scheduled timetable. And now I have travelled 18,000 kilometres since I arrived, just in the Girona region.

Girona was seen as a difficult place after more than two years of waiting for a bishop. Is it still so?

— There are aspects in which, obviously, the situation is complicated. One is obvious: the advanced age and the small number of priests and deacons to serve a diocese that is very large in territory with very diverse areas. But on the other hand, apart from the aging of many people who participate in the Eucharist regularly, there are also youth movements and various ecclesial movements that are moving with some force. We are changing the model of the Church. We come from a model that was a socially dominant Church for many years, in which many people were practicing by more or less social convention. And now we are moving towards a Church, perhaps with fewer people, but more convinced, more participative and militant. It is a bit difficult at times, because many people have become accustomed to a certain dynamic and changing it is difficult, but we are moving towards another model. More like the French one, different from what the Church here has been in recent decades.

The Girona diocese has lost 20% of its priests in 5 years and there are around 100 priests for around 300 parishes. Are you working on a restructuring?

— We have begun to take steps through the established bodies within the diocese. In the next few days the Presbyterial Council will be established and from there the Episcopal Council and the Pastoral Council will follow. And we will begin a process of reflection on how to address these difficulties because, evidently, we do not reach everywhere, not all the parishes. It is evident that there must be a global rethinking of attention to the faithful, and of co-responsibility of the faithful in certain ways, of slightly some of the more material, bureaucratic and administrative tasks of the priests through a centralization of the bishopric so that they can really dedicate themselves to what corresponds to them, which is pastoral care. And I am not referring only to the celebration of Masses, but also to visiting the sick and caring for those who are at home, which is a fundamental function of the priest.

Do priests also have problems with excessive bureaucracy?

— Yes, of course, we think that, for example, there are priests who can manage 10 or 12 parishes perfectly, which means 10 or 12 church buildings that must be maintained, some of them with considerable artistic value. And this probably also involves 10 or 12 adjacent parish houses. Simply, looking after this heritage takes up a large part of their work and this is what we must try to alleviate so that they can dedicate themselves to what is really important in their task.

Will there be a significant change in the team around him?

— There will be a significant change, in a certain sense. There will be a generational change and also a change of plurality.

Will we find more women?

— I would like to see a majority of lay people on the Pastoral Council. It is very important that women have a considerable weight, as has been seen with the new members of the Office of Abuse.

And in the day-to-day life of the parishes, where do they usually carry out the stewardship but in an invisible way?

— Pope Francis, motu proprio, did something that has gone somewhat unnoticed because it is quite technical. The Church has different established ministries: that of priest, deacon, but also that of lector and acolyte. The latter were ministries that were seen as a mere formality towards people who were going to be ordained deacon or priest, but the Pope reinforced that independent character that the Second Vatican Council had announced and had never, let's say, materialized into anything concrete. And in these ministries women can be admitted. Therefore, it means that we will find women who will celebrate the Word and who will attend funeral services. This is perfectly possible with the current norms within the Church.

As for young people, do you think there is a resurgence of the search for spirituality?

— I am convinced that the spiritual dimension of the human person continues, because it is something strictly linked to the human person. This is not something that disappears. And there are many people who ask questions, who search. That is why it is also curious how last year we had around seventy adult confirmations in the cathedrals at Pentecost and, of these, more than 25 received the sacraments of initiation: baptism, confirmation and communion. It is not the same rate of baptisms of newborns as there was a few years ago, but there are many adults who approach the Church and that is very positive. Some do so at a more intense pace.

The Church is also drawing on a large population of Latin American origin. Have you detected a decrease in the use of Catalan in masses?

— I would say that this is the case in the same proportion as in society as a whole. But the Church can also be a good place for linguistic integration.

It has always been Very critical of the Church's role in relation to abusesHow have you performed this first year?

— In addition to setting up the commission outside the bishopric, in the Cartanyà building in Girona, I have also formally concluded two cases of accusations of abuse that were pending and the perpetrator, the person responsible, had died. It ends with an interview with the bishop asking forgiveness from the person who had been the victim of these abuses. Let's say that it is a strong experience, which has left quite a mark on me.

Speaking of abuse, A documentary by Mònica Terribas denounces abuses of power within Opus DeiAre you surprised?

— I have not seen the documentary and we will see how the issue evolves. But it is true that there is a topic that is beginning to worry everyone and that I have already begun to address as abbot of Poblet, which is the word abuse, not only in the sexual aspect, but above all in the concept of abuse of power and conscience. The ways of understanding these concepts have changed a lot in recent years and what was normal, so to speak, a few years ago is not considered today. For example, a very illustrative specific topic: freedom of communication. The Church still has to work a lot on concepts such as abuse of power and the conception of obedience, because social parameters have changed and everything must be seen from another perspective. I have not seen the specific report, but also within that specific circumstance, Opus Dei must work on this aspect, obviously.

Freedom of communication was not common years ago?

— In many monastic institutions there was a certain closure when a person entered into communication, for example, with the family. This was very radical before the Second Vatican Council and has gradually ceased to be so. But at some point these may be circumstances that are not considered normal today, when 20 or 30 years ago they were.

You was highlighted during the Process and also visited political prisoners. How do you see the current situation?

— It is good that tensions are easing. The autumn of 2017 and the following months were very painful for many people and this created some social division. Nobody knows what the future will be like, but it is always good to have as much dialogue as possible on these issues and to find solutions that involve as many people as possible, that is the ideal.

Should the Church be part of this dialogue?

— The Church, as it did at that time, from what we more or less know and will know, I suppose, in a few years, tried to build bridges and avoid a confrontational situation. The situation was very complex and it was difficult to find a common ground. It is good that things are now a little calmer and there are many forums for conversations and talks between political parties, above all.

You often speak about the Second Vatican Council and the need for the Church to belong to everyone. Has this consensus been lost?

— In a certain sense, part of the Second Vatican Council has never been fully implemented. I think that all the popes, regardless of their personal disposition, have tried to do so, but at times this has not reached the parishes, the day-to-day activities. One of the things that the Second Vatican Council proposes is the participation of all the faithful in the Church. It was an aspect on which it placed a lot of emphasis. But then perhaps a priest does not give as much play to the faithful who are at his side. And sometimes the issue is the other way around: the faithful expect a lot from the priest to tell them what they should do. This change requires an effort, and more so in difficult circumstances like ours, in which we all need it. Priests need this help from the laity, and the laity must also help priests in their ministry, to reach the essential that I said before.