Towards the biblical animation of life and the pastoral of the Church in Brazil

Abstract

The text analyzes the Biblical turnaround promoted by the Second Vatican Council, highlighting some guidelines. 1º) Before this Conclave, the evangelizing work with Sacred Scripture was understood as a “biblical movement”, with the purpose of distributing and making known the book of the Bible. 2º) With the Council, the work with Sacred Scripture came to be understood as a pastoral service of the Church. The text highlights the particular work of the CNBB in Brazil and indicates that it came to formulate the following pastoral objectives: “Valuing the Word of God in the Bible as a source of community experience and of the Church's mission” and “calling the whole Church to be a permanent listener of the Word of God, assimilating it and confronting it with life” (Document of CNBB 90). The General Guidelines for Pastoral Action - 1991-1994, elaborated then, opportunely stated: “The emphasis given to the biblical dimension comes at a good time to respond to the dynamism of ecclesial communities, apostolic groups and movements that approach Sacred Scripture, with new methods and new sensitivity” (Document of the CNBB 89) The Dogmatic Constitution Dei Verbum of Vatican II, promoted great advances in the scope of exegesis and in the pastoral, catechetical, liturgical and transformational use of Sacred Scripture in the Church in Brazil. The text concludes with an indication of the steps taken to disseminate the biblical text in the Church of Brazil.