PONTIFICIA FACOLTÀ TEOLOGICA “MARIANUM”VIRGO LIBER VERBI

COLLANA DI MARIOLOGIA

Direttore

Salvatore M. PPreside della Pontificia Facoltà Teologica “Marianum”

Comitato scientifico

Luca D GPontificia Facoltà Teologica “Marianum”

Cettina MPontificia Facoltà Teologica “Marianum”

Gian Matteo RPontificia Facoltà Teologica “Marianum”

Fabrizio BPontificia Facoltà Teologica “Marianum”

Paolo ZPontificia Facoltà Teologica “Marianum”

Denis KPontificia Facoltà Teologica “Marianum”

Gabriella Clara APontificia Facoltà Teologica “Marianum”

PONTIFICIA FACOLTÀ TEOLOGICA “MARIANUM”VIRGO LIBER VERBI

COLLANA DI MARIOLOGIA

In Maria si riverberano i massimi dati della fede.

Lumen gentium,

La storia ha reso santa Maria di Nazareth un singolare crocevia di es-perienze religiose, culturali, sociali, cultuali, teologiche e simboliche.Ella vi appare motivo di unità e di divisione; figura promotrice delfondamentalismo e del dialogo ecumenico e interreligioso, patrona delrinnovamento e garante dell’intangibilità dello status quo; emblemadi un cristianesimo popolare opposto alla teologia delle élites, luogodove si confrontano l’emozione e il sentimento con la ragione e la dis-ciplina della volontà; avvocata della lotta nei movimenti di liberazionee baluardo della resistenza non violenta; simbolo della donna ideale,sorella e amica delle donne e degli uomini.

La teologia non può e non deve sottrarsi all’imperativo di “dare ra-gione” di tutte queste paradossali collocazioni mariane e mariologiche,interrogando le fonti stesse dell’esperienza di fede con l’occhio attentodi chi partecipa alle gioie, alle speranze e alle angosce delle personee delle periferie del mondo, soprattutto di coloro che soffrono peressere costretti al margine e considerati scarto. Il farlo dà origine eforma alla mariologia post–Vaticano II.

Chukwuemeka Maria Steidl

The Union of the Two Hearts

An Inculturated Christological–Marian Spirituality

Preface ofSalvatore M. Perrella

Copyright © MMXVIAracne editrice int.le S.r.l.

www.aracneeditrice.itinfo@aracneeditrice.it

via Quarto Negroni, Ariccia Rome

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No part of this book may be reproducedby print, photoprint, microfilm, microfiche, or any other means,

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First edition: May

I dedicate this research to you, my dear reader.May it help you to value the importance of human relationships

and the personal union of love of Mary (and every faithful disciple) withJesus and with the Most Holy Trinity, the God of Love.

“My Love, the world is beclouded because the world does not realize me asLove, God of Love. This is your mission, the most important mission

this time and forever that my Love will reign in the whole world.”th of December

Contents

Prefaceof Salvatore M. Perrella

List of Abbreviations

Introduction

. The main theme and the sub–themes, – . The historical back-ground of the study, – . The reason for the themes, the objectives, – . The “status quaestionis” of the main theme, – . Division of thework, – . Method, – . Difficulties and limits, .

Chapter IThe foundational context of the “Society of the Two Hearts ofLove” and its beginning history. The human research for the unionof hearts

.. The cultural context in Nigeria, particularly Imo State: an Africanconcept of unity, – .. The ecclesiastical context in Imo State/Nigeriaand Germany: situations of disunity, – .. The person of the founderand the beginning history of the foundation, .

Chapter IIThe congregational sources of the “Society of the Two Hearts ofLove”

.. A plan for union, – .. The three vows and four obligations, – .. Contemplation as participation in the union of the “Two Heartsof Love”, – .. The elements of inspired nature in the foundation:union in the Hearts of Love, .

Contents

Chapter IIIThe Marian element in the Congregational sources of the “Societyof the Two Hearts of Love”: the Hearts of Jesus and Mary as Centreof union for the world

.. The “heart” as human centre of relationships, – .. The social as-pect of the Two Hearts of Love: relationships as foundation of union, – .. The growing holiness/relationship/union of Mary with God inChrist, – .. The Two Hearts of Love as centre of union for all menof good will, .

General Conclusion

. The Foundation context of the “Society of the Two Hearts of Love”and its beginning history, – . The congregational sources of the“Society of the Hearts of Love”: a plan for union, – . The Marianelement in the Congregational sources of the “Society of the Two Heartsof Love”: the union which God actualized in the hearts of Jesus andMary, – . Where has this research reached?, .

Afterwordof Fortunatus Nwachukwu

Appendix

Appendix . The Prayer of the Two Hearts of Love (), – Appendix. The “promises” of the Two Hearts of Love, – Appendix . TheConstitutions of the Society of the Two Hearts of Love, – Appendix. Selected sermons, meditations and prayers of Father Montfort, – Appendix . Booklet of the first Come–Letters (Come, Newsletter ofthe Hearts of Love, vol , n. –), – Appendix . SHL, The devotionand Society of the Hearts of Love – the Most Sacred Heart of Jesusand Immaculate Heart of Mary – the Two Hearts ever united in Love,Eichstätt , – Appendix . Letter from Fr. Montfort to all themembers in Germany, – Appendix . Testimony of Sr. Mary MatildaEgbusinwa SHL, – Appendix . Brochure of the Silver Jubilee ofpriesthood of Fr. Montfort Okaa, – Appendix . Brochure of thesilver Jubilee of sisterhood of Sr. Cecilia Okanwikpo D.C., – Appendix. La dimensione sponsale del Cuore di Cristo e di Maria: prospettive diteologia biblica,

Preface

The careful research of Maria Steidl on The union of the two Hearts.An inculturated Christological – Marian spirituality presents the obtainedresults and several difficulties which sprung from the research, whichproposed a Mariological and Marian reflection seeking synthesis andconnections, as requested by the letter La Madre del Signore. Presenza,Memoria, Speranza, of the Pontificia Academia Mariana Internationalison th of December .

It presents itself as a research on the boundary: between grace andhuman response, between culture and faith, between personal andcommunitarian, between the Revelation and charismatic–propheticrevelations, between dogmatic theology and the mystical experiencewhich is expressed in tales and symbols, between the Church’s liturgyand popular devotions, between symbol and symbolical theology;between the European postmodern culture and the African contem-porary culture, and between past, present and future of what is humanand faith, emblematically condensed in the person and in the charis-matic–spiritual experience of Rev. Fr. Dr. Montfort Okaa, Nigerianand founder of the Catholic Society of the Two Hearts of Love of Jesus andMary and in of the Sisters of the Hearts of Love.

This research on the boundary has its religious–female centre of gravityin the Mother of Jesus, woman of boundary: between the Old and theNew Testament, between divine Grace and the exemplary answer of theHandmaid of the Lord which has a great theological weight, betweenChristians belonging to different cultures, places and peripheries, betweenthe Catholic Church and Christian churches, between Christians and thefollowers of other religions in the world. This broad vision takes into

. P A M I (PAMI), La Madre del Signore. Memo-ria, Presenza, Speranza, PAMI, Città del Vaticano, .

. Cf. B XVI, Africae munus, Postsynodal Apostolic Exhortation, of the th

November , in AAS () –; C T I (CTI),Theology today. Perspectives, Principles and Criteria, of the th November , in EnchiridionVaticanum, EDB, Bologna , vol. , n. –, p. –.

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account especially the African Marian sensitivity which evolved thanksto the Magisterial contribution of the Vatican Council II (–), andthe contribution of the contemporary theological research.

Maria Steidl shows well that her theme has these multiple boundaries.On the other hand, these are fundamental for a Mariology and a theol-ogy which is inculturated and soaked with the Word of Faith (cf. Rm,) and with the history of man, in this case of the African lands, whichcan, thus, be understood as scientia fidei, docta spes, docta caritas.

This research has explored these multiple boundaries between his-tory, faith, tradition, theology, spirituality, cult and culture, through theparticular entrance door which are the normative and spiritual textsof the charismatic–religious family of the Hearts of Love, to which theauthor chose to belong in the Church, with the Church and for theChurch. Some were individuated better, others less. This must not star-tle the reader, since the most original contribution which a research cangive to theology and to the culture does not reside only in the securepoints that were acquired, but, even more, in the prospective which isleft open or which is even able to be thrown open.

Studying with theological meticulousness the religious charismof the young Association of the Two Hearts of Love, the author triedto develop further a relational, anthropological, psychological andreligious Mariology. This approach is consonant to the needs of

. Cf. S. D F, Maria, sintesi di valori. Storia culturale della mariologia, San Paolo,Cinisello Balsamo ; J.–P. S L, Le rôle de la Sainte Vierge Marie dans la vie des chrétiensd’Afrique, in Miles Immaculatae (), p. –; I, La presenza materna di Maria nella Chiesafamiglia di Dio in Africa, ibidem, (), p. –; I, Africa, in S. D F–V. FS–S. M. P (edd.), Mariologia. I Dizionari, San Paolo, Cinisello Balsamo , p.–; S. M. P, La recezione e l’approfondimento del capitolo VIII della “Lumen Gentium”nel magistero di Paolo VI, Giovanni Paolo II e Benedetto XVI, in S. M. C (ed.), Mariologia atempore Concilii Vaticani II. Receptio, Ratio et Prospectus. Acta Congressus Mariologici–MarianiInternationalis in Civitate Romae anno celebrati, PAMI, Città del Vaticano , p. –.

. Cf. B. F, La teologia come compagnia, memoria e profezia, San Paolo, Cinisello Bal-samo ; C T I, Fides et inculturatio, document on faithand inculturation, of the rd October , in Enchiridion Vaticanum, vol. , n. –, p.–; E. J. P, Inculturation, in J.Y. L (ed.), Dictionnaire critique de théologie,Quadrige–PUF, Paris , p. –; M. G, Le sfide dell’inculturazione in Africa. Rifle-sione alla luce del sinodo speciale del , LAS, Roma . On the question of the inculturationof the Marian mystery in genral, cf. A. V., L’immagine teologica di Maria oggi. Fede e Cultura,Marianum, Roma ; S. D F, Maria, sintesi di valori, p. –.

. Cf. G. R, Per una cristologia relazionale. La fede in Gesù Cristo in una societàmulticulturale, in Synaxis (), p. –; S. D F, Paradigma antropologico, in I,

Preface

the African culture, as well as to the postmodern European culture.In this context, it was considered how Jesus and Mary reciprocally“influenced” each other in their intimate relationship/union: Marybeing guided to the most sublime humanity and holiness, and Jesusbeing sustained in being the Salvation of the world personified. Thisview is coherent with the conscience that the redemption, salvationand glorification of human beings is their union with the Father inChrist, in a true process of Christification operated by the Holy Spirit.The section which is concerned with the “mediation of Mary” (cf.Lumen gentium –; Redemptoris Mater –), therefore, does notspeak of a “transmission of salvation”. Instead, it speaks of Mary asfacilitating the encounter of the faithful with Jesus in her role as firstredeemed, salvific co–worker and mater viventium (cf. Gen ,); ofmaking him present and encouraging in a motherly way to embracethe Salvation made Person resolutely and joyfully: that Salvation whichthe Church ministra pietatis celebrates and offers with the communioSanctorum.

To this constant and maternal encouragement belong the various Mar-ian experiences which the fundamental theology assigns to the categoryof “private revelations”, the presence of which in the life of the Churchconstitutes an undeniable value and expresses the never completed taskof studying in depths the faith transmitted to the saints once and for all.Within her theological and dogmatic research, Maria Steidl contributesto make known a well–based hermeneutics of these events in the greaterframe of the subordinate munus maternus which the Church does notstop to sustain and to propose to the christifideles as gift and sign of thepower of the Grace in the heart of the life stories of the men and womenof every time and place.

Maria. Nuovissimo Dizionario, EDB, Bologna , vol. , p. –. A. V., Mariaparadigma antropologico nella teologia postconciliare, in Theotokos (), p. –; P. LD, Maria, microcosmo de relaciones, in Ephemerides Mariologicae (), p. –;A. C, Il tema della relazione nella mariologia contemporanea, in Theotokos (), p.–. S. M. P, Maria persona in relazione nel magistero dei Vescovi di Roma: da PaoloVI a Benedetto XVI, ibidem, p. –.

. On this delicate question cf. the research of O. F – F. B (ed.), InCristo unico mediatore Maria cooperatrice di salvezza. Atti del ° Colloquio Internazionale diMariologia, Ossimo Inferiore (Bs), – luglio , AMI, Roma .

. Cf. S. M. P, Impronte di Dio nella storia. Apparizioni e Mariofanie, Messaggero,Padova .

Preface

I wish the reader all the enjoyment which I had in reading thisMariological research.

Rome, nd of February

Salvatore M. Perrella, OSMRector of the Pontifical Theological Faculty “Marianum”

President of the Associazione Mariologica Interdisciplinare Italiana (AMI)