Without the Holy Spirit, Religious Communities Risk Becoming “humanitarian agencies”: Catholic Bishop in South Sudan

Credit: Catholic Diocese of Rumbek/Fr. Luka Dor

The Italian-born Catholic Bishop explained that without the Holy Spirit, those in the Priesthood would not have anything to say to the people “Because everything remains so human, so always the same.”

Bishop Carlassare said the absence of the Holy Spirit in religious communities and the personal life of a Priest blocks any kind of transformation thereby returning them back to what he terms as “Square zero”.

Credit: Catholic Diocese of Rumbek/Fr. Luka Dor

“We are always back to square zero when the Holy Spirit is not there. But the presence of the Holy Spirit would instead uplift us, no matter the situations in which we are. The Holy Spirit gives taste, savor, and good smell to all that we experience,” he said.

He added, “So my invitation is this: Let us not lock the Spirit out of the house, thinking that everything depends on me or us as a group. Let us not lock the Holy Spirit out of the house. He is the master of the house, and we are His guests, His lovely guests, His children.”

Credit: Catholic Diocese of Rumbek/Fr. Luka Dor

“Without the anointing of the Holy Spirit, there is no vocation. There is no priesthood. There is no holiness. So the Holy Spirit is very important,” he said and explained, “It is vital in our life, to allow the Spirit to blow, to breathe, to lead us, to lead the decisions that we take every day.”

The Italian-born member of the Comboni Missionaries of the Heart of Jesus (MCCJ) also underlined the importance of the Holy Spirit in decision-making, saying that the Holy Spirit should not be secluded in the Chapels alone.

Credit: Catholic Diocese of Rumbek/Fr. Luka Dor

“Let us not close the Spirit only inside the chapels. The religious houses have many rooms, and there is one room that is dedicated to a chapel. So the Holy Spirit is there. If we want to go to meet the Holy Spirit, let us go there,” he said.

Bishop Carlassare, who started his Priestly Ministry in South Sudan’s Catholic Diocese of Malakal following his ordination in September 2004 also said that the Holy Spirit is capable of helping members of the Clergy who might be overwhelmed with challenges including loneliness.

With the Holy Spirit, he said, “We are happy to live the ministry where we are, with the situations we encounter, the people as they are, and the situations as they are. And sometimes also the loneliness that we feel where we are working.”

Credit: Catholic Diocese of Rumbek/Fr. Luka Dor

“So what kind of loneliness should be there when the Spirit is present? He is also leading the relationships that we have because sometimes we may have plenty of people around us but feel lonely,” he said.

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He explained, “Instead, the person who is deeply rooted in the Spirit—most probably, will never be lonely because he can put in place relationships that are proper and nice and respectful with others, with men and women, with elders and young people.”

Credit: Catholic Diocese of Rumbek/Fr. Luka Dor

In his April 10 homily, the Catholic Church leader, who had been ministering in Malakal Diocese since his arrival in South Sudan in 2005, before he was appointed Bishop for Rumbek Diocese in March 2021 further emphasized that without the Spirit of the Lord, there is no Christian life.

He explained, “Christian life is not only about you and what you, let us say, think is good for you or what you pretend to show to others but is not true deep down. The Christian life is about this presence of the Spirit that would lead you to what is better and holy and good for your life.”