Vatican’s recommendations on how to bring Gospel to the streets

(November 6, 2009) The power of the Gospel finds unique expression when it is proclaimed on the streets, according to the Vatican's Pontifical Council for the Pastoral Care of Migrant and Itinerants. This power and the challenges of proclaiming the Gospel to those who live or work on the streets was the subject of the 1st Integrated European Meeting for the Pastoral Care of the Road/Street. The meeting was held at the Vatican last month. In the final document, dated Oct. 24, the pontifical council offers 57 conclusions and 51 recommendations. These are divided into the various situations this ministry encompasses: those who work on the roads and railways; prostitutes, or the "women of the streets"; children of the street; and the homeless. As the first conclusion of the conference, the pontifical council statement affirmed: "The pastoral care of the road is a prophetic witness in that it is often unstructured and does not necessarily require specific services or institutions to bring the message of salvation. In many ways the Gospel expresses all its power when it returns to the streets, from where it was originally born." The council assured that a "journey of faith" is "possible and desirable" for those who suffer, especially on the streets. The obstacle to this evangelization, it said, is often "our own fears."