Vatican Reveals European Evangelization Project

(July 14, 2011) The Pontifical Council for Promoting New Evangelization unveiled a new project on Tuesday to re-evangelize some of Europe's major cities. Speaking to Vatican Radio, Archbishop Rino Fisichella, the Council's President said that the goal is simple: to give a sign of unity among the diverse dioceses present in the largest European cities that have been particularly affected by secularization. The Prelate chaired a summit of bishops from a range of European cities who met at the Vatican July 11^th to discuss the proposed project. The bishops came from Barcelona, Budapest, Brussels, Cologne, Dublin, Lisbon, Liverpool, Paris, Turin, Warsaw and Vienna. The scheme is being described as a metropolitan project. "At the moment, the initiative is limited to some of the larger European dioceses in order to more concretely test its effectiveness," said Archbishop Fisichella, suggesting that it could be rolled out in other cities around the globe if it is found to be successful. The initiative will take place in Lent 2012 and will be based at each city's cathedral, which will host a range of activities. Events planned thus far are: a continual reading of the Gospel, the local bishop teaching young people, families and those converting to Catholicism, the promotion of confession, and a charitable initiative of some form. Archbishop Fisichella also mentioned an event that will be both spiritual and cultural in character, such as reading from the Confessions of St. Augustine. The Pontifical Council for Promoting the New Evangelization was established in 2010 by Pope Benedict XVI to "promote a renewed evangelization" in traditionally Christian countries which are living through a "progressive secularization of society and a sort of 'eclipse of the sense of God.'"