2012-01-05 13:32:37

Pope Benedict: The door of faith


October last, Pope Benedict issued the Apostolic Letter Porta fidei declaring a Year of Faith. He then charged the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith with preparing pastoral recommendations for the Year, which according to Wednesday’s communiqué, after consultations with other Vatican dicasteries and ecclesial bodies will be issued in full on Saturday, January 7th.

The communiqué, however, already gives an overview of the Notes contents. Firstly it highlights that the beginning of the Year - 11 October 2012 – coincides with the 50th anniversary of the opening of Vatican Council II and the twentieth anniversary of the promulgation of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, and in short, these should be the backbone of all pastoral activity. The Year of Faith is an opportunity to reacquaint today’s generation of Catholics with them – many of whom are unfamiliar with both.

To assist in the correct understanding of the Vatican Council II, the communiqué cites the next General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops on The New Evangelisation for the Transmission of the Christian Faith.

It also states that from the outset of his Pontificate Pope Benedict has strived to encourage “a correct understanding of the Council rejecting as erroneous the so-called "hermeneutic of discontinuity and rupture" and promoting what he himself has termed "the 'hermeneutic of reform', of renewal in continuity.”.

According to the CDF communiqué, the Catechism of the Catholic Church is an integral part of that "renewal in continuity", because it embraces “the old and traditional order of the catechesis”, but at the same time expresses it in “a new way, in order to respond to the questions of our own times”.

Finally, the communiqué says the pastoral recommendations contained in the Note are aimed at four groups: the Universal Church, Episcopal Conferences, Dioceses and Parishes, Communities, Associations, Movements

Practical suggestions include a greater focus on the quality of the teaching of the faith and an examination of local catechism as well as a greater use of the mass media and art, with a focus on the faith, its principles and content and the ecclesial significance of Vatican Council II.

A Secretariat to coordinate all of the different initiatives will be established within the Pontifical Council for the Promotion of the New Evangelisation which will also open a dedicated website.








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