Give pastoral priority to the evangelization of marriage and the family, Pope tells the Bishops

June 09, 2012: ‘Give pastoral priority to the evangelization of marriage and the family in accordance with Catholic moral teaching, said Pope Benedict XVI on Saturday while addressing the bishops from Papua New Guinea and Solomon Islands, who are on their ‘ad Limina’ visit to Rome. Highlighting the key role of the family, in evangelization, the Pontiff said that it is the basic unit of human society and the first place where faith and culture are appropriated.
Appreciating their pastoral care, the Pope said that ‘the attention they give to those under their pastoral care has been particularly noteworthy in the way they provide for the basic needs of the poor, the marginalized and the sick – especially those suffering from HIV/AIDS.
Pope Benedict appreciated their initiating various pastoral efforts which have a common element - evangelization of culture. This is of great importance since the human person can “achieve true and full humanity only by means of culture.” We also observe the essential role of culture in salvation history, since the Triune God gradually revealed himself in time, culminating in the sending of his only Son, born into a particular culture, the Pope added.
The Church has been sent to preach the Gospel to all nations, transcending man-made boundaries, the Pope said, adding that in the work of evangelization, apply the eternal truths of the Gospel to the customs of the people whom they serve. In this way, they play their parts in the Church’s mission to lead people of every nation, race and language to Jesus Christ.
Bishops, like the Apostles, “are sent to their Dioceses as the prime witnesses to the Risen Christ”, the Pontiff reminded them. Hence the need for providing proper formation and catechetical programmes for the clergy, men and women religious, and the lay faithful so that they may be strong witnesses of the faith they profess as Catholics. The Pope concluded his exhortation saying that their visit to the Successor of Peter and to the tombs of the Apostles would strengthen them to be protagonists of the new evangelization, especially during the upcoming Year of Faith.
He also highlighted the pastoral ministry of public proclamation of an objective moral voice on behalf of those in need. When the Church voices her concern in the public square, she does so legitimately and in order to contribute to the common good, not proposing concrete political solutions, but rather helping to “purify and shed light upon the application of reason to the discovery of objective moral principles”, the Pontiff elaborated.
He exhorted the bishops to continue to dialogue and to work with the civil authorities so that the Church may be free to speak and to provide services for the common good in a manner fully consonant with Gospel values.