Contribution of the laity indispensable to proclaim the Gospel: Pope

Vatican City, 7 December 2013: The Church is always on the move, looking for new ways to proclaim the Gospel. The contribution and the testimony of the lay faithful prove to be indispensable every day. Pope Francis made these comments on Saturday while addressing the participants of the 26^th Plenary Assembly of the Pontifical Council for the Laity, in the Vatican. The three-day Plenary, from 5 to 7 December was held in Rome on the theme "Proclaiming Christ in the digital age."
Reflecting on the theme of the World Youth Day 2013 in Rio de Janeiro "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations", Pope Francis said that it pointed to the missionary dimension of the Christian life, the need to go out to those who are waiting for the living water of the Gospel, for the poor and the excluded. We have seen at firsthand how the mission flows from the contagious joy of the encounter with the Lord, which is transformed into hope for all, explained the Pontiff.

Pope Francis appreciated the very topical theme of the Plenary: "Proclaiming Christ in the digital age." It is a privileged field for the work of the youth, observed the Pope, adding, the Internet is a widespread reality, complex and constantly evolving, and its development always raises anew the question of the actual relationship between faith and culture.

Already during the first centuries of the Christian era, said the Pope, the Church wanted to compete with the extraordinary legacy of Greek culture. Faced with the philosophies of great depth and a method of education of exceptional value, the Fathers neither compared nor compromised with some ideas contrary to the faith. They learned instead to recognize and assimilate the higher concepts and transform them from the light of God's Word actually implemented what Saint Paul asks: "Test all things and hold fast that which is good".

Coming to the present world, Pope Francis invited them to ‘examine everything’ even among the opportunities and dangers of the network. Guided by the Holy Spirit, you will discover valuable opportunities to lead people to the bright face of the Lord, added the Pope.

Appreciating the digital media, Pope Francis said ‘among the possibilities offered by digital communication, the most important is the proclamation of the Gospel. Technological skills, though important, is not enough. It is important to meet real women and men, often injured or lost, to offer them real reasons for hope and a personal encounter with the Lord. Therefore, the internet is not enough. But this does not mean that the Church's presence in the network is useless. It is essential to be present, always with evangelical style, to awaken the questions of the meaning of life, and show the way that leads to Him who is the answer, the Lord Jesus, concluded Pope Francis.
Source: VR Sedoc