Pope’s Mass for new evangelizers

(October 17, 2011) Pope Benedict XVI said on Sunday that the "Year of Faith" starting next year in October is meant "to give new impetus to the mission of the whole Church to lead men out of the desert in which they often find themselves, to the place of life, of friendship with Christ". He said the year long observance from October 11, 2012 to November 24, 2013, “will be a moment of grace and commitment to a more complete conversion to God, to strengthen our faith in Him and to proclaim Him with joy to the people of our time." He said this during a Mass in St. Peter's Basilica that brought to a conclusion the first meeting of new evangelizers promoted by the Vatican’s Pontifical Council for Promoting New Evangelization. Entitled “New Evangelizers for the New Evangelization,” the meeting on Saturday in the Vatican was among several initiatives in preparation for the world synod of bishops in October 2012. The "Year of Faith" is meant give a new impetus to the Church’s New Evangelization and mission ‘ad gentes’. Pope Benedict explained there was no opposition between mission ‘ad gentes’ and new evangelization, although new evangelization is very urgent, especially in traditionally Christian countries, which have become increasingly "indifferent" and "hostile" to the mission of the Church.