Vatican official says New Evangelization is about profound encounter with Christ

(August 10, 2012) According to a leading Vatican official, the task of new evangelization cannot be accomplished without new evangelizers. Archbishop Salvatore Fisichella, president of the Vatican’s Pontifical Council for Promoting New Evangelization made the point in a keynote address at a conference in Sydney, Australia, on Thursday, in which spoke of the decline of the faith in Europe and western societies, which, he said, cannot be stemmed by a “reform of structures” but only by a personal encounter with the Risen Christ. “The proclamation of the Gospel cannot be delegated to others,” he said. “Rather, it requires the awareness specific to the believer that he or she is to be a bearer of Christ wherever they go.” The expression ‘New Evangelization’ was coined by Blessed John Paul II in 1979, and aims to revive the faith in baptized Catholics who have practically stopped living their faith, whereas evangelization proper or ‘Ad Gentes’ mission is aimed at non-Christians. The most recent church statistics show only 15.3 per cent of Australia's five million Catholics attend Mass regularly. Archbishop Fisichella clarified that New Evangelization should not be regarded mainly as a response to “strong pressure from secularism.” The primary motive, he said, is obedience and fidelity to Jesus who commissioned His Church to go into the whole world and bring his Gospel to every creature.