(Vatican Radio) The Synod of Bishops on the new evangelisation for the transmission
of the Christian faith concluded the formal part of its work on Saturday as the final
list of propositions was presented and voted on by all the bishops taking part. That
document was also published and presented to journalists at the Holy See Press Office.
Philippa Hitchen has been following the Synod for us and shares some final thoughts
Listen:
It’s
all about words. To begin with of course The Word of God, that was, in the beginning,
before our human history began. The Word that was Incarnate, that became human, in
the person of Jesus, to share the joys, the hopes, the sorrows and sufferings of our
troubled world. The Word that we should be sharing with all people today to help them
live more meaningful, hope-filled lives. But how do we find the right words to do
that? What on earth does Incarnation mean to someone who’s never been near a church?
What does salvation or proclamation or reconciliation mean in our current Christian
context?
Archbishop Diarmuid Martin of Dublin puts it this way: "How do you
talk about the transcendent in a language which tries to reference everything in what
is actually taking place…....how do you speak about fidelity, not only in marriage
but also in our relationship with God?"
That, in a sense, is what this Synod
on New Evangelisation has been all about. A river of words, in half a dozen languages,
including Latin, from over 400 participants working in countries right around the
globe. That’s what the final list of propositions is about too: a list of 58 key points
that the Pope will now take and work into a new document of his own. First of all
trying to describe what is the message at the heart of our Christian faith. Then working
out how and where and through whom can the message of the Gospels best be shared,
explained, taught and strengthened. Through the right words, ‘the new expressions’
as Pope John Paul first put it, but also through people simply putting faith into
practise in their daily lives.
This is how American Cardinal Donald Wuerl
of Washington DC described the collection of propositions to journalists at a press
conference on the final day:“We didn’t try to define it but we did try to describe
what is the new evangelisation and how does it interact with our world, our culture…….”
Pope
Benedict had a few off-the-cuff words to the Synod fathers on Saturday too. He talked
of the universality of the Church, the way in which the Holy Spirit continues to guide
us and to encourage Church leaders through the many challenges they face. His words
of support mean a lot to Christians in countries where it’s not easy to talk about
the faith today, where full religious freedom is not guaranteed, where people are
ridiculed, discriminated or persecuted for what they believe.
There’ll be
more words from Pope Benedict at the concluding Synod Mass on Sunday and then it’s
up to each Synod participant, bishops, religious, lay Catholics and Christians of
other Churches, to bring this three week experience to life, to find practical ways
of explaining the Good News of God’s love to others, in their homes, parishes, hospitals
and schools, through prayer and worship, through art and science, through charitable
works or through the daily dialogue of life.
Oh and just one final word from
Archbishop Eterovic, the hardworking secretary general of the Synod of Bishops, which
sent everyone on their way with a smile: don’t forget to put your clocks back an hour
– so you turn up in time for that concluding Synod Mass.
Below the full
text of the Propositions presented to Pope Benedict XVI According to the
norms set down in the Ordo Synodi Episcoporum (cf. Articles 15 and 39), the
Latin is the official text of the Final List of Propositions of Ordinary General Assemblies
of the Synod of Bishops, which is submitted to the vote of the synod fathers and destined
for the Supreme Pontiff, to whom it is dutifully consigned. By its very nature, this
text is confidential and, therefore, not published out of respect for the consultative
character of the synodal assembly.
On this occasion, with the kind permission
of the Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI, the provisional, unofficial English version,
prepared under the auspices of the General Secretariat of the Synod of Bishops, is
published.
In this regard, it is necessary to point out that the Propositiones
result at a determined moment in the synodal process and may serve in a possible promulgation
of a papal document, and do not detract from the richness found in the contents of
the Lineamenta, Instrumentum laboris, the discussion in the synod hall,
the Relatio ante disceptationem, the Relatio post disceptationem and
the Message to the People of God (Nuntius). The work of the Small Groups has
permitted a consensus at the synod, which took place in a atmosphere of intense episcopal
communion cum Petro and sub Petro, as a result of prayer and listening
to each other, even in the those moments of free discussion.
Introduction
Proposition
1 : THE DOCUMENTATION SUBMITTED TO THE HOLY FATHER In addition to the entire
documentation on The New Evangelization for the Transmission of the Christian Faith
related to this synod, submitted to the Holy Father for his consideration, namely,
the Lineamenta, the Instrumentum laboris, the Relatio ante disceptationem,
the Relatio post disceptationem, the presentations, both given in the synod
hall and those in scriptis, the Message to the People of God, the Reports
of the Small Groups and their discussions, the synod fathers have given a certain
importance to the following propositions. The Synod Fathers also humbly request
the Holy Father to consider the opportuneness of issuing a document on transmitting
the Christian faith through a new evangelization.
Proposition 2 : SYNOD
EXPRESSES GRATITUDE The Synod Fathers recognize with gratitude the heritage
of Papal teaching, often enriching the fruits of earlier Synodal assemblies, that
is foundational to the work during these sessions of the Synod for the New Evangelization
for the Transmission of the Christian Faith. The reflections of the Synod draw upon
documents such as Evangelii nuntiandi of Pope Paul VI, Catechesi tradendae,
Redemptoris missio and Novo millennio ineunte of Blessed John Paul II
and Deus caritas est, Sacramentum caritatis and Verbum Domini
of Pope Benedict XVI. The most recent example of this guidance is the Year of Faith,
proclaimed by our Holy Father at the beginning of this Synod. For this prophetic ministry
we are most grateful.
Proposition 3 : ORIENTAL CATHOLIC CHURCHES The
Oriental Catholic Churches sui juris, which are enlightened by the Tradition
that has been handed down from the Apostles through the Fathers, are the patrimony
of the whole Church of Christ (cf. Orientalium Ecclesiarum, 2, Codex Canonum
Ecclesiarum Orientalium, 39). These Churches are part of the Apostolic heritage
through which the Good News was brought to far-off lands (cf. Ecclesia in Medio
Oriente, 88). They are thankful for the possibility offered to them to carry
out their pastoral duties towards their migrant faithful in countries with Latin Church
traditions. They also hope that their tradition might be more fully known and respected
among the faithful and clergy of particular Churches around the world.
1
) The Nature of the New Evangelization
Proposition 4 : THE HOLY TRINITY
SOURCE OF THE NEW EVANGELIZATION The Church and her evangelizing mission have
their origin and source in the Most Holy Trinity according to the plan of the Father,
the work of the Son, which culminated in his death and glorious Resurrection, and
the mission of the Holy Spirit. The Church continues this mission of God’s love in
our world. Evangelization has to be understood in a broad and profound theological-doctrinal
framework as an activity of word and sacrament which, especially through the Eucharist,
admits us to participation in the life of the Trinity, and this then arouses through
the grace of the Holy Spirit the power to evangelize and to give witness to the Word
of God with enthusiasm and courage. The New Evangelization recognizes the primacy
of God’s grace and how in baptism one comes to live in Christ. This emphasis on divine
filiation should bring the baptized to a life of faith that clearly manifests their
Christian identity in all aspects of their personal activity.
Proposition
5 : THE NEW EVANGELIZATION AND INCULTURATION Jesus offers the gift of the Holy
Spirit and reveals to us the love of the Father. The New Evangelization is a time
of awakening, of new encouragement and new witness that Jesus Christ is the center
of our faith and daily life. It calls on every member of the Church to a renewal of
faith and an actual effort to share it. It also requires discerning the signs
of the times in the world that impacts the ministry of the Church and in the different
particular Churches in their proper territories. Among these signs one needs to recognize
certainly a growing awareness of people to the changing circumstances of life today.
Furthermore it calls the Church to reach out to those who are far from God and
the Christian community to invite them to once again hear the Word of God in order
to encounter the Lord Jesus in a new and profound way. The New Evangelization calls
for particular attention to the inculturation of the faith that can transmit
the Gospel in its capacity to value what is positive in every culture, at the same
time, purifying it from elements that are contrary to the full realization of the
person according to the design of God revealed in Christ. Inculturation involves the
effort to have the Gospel take flesh in each people’s culture” (CCC, 854).
Proposition
6 : PROCLAMATION OF THE GOSPEL God, our savior, wills everyone to be saved
and to come to the knowledge of the truth (cf. 1 Tim 2: 4). Since the Church
believes in this divine plan of universal salvation she must be missionary (cf. Evangelii
nuntiandi, 14, CCC, 851). She also knows that “those also can attain to salvation
who through no fault of their own do not know the Gospel of Christ or His Church,
yet sincerely seek God and moved by grace strive by their deeds to do His will as
it is known to them through the dictates of conscience.” (Lumen gentium , 16).
The Gospel of Jesus Christ is the proclamation of his life and of the paschal mystery
of his passion, death, resurrection and glorification. The Council reminds us,
however, that evangelization is necessary for the salvation of all since “But often
men, deceived by the Evil One, have become vain in their reasonings and have exchanged
the truth of God for a lie, serving the creature rather than the Creator (cf. Rm
1: 21, 25). Or some there are who, living and dying in this world without God, are
exposed to final despair. Wherefore to promote the glory of God and procure the salvation
of all of these, and mindful of the command of the Lord, ‘Preach the Gospel to every
creature’ (Mk 16:15), the Church fosters the missions with care and attention”
(Lumen gentium, 16).
Proposition 7 : NEW EVANGELIZATION AS A PERMANENT
MISSIONARY DIMENSION OF THE CHURCH It is proposed that the Church proclaim
the permanent world-wide missionary dimension of her mission in order to encourage
all the particular Churches to evangelize. Evangelization can be understood in
three aspects. Firstly, evangelization ad gentes is the announcement of the
Gospel to those who do not know Jesus Christ. Secondly, it also includes the continuing
growth in faith that is the ordinary life of the Church. Finally, the New Evangelization
is directed especially to those who have become distant from the Church. In so
doing, all the particular Churches will be encouraged to value and integrate all their
various agents and capabilities. At the same time, each particular Church must have
the freedom to evangelize according to her own traits and traditions, always in unity
with the proper Bishops’ Conference or the Synod of the Eastern Catholic Church. Such
a world-wide mission will respond to the action of the Holy Spirit, as in a new Pentecost,
through a call issued by the Roman Pontiff, who invites all faithful to visit all
families and bring the life of Christ to all human situations.
Proposition
8 : WITNESSING IN A SECULARIZED WORLD We are Christians living in a secularized
world. Whereas the world is and remains God’s creation, secularization falls within
the sphere of human culture. As Christians we cannot remain indifferent to the process
of secularization. We are in fact in a situation similar to that of the first Christians
and as such we should see this both as a challenge and a possibility. We live in this
world, but are not of this world (cf. Jn 15:19; 17:11, 16). The world is God’s
creation and manifests his love. In and through Jesus Christ we receive God’s salvation
and are able to discern the progress of his creation. Jesus opens the doors for us
anew so that, without fear, we can lovingly embrace the wounds of the Church and of
the world (cf. Benedict XVI). In our present age, that manifests aspects more difficult
than the past, even if we are like “the little flock” (Lk 12:32), we bear witness
to the Gospel message of salvation and we are called to be salt and light of a new
world (cf. Mt 5:13-16).
Proposition 9 : NEW EVANGELIZATION AND INITIAL
PROCLAMATION The foundation of all initial proclamation, the kerygmatic dimension,
the Good News, makes prominent an explicit announcement of salvation. “For I delivered
to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins
in accordance with the scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third
day in accordance with the scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the
twelve” (1 Cor 15:3-5). The ‘first proclamation’ is where the kerygma,
the message of salvation of the paschal mystery of Jesus Christ, is proclaimed with
great spiritual power to the point of bringing about repentance of sin, conversion
of hearts and a decision of faith. At the same time there has to be continuity between
first proclamation and catechesis which instructs us in the deposit of the faith.
We consider it necessary that there be a Pastoral Plan of Initial Proclamation,
teaching a living encounter with Jesus Christ. This pastoral document would provide
the first elements for the catechetical process, enabling its insertion into the lives
of the parish communities. The Synod Fathers propose that guidelines of the initial
proclamation of the kerygma be written. This compendium would include: - Systematic
teaching on the kerygma in Scripture and Tradition of the Catholic Church; - Teachings
and quotations from the missionary saints and martyrs in our Catholic history that
would assist us in our pastoral challenges of today; and - Qualities and guidelines
for the formation of Catholic evangelizers today.
Proposition 10 : RIGHT
TO PROCLAIM AND TO HEAR THE GOSPEL To proclaim the Good News and the person
of Jesus is an obligation for each Christian, founded in the Gospel: “Go, therefore,
and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of
the Son, and of the Holy Spirit” (Mt 28: 19). At the same time, it is an
inalienable right for each person, whatever one’s religion or lack of religion, to
be able to know Jesus Christ and the Gospel. This proclamation, given with integrity,
must be offered with a total respect for each person, without any form of proselytizing.
Proposition
11 : NEW EVANGELIZATION AND THE PRAYERFUL READING OF SACRED SCRIPTURE God has
communicated himself to us in his Word made flesh. This divine Word, heard and celebrated
in the Liturgy of the Church, particularly in the Eucharist, strengthens interiorly
the faithful and renders them capable of authentic evangelical witness in daily life.
The Synod Fathers desire that the divine word “be ever more fully at the heart of
every ecclesial activity” (Verbum Domini, 1). The gate to Sacred Scripture
should be open to all believers. In the context of the New Evangelization every opportunity
for the study of Sacred Scripture should be made available. The Scripture should permeate
homilies, catechesis and every effort to pass on the faith. In consideration of
the necessity of familiarity with the Word of God for the New Evangelization and for
the spiritual growth of the faithful, the Synod encourages dioceses, parishes, small
Christian communities to continue serious study of the Bible and Lectio Divina,
the — the prayerful reading of the Scriptures (cf. Dei Verbum, 21-22).
Proposition
12 : DOCUMENTS OF VATICAN II The Synod Fathers recognize the teaching of Vatican
II as a vital instrument for transmitting the faith in the context of the New Evangelization.
At the same time, they consider that the documents of the Council should be properly
read and interpreted. Therefore, they wish to manifest their adherence to the thought
of our Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI, who has indicated the hermeneutical principle
of reform within continuity so as to be able to discover in those texts the authentic
spirit of the Council. “There is the "hermeneutic of reform", of renewal in the continuity
of the one subject-Church which the Lord has given to us. She is a subject which increases
in time and develops, yet always remaining the same, the one subject of the journeying
People of God. [...] However, wherever this interpretation guided the implementation
of the Council, new life developed and new fruit ripened” (Benedict XVI, Address
to the Roman Curia, 22 December 2005). In this way it will be possible to respond
to the need for renewal required by the modern world and, at the same time, faithfully
preserve the identity of the Church’s nature and mission.
2) The Context
of the Church’s Ministry Today
Proposition 13 : CHALLENGES OF OUR TIME The
proclamation of the good news in different contexts of the world — marked by the
processes of globalization and secularism — places different challenges before the
Church: at times in an outright religious persecution, at other times in a widespread
indifference, interference, restriction or harassment. The Gospel offers a vision
of life and of the world that cannot be imposed, but only proposed, as the good news
of the gratuitous love of God and of peace. The message of truth and of beauty can
help people escape from the loneliness and lack of meaning to which the conditions
of post-modern society often relegate them. Therefore, believers must strive to
show to the world the splendor of a humanity grounded in the mystery of Christ. Popular
religiosity is important but not sufficient; more is needed to help recognize the
duty to proclaim to the world the reason for Christian hope, to those Catholics estranged
from the Church, to those who do not follow Christ, to the sects and those experimenting
with different kinds of spiritualities.
Proposition 14 : THE NEW EVANGELIZATION
AND RECONCILIATION
In a world that is broken by wars and violence, a world
hurt by a widespread individualism which separates human beings among themselves,
and pits one against the other, the Church must exercise her ministry of reconciliation
in a calm and resolute way. The Church in the spirit of the New Evangelization undertakes
the task of reconciliation. Faithful to Jesus’ message, (“...he has broken down the
dividing wall of hostility” Eph 2:14), the Church has to make an effort to
break down the walls that separate human beings. With the message of love, she has
to preach the newness of the salvific Gospel of Our Lord, who came to free us from
our sins and to invite us to build harmony, peace and justice among all peoples.
Proposition
15 : NEW EVANGELIZATION AND HUMAN RIGHTS Consistent with the emphasis placed
on human dignity by the New Evangelization, this Synod urges legislators, teachers
and others who work in the human sciences to grant full respect to the human person
both in public policy and practice. At the same time, every opportunity must be
taken in various local situations and associations to articulate, uphold and guard,
both in theory and in practice, those rights flowing from an adequate understanding
of the human person as set forth in the natural law.
Proposition 16 : RELIGIOUS
LIBERTY The Synod Fathers reaffirm that religious freedom is a basic human
right. This includes the freedom of conscience and also the liberty to freely choose
one’s religion. We are in solidarity with our brothers and sisters, in different parts
of the world, who are suffering from lack of religious freedom and even persecution. In
light of the recognition of the Second Vatican Council as an instrument for the New
Evangelization and the growing need to protect the religious liberty of Christians
throughout the world, the Synod Fathers propose a renewed commitment to and wider
diffusion of the teachings of Dignitatis Humanae. This renewal seeks to affirm
and promote freedom in religious matters for individuals, families and institutions
to protect the common good of all. Such a freedom includes the right to teach the
Christian faith without compromise of its tenets to children in the family and/or
school. The Synod Fathers propose that the Holy Father consider the opportuneness
of establishing a commission of Church leaders representing various parts of the Church
throughout the world or entrusting this task to the Pontifical Council for Justice
and Peace, to address attacks on religious liberty, and to obtain accurate information
for public witness to the fundamental right to religious freedom and freedom of conscience.
Proposition
17 : PREAMBLES OF FAITH AND THEOLOGY OF CREDIBILITY In the contemporary context
of a global Culture, many doubts and obstacles cause an extended skepticism and introduce
new paradigms of thought and life. It is of paramount importance, for a New Evangelization,
to underline the role of the Preambles of Faith. It is necessary not only to
show that faith does not oppose reason, but also to highlight a number of truths and
realities which pertain to a correct anthropology, that is enlightened by natural
reason. Among them, is the value of the Natural Law, and the consequences it has for
the whole human society. The notions of “Natural Law” and “human nature” are capable
of rational demonstrations, both at the academic and popular levels. Such an intellectual
development and enterprise will help the dialogue between Christian faithful and people
of good will, opening a way to recognize the existence of a God the Creator and the
message of Jesus Christ the Redeemer. The Synodal Fathers ask theologians to develop
a new apologetics of Christian thought, that is a theology of credibility adequate
for a New Evangelization. The Synod calls on theologians to accept and respond
to the intellectual challenges of the New Evangelization by participating in the mission
of the Church to proclaim to all the Gospel of Christ.
Proposition 18 :
NEW EVANGELIZATION AND THE MEANS OF SOCIAL COMMUNICATION The use of means of
social communication has an important role to play in order to reach every person
with the message of salvation. In this field, especially in the world of electronic
communications, it is necessary that convinced Christians be formed, prepared and
made capable to transmit faithfully the content of the faith and of Christian morality.
They should have the ability to use well the languages and the instruments of today
that are available for communication in the global village. The most effective form
of this communication of the faith remains the sharing of the testimony of life,
without which none of the “media” efforts will result in an effective transmission
of the Gospel. Education in the wise and constructive use of social media is an important
means to be utilized in the New Evangelization.
Proposition 19 : NEW EVANGELIZATION
AND HUMAN DEVELOPMENT The Papal Magisterium in its social teaching demonstrated
the theological, anthropological and educational bonds between evangelization and
the development and freedom of both the person and society. Today it is not possible
to think of the New Evangelization without the proclamation of full freedom from everything
that oppresses the human person, i.e. sin and its consequences. Without a serious
commitment for life and justice and the change of the situations that generate poverty
and exclusion (cf. Sollicitudo rei socialis, 36) there can be no progress.
This is particularly true in the face of challenges of globalization.
Proposition
20 : THE NEW EVANGELIZATION AND THE WAY OF BEAUTY In the New Evangelization,
there should be a particular attention paid to the way of beauty: Christ, the “Good
Shepherd” (cf. Jn 10:11) is the Truth in person, the beautiful revelation in
sign, pouring himself out without measure. It is important to give testimony to the
young who follow Jesus, not only of his goodness and truth, but also of the fullness
of his beauty. As Augustine affirmed, “it is not possible to love what is not beautiful”
(Confessions, Bk IV, 13.20). Beauty attracts us to love, through which God
reveals to us his face in which we believe. In this light artists feel themselves
both spoken to and privileged communicators of the New Evangelization. In the formation
of seminarians, education in beauty should not be neglected nor education in the sacred
arts as we are reminded in the teaching of the Second Vatican Council (cf. Sacrosanctum
concilium, 129). Beauty should always be a special dimension of the new evangelization.
It is necessary that the Church be vigilant in caring for and promoting the quality
of the art that is permitted in the sacred spaces reserved for liturgical celebrations,
guarding both its beauty and the truthfulness of its expression. It is important
for the New Evangelization that the Church be present in all fields of art, so as
to support with her spiritual and pastoral presence the artists in their search for
creativity and to foster a living and true spiritual experience of salvation that
becomes present in their work.
Proposition 21 : MIGRANTS Just as
many countries have greatly benefitted from the presence of people coming from other
countries, so too the Church is nourished in a significant way with the witness and
the evangelizing work of many of those engaged with the missionary mandate: “Go out
into the whole world and proclaim the Gospel to all creation” (Mk 16: 15).
Given the risks and threats to the faith of the migrating peoples, it is important
that the Church gives her support through a pastoral plan that includes them and their
families, and reminds them of their important place as the living cell of society
and the domestic Church. Parishes should help the migrants integrate themselves into
society and the Christian community. The Church’s pastoral plan for migrants should
not only welcome migrants and promote their human dignity, but should above all help
them be integrated into the life of the Church, respecting their own ritual tradition;
this plan should also help them avoid becoming lost to the Catholic Church. Immigrants
are not only recipients, but also protagonists of the proclamation of the Gospel in
the modern world. In the face of the great migratory movements, it is important
to insist on the centrality and dignity of the person, in particular in light of the
grave phenomena of a new slavery connected to the shameful trafficking of human beings,
especially children, and the selling of organs. This awareness must increase when
dealing with refugees, the displaced, those on the sea, nomads and people without
a fixed home.
Proposition 22 : CONVERSION The drama and intensity
of the age old clash between good and evil, between faith and fear should be presented
as the essential background, a constituent element of the call to conversion in Christ.
This struggle continues at a natural and supernatural level. “For the gate is narrow
and the way is hard, that leads to life, and those who find it are few” (Mt
7: 14). Many bishops spoke of the need for renewal in holiness in their own lives,
if they are to be true and effective agents of the New Evangelization. The New
Evangelization requires personal and communal conversion, new methods of evangelization
and renewal of the pastoral structures, to be able to move from a pastoral strategy
of maintenance to a pastoral position that is truly missionary. The New Evangelization
guides us to an authentic pastoral conversion which moves us to attitudes and initiatives
which leads to evaluations and changes in the dynamics of pastoral structures which
no longer respond to the evangelical demands of the current time.
Proposition
23 : HOLINESS AND THE NEW EVANGELIZERS The universal call to holiness is constitutive
of the New Evangelization that sees the Saints as effective models of the variety
and forms in which this vocation can be realized. What is common in the varied stories
of holiness is the following of Christ expressed in a life of faith active in charity
which is a privileged proclamation of the Gospel. We recognize Mary as the model
of holiness that is manifest in acts of love including the supreme gift of self. Holiness
is a significant part of every evangelizing commitment for the one who evangelizes
and for the good of those evangelized.
Proposition 24 : THE SOCIAL TEACHING
OF THE CHURCH In order to advance a New Evangelization in society, greater
attention should be given to the Church’s social doctrine, understanding that it is
a proclamation and witness of faith, an irreplaceable means of education in the faith
(cf. Caritas in veritate, 15). This embrace of the Church’s social doctrine
should permeate the content of catechesis, Christian education, formation of seminarians
and religious, the continuing formation of bishops and priests and most especially
the formation of the laity. The Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church
is a precious resource in accomplishing this continuing formation.
Proposition
25 : URBAN SCENARIOS OFTHE NEW EVANGELIZATION The Church acknowledges that
human cities and the culture they express, as well as the transformations that take
place in them, are a privileged place of the New Evangelization. Understanding herself
at the service of the salvific plan of God, the Church recognizes that the “Holy City,
the New Jerusalem” (cf. Rev 21, 2-4) is in a certain way already present in
human realities. Putting in practice an urban pastoral plan, the Church wants to identify
and understand those experiences, languages and styles of life, that are typical of
urban societies. She intends to render her liturgical celebrations, her experiences
of communitarian life, and her exercise of charity, relevant to the urban context,
in order to incarnate the Gospel in the life of all citizens. The Church also
knows that in many cities one sees the absence of God, in the many attacks on human
dignity. Among them: violence related to drug trafficking, corruption of various kinds,
and many other crimes. We are convinced that the proclamation of the Gospel can be
the basis to restore the dignity of human life in these urban contexts. It is the
Gospel of Jesus, who “came that they may have life and have it abundantly” (Jn
10: 10).
3) Pastoral Responses to the Circumstances of Our Day
Proposition
26 : PARISHES AND OTHER ECCLESIAL REALITIES The bishops gathered in Synod affirm
that the parish continues to be the primary presence of the Church in neighborhoods,
the place and instrument of Christian life, which is able to offer opportunities for
dialogue among men, for listening to and announcing the Word of God, for organic catechesis,
for training in charity, for prayer, adoration and joyous eucharistic celebrations.
In addition the Synod Fathers would like to encourage parishes to find ways to orient
themselves to a greater emphasis on evangelization which could include parish missions,
parish renewal programs and parish retreats. The presence and evangelizing action
of associations, movements and of other ecclesial realities are useful stimuli for
the realization of this pastoral conversion. Parishes as well as traditional and new
ecclesial realities are called to make visible together the communion of the particular
Church united around the Bishop. In order to bring to all people the Good News
of Jesus, as required by a New Evangelization, all the parishes and their small communities
should be living cells, places to promote the personal and communitarian encounter
with Christ, experience the richness of liturgy, to give initial and permanent Christian
formation, and to educate all the faithful in fraternity and charity especially towards
the poor.
Proposition 27 : EDUCATION “Go therefore and make disciples
of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the
Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you” (Mt 28:19-20).
Education is a constitutive dimension of evangelization. To proclaim the Risen Jesus
Christ is to accompany all human beings in their personal story, in their development
and in their spiritual vocation. Education needs, at the same time, to promote everything
that is true, good and beautiful that is a part of the human person, that is to say,
to educate the mind and the emotions to appreciate reality. Children, teenagers
and young people have a right to be evangelized and educated. The schools and Catholic
universities respond in this way to this need. Public institutions should recognize
and support this right. Schools should assist families in introducing children
into the beauty of the faith. Schools offer a great opportunity to transmit the faith
or at least to make it known. The Synod Fathers are grateful for the work of education
carried out by thousands of teachers, male and female, in Catholic educational institutions
in the five continents. Because of the singular role of teachers, it is important
that they receive ongoing formation in carrying out their responsibilities. Schools
must be free to teach. This freedom is an inalienable right. For this reason in
order to ensure that our institutions are agents of evangelization and not just products
of evangelization, the Synod: - Encourages Catholic educational institutions to
do all that is possible to preserve their identity as ecclesial institutions;
- Invites all teachers to embrace the leadership which is theirs as baptized disciples
of Jesus, giving witness through their vocation as educators; and - Urges particular
Churches, religious families, and all those who have responsibility in the educational
institutions, to facilitate the co-responsibility of lay people, offering adequate
formation and accompaniment for this.
Proposition 28 : ADULT CATECHESIS One
cannot speak of the New Evangelization if the catechesis of adults is non-existent,
fragmented, weak or neglected. When these defects are present, pastoral ministry faces
a very serious challenge. The phases and levels of the catechumenate of the Church
show how biblically, catechetically, spiritually and liturgically a person’s history
and faith-journey can be understood as a vocation through a relationship with God
(cf. Evangelii nuntiandi, 18; Instrumentum laboris, 92). In all these
things, the public character of the decision of faith which the catechumen makes,
which gradually grows in the community and the diocese, has a positive impact on all
the faithful.
Proposition 29 : CATECHESIS, CATECHISTS AND THE CATECHISM Good
Catechesis is essential for the New Evangelization. The Synod calls attention to the
indispensable service that catechists provide the ecclesial communities and expresses
profound gratitude for their dedication. All catechists, who are at the same time
evangelizers, need to be well prepared. Every effort should be made within the possibilities
of the local situation to provide catechists with strong ecclesial formation, that
is spiritual, biblical, doctrinal and pedagogical. Personal witness to the faith is
itself a powerful form of catechesis. The “Catechism of the Catholic Church” and
its Compendium are, above all, a resource for teaching the faith and supporting
adults in the Church in their evangelizing and catechizing mission. According to
the Apostolic Letter Ministeria quaedam of Pope Paul VI, Episcopal Conferences
have the possibility to request from the Holy See the institution of the Ministry
of Catechist. Proposition 30 : THEOLOGY Theology as the science of faith
has an importance for the New Evangelization. Priests, teachers and catechists must
be formed in institutions of higher education. The Church appreciates and promotes
research and the teaching of theology. Scientific theology has its own proper place
in the university where it must carry out dialogue between faith and the other disciplines
and the secular world. Theologians are called to carry out this service as a part
of the salvific mission of the Church. It is necessary that they think and feel with
the Church (sentire cum Ecclesia). The Synod proposes that the New Evangelization
be considered as an integral dimension of the mission of every theological faculty
and that a department of New Evangelization studies be established in Catholic Universities.
Proposition
31 : NEW EVANGELIZATION AND THE OPTION FOR THE POOR Pope Benedict XVI teaches:
“Jesus identifies himself with those in need, with the hungry, the thirsty, the stranger,
the naked, the sick and those in prison. ‘As you did it to one of the least of these
my brethren, you did it to me’ (Mt 25: 40). Love of God and love of neighbour
have become one: in the least of the brethren we find Jesus himself, and in Jesus
we find God” (Deus caritas est, 15). Today there are new poor and new faces
of poverty: the hungry, the homeless, the sick and abandoned, drug addicts, migrants
and the marginalized, political and environmental refugees, the indigenous peoples.
The current economic crisis seriously affects the poor. Among the poorest in contemporary
society are the victims of grievous loss of respect for the inviolable dignity of
innocent human life. The preferential option for the poor leads us to seek out
the poor and to work on their behalf so that they may feel at home in the Church.
They are both recipients and actors in the New Evangelization.
Proposition
32 : THE SICK The New Evangelization must be ever aware of the Paschal Mystery
of the death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ. This mystery sheds light on the suffering
of people who can find in the Cross of Christ understanding and acceptance of the
mystery of suffering that gives them hope in the life to come. In the sick, the
suffering, persons with disabilities and those with special needs, Christ’s suffering
is present and has a missionary force. For Christians, there must always be place
for the suffering and the sick. They need our care, but we receive even more from
their faith. Through the sick, Christ enlightens His Church, so that everyone
who enters into contact with them will find reflected the light of Christ. This is
why the sick are very important participants in the New Evangelization. All those
in contact with the sick need to be aware of their mission. We cannot forget when
we build new hospitals to pay attention so that we do not lack a consoling and supportive
environment and a place for prayer.
Proposition 33 : THE SACRAMENT OF PENANCE
AND THE NEW EVANGELIZATION The Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation is the
privileged place to receive God’s mercy and forgiveness. It is a place for both personal
and communal healing. In this sacrament, all the baptized have a new and personal
encounter with Jesus Christ, as well as a new encounter with the Church, facilitating
a full reconciliation through the forgiveness of sins. Here the penitent encounters
Jesus, and at the same time he or she experiences a deeper appreciation of himself
and herself. The Synod Fathers ask that this sacrament be put again at the center
of the pastoral activity of the Church. In every diocese, at least one place should
be especially dedicated in a permanent way for the celebration of this sacrament,
where priests are always present, allowing God’s mercy to be experienced by all the
faithful. The sacrament should be especially available, even on a daily basis, at
places of pilgrimage and specially designated churches. Fidelity to the specific norms
which rule the administration of this sacrament is necessary. Every priest should
consider the Sacrament of Penance an essential part of his ministry and of the New
Evangelization, and in every parish community a suitable time should be set apart
for hearing confessions.
Proposition 34 : SUNDAYS AND FEAST DAYS The
Eucharist must be the source and summit of the New Evangelization. The Synod Fathers
urge all Christ’s faithful to renew their understanding and love for the Eucharistic
celebration, in which their lives are transformed and joined to Christ’s offering
of his own life to the glory of God the Father for the salvation of the whole world. Even
though there is a tension between the Christian Sunday and the secular Sunday, Sunday
needs to be recovered for the New Evangelization according to Blessed John Paul II’s
teaching in “Dies Domini”. Sunday with its sacred and special character together with
Sunday Mass should be the center of Catholic life. Full, active and conscious participation
in the liturgy on the part of the whole community is the goal. The liturgical year
with its feasts should be followed by a true program of evangelization, especially
at Christmas and Easter.
Proposition 35 : LITURGY The worthy celebration
of the Sacred Liturgy, God’s most treasured gift to us, is the source of the highest
expression of our life in Christ (cf. Sacrosanctum concilium, 10). It is, therefore,
the primary and most powerful expression of the new evangelization. God desires to
manifest the incomparable beauty of his immeasurable and unceasing love for us through
the Sacred Liturgy, and we, for our part, desire to employ what is most beautiful
in our worship of God in response to his gift. In the marvelous exchange of the Sacred
Liturgy, by which heaven descends to earth, salvation is at hand, calling forth repentance
and conversion of heart (cf. Mt 4:17; Mk 1:15). Evangelization in
the Church calls for a liturgy that lifts the hearts of men and women to God. The
liturgy is not just a human action but an encounter with God which leads to contemplation
and deepening friendship with God. In this sense, the liturgy of the Church is the
best school of the faith.
Proposition 36 : SPIRITUAL DIMENSION OF THE NEW
EVANGELIZATION The principal agent of evangelization is the Holy Spirit, who
opens hearts and converts them to God. The experience of encountering the Lord Jesus,
made possible by the Spirit, which introduces one into the Trinitarian life, welcomed
in a spirit of adoration, supplication and of praise, must be fundamental to every
aspect of the New Evangelization. This is the “contemplative dimension” of the New
Evangelization which is nourished continually through prayer, beginning with the liturgy,
especially the Eucharist, source and summit of the life of the Church. Therefore,
we propose that prayer be encouraged and taught from infancy. Children and youth should
be educated in the family and in schools to recognize the presence of God in their
lives, to praise Him, to give thanks for the gifts received from Him, and to ask that
the Holy Spirit guide them. Proposition 37 : THE SACRAMENT OF CONFIRMATION IN
THE NEW EVANGELIZATION All the Christian faithful are entrusted with the mission
to evangelize, due to the sacraments of Baptism and Confirmation. Here the faithful
are sealed by the anointing of the Holy Spirit and are called to participate in the
mystery of Pentecost. Through Confirmation, all the baptized receive the fullness
of the Holy Spirit, his charisms, and the power to give witness to the Gospel openly
and with courage. It is important that mystagogical catechesis accompany the grace
of filial adoption received at Baptism, underlining the importance of the gift of
the Holy Spirit which enables one to fully participate in the Eucharistic witness
of the Church and its influence in all the spheres of life and human activity. Hence
proper and systematic catechesis prior to the reception of these sacraments is of
prime importance.
Proposition 38 : CHRISTIAN INITIATION AND THE NEW EVANGELIZATION The
Synod wishes to state that Christian initiation is a crucial element in the New Evangelization
and is the means by which the Church, as a mother, brings forth children and regenerates
herself. Therefore we propose that the traditional process of Christian initiation,
that has often become simply a proximate preparation for the sacraments, be everywhere
considered in a catechumenal prospective, giving more relevance to permanent mystagogy,
and thus becoming true initiation to Christian life through the sacraments. (cf. General
Directory of Catechesis, 91). In this perspective it is not without consequences
that the situation today concerning the three sacraments of Christian initiation,
despite their theological unity, are pastorally diverse. These differences in the
ecclesial communities are not of a doctrinal nature but differences of pastoral judgment.
This Synod however requests that what the Holy Father has affirmed in Sacramentum
caritatis, 18, become a stimulus for dioceses and episcopal conferences to review
their practices of Christian initiation: “Concretely, it needs to be seen which practice
better enables the faithful to put the sacrament of the Eucharist at the center, as
the goal of the whole process of initiation” (Sacramentum caritatis, 18).
Proposition
39 : POPULAR PIETY AND THE NEW EVANGELIZATION Popular piety is a true place
to encounter Christ, and also express the faith of the Christian people in the Blessed
Virgin Mary and the Saints. The New Evangelization recognizes the value of these faith
experiences and encourages them as ways to grow in Christian virtue. Pilgrimages
to shrines and sanctuaries are an important aspect of the new evangelization. Not
only because of the millions of people who continue to make these pilgrimages but
because this form of popular piety at this time is an especially promising opportunity
for conversion and the growth of faith. It is important therefore that a pastoral
plan be developed that properly welcomes the pilgrims and, in response to the deep
desire of the pilgrims, opportunities be offered so that the time of the pilgrimage
can be lived as a true moment of grace.
Proposition 40 : THE PONTIFICAL
COUNCIL FOR THE PROMOTION OF THE NEW EVANGELIZATION The Synod is grateful to
the Holy Father for establishing the Pontifical Council for the Promotion of the New
Evangelization as an instrument at the service of the particular Churches, and asks
that this Dicastery carry on the synodal discussions in further study and in the development
and promotion of the New Evangelization. It also requests that consideration be
given in each episcopal conference to the establishment of a commission in order to
promote the study and diffusion of the pontifical Magisterium relative to the themes
that are a part of the New Evangelization. In this way, there can be created a strong
collaboration among the particular Churches and therefore greater effectiveness in
implementing the New Evangelization.
4) Agents / Participants of the New
Evangelization
Proposition 41 : NEW EVANGELIZATION AND THE PARTICULAR
CHURCH The particular church, led by the bishop, who is helped by priests and
deacons, with the collaboration of consecrated persons and the laity, is the subject
of the New Evangelization. This is so because in each place, the particular church
is the concrete manifestation of the Church of Christ and as such initiates, coordinates
and accomplishes the pastoral actions through which the New Evangelization is carried
out. In the Church the call to holiness, directed to all the baptized, rings out,
inviting them to follow Christ and turn with love and goodwill towards all people,
in order to discern the action of the Holy Spirit in them. “As I have loved you,
that you also love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples,
if you have love for one another” (Jn 13:34-35). For the first Christian communities,
communion was a constitutive element of the life of faith and necessary to evangelization:
they had one heart and mind. The Church is communion, that is to say, the Church is
the Family of God. The Church enables each of her members to be aware of their
responsibility to be like leaven in the dough. In this way, “faith working through
love” (Gal 5: 6) will become a contagious witness for the world in all her
dimensions, offering to every person the possibility of meeting Christ and becoming
evangelizers in their turn. It would be desirable if each particular church,
whatever difficulties occur, developed a sense of mission among her faithful by cooperating
with other particular churches.
Proposition 42 : INTEGRATED PASTORAL ACTIVITY Each
particular Church is the primary community of the Church’s mission. It must animate
and lead a renewed pastoral activity able to integrate the variety of charisms, ministries,
states of life and resources. All these realities must be coordinated within an organic
missionary project, capable of communicating the fullness of Christian life to everyone,
especially to those who feel themselves far from the Church’s care. Such an endeavor
must arise from the dialogue and cooperation of all diocesan components, including:
parishes, small Christian communities, educational communities, communities of consecrated
life, associations, movements and individual faithful. Every pastoral program must
transmit the true novelty of the Gospel, and be centered on a personal and living
encounter with Jesus. It should also be ordered to eliciting in all people a generous
embrace of the faith, and a willingness to accept the call to be witnesses.
Proposition
43 : HIERARCHICAL AND CHARISMATIC GIFTS The Holy Spirit directs the Church
in her missionary evangelization “with various hierarchical and charismatic gifts”
(Lumen gentium, 4). In fact the dioceses are “a portion of the people of God
under the pastoral care of the bishop, helped by his presbyterate” (Christus Dominus,
11), where the diverse charismatic realities recognize the authority of the bishop
as integral to their own proper action in service of the ecclesial mission. The Bishop
has the responsibility for “judging the genuineness of these gifts and guiding their
ordinary use” (Lumen gentium, 12), as an authentic resource for the life and
mission of the Church. The hierarchical gifts and the charismatic gifts, flowing from
the one Spirit of God, are not in competition but rather co-essential to the life
of the Church and to the effectiveness of her missionary action (cf. John Paul II,
Message to Participants at the World Congress of Ecclesial movements, May 27,
1998). The consecrated life occupies a special place in the charismatic dimension
of the Church (cf. Mutuae relationes, 34, Rispartire da Cristo, 32);
as such, fully inserted into the ecclesial communion, they contribute with their own
proper gifts to missionary evangelization. Studies should be undertaken at both diocesan
and interdiocesan levels to see how both the charismatic and hierarchical gifts are
able to cooperate in the pastoral action and in the spiritual life of the Church. Since
Vatican II, the New Evangelization has greatly benefited from the dynamism of the
new ecclesial movements and new communities. Their ideal of holiness and unity has
been the source of many vocations and remarkable missionary initiatives. The Synod
recognizes these new realities and encourages them to utilise their charisms in close
collaboration with the dioceses and the parish communities, who in turn, will benefit
from their missionary spirit.
Proposition 44 : NEW EVANGELIZATION IN THE
PARISH The parish, in and through all of its activities, should animate its
members to become agents of the New Evangelization, witnessing through both their
words and their lives. For this reason, it is important to remember that the parish
remains the usual environment for the spiritual life of the parishioners. The Synod
therefore encourages parish visits to families as a way of parish renewal. It sometimes
happens that the parish is seen as only a place for important events or even as a
tourist center. Along the same line, “pastoral agents” in hospitals, youth centres,
factories, prisons, etc., have to bear in mind that the New Evangelization should
find a home in these places. The Church should in fact be present in such places,
since Christ showed his preference for the persons found there. As much as lies within
their power, all Churches are therefore exhorted to be open to this mission, wherever
they are.
Proposition 45 : THE ROLE OF THE LAY FAITHFUL IN THE NEW EVANGELIZATION The
vocation and the mission proper to lay faithful is the transformation of worldly structures,
to let all human behavior and activities be informed by the Gospel. This is the reason
why it is so important to guide the Christian laity into an intimate knowledge of
Christ in order to form their moral conscience through their life in Christ. The Second
Vatican Council identifies four main aspects of the mission of the baptized: the witness
of their lives, works of charity and mercy, renewing the temporal order and direct
evangelization (cf. Lumen gentium, Apostolicam actuositatem). In this
way, they will be able to give witness of a life truly coherent with their Christian
faith, as individual persons and as a community. The laity cooperate in the Church’s
work of evangelization, as witnesses and at the same time as living instruments they
share in her saving mission (cf. Ad gentes, 41). Therefore the Church values
the gifts that the Spirit is making to every baptized for the construction of the
body, and should provide adequate encouragement and training to foster their apostolic
zeal in the transmission of the faith.