Korean bishops pastoral letters on Year of Faith

January 11, 2013 - The Church "must return to evangelize itself, so that it can then evangelize the world again. This is why every believer must confirm their faith and their commitment to witness to the Gospel." This is the focus of the pastoral letters of the bishops of South Korea which will be read in parishes across the country on Sunday 13 January, feast of the Baptism of Our Lord. The bishops remind the faithful that the Year of Faith underway, compels believers to "renew in an active way the promises made during Baptism and confirmed by Confirmation. We need to rediscover the ardour, methods and expression to revive the evangelization of the country, they say. They recall that last year marked the 50th anniversary of the start of the Second Vatican Council, as well as the 20th anniversary of the publication of the Catechism of the Church. The small Christian communities, the bishops write, "must be reinvigorated.” They urge for social evangelization based on the pastoral care of the family and young people, but always based on the Social Doctrine of the Church. In this sense, they regard small communities as an “outpost of faith". Archbishop Andrew Yeom Soo-jung of Seoul, launches five "mottos" focusing on the Year of Faith: "Faith - says the prelate - starts with the Word, grows with prayer, is confirmed by the teachings of the Church, united in celebration of Mass, brings with it the fruits of love". Bishop Lazzaro You Heung-sik of Daejeon instead focusses on young people, urging them to become the protagonists not only of their lives, but also of pastoral care.