New evangelization

Last updated

The new evangelization is the particular process by which baptized members of the Catholic Church express the general Christian call to evangelization.

Contents

According to Pope Francis in Evangelii gaudium in 2013: "the XIII Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops gathered from 7–28 October 2012 to discuss the theme: The New Evangelization for the Transmission of the Christian Faith. The Synod reaffirmed that the new evangelization is a summons addressed to all and that it is carried out in three principal settings". [1] The three settings were: 1) ordinary pastoral ministry (to inflame the hearts of the faithful), 2) outreach to "the baptized whose lives do not reflect the demands of Baptism" and 3) evangelization to those who do not know Jesus Christ or who have always rejected him. [1]

Relative to the second setting, one emphasis has been re-evangelizing of Christians who have fallen away from the faith. [2] [3] [4] [5] There has been a special focus on Europe and the Americas, areas which have traditionally been Catholic but which have been heavily influenced by secularization. [3] [5]

The Catholic Church has always had a mandate for missions and evangelism and this accompanies the church into the new, Third Millennium. [6]

Background

In the very first sentence of its Constitution on the Church, Lumen gentium , the Second Vatican Council affirmed that Christ had sent the church to preach the gospel to every creature (LG 1; cf. Mk 16:15). Evangelism is a theme in multiple Vatican II documents. These documents mentioned "gospel" 157 times, "evangelize" 18 times, and "evangelization" 31 times. [7]

For several decades, the magisterium of the Roman Catholic Church has been promoting a theme of new evangelization. [8] This includes re-evangelism of Christian people as well as mission Ad gentes to reach new regions and cultures.[ citation needed ]

Birthplace of the new evangelization

The birthplace of the new evangelization was Nowa Huta near Kraków in Poland where strenuous efforts for many years were made during communist rule to establish church land and a cross and church building in a new town where there was none. [9] Speaking at Mogila Abbey near Nowa Huta in 1979, Pope John Paul II said: "From the Cross of Nowa Huta began the new evangelization". [10]

Papal use of new evangelization

The first frequent papal use of the term evangelization was by Pope Paul VI in his 1975 apostolic exhortation, Evangelii nuntiandi , which itself built upon documents from the Second Vatican Council including Lumen gentium , Ad gentes , Gaudium et spes , and Dignitatis humanae .[ citation needed ]

The term new evangelization was popularized by Pope John Paul II [5] who used it during an address to the Latin American bishops in Port-au-Prince, Haiti on May 9, 1983. He declared that the fifth centenary of the first evangelization of the Americas (1492–1992) should mark the beginning of a new era of evangelization, "evangelization will gain its full energy if it is a commitment, not to re-evangelize but to a New Evangelization, new in its ardor, methods and expression". [11] [12] Pope John Paul II then expounded on the idea later, including his 1990 encyclical, Redemptoris missio , a Magna Carta of the new evangelization, [13] his 1994 apostolic letter, Tertio millennio adveniente , [14] issued for the Great Jubilee of the year 2000 and his 2001 apostolic exhortation, Novo millennio ineunte . In Redemptoris missio, he wrote:

I sense that the moment has come to commit all of the Church's energies to a new evangelization and to the mission ad gentes. No believer in Christ, no institution of the Church can avoid this supreme duty: to proclaim Christ to all peoples. [15]

In 2010, Pope Benedict XVI established the Pontifical Council for Promoting the New Evangelization. [4] When he called for a Year of Faith [16] from 2012 to 2013 on the 50th anniversary of the Second Vatican Council, he opened it with a general assembly of the Synod of Bishops on The New Evangelization for the Transmission of the Christian Faith. [5]

On June 29, 2013, Pope Francis released a related apostolic exhortation Evangelii gaudium (English: The Joy of the Gospel) on "the church's primary mission of evangelization in the modern world". [17] In its opening paragraph, Pope Francis urged the entire church "to embark on a new chapter of evangelism".

As of April 2019, Pope Francis was reported to be planning a reorganization of the Curia that will make evangelization its principal focus. A final draft of his apostolic constitution on the Roman Curia, titled Praedicate Evangelium ("Preach the Gospel"), has been submitted for comment to national bishops' conferences and a variety of other bodies. [18] [19]

Synod of Bishops

YearTopicConcluding document or apostolic exhortation
2012The New Evangelization for the Transmission of the Christian Faith Francis, Pope (24 November 2013), Evangelii gaudium (Apostolic exhortation), Rome: Libreria Editrice Vaticana

Responses to papal appeals

Since Pope John Paul II, the cultural sector was seen as one of the many priorities of the new evangelization. In recent years, therefore, the Catholic Church promoted her artistic heritage in several countries as a pastoral opportunity for the new evangelization, particularly in Europe. [20]

In 2005, the Augustine Institute in Denver was established to train lay Catholics for the new evangelization. [21] [22]

In 2011, Saint John's Seminary in Boston established a Theological Institute for the New Evangelization, which offers a Master's of Theological Studies for the New Evangelization. Despite being located at a seminary, the program is designed for laity, deacons, and professed religious. [3]

In 2012, Franciscan University of Steubenville established the Father Michael Scanlan Chair of Biblical Theology and the New Evangelization. [23]

In 2012, The Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines issued a pastoral letter on the new evangelization with a nine year plan to help prepare Catholics for 2021, the 500th anniversary of the arrival of the Gospel in the Philippines. [24] [25]

On 12 December 2020, the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, the Archdiocese of Sydney announced its archdiocese-wide plan for evangelism called "Go Make Disciples". Go Make Disciples [26] is the most far-reaching attempt to harness the resources of the Catholic Church within Australia in the service of the new evangelisation called for by all the modern popes since Pope Paul VI. It represents the personal vision of Archbishop Anthony Fisher for the future of the Archdiocese of Sydney. [27]

On 11 December 2024, Bishop Earl Fernandes designated Our Lady of Guadalupe, Star of the New Evangelization in Columbus OH as a diocesan shrine for pilgrimage and prayer. [28]

New media and new evangelization

New media tools such as the internet, social media and smartphones are being used as vehicles for expressing the new evangelization. [29] Media organizations like EWTN, National Catholic Register, Word on Fire, Catholic Answers, Relevant Radio, Shalom World, Shalom TV are using the new media to promote the work of evangelization. Individuals do the same with their social media accounts like Facebook and Twitter. [30]

Role of the Laity

One of the greatest contributions of the Second Vatican Council was the development of and emphasis on the role of the laity in the mission of the Church. [31] The outcome of the new evangelization of the third millennium, envisioned by Vatican II, Pope John Paul II, Pope Benedict XVI, and Pope Francis rests largely in the faith and witness of the laity. [32]

Related Research Articles

Gaudium et spes, the Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World, is one of the four constitutions promulgated during the Second Vatican Council between 1963 and 1965. Issued on 7 December 1965, it was the last and longest published document from the council and is the first constitution published by a Catholic ecumenical council to address the entire world.

<i>Ad gentes</i> Second Vatican Councils decree on missionary activity

Ad gentes is the Second Vatican Council's decree on missionary activity that reaffirmed the need for missions and salvation in Christ. The document establishes evangelization as one of the fundamental missions of the Catholic Church and reaffirms the tie between evangelization and charity for the poor. Ad gentes also calls for the formation of strong Christian communities as well as strong relations with other Christians. Finally, it lays out guidelines for the training and actions of the missionaries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Great Commission</span> Instruction of Jesus to his disciples to spread the gospel

In Christianity, the Great Commission is the instruction of the resurrected Jesus Christ to his disciples to spread the gospel to all the nations of the world. The Great Commission is outlined in Matthew 28:16–20, where on a mountain in Galilee Jesus calls on his followers to make disciples of and baptize all nations in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

In Christianity, inculturation is the adaptation of Christian teachings and practices to cultures. This is a term that is generally used by Catholics and the Orthodox, whereas Protestants, especially associated with the World Council of Churches, prefer to use the term "contextual theology".

Novo millennio ineunte is an apostolic letter of Pope John Paul II, addressed to the Bishops Clergy and Lay Faithful, "At the Close of the Great Jubilee of 2000".

The lay apostolate is made up of laypersons, who are neither consecrated religious nor in Holy Orders, who exercise a ministry within the Catholic Church. Lay apostolate organizations operate under the general oversight of pastors and bishops, but need not be dependent upon them for direction.

Redemptoris missio, subtitled On the permanent validity of the Church's missionary mandate, is an encyclical by Pope John Paul II published on 7 December 1990. The release coincided with the twenty-fifth anniversary of Vatican II's Decree on the Church's Missionary Activity, Ad gentes. It is devoted to the subject of "the urgency of missionary activity" and in it the pope wished "to invite the Church to renew her missionary commitment."

The Pontifical Council for Culture was a dicastery of the Roman Curia charged with fostering the relationship of the Catholic Church with different cultures. It was erected by Pope John Paul II on 20 May 1982 and in 1993 he merged the Pontifical Council for Dialogue with Non-Believers, which had operated independently since 1965 into it. When the Apostolic constitution Praedicate evangelium promulgated by Pope Francis took effect on 5 June 2022, the Pontifical Council for Culture was merged with the Congregation for Catholic Education to create the new Dicastery for Culture and Education.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Catholic Church and the Age of Discovery</span>

The Catholic Church during the Age of Discovery inaugurated a major effort to spread Christianity in the New World and to convert the indigenous peoples of the Americas and other indigenous peoples. The evangelical effort was a major part of, and a justification for, the military conquests of European powers such as Portugal, Spain, and France. Christian missions to the indigenous peoples ran hand-in-hand with the colonial efforts of Catholic nations. In the Americas and other colonies in Asia, and Africa, most missions were run by religious orders such as the Franciscans, Dominicans, Augustinians, and Jesuits. In Mexico, the early systematic evangelization by mendicants came to be known as the "Spiritual Conquest of Mexico".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Heralds of the Gospel</span> International Catholic organization

The Heralds of the Gospel is a Catholic International Association of Pontifical Right founded by Msgr. João Scognamiglio Clá Dias. It is active in 78 countries.

An apostolic exhortation is a magisterial document written by the pope. Some experts regard it as third in importance among papal documents, after apostolic constitutions and encyclicals. Exhortations generally encourage a particular virtue or activity. Apostolic exhortations are frequently issued following a Synod of Bishops, in which case they are known as post-synodal apostolic exhortations. They do not define Church doctrine and are not considered legislative.

Evangelii nuntiandi is an apostolic exhortation issued on 8 December 1975 by Pope Paul VI on the theme of Catholic evangelization. The title, taken from the opening words of the original Latin text, means "in proclaiming the Gospel". It affirms the role of every Christian, not only ordained ministers, priests, and deacons, or religious, or professional church staff, in spreading the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Catholic laity</span> Ordinary members of the Catholic Church who are not clergy

Catholic laity are the ordinary members of the Catholic Church who are neither clergy nor recipients of Holy Orders or vowed to life in a religious order or congregation. Their mission, according to the Second Vatican Council, is to "sanctify the world".

In the Catholic Church, the Synod of Bishops, considered as an advisory body for the pope, is one of the ways in which the bishops render cooperative assistance to him in exercising his office. It is described in the 1983 Code of Canon Law as "a group of bishops who have been chosen from different regions of the world and meet at fixed times to foster closer unity between the Roman Pontiff and bishops, to assist the Roman Pontiff with their counsel in the preservation and growth of faith and morals and in the observance and strengthening of ecclesiastical discipline, and to consider questions pertaining to the activity of the Church in the world."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Theology of Pope Francis</span> Theological effect of Pope Francis

Elected on 13 March 2013, Francis is the first member of the Society of Jesus to be appointed pope and the first non-European to hold the office since the 8th century. He described his papal name as pointing to what he wants to emulate in Saint Francis of Assisi: to have a poor church, for the poor, always going out to the margins, and to show concern for the natural environment. His papal motto Miserando atque eligendo contains a central theme of his papacy, God's mercy, which has led to conflict with some Catholics on issues such as reception of Communion by remarried Catholics. In addressing real life situations he often appeals directly to his experience, in continuity with his synodal way, which showed a renewed emphasis on listening and dialogue. He has placed greater emphasis on church synods and on widespread consultation and dialogue, uplifting the roles of laypersons and of women in the Catholic church and criticizing clericalism.

Evangelii gaudium is a 2013 apostolic exhortation by Pope Francis "On the proclamation of the Gospel in today's world". In its opening paragraph, Pope Francis urged the entire Church "to embark on a new chapter of evangelism". According to the exhortation, the Church must understand itself as a community of missionary disciples, who are "permanently in a state of mission".

Magnum principium is an apostolic letter issued by Pope Francis and dated 3 September 2017 on his own authority. It modified the 1983 Code of Canon Law to shift responsibility and authority for translations of liturgical texts into modern languages to national and regional conferences of bishops and restrict the role of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments (CDW). It was made public on 9 September 2017 and its effective date was 1 October of the same year.

Praedicate evangelium is an apostolic constitution reforming the Roman Curia and was published and promulgated on 19 March 2022 by Pope Francis; the document took effect on 5 June 2022.

<i>Aperuit illis</i> 2019 Apostolic Letter by Pope Francis

Aperuit illis is an apostolic letter, by Pope Francis, issued "motu proprio" on September 30, 2019, the Feast of Saint Jerome, instituting the annual observance of the 3rd Sunday of Ordinary Time as "Sunday of the Word of God", devoted to the celebration, study and dissemination of the Word of God. The first "Sunday of the Word of God" occurred on January 26, 2020. The Pope said that he wrote the Apostolic Letter in response to requests from around the world to celebrate the Sunday of the Word of God.

Episcopalis communio is an apostolic constitution promulgated by Pope Francis on September 15, 2018. It takes note of the various organizations used during the previous Synod of Bishops, and defines that its final document "participates in the ordinary magisterium."

References

  1. 1 2 Pope Francis. (2013). Evangelii Gaudium (p. 14). Vatican City: Libreria Editrice Vaticana. Francis. (2013). Evangelii Gaudium (p. 13). Vatican City: Libreria Editrice Vaticana.
  2. ↑ "New Evangelization". United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Retrieved 25 January 2018.
  3. 1 2 3 Allen, John L. Jr. (7 March 2013). "What's this 'new evangelization' thing, anyway?" . Retrieved 25 January 2018.
  4. 1 2 Cotter, Kevin (3 June 2013). "What is the New Evangelization? The answer might surprise you" . Retrieved 25 January 2018.
  5. 1 2 3 4 "What Is the New Evangelization?". Ave Maria Press. Retrieved 25 January 2018.
  6. ↑ Novo millennio ineunte §58
  7. ↑ Dulles, SJ, Avery (2008). Church and Society, The McGinley Lectures, 1988–2007 (Kindle ed.). Fordham University Press. p. 546. ISBN   978-0-8232-2862-1.
  8. ↑ "New Evangelization". United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Retrieved 2 July 2018.
  9. ↑ "The Birthplace of the New Evangelization - Knights of Columbus". 1 April 2014. Retrieved 24 October 2019.
  10. ↑ Apostolic Pilgrimage to Poland, Holy Mass at the Shrine of the Holy Cross, Homily of His Holiness John Paul II, Mogila, Poland, 9 June 1979 https://www.vatican.va/content/john-paul-ii/en/homilies/1979/documents/hf_jp-ii_hom_19790609_polonia-mogila-nowa-huta.html
  11. ↑ John Paul II, Address to CELAM (Opening Address of the Nineteenth General Assembly of CELAM, 9 March 1983, Port-au-Prince, Haiti), L'Osservatore Romano English Edition 16/780 (18 April 1983), no. 9.
  12. ↑ Dulles SJ, Avery (2009). Evangelism for the Third Millennium. Paulist Press.
  13. ↑ Weigel, George. "Rethinking Mission Territory" . Retrieved 2 March 2018.
  14. ↑ John Paul II, Pope. "Tertio Millennio Adveniente". Vatican.va. Retrieved 11 April 2018.
  15. ↑ Redemptoris missio 3
  16. ↑ "Year of Faith 2012–2013, Pontifical Council for the Promotion of the New Evangelization".
  17. ↑ Thavis, John (26 November 2013). "Pope Francis' document delivers wake-up call on evangelization" . Retrieved 26 November 2013.
  18. ↑ Lamb, Christopher (22 April 2019). "Pope proposes radical shakeup of the Roman Curia". The Tablet. Retrieved 26 April 2019.
  19. ↑ San Martín, Inés. "New Vatican document to put evangelization ahead of doctrine". Crux. Retrieved 26 April 2019.
  20. ↑ Tan, Joseph (2018). "Religious tourism and the new evangelization: Theory and best practice in the pastoral promotion of the Church's cultural heritage". Church, Communication and Culture. 3 (3): 283–309. doi: 10.1080/23753234.2018.1547117 .
  21. ↑ "Augustine Institute on the forefront of the New Evangelization". Catholic News Agency. 5 November 2007. Retrieved 8 June 2024.
  22. ↑ "Q&A: The Augustine Institute—10 years of winning the post-modern culture". Denver Catholic. 13 May 2016. Retrieved 8 June 2024.
  23. ↑ "Franciscan University Announces the Father Michael Scanlan Chair of Biblical Theology and the New Evangelization". Archived from the original on 20 July 2012. Retrieved 28 August 2018.
  24. ↑ "New Evangelization and the 9-year program of the Church in the Philippines". 31 March 2017. Retrieved 16 March 2020.
  25. ↑ "Philippine bishops announce 9-year plan to prepare for 500th anniversary of Gospel's arrival" . Retrieved 16 March 2020.
  26. ↑ Website: https://www.gomakedisciples.org.au/vision/
  27. ↑ Archbishop's new Mission Plan is a vision for all to become disciples
  28. ↑ https://catholictimescolumbus.org/news/the-catholic-times/bishop-establishes-parish-church-as-diocesan-shrine
  29. ↑ Bishop Robert Barron in Evangelization & Culture: The Journal of the Word on Fire Institute, Issue No. 3, the digital age, Spring 2020
  30. ↑ Hahn, Scott, Evangelizing Catholics A mission manual for the New Evangelization, Our Sunday Visitor. Huntington, Indiana, Kindle Edition.
  31. ↑ "But the Lord wishes to spread his kingdom also by means of the laity, namely, a kingdom of truth and life, a kingdom of holiness and grace, a kingdom of justice, love and peace."—Second Vatican Council, Dogmatic Constitution on the Church, Lumen gentium, no. 36
  32. ↑ Lucas R. Pollice, Open Wide the Doors to Christ: Discovering Catholicism (Steubenville, OH: Emmaus Road Publishing, 2013), 383.

Further reading

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.