SUMMARY:
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SYNTHESIS OF THE APOSTOLIC EXHORTATION “THE JOY OF THE GOSPEL”
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ARCHBISHOP FISICHELLA PRESENTS THE APOSTOLIC EXHORTATION “THE JOY
OF THE GOSPEL”
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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE APOSTOLIC EXHORTATION
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THE POPE RECEIVES PRESIDENT PUTIN: AN END TO THE VIOLENCE IN SYRIA IS
URGENT
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SYNTHESIS
OF THE APOSTOLIC EXHORTATION “THE JOY OF THE GOSPEL”
Vatican
City, 26 November 2013 (VIS) - “The joy of the Gospel fills the
hearts and lives of all who encounter Jesus”; thus begins the
Apostolic Exhortation “Evangelii Gaudium”, by which Pope Francis
develops the theme of the proclamation of the Gospel in the
contemporary world, drawn from, among other sources, the contribution
of the work of the Synod held in the Vatican from 7 to 28 October
2012 on the theme “The new evangelization for the transmission of
the faith”. The text, which the Holy Father consigned to a group of
thirty-six faithful following the closing Mass of the Year of Faith
last Sunday is the first official document of his pontificate, since
the Encyclical “Lumen fidei” was written in collaboration with
his predecessor, Benedict XVI. “I wish to encourage the Christian
faithful to embark upon a new chapter of evangelization marked by
this joy, while pointing out new paths for the Church’s journey in
years to come”, he continues. It is a heartfelt appeal to all
baptized persons to bring Christ’s love to others, “permanently
in a state of mission”, conquering “the great danger in today’s
world”, that of an individualist “desolation and anguish”.
The
Pope invites the reader to “recover the original freshness of the
Gospel”, finding “new avenues” and “new paths of creativity”,
without enclosing Jesus in our “dull categories”. There is a need
for a “pastoral and missionary conversion, which cannot leave
things as they presently are” and a “renewal” of ecclesiastical
structures to enable them to become “more mission-oriented”. The
Pontiff also considers “a conversion of the papacy”, to help make
this ministry “more faithful to the meaning which Jesus Christ
wished to give it and to the present needs of evangelization”. The
hope that the Episcopal Conferences might contribute to “the
concrete realization of the collegial spirit”, he states, “has
not been fully realized”. A “sound decentralization” is
necessary. In this renewal, the Church should not be afraid to
re-examine “certain customs not directly connected to the heart of
the Gospel, even some of which have deep historical roots”.
A
sign of God’s openness is “that our church doors should always be
open” so that those who seek God “will not find a closed door”;
“nor should the doors of the sacraments be closed for simply any
reason”. The Eucharist “is not a prize for the perfect but a
powerful medicine and nourishment for the weak”. These convictions
have pastoral consequences that we are called to consider with
prudence and boldness”. He repeats that he prefers “a Church
which is bruised, hurting and dirty because it has been out on the
streets, rather than a Church … concerned with being at the centre
and then ends by being caught up in a web of obsessions and
procedures. If something should rightly disturb us … it is the fact
that many of our brothers and sisters are living without … the
friendship of Jesus Christ”.
The
Pope indicates the “temptations which affect pastoral workers”:
“individualism, a crisis of identity and a cooling of fervour”.
The greatest threat of all is “the grey pragmatism of the daily
life of the Church, in which all appears to proceed normally, which
in reality faith is wearing down”. He warns against “defeatism”,
urging Christians to be signs of hope, bringing about a “revolution
of tenderness”. It is necessary to seek refuge from the
“spirituality of well-being … detached from responsibility for
our brothers and sisters” and to vanquish the “spiritual
worldliness” that consists of “seeking not the Lord’s glory but
human glory and well-being”. The Pope speaks of the many who “feel
superior to others” because “they remain intransigently faithful
to a particular Catholic style from the past” whereby “instead of
evangelizing, one analyses and classifies others” and those who
have “an ostentatious preoccupation for the liturgy, for doctrine
and for the Church’s prestige, but without any concern that the
Gospel have a real impact” on the needs of the people. This is “a
tremendous corruption disguised as a good … God save us from a
worldly Church with superficial spiritual and pastoral trappings!”.
He
appeals to ecclesial communities not to fall prey to envy and
jealousy: “How many wars take place within the people of God and in
our different communities!”. “Whom are we going to evangelize if
this is the way we act?”. He highlights the need to promote the
growth of the responsibility of the laity, often kept “away from
decision-making” by “an excessive clericalism”. He adds that
there is a need for “still broader opportunities for a more
incisive female presence in the Church”, in particular “in the
various settings where important decisions are made”. “Demands
that the legitimate rights of women be respected … cannot be
lightly evaded”. The young should “exercise greater leadership”.
With regard to the scarcity of vocations in many places, he
emphasizes that “seminaries cannot accept candidates on the basis
of any motivation whatsoever”.
With
regard to the theme of inculturation, he remarks that “Christianity
does not have simply one cultural expression” and that the face of
the Church is “varied”. “We cannot demand that peoples of every
continent, in expressing their Christian faith, imitate modes of
expression which European nations developed at a particular moment of
their history”. The Pope reiterates that “underlying popular
piety … is an active evangelizing power” and encourages the
research of theologians, reminding them however that “the Church
and theology exist to evangelize” and urging them not to be
“content with a desk-bound theology”.
He
focuses “somewhat meticulously, on the homily”, since “many
concerns have been expressed about this important ministry and we
cannot simply ignore them”. The homily “should be brief and avoid
taking on the semblance of a speech or a lecture”, should be a
“heart-to-heart communication” and avoid “purely moralistic or
doctrinaire” preaching. He highlights the importance of
preparation: “a preacher who does not prepare is not ‘spiritual’;
he is dishonest and irresponsible”. Preaching should always be
positive in order always to “offer hope” and “does not leave us
trapped in negativity”. The approach to the proclamation of the
Gospel should have positive characteristics: “approachability,
readiness for dialogue, patience, a warmth and welcome which is
non-judgemental”.
In
relation to the challenges of the contemporary world, the Pope
denounces the current economic system as “unjust at its root”.
“Such an economy kills” because the law of “the survival of the
fittest” prevails. The current culture of the “disposable” has
created “something new”: “the excluded are not the ‘exploited’
but the outcast, the ‘leftovers’”. “A new tyranny is thus
born, invisible and often virtual”, of an “autonomy of the
market” in which “financial speculation” and “widespread
corruption” and “self-serving tax-evasion reign”. He also
denounces “attacks on religious freedom” and the “new
persecutions directed against Christians. … In many places the
problem is more that of widespread indifference and relativism”.
The family, the Pope continues, “is experiencing a profound
cultural crisis”. Reiterating the indispensable contribution of
marriage to society”, he underlines that “the individualism of
our postmodern and globalized era favours a lifestyle which …
distorts family bonds”.
He
re-emphasizes “the profound connection between evangelization and
human advancement” and the right of Pastors “to offer opinions on
all that affects people’s lives”. “No one can demand that
religion should be relegated to the inner sanctum of personal life,
without a right to offer an opinion on events affecting society”.
He quotes John Paul II, who said that the Church “cannot and must
not remain on the sidelines in the fight for justice”. “For the
Church, the option for the poor is primarily a theological category”
rather than a sociological one. “This is why I want a Church that
is poor and for the poor. They have much to teach us”. “As long
as the problems of the poor are not radically resolved … no
solution will be found for this world’s problems”. “Politics,
although often denigrated”, he affirms, “remains a lofty vocation
and one of the highest forms of charity”. I beg the Lord to grant
us more politicians who are genuinely disturbed by … the lives of
the poor!”. He adds an admonition: “Any Church community”, if
it believes it can forget about the poor, runs the risk of “breaking
down”.
The
Pope urges care for the weakest members of society: “the homeless,
the addicted, refugees, indigenous peoples, the elderly who are
increasingly isolated and abandoned” and migrants, for whom the
Pope exhorts “a generous openness”. He speaks about the victims
of trafficking and new forms of slavery: “This infamous network of
crime is now well established in our cities, and many people have
blood on their hands as a result of their comfortable and silent
complicity”. “Doubly poor are those women who endure situations
of exclusion, mistreatment and violence”. “Among the vulnerable
for whom the Church wishes to care with particular love and concern
are unborn children, the most defenceless and innocent among us.
Nowadays efforts are made to deny them their human dignity”. “The
Church cannot be expected to change her position on this question …
it is not ‘progressive’ to try to resolve problems by eliminating
a human life”. The Pope makes an appeal for respect for all
creation: we “are called to watch over and protect the fragile
world in which we live”.
With
regard to the theme of peace, the Pope affirms that “a prophetic
voice must be raised” against attempts at false reconciliation to
“silence or appease” the poor, while others “refuse to renounce
their privileges”. For the construction of a society “in peace,
justice and fraternity” he indicates four principles: “Time is
greater than space” means working “slowly but surely, without
being obsessed with immediate results”. “Unity prevails over
conflict” means “a diversified and life-giving unity”.
“Realities are more important than ideas means avoiding “reducing
politics or faith to rhetoric”. “The whole is greater than the
part” means bringing together “globalization and localization”.
“Evangelization
also involves the path of dialogue”, the Pope continues, which
opens the Church to collaboration with all political, social,
religious and cultural spheres. Ecumenism is “an indispensable path
to evangelization”. Mutual enrichment is important: “we can learn
so much from one another!”, for example “in the dialogue with our
Orthodox brothers and sisters, we Catholics have the opportunity to
learn more about the meaning of Episcopal collegiality and their
experience of synodality”; “dialogue and friendship with the
children of Israel are part of the life of Jesus’ disciples”;
“interreligious dialogue”, which must be conducted “clear and
joyful in one’s own identity”, is “a necessary condition for
peace in the world” and does not obscure evangelization; in our
times, “our relationship with the followers of Islam has taken on
great importance”: the Pope “humbly” entreats those countries
of Islamic tradition to guarantee religious freedom to Christians,
also “in light of the freedom which followers of Islam enjoy in
Western countries!”. “Faced with disconcerting episodes of
violent fundamentalism” he urges us to “avoid hateful
generalisations, for authentic Islam and the proper reading of the
Koran are opposed to every form of violence”. And against the
attempt to private religions in some contexts, he affirms that “the
respect due to the agnostic or non-believing minority should not be
arbitrarily imposed in a way that silences the convictions of the
believing majority or ignores the wealth of religious traditions”.
He then repeats the importance of dialogue and alliance between
believers and non-believers.
The
final chapter is dedicated to “spirit-filled evangelizers”, who
are those who are “fearlessly open to the working of the Holy
Spirit” and who have “the courage to proclaim the newness of the
Gospel with boldness (parrhesÃa) in every time and place, even when
it meets with opposition”. These are “evangelizers who pray and
work”, in the knowledge that “mission is at once a passion for
Jesus and a passion for his people”: “Jesus wants us to touch
human misery, to touch the suffering flesh of others”. He explains,
“In our dealings with the world, we are told to give reasons for
our hope, but not as an enemy who critiques and condemns”. “Only
the person who feels happiness in seeking the good of others, in
desiring their happiness, can be a missionary”; “if I can help at
least one person to have a better life, that already justifies the
offering of my life”. The Pope urges us not to be discouraged
before failure or scarce results, since “fruitfulness is often
invisible, elusive and unquantifiable”; we must know “only that
our commitment is necessary”. The Exhortation concludes with a
prayer to Mary, “Mother of Evangelization”. “There is a Marian
“style” to the Church’s work of evangelization. Whenever we
look to Mary, we come to believe once again in the revolutionary
nature of love and tenderness”.
To
read the full text of the Apostolic Exhortation “Evangelii
Gaudium”, or to download it in PDF format, click on or copy the
following link:
ARCHBISHOP
FISICHELLA PRESENTS THE APOSTOLIC EXHORTATION “THE JOY OF THE
GOSPEL”
Vatican
City, 26 November 2013 (VIS) – This morning in the Holy See Press
Office a press conference was held to present Pope Francis' Apostolic
Exhortation “Evangelii Gaudium” (The Joy of the Gospel), written
following the Synod of Bishops on “New Evangelization for the
Transmission of Faith”, which took place from 7 to 28 October 2012,
and convoked by his predecessor Benedict XVI. The text was presented
by Archbishop Rino Fisichella, president of the Pontifical Council
for Promoting New Evangelization, accompanied by Archbishop Lorenzo
Baldisseri, secretary general of the Synod of Bishops and Archbishop
Claudio Maria Celli.
The
exhortation, which is 222 pages long, is divided into five chapters
and an introduction. The chapters are dedicated to the Church's
missionary transformation, the crisis of communal commitment, the
proclamation of the gospel, the social dimension of evangelization,
and spirit-filled evangelizers.
We
publish below the text presented by Archbishop Fisichella, preserving
the numbers referring to the corresponding paragraphs in the
exhortation:
“If
we were to sum up Pope Francis’s Evangelii Gaudium in a few words,
we could say that it is an Apostolic Exhortation written around the
theme of Christian joy in order that the Church may rediscover the
original source of evangelization in the contemporary world. Pope
Francis offers this document to the Church as a map and guide to her
pastoral mission in the near future. It is an invitation to recover a
prophetic and positive vision of reality without ignoring the current
challenges. Pope Francis instills courage and urges us to look ahead
despite the present crisis, making the cross and the resurrection of
Christ once again our “the victory banner” (85).
The
several references in Evangelii Gaudium to the Propositions of the
October, 2012 Synod on the New Evangelization for the Transmission of
the Christian Faith are a testimony to the extent to which the last
Synod has influenced the drafting of this Exhortation. This text,
however, goes beyond the experience of the Synod. The Pope commits to
paper not only his previous pastoral experience, but above all his
call to seize the moment of grace in which the Church is living in
order to embrace with faith, conviction and enthusiasm a new phase in
the journey of evangelization. Extending the teaching of the
Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii nuntiandi of Paul VI (1975), he
emphasizes the centrality of the person of Jesus Christ, the first
evangelizer, who today calls each and every one of us to participate
with him in the work of salvation (12). “The Church’s missionary
action is the paradigm for all of her endeavours” (15), affirms the
Holy Father, so that it is necessary to seize this favorable moment
in order to catch sight of and live out this “new stage” of
evangelization (17). This missionary action is articulated in two
themes which mark the basic outline of the Exhortation. On the one
hand, Pope Francis addresses the particular Churches because, living
in the first-person the challenges and opportunities characteristic
of their cultural context, they are able to highlight aspects of the
new evangelization which are peculiar to their countries. On the
other hand, the Pope sets out a common denominator in order that the
whole Church, and each individual evangelizer, may discover a common
methodology born of the conviction that evangelization is always
participatory, shared and never isolated. The following seven points,
gathered together in the five chapters of the Exhortation, constitute
the fundamental pillars of Pope Francis’ vision of the new
evangelization: the reform of the Church in a missi onary key, the
temptations of pastoral agents, the Church understood as the totality
of the People of God which evangelizes, the homily and its
preparation, the social inclusion of the poor, peace and social
dialogue, and the spiritual motivations for the Church’s missionary
action. The cement which binds these themes together is concentrated
in the merciful love of God which goes forth to meet every person in
order to manifest the heart of his revelation: the life of every
person acquires meaning in the encounter with Jesus Christ and in the
joy of sharing this experience of love with others (8).
The
first chapter, therefore, proceeds in the light of the reform of the
Church in a missionary key, called as she is to “go out” of
herself in order to meet others. It is “the dynamic of exodus and
the gift of going out of oneself, walking and sowing ever a new,
always further and beyond” (21), that the Pope explains in these
pages. The Church must make “this intimacy of Jesus, which is an
itinerant intimacy”, its own intimacy (23). The Pope, as we are
already accustomed to, makes use of effective expressions and creates
neologisms to grasp the nature of the Church’s evangelizing action.
First among these is the concept of “primerear”, namely God
preceding us in love and indicating to the Church the path to follow.
The Church does not find herself in a dead-end, but is following in
the very footsteps of Christ (cfr. 1 Peter 2,21). Thus the Church is
certain of the path she must follow. She does not tread this path in
fear since she knows that she is called “to go out in search of
those who are far from her and arrive at the crossroads in order to
invite those who are excluded. She is filled with an unlimited desire
to offer mercy.” (24). In order for this to occur, Pope Francis
again stresses the need for “pastoral conversion” (25). This
involves passing from a bureaucratic, static and administrative
vision of pastoral ministry to a perspective which is not only
missionary but is in a permanent state of evangelization (25). In
fact, alongside the structures which facilitate and sustain the
Church’s missionary activity there are, unfortunately, “ecclesial
structures which can jeopardize the dynamism of evangelization”
(26). The existence of stagnant and stale pastoral practices obliges
us, therefore, to be boldly creative in order to rethink
evangelization. In this sense, the Pope affirms that: “an
identification of the goals wit hout adequate research on the part of
the community as to how to achieve them is doomed to end in mere
fantasy” (33).
It
is necessary, therefore, “to concentrate on what is essential”
(35) and to know that only a systematic approach, i.e. one that is
unitary, progressive and proportional to the faith, can be of true
assistance. This implies for the Church the capacity to bring out
“the hierarchy of truths” and its proper reference to the heart
of the Gospel (37-39), thereby avoiding the danger of presenting the
faith only in the light of some moral questions as if these could
stand apart from the centrality of love. If we lose sight of this
perspective, “the moral edifice of the Church runs the risk of
becoming a house of cards, and this is our biggest danger” (39). So
there is a strong appeal from the Pope to find a healthy balance
between the content of the faith and the language in which it is
expressed. It may happen at times that the rigidity of linguistic
precision can be to the detriment of content, thus compromising the
genuine vision of the faith (41).
One
of the central passages in this chapter is certainly paragraph 32 in
which Pope Francis illustrates the urgency of bringing to fruition
some of the perspectives of the Second Vatican Council, in particular
the exercise of the Primacy of the Successor of Peter and of the role
of Episcopal Conferences. John Paul II in Ut unum sint, had already
requested assistance in order to better understand the obligations
tof the Pope in ecumenical dialogue. Now, Pope Francis continues in
this request and sees that a more coherent form of assistance could
be derived from the further development of the theoretical
foundations of Episcopal Conferences. Another passage of particular
intensity for its pastoral implications are paragraphs 38-45. The
heart of the Gospel “is incarnate within the limits of the human
language”. As a consequence, doctrine is inserted into “the cage
of language”—to use Wittgenstein’s expression—which implies
the necessity of a real discernment between the poverty and the
limits of language, on the one hand, and the often yet to be
discovered richness of the content of faith, on the other. The danger
that the Church may at times fail to consider this dynamic is a real
one, giving rise to an unjustified fortress mentality in relation to
certain questions which risks rendering the Gospel message inflexible
while at the same time losing sight of the dynamic proper to its
development.
The
second chapter is dedicated to recognizing the challenges of the
contemporary world and to overcoming the easy temptations which
undermine the New Evangelization. In the first place, the Pope
affirms, we must recover our identity without those inferiority
complexes which lead to “concealing our identity and convictions …
and end up suffocating the joy of our mission as we become obsessed
over becoming like everyone else possessing the things which they
possess” (79). This makes Christians fall into “a kind of
relativism which is more dangerous than the doctrinal one” (80),
because it impinges directly on the lifestyle of believers. So it
happens that many expressions of our pastoral activity suffer from a
kind of weariness which derives from placing the accent on the
initiatives themselves and not on the person. The Pope believes that
the temptation of a “de-personalization of the person” in order
to become better organized is both real and common. By the same
token, the challenges in evangelization should be accepted more as a
chance to grow and as not as a reason for falling into depression.
There should be no talk, then, of a “sense of defeat” (85). It is
essential that we recover interpersonal relationships to which we
must accord a priority over the technology which seeks to govern
relationships as with a remote control, deciding where, when and for
how long to meet others on the basis of one’s own preferences (88).
As well as the more usual and more diffuse challenges, however, we
must be alive to those which impinge more directly on our lives: the
sense of “daily uncertainty, with evil consequences”, the various
forms of “social disparity”, the “fetishism of money and the
dictatorship of a faceless economy”, the “exasperation of
consumption” and “unbridled consumerism”... In short, we find
ourselves in the presence of a “globalization of indifference”
and a “sneering contempt” towards ethics, accompanied by a
constant attempt to marginalize every critical warning over the
supremacy of the market which, with its “trickle down” creates
the illusion of helping the poor (cfr nn. 52-64). If the Church today
appears still highly credible in many countries of the world, even
where it is a minority, its is because of her works of charity and
solidarity (65).
In
the evangelization of our time, therefore, and most especially in the
face of the challenges of the great “urban cultures” (71),
Christians are invited to flee from two phenomena which undermine its
very nature and which Pope Francis defines as “worldliness” (93).
First, the “charm of Gnosticism” which implies a faith closed in
on itself, not least in its own doctrinal certainties, and which
erects its own experience as the criterion of truth by which to judge
others. Second, a “self-referential and Promethean Neo-Pelagianism”
of those who maintain that the grace is only an accessory while
progress is obtained only through personal commitment and force. All
of this stands in contradiction to evangelization. It creates a type
of “narcissistic elitism” which must be avoided (94). Who do we
want to be, asks the Pope, “Generals of defeated troops” or “foot
soldiers of a platoon which continues to fight”? The risk of a
“worldly Church in spiritual or pastoral trappings” (96), is not
hidden but real. It is vital, then, not to succumb to these
temptations but to offer the testimony of communion (99). This
testimony is reinforced by complementarity. Starting from this
consideration, Pope Francis explains the necessity of the promotion
of lay people and women, and the need to foster vocations and the
priestly life. To look upon the Church in the light of the progress
of these last decades demands that we subtract ourselves from a
mentality of power and embrace a logic of service for the united
construction of the Church (102-108).
Evangelization
is the task of the entire People of God, without exception. It is
not, nor could it be, reserved or delegated to any particular group.
All baptized people are directly involved. Pope Francis explains, in
the third chapter of the Exhortation, how evangelization may develop
and the various stages which may indicate its progress. First, he is
keen to underline the “the primacy of grace” which works
tirelessly in the life of every evangelizer (112). Then the Pope
develops the theme of the great role played by various cultures in
the process of the inculturation of the Gospel, and which prevents a
particular culture from falling into a “vainglorious sacralization
of itself” (117). He then indicates the fundamental direction of
the new evangelization in the interpersonal relationships (127-129)
and in the testimony of life (121). He insists, furthermore, on
rediscovering the value of popular piety as an expression of the
genuine faith of many people who thereby give true testimony of their
simple encounter with the love of God (122-126). Finally, the Pope
invites theologians to study the mediations necessary in order to
arrive at an appreciation of the various forms of evangelization
(133), reflecting more at length on the homily as a privileged from
of evangelization which requires an authentic passion and love for
the Word of God and for the people to whom it is entrusted (135-158).
The
fourth chapter is given over to a reflection on the social dimension
of evangelization. This is a theme which is dear to Pope Francis
since, as he states, “If this dimension is not explained in the
correct way, we run the risk of disfiguring the authentic and full
meaning of the mission of evangelization” (176). This is the great
theme of the link between the preaching of the Gospel and the
promotion of human life in all of its expressions This promotion of
every human being must be holistic and capable of avoiding the
relegation of religion to the private sphere, with no incidence in
social and public life. A “faith which is authentic always implies
a profound desire to change the world” (183). Two great themes
emerge in this section of the Exhortation: the “social inclusion of
the poor” and “peace and social dialogue”. The particular
evangelical passion with which the Pope speaks about them is
indicative of his conviction that they will decide the future of
humanity.
As
far as concerns the “social inclusion of the poor”, with the New
Evangelization the Church feels it is her mission “to contribute to
the resolution of the instrumental causes of poverty and to promote
the integral development of the poor”, as well as undertaking
“simple and daily gestures of solidarity in the face of the many
concrete situations of need” which are constantly before our eyes
(188). What emerges from these closely written pages is an invitation
to recognise the “salvific force” which the poor possess and
which must be brought to the centre of the life of the Church with
the New Evangelization (198). This implies that first of all, before
any concrete experience, there be a rediscovery of the attention due
to this theme together with its urgency and the need to promote its
awareness. Moreover, the fundamental option for the poor which asks
to be put into practice is, in the mind of Pope Francis, primarily a
“religious and spiritual attention” which must take priority over
all else (200). On these questions Pope Francis speaks with extreme
frankness and clarity. The “Shepherd of a Church without borders”
(210) cannot allow himself to look away. This is why the Pope demands
that we consider the problems of migration and is equally strong in
his denunciation of the new forms of slavery. “Where is the person
that you are killing every day in his secret little factory, in
networks of prostitution, in children used for professional begging,
in those who must work in secret because they are irregular? Let us
not pretend. All of us have some share of responsibility in these
situations” (211). Also, the Pope is equally forceful in his
defence of human life in its beginning and of the dignity of every
human person (213). Concerning this latter aspect, the Pope announces
four principles which serve as a common denominator for the promotion
of peace and its concrete social application. Recalling, perhaps, his
studies into Romano Guardini, Pope Francis seems to create a new
polar opposition. He reminds us that “time is superior to space”,
“unity prevails over conflict”, “reality is more important than
ideas”, and that “the whole is greater than its parts”. These
principles open up to the dimension of dialogue as the first
contribution towards peace, a dimension which is extended in the
Exhortation to the areas of science, ecumenism and non-Christian
religions.
The
final chapter seeks to express the “spirit of the New
Evangelization” (260). This is developed under the primacy of the
action of the Holy Spirit which always and anew infuses the
missionary impulse in the Church beginning with the life of prayer
whose centre is contemplation (264). In conclusion, the Virgin Mary,
“Star of the New Evangelization” is presented as the icon of
every authentic preaching and transmission of the Gospel which the
Church is called to undertake in the coming decades with a strong
enthusiasm and an unchanging love for the Lord Jesus.
“Let
us not allow ourselves to be robbed of the joy of evangelization”
(83). The language of this Apostolic Exhortation is clear, immediate,
free from rhetoric and insinuations. Pope Francis goes to the heart
of the problems which touch the lives of men and women of today and
which demand of the Church more than a simple presence. The Church is
asked to actively program a renewed pastoral practice which reflects
her engagement in the New Evangelization. The Gospel must reach
everyone, without exception. Some, however, are more privileged than
others. Pope Francis leaves us in no doubt as to his position: “Not
so much friends and rich neighbours, but above all the poor, the
sick, those who are often ignored and forgotten … there must be no
doubts or explanations which weaken the clarity of this message”
(48).
As
in other crucial moments of her history, it is with a sense of
urgency that the Church prepares to engage in the New Evangelization
in a spirit of adoration so as to behold once again, with a
“contemplative gaze”, the signs of the presence of God. The signs
of the times are not only encouraging, but are serve as a criterion
for effective witness (71). Pope Francis reminds us, first of all, of
the central mystery of our faith: “Let us not run away from the
resurrection of Jesus, let us not surrender, come what may” (3). He
shows us a Church which is the companion of those who are our
contemporaries in the seeking after God and in the desire to see him.
OTHER
ASPECTS OF THE APOSTOLIC EXHORTATION
Vatican
City, 26 November 2013 (VIS) -Archbishop Lorenzo Baldisseri, speaking
at the press conference presenting the Apostolic Exhortation
“Evangelii Gaudium”, presented aspects referring to synodality,
while Archbishop Claudio Maria Celli considered aspects relating to
communication.
“The
Holy Father’s document Evangelii Gaudium (EG) is the outcome of the
13th Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops on 'New
Evangelization for the Transmission of Christian Faith' (2012), a
proclamation of joy to Christian disciples and missionaries, and to
all humanity”, said Archbishop Baldisseri. “The Holy Father
received and reviewed the Synod Fathers’ Propositiones, and made
them his own, re-elaborating them in a personal way, and has written
a programmatic, exhortative document in the form of an “Apostolic
Exhortation”, central to which is mission in its fullest sense. A
striking aspect, from the very first pages onwards, is the joyful
presentation of the Gospel – thus, Evangelii Gaudium – which is
expressed also in the repetition, 59 times throughout the text, of
the word 'joy'.
“The
Pope has taken the Propositiones into account, citing them 27 times).
On this basis, emerging from the reflections of the Synod Fathers, he
develops the Exhortation within a solid doctrinal framework, founded
on biblical and magisterial references, with a thematic presentation
of the various aspects of faith, in which he affirms the principles
and the doctrines incarnate in life. This development is enriched by
references to the Fathers of the Church, including St. Irenaeus, St.
Ambrose and St. Augustine, to mention just a few, and is further
supported by the work of Medieval masters such as Blessed Isaac de
l’Etoile, St. Thomas Aquinas and Thomas à Kempis, modern
theologians including Blessed John Henry Newman, Henri De Lubac and
Romano Guardini, and other writers such as Georges Bernanos.
“In
particular, there are frequent textual references to Apostolic
Exhortations such as Paul VI’s Evangelii nuntiandi (13 references),
and other post-Synodal texts such as Christifideles laici; Familiaris
consortio; Pastores dabo vobis; Ecclesia in Africa, in Asia, in
Oceania, in America, in Medio Oriente, in Europa and Verbum Domini.
Furthermore, significant attention is paid to the pronouncements of
the Latin American episcopates, as well as the Puebla and Aparecida
documents, those of the Catholic Patriarchs of the Middle East in
their 16th Assembly, and those of the Episcopal Conferences of India,
the United States, France, Brazil, the Philippines, and Congo.
“The
theme of synodality is introduced in the first part of the document,
which deals with 'The Church’s missionary transformation'. From the
perspective of a Church who 'goes forth' (20), 'from ourselves to our
brothers and sisters' (179), the Holy Father proposes a complete
'pastoral of conversion'. … It is clear that he intends to include
in this 'pastoral of conversion' special attention to the exercise of
the primacy; he therefore affirms that 'the papacy and the central
structures of the universal Church also need to hear the call to
pastoral conversion' (32).
With
reference to the Vatican Council II, along with the ancient
patriarchal Churches, the Holy Father expresses his hope that the
Episcopal Conferences may be able “to contribute in many and
fruitful ways to the concrete realization of the collegial spirit”
(Lumen Gentium 22, Evangelii Gaudium 32). This expression of
synodality would bring specific attributions, in relation to
doctrinal authority and governance (cf. 32). With regard to ecumenism
– and thanks also to the presence at the Synod of the Patriarch of
Constantinople and the Archbishop of Canterbury (cf. 245), synodality
is expressed in a particular way since, through “dialogue with our
Orthodox brothers and sisters, we Catholics have the opportunity to
learn more about the meaning of episcopal collegiality and their
experience of synodality” (246).
Archbishop
Claudio Maria Celli spoke about the “communicative dimension in the
new evangelization” in the light of the Apostolic Exhortation.
“It
is immediately clear that the Pope is aware of what is happening in
today’s world, especially in the fields of health, education, and
communications”, said the Archbishop. “and he makes reference to
technological innovation”.
“There
is no doubt that there has been progress and achievement in these
fields, but the Pope is also aware that the current information
society bombards us indiscriminately with data, all treated as of
equal importance, which can lead to great superficiality in the area
of moral discernment. For this reason the Pope emphasizes the need
for a true education which teaches how to think critically and
encourages the development of mature moral values. The document also
recognizes that the current, enhanced possibilities for communication
can open wider avenues of encounter among people. Hence the need to
discover and share the mystery of living together, of mingling and
encounter”.
He
went on to explain that a significant part of the text focuses on
analysing how the message of the Church is communicated. “The Pope
is aware of the speed of communication today and how at times the
media have a selective interest in various types of content. This is
why there is a risk that the message can appear to be distorted or
reduced to secondary considerations. … In confronting these risks,
the Pope maintains that we must be realistic, we should not 'assume
that our audience understands the full background to what we are
saying, or is capable of relating what we say to the very heart of
the Gospel'. For this reason the Pope emphasises that in our
proclamation of the message we must concentrate on the essence, on
what is truly beautiful, most significant , most attractive and at
the same time truly necessary. We must keep the message simple
without losing anything of its depth and truth so that it remains
convincing and powerful”.
THE
POPE RECEIVES PRESIDENT PUTIN: AN END TO THE VIOLENCE IN SYRIA IS
URGENT
Vatican
City, 26 November 2013 (VIS) – Yesterday afternoon Vladimir V.
Putin, president of the Russian Federation, was received in audience
by the Holy Father Francis. Mr. Putin subsequently went on to meet
with the secretary of State, Archbishop Pietro Parolin, who was
accompanied by the secretary for Relations with States, Archbishop
Dominique Mamberti.
During
the cordial discussions, satisfaction was expressed for the good
existing bilateral relations, and the Parties focused on various
questions of common interest, especially in relation to the life of
the Catholic community in Russia, revealing the fundamental
contribution of Christianity to society. In this context, mention was
made of the critical situation faced by Christians in some regions of
the world, as well as the defence of and promotion of values
regarding the dignity of the person, and the protection of human life
and the family.
Furthermore,
special attention was paid to the pursuit of peace in the Middle East
and the grave situation in Syria, with reference to which President
Putin expressed thanks for the letter addressed to him by the Holy
Father on the occasion of the G20 meeting in St. Petersburg. Emphasis
was placed on the urgency of the need to bring an end to the violence
and to ensure necessary humanitarian assistance for the population,
as well as to promote concrete initiatives for a peaceful solution to
the conflict, favouring negotiation and involving the various ethnic
and religious groups, recognising their essential role in society.
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