Catholic Church: The New Evangelization in the Year of Faith

Pope Benedict XVI has announced the celebration of a Year of Faith starting October 11, 2012 and ending November 24, 2013, in order "to strengthen the faith of Catholics and draw the world to faith by their example."

The proclamation of the Year of Faith is to "honor the fiftieth anniversary of the Second Vatican Council and the twentieth anniversary of the Catechism of the Catholic Church." The Year of Faith is also "meant to reflect one of the themes of Pope Benedict's pontificate, the New Evangelization."

In the Philippines, the Year of Faith and the New Evangelization seem to be not yet well-publicized. So it may help to share the "Seven Things Catholics Should Know About the New Evangelization." The following materials are the original thoughts of "Peter Murphy, D. Min., executive director of the Secretariat of Evangelization and Catechesis of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB).

What Catholics Should Know About the New Evangelization: *

1. It's not new in content, but new in energy and approach.
    The New Evangelization re-proposes the faith to a world longing for answers to life's most

    profound questions. It's a call to share Christ and bring the Gospel, with renewed energy

    and through ever-changing methods, to new and different audiences.

2. It begins with personal conversion.
    The New Evangelization begins internally and spreads outward. We are called to deepen

    our own faith in order to better share it with others. Then-Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger 

    described this in the Jubilee Year 2000 as daring to have faith with the humility of the

    mustard seed that leaves up to God how and when the tree will grow from out of this tiny

    mustard seed. But first, the need for personal conversion to Christ is the first step.

3. It's for believers and non-believers alike.
    Philadelphia Archbishop Charles Chaput, OFM Cap., recently observed that the most

    difficult people to evangelize are the ones who think they've already been converted. 

    So whether it's someone at Mass every Sunday, an inactive Catholic or someone for 

    whom religion is not part of life, the New Evangelization invites all people to discover 

    faith anew.

4. It's about a personal encounter with Jesus Christ.
    Before a person can share Christ with others, they must first experience Christ in their 

    own life. The New Evangelization is about promoting a personal encounter with Christ 

    for all people, wherever they are in their lives. Whether that means finding faith for the 

    first time or spreading the Good News, the most authentic and effective efforts are the 

    ones closest to Christ.

5. It's not an isolated moment, but an ongoing practice.
    Personal conversion and the encounter with Christ is an ongoing experience that lasts 

    a lifetime.  Catholics are blessed to encounter their Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ in the

    Sacraments. Catholics are called to live in a way that reflects the love of Christ. God's love 

    is shared with our neighbors through caring for the poor and welcoming those who feel

    distant from God.

6. It's meant to counter secular culture.
    G.K. Chesterton wrote that "each generation is converted by the saint who contradicts it 

    most." The New Evangelization responds to Western society's ongoing move away from

    religion by urging Catholics to enthusiastically share Christ in word and through the 

    credible witness of their lives. This is why Pope Benedict encourages Catholics to study 

   the lives of the saints during the Year of Faith and learn from their example.

7. It's a priority for the Church.
    Blessed Pope John Paul II made it a major priority of his 26-year pontificate. Continuing
    this, Pope Benedict launched the Pontifical Council for Promoting New Evangelization 
    in 2010 and made it the theme of the 2012 Synod of Bishops. The U.S. bishops issued a
    document in April, "Disciples Called to Witness: The New Evangelization," focused on
    welcoming inactive Catholics back to the faith. The New Evangelization has an urgency
    about it, an urgency for all Catholics to embrace the grace of their baptismal call and 
    share the Good News of Jesus Christ with their family, friends and neighbors.

Let us do our part by sharing awareness of the New Evangelization especially during this Year of Faith proclaimed by our Mother Church.

Deo Optimo Maximo

* Source: United States Conference of Catholic Bishops