Benedict XVI has decided to invoke a "Year of Faith" for 2012-2013 "to give new impetus to the mission of the whole Church to lead men out of the desert in which they often find themselves, to the place of life, of friendship with Christ". The Pope himself made the announcement during Mass last Sunday in St. Peter's Basilica, at the conclusion of the first meeting of the Pontifical Council for the Promotion of the New Evangelization.
The Pope explained he will prepare "a special Apostolic Letter" to illustrate the meaning of this "Year of Faith" that "will begin on 11 October 2012, the 50th anniversary of the Second Vatican Council, and will end on 24 November 2013, Solemnity of Christ the King". It "will be a moment of grace and commitment to a more complete conversion to God, to strengthen our faith in Him and to proclaim Him with joy to the people of our time."
Benedict XVI noted the importance of convening the meeting of the Pontifical Council right in the month of October, the month that is traditionally dedicated to prayer and support of the mission ad gentes: "I am delighted - he said - that this conference takes place in the context of the month of October, just one week before the World Mission Sunday: this refers to the correct universal dimension of the new evangelization, in harmony with that of the mission ad gentes. "
Therefore, there is no opposition between the mission ad gentes and new evangelization, although this is very urgent, especially in traditionally Christian countries, which have become increasingly "indifferent" and "hostile" to the mission of the Church. To confirm this, many of the members who attended yesterday's meeting came not only from Europe, USA and Canada, but also from Africa, Latin America and Asia.
In his homily Benedict XVI traced paths for the work of new evangelization. Referring to the first reading this Sunday (Isaiah 43, 1.4-6), which speaks of the Persian emperor Cyrus, he stressed that "even the mighty Cyrus, the Persian Emperor, is part of a greater plan, that only God knows and carries forward. This reading gives us the theological meaning of history: the epochal upheavals, the succession of the great powers are under the supreme dominion of God, no earthly power can take His place. "
For this reason, "the theology of history is an important, essential part of the new evangelization, because the men of our time, after the disastrous season of totalitarian empires of the twentieth century, need to find a comprehensive vision of the world and time, a truly free, peaceful vision, that vision which the Second Vatican Council transmitted in its documents, and that my predecessors, the Servant of God Paul VI and Blessed John Paul II , illustrated with their teaching. "
From the second reading, taken from the beginning of the First Letter of Saint Paul to the Thessalonians (1.1 to 5), the Pope draws the lesson that "it is the Lord who touches hearts by His Word and His Spirit, by calling people to faith and communion in the Church "and that “evangelization to be effective, needs the power of the Spirit, which animates the proclamation and infuses the bearer with that "conviction" mentioned by the Apostle " .
The pontiff then focuses on the Gospel (Matthew 22, 15-21), which tells of the tribute to Caesar, in which Jesus is referred to as "truthful", who teaches "the way of God in truth" and who is not "in awe of anyone ".
"The new preachers - explained the pope - are called to walk in the Path that is Christ, to make known to others the beauty of the Gospel that gives life. And on this Path you are not alone, but in company: an experience of communion and fellowship that is offered to those we meet, to help them participate in our experience of Christ and his Church. Thus, witness united to proclamation can open the hearts of those who are seeking the truth, so that they can arrive at the meaning of life. "
The Pope explained he will prepare "a special Apostolic Letter" to illustrate the meaning of this "Year of Faith" that "will begin on 11 October 2012, the 50th anniversary of the Second Vatican Council, and will end on 24 November 2013, Solemnity of Christ the King". It "will be a moment of grace and commitment to a more complete conversion to God, to strengthen our faith in Him and to proclaim Him with joy to the people of our time."
Benedict XVI noted the importance of convening the meeting of the Pontifical Council right in the month of October, the month that is traditionally dedicated to prayer and support of the mission ad gentes: "I am delighted - he said - that this conference takes place in the context of the month of October, just one week before the World Mission Sunday: this refers to the correct universal dimension of the new evangelization, in harmony with that of the mission ad gentes. "
Therefore, there is no opposition between the mission ad gentes and new evangelization, although this is very urgent, especially in traditionally Christian countries, which have become increasingly "indifferent" and "hostile" to the mission of the Church. To confirm this, many of the members who attended yesterday's meeting came not only from Europe, USA and Canada, but also from Africa, Latin America and Asia.
In his homily Benedict XVI traced paths for the work of new evangelization. Referring to the first reading this Sunday (Isaiah 43, 1.4-6), which speaks of the Persian emperor Cyrus, he stressed that "even the mighty Cyrus, the Persian Emperor, is part of a greater plan, that only God knows and carries forward. This reading gives us the theological meaning of history: the epochal upheavals, the succession of the great powers are under the supreme dominion of God, no earthly power can take His place. "
For this reason, "the theology of history is an important, essential part of the new evangelization, because the men of our time, after the disastrous season of totalitarian empires of the twentieth century, need to find a comprehensive vision of the world and time, a truly free, peaceful vision, that vision which the Second Vatican Council transmitted in its documents, and that my predecessors, the Servant of God Paul VI and Blessed John Paul II , illustrated with their teaching. "
From the second reading, taken from the beginning of the First Letter of Saint Paul to the Thessalonians (1.1 to 5), the Pope draws the lesson that "it is the Lord who touches hearts by His Word and His Spirit, by calling people to faith and communion in the Church "and that “evangelization to be effective, needs the power of the Spirit, which animates the proclamation and infuses the bearer with that "conviction" mentioned by the Apostle " .
The pontiff then focuses on the Gospel (Matthew 22, 15-21), which tells of the tribute to Caesar, in which Jesus is referred to as "truthful", who teaches "the way of God in truth" and who is not "in awe of anyone ".
"The new preachers - explained the pope - are called to walk in the Path that is Christ, to make known to others the beauty of the Gospel that gives life. And on this Path you are not alone, but in company: an experience of communion and fellowship that is offered to those we meet, to help them participate in our experience of Christ and his Church. Thus, witness united to proclamation can open the hearts of those who are seeking the truth, so that they can arrive at the meaning of life. "
"Caesar’s tribute - he added – must be paid, because the image on the coin is his, but man, every man carries another image, that of God, and therefore it is to Him, and Him alone, that everyone owes their existence”.
The pontiff, however, stated that "the words of Jesus... can not only reduce the political sphere. ... The Church… does not limit itself to reminding people the proper distinction between the sphere of authority of Caesar and that of God, between the political and religious. The mission of the Church, like Christ, is essentially to speak of God, to commemorate His sovereignty, reminding everyone, especially Christians, who have lost their identity, God’s right over what belongs to Him, that is our lives ".
Thanking all those present, as "protagonists of the new evangelization," Benedict XVI concluded his homily with an invitation: "Learn from the Mother of God and our Mother, to be humble and yet courageous, simple and prudent; meek and strong, not with the strength of the world, but that of truth".