Pope Francis’ style and ongoing reforms are intended to encourage
Catholics to be more missionary, in order to bring the Gospel to all
people, said Archbishop Pietro Parolin, Vatican Secretary of State.
“It’s very easy to work with Pope Bergoglio. There is a lot of
agreement, and this is great hope for the future,” Archbishop Parolin
said.
He emphasized the Holy Father's desire for reforms that “show the true face of the Church,” Vatican Radio reported.
Archbishop Parolin made his statements during the presentation of the
book, “My Door is Always Open,” by Father Antonio Spadaro, which
includes a more complete version of the conversation the Holy Father had
with the director of the Jesuit magazine La Civilta Cattolica.
It is true that Church “structures must be renewed in order that they
reflect the Gospel more and more and become even more effective in the
concrete exercise of the service they should provide,” the archbishop
reflected.
However, he continued, it is even more important, “as the Pope is asking
us, that we all work towards personal renewal – to use a Christian
term, towards continual conversion.”
Likewise, Archbishop Parolin reiterated the missionary dimension and style of the Pope.
“I think the hope is that the Gospel can reach all people: this
missionary dimension that has also been underscored today, which is
fundamental in the words and in the style of Pope Francis,” he
explained.
“The conference of the Latin American and Caribbean bishops at Aparecida
in 2007 underscored precisely this missionary dimension of the Church,
the need to go to the peripheries, to reach everyone, to bring the
treasure of the joy of the Gospel to all,” he said.
“This is also very beautiful and is the dominant tone of Evangelii
Gaudium. Thus the Gospel is joy and we are called to bring joy to the
word by bringing this Good News.”