Areas for New Evangelization

As we initiate concrete activities in pursuit of the New Evangelization at this time, four ‗areas‘ or ‗dimensions‘ of concern are opened up for us:

First, the intensification of promoting missio ad gentes in all our communities, among our lay people, our priests and seminarians, and men and women in consecrated life. Post-World War II Roman Pontiffs have insisted that the Church in the Philippines has a clear ―missionary vocation‖ given by divine providence by reasons of history, of geographical location, of the presence of Filipino Christians in so many ‗non-evangelized‘ regions of the world. In all of human history it is today that the number of those who have never met Jesus Christ or heard His Gospel is perhaps at its highest level. How imperative and how urgent it is then that Jesus and His Gospel be made known, and His truth and way of life be witnessed to by us to whom 500 years ago the Christian Faith was given as gift!

Secondly, in our part of the world all evangelization must keep in mind the imperative of “bringing Good News to the poor” (pauperes evangelizantur). This holds true of all evangelization, but it has a special relevance and urgency for us and our Filipino ―missionary vocation‖. We are still a long way from the vision to becoming in truth a ―church of the poor‖—committed to struggle to bring down poverty among our people, committed to striving to do all we can to help bring about ―a civilization of justice and love‖.

Thirdly, we must reach out to the many Catholics whose faith-knowledge and faith-practice have been largely eroded and even lost. We have to reach out to former Catholics who have drifted from the Church due to scandals, hurts, unresolved confusions and doubts as well as to Catholics who have in fact turned to other religions and religious traditions. We must counteract the creeping effects of glorified moral relativism and secularism now eating up our people. We must protect the youth from the attraction of individualistic sects that ignore all communitarian norms.

Lastly, we must renew our attention and zeal toward the reawakening, fuller formation and animation of young people and youth groups, in both urban and rural settings. The Philippines is a country of the Young. We cannot insist enough how important and significant, how urgent and crucial the evangelization of our youth is. This, indeed, is priority pastoral task.



Resource: http://newevangelizationphilippines.com/

Related articles:
http://pahina3.blogspot.com/2014/07/what-is-new-evangelization.html
http://pahina3.blogspot.com/2014/07/a-nine-year-era-of-new-evangelization.html