Komunikat Nru 2 mis-Sinodu tal-Isqfijiet dwar l-Evanġelizzazzjoni Ġdida biex innisslu l-Fidi Nisranija

Mibgħut lilna mill-Eċċellenza Tiegħu Monsinjur Mario Grech, Isqof ta' Għawdex.

17 Ottubru 2012

(1)  Card. Timothy Michael DOLAN, Archbishop of New York, President of the Episcopal Conference (UNITED STATES OF AMERICA)

The New Evangelization reminds us that the very agents of evangelization must first be evangelized themselves.  Saint Bernard said, “If you want to be a channel, you must first be a reservoir”. Thus I believe that the primary sacrament of the New Evangelization is the sacrament of penance. But, the sacrament of reconciliation evangelizes the evangelizers, as it brings us into contact with Jesus, who calls us to conversion of heart, and inspires us to answer His invitation to repentance.The second Vatican Council called for a renewal of the sacrament of penance, but what we got instead, sadly, in many places, was the disappearance of the sacrament. But the answer to the question “What's wrong with the world?” is not politics. The economy, secularism, pollution, global warming... no. As Chesterton wrote, “'The answer to the question 'What's wrong with the world?' is two words: I am.”

(2)  Card. Zenon GROCHOLEWSKI, Prefect of the Congregation for Catholic Education (VATICAN CITY)

The question needs to be asked seriously: why is the increase in the number of our educational institutes accompanied by a growing crisis of faith? What is it that renders them so inefficacious in reawakening faith and in the field of evangelization? With regard to this I would like to set forth three stratagems, which although they are not new, demand to be presented anew, seriously thought about and perhaps studied further.

 I read the following meaningful judgment by a layman about a priest: “He is very good at catechesis and sermons, but not so good at evangelization. [...] he really knows a lot about God, but I am not sure he knows God well enough. It is as though he has not had sufficient experience of Jesus.” To reinforce one’s faith, to know God and be an effective instrument of evangelization, study and intellectual knowledge are not enough, but it is necessary to have a living personal contact with God. If this awareness truly comes to life, it is certain that our educational institutions, especially the higher ones, but also the schools, would be more conscious of their task of evangelization and would be important instruments in bringing it about.

(3)  H.E. Gerald Frederick KICANAS, Bishop of Tucson (UNITED STATES OF AMERICA)

Inextricably linked to our preaching of the saving message of the Gospel, our acts of love and justice are a prophetic evangelical call. Sharing and acting on our Catholic social teaching bring people to Christ.

 We will move hearts to the vision of Christ when, in this Year of Faith, we all demonstrate our faith as Catholics with renewed energy for charity and justice at home and all through the world. People will wonder at the Spirit of Christ that moves us when we stand up for the lives, dignity, and rights of the “least of these”.

(4)   H.E. Mons. Socrates B. VILLEGAS, Archbishop of Lingayen-Dagupan (PHILIPPINES)

The new evangelization calls for new humility. The Gospel cannot thrive in pride. When pride seeps into the heart of the Church, the Gospel proclamation is harmed. The task of new evangelization must begin with a deep sense of awe and reverence for humanity and her culture. Evangelization has been hurt and continues to be impeded by the arrogance of its messengers. The hierarchy must shun arrogance, hypocrisy and bigotry. We must punish the errant among us instead of covering up our own mistakes. We are humans among our human flock. All our beauty and holiness we owe to God. This humility will make us more credible new evangelizers. Our mission is to propose humbly not to impose proudly.

Secondly, the new evangelization must be done by new saints and we must be those saints. The great poverty of the world now is the poverty of saints. … Our youth need models to inspire them. They need living heroes to ignite their hearts and excite them to know Jesus and love Him more. Our experience in the Third World tells me that the Gospel can be preached to empty stomachs but only if the stomach of the preacher is as empty as his parishioners.

Lastly, the new evangelization must be a call for new charity. We will be credible bringers of Gospel joy if the proclamation is accompanied by its twin messenger of charity. The charity of Jesus is the gift of Himself. The charity of the new evangelization must be the gift of Jesus”

(5) H. E. Mons. Rogelio CABRERA LÓPEZ, Archbishop of Monterrey (MEXICO)

The method God Himself has chosen to meet all of us is the Mystery of the Incarnation. This method involves welcoming all humans with an original sympathy.

(6)  - H. E. Antonio ARREGUI YARZA, Archbishop of Guayaquil, President of the Episcopal Conference (ECUADOR)

The encounter with Christ has a profoundly personal nature, characterized by friendship. Friends are the recipients of the Lord’s redemption (cf. John 15:18), to whom Jesus reveals his Father (cf. 15:15). Jesus dedicated time and openness of heart to the cultivation of fruitful friendships, with John and Andrew, with Martha, Mary and Lazarus, etc. The results of the personal and friendly apostolic dialogue of the Lord with persons such as Zacchary, Nicodemus or the Samaritan are surprising. It can be surmised that the disciples looked among their previous friends for those they could present for the discovery of the Messiah, experienced in this way by Nathaniel, Saint James of Zebedee and Peter himself.

(7)  H. Exc. Rev. Mons. José Elías RAUDA GUTIÉRREZ, O.F.M., Bishop of San Vicente (EL SALVADOR)

One of the internal and external obstacles to the new evangelization is constituted by the clergy itself: loss of pastoral enthusiasm, decrease of the missionary impulse, the lack of profound spiritual experience in liturgical celebrations, a lack of joy and hope strong enough to have a bearing upon the lives of our Christian communities..., and in the priests themselves there is a weakening in the experience of faith and pastoral works.

The new evangelization is proposed in this context as a medicine to give joy and life, against every type of fear. This requires that priestly formation is carried out in such a way as to produce fully formed priests, able to evangelize today’s world: convinced and fervent ministers of the new evangelization, faithful and passionate servants of Christ, for his mission and salvation.

(8)  H. Exc. Rev. Mons. Claude DAGENS, Archbishop of Angoulême (FRANCE)

This Synod is a favorable occasion to answer the decisive question made by Jesus to His disciples: “What are you looking for?” We are looking to be more numerous, to gather more faithful for the Eucharist, to manifest more strongly the Catholic presence in our secularized societies.  However, we cannot be satisfied by these quantitative perspectives. We are also called upon to a task of internal renewal of our Christian life”.

(9) - H. E. Mons. Mario Alberto MOLINA PALMA, O.A.R., Archbishop of Los Altos (GUATEMALA)

It is necessary that this Synodal Assembly points out what is the human problem on which the Gospel of Jesus should insist more than any other, in such a way that this aspect might become the primary reference, though not the only one, of the evangelization. I propose that it should be stated clearly that Jesus Christ and his Gospel offer, above all, an understanding of human life in view of the free call of God to eternal life. In this way they provide an answer to the problem of death which takes from human existence its meaning, consistency and value. The remaining problems stem from this, from a pastoral point of view.

(10)  H. E. Rev. Mons. André LÉONARD, Archbishop of Mechelen-Brussel, President of the Episcopal Conference (BELGIUM)

Two-thirds of active members of the Church are women. However, many feel discriminated against. It is time to clarify that, if the Church does not ordain female priests, this is not because they are less capable or less worthy! On the contrary! It is solely because the priest is not only a “minister of the rite”, but a representative of Christ the Groom Who came to wed humanity. Let us give thanks for the quality and the specificity of the massive contribution of women to evangelization. Some strong gestures should underline this clearly. Without joyous women, recognized in their own being and proud of belonging to the Church, there would be no new evangelization.