WASHINGTON, D.C., APRIL 17, 2012 (Zenit.org).- The U.S. bishops have published a document outlining a series of resources for the New Evangelization.
The document is titled “Disciples Called to Witness: The New Evangelization.”
“Every Catholic has a role in the Church, and every Catholic is called to spread the Gospel,” said Bishop David L. Ricken of Green Bay, Wisconsin, chairman of the USCCB Committee on Evangelization and Catechesis.
“But in order to evangelize, a person must first be evangelized. This is really the heart of the New Evangelization,” he stated in an April 16 press release.
According to one of explanations of New Evangelization in the list of resources it is a call for everyone to deepen their faith, believe in the Gospel message and to proclaim the Gospel.
“In a special way, the New Evangelization is focused on ‘re-proposing’ the Gospel to those who have experienced a crisis of faith,” it explained. Pope Benedict XVI called for the re-proposing of the Gospel «to those regions awaiting the first evangelization and to those regions where the roots of Christianity are deep but who have experienced a serious crisis of faith due to secularization.»
“The New Evangelization invites each Catholic to renew their relationship with Jesus Christ and his Church,” the document explained.
The document links to a wide variety of resources that includes Church documents, the Catechism, explanations about the sacraments and various Church teachings.
“Christ commands us to be his witnesses to the ends of the earth,” the document’s preface states. “Are we like the disciples staring at the sky rather than inviting those around us to experience Christ’s love and mercy through the Church?»
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On the Net:
Full text of document: http://www.usccb.org/beliefs-and-teachings/how-we-teach/new-evangelization/disciples-called-to-witness/index.cfm
USCCB New Evangelization Web page: http://www.usccb.org/beliefs-and-teachings/how-we-teach/new-evangelization/index.cfm
