A New Evangelization

Evangelization in Oceania

18. Evangelization is the mission of the Church to tell the world the truth of God revealed in Jesus Christ. The Synod Fathers were eager that communio be the theme and aim of all evangelization in Oceania⁽⁵⁹⁾ and the basis for all pastoral planning. In evangelization, the Church expresses her own inner communion and acts as a single body, striving to bring all humanity to unity in God through Christ. All the baptized have the responsibility of proclaiming the Gospel in word and action to the world in which they live.⁽⁶⁰⁾ The Gospel must be heard in Oceania by all people, believers and non-believers, natives and immigrants, rich and poor, young and old. Indeed all these people have a right to hear the Gospel, which means that Christians have a solemn duty to share it with them. A new evangelization is needed today so that everyone may hear, understand and believe in God's mercy destined for all people in Jesus Christ.

During the Special Assembly, the Bishops shared their rich store of pastoral experience and that of the people with whom they work most closely; and thus they discerned together new perspectives for the future of the Church in Oceania. Many of them spoke of the hardships of isolation, of the need to travel immense distances and of living in harsh environments. At the same time, they also related very positive experiences of a freshness of faith and communio, when people welcome the Gospel and discover the love of God. The Bishops also spoke of the hopes and fears, the achievements and disappointments and the growth and decline of particular Churches in Oceania. Some felt that the Church in Oceania as a whole is at a crossroads, requiring important choices for the future. They were aware that new circumstances in that vast region present great challenges, and that the time is ripe for a re-presentation of the Gospel to the peoples of the Pacific, so that they may hear the word of God with renewed faith and find more abundant life in Christ. But to do this, they agreed, there is a need for new ways and methods of evangelization, inspired by deeper faith, hope and love of the Lord Jesus.

As a first step in the necessary "renewal of mind" (Rom 12:2), the Bishops spoke very positively of the many efforts to apply the directives of the Second Vatican Council. They insisted that these must be built upon, and this implies the need for other initiatives to strengthen the faith of those who have grown weak and to present it more convincingly to society at large. The call to renewal is a call to proclaim to the world the truth of Jesus Christ by bearing witness to him, even to the point of the supreme sacrifice of martyrdom. It is to this that the Church in Oceania is now called; and this was the underlying reason for celebrating the Special Assembly of the Synod of Bishops.⁽⁶¹⁾

Given the situation in Oceania, God's call can easily go unheard, because of the global transformation affecting the region's cultural identity and social institutions. Some fear that these changes might undermine the foundations of the faith, and lead to weariness of spirit and despair. At such times, we need to remind ourselves that the Lord provides the strength to overcome such temptations. Our faith in him is like a house built on rock. "The rains may fall, and the floods come, and the winds blow and beat upon that house, it does not fall, because it is founded on the rock" (Mt 7:25). Through the power of the Holy Spirit, the Church in Oceania is preparing for a new evangelization of peoples who today are hungering for Christ. "This is the acceptable time; this is the day of salvation" (2 Cor 6:2).

Many Synod Fathers voiced concern about the public standing of the Christian faith in Oceania, noting that it exerts less influence on policies regarding the common good, public morality and the administration of justice, the status of marriage and family, or the right to life itself. Some of the Bishops pointed out that the Church's teaching is at times questioned even by Catholic people. In so far as this is true, it is hardly surprising that the voice of the Church is less influential in public life.

The challenges of modernity and post-modernity are experienced by all the local Churches in Oceania, but with particular force by those in societies most powerfully affected by secularization, individualism and consumerism. Many Bishops identified the signs of a dwindling of Catholic faith and practice in the lives of some people to the point where they accept a completely secular outlook as the norm of judgment and behaviour. In this regard, Pope Paul VI already cautioned Christians, saying that "there is a danger of reducing everything to an earthly humanism, to forget life's moral and spiritual dimension and to stop caring about our necessary relationship with the Creator".⁽⁶²⁾ The Church has to fulfill her evangelizing mission in an increasingly secularized world. The sense of God and of his loving Providence has diminished for many people and even for whole sections of society. Practical indifference to religious truths and values clouds the face of divine love. Therefore, "among the priorities of a renewed endeavour of evangelization there has to be a return to the sense of the sacred, to an awareness of the centrality of God in the whole of human existence".⁽⁶³⁾ A new evangelization is the first priority for the Church in Oceania. In one sense, her mission is simple and clear: to propose once again to human society the entire Gospel of salvation in Jesus Christ. She is sent to the contemporary world, to the men and women of our time, "to preach the Gospel...lest the Cross of Christ be emptied of its power. For the word of the Cross... is the power of God" (1 Cor 1:17-18).⁽⁶⁴⁾

The Agents of Evangelization

19. Like the Apostles, the Bishops are sent to their Dioceses as the prime witnesses to the Risen Christ. United around the Successor of Peter, they form a college responsible for spreading the Gospel throughout the world. During the Special Assembly for Oceania, the Bishops recognized that they are themselves the first called to a renewed Christian life and witness. More prayerful study of the Scriptures and Tradition will lead them to a deeper knowledge and love of the faith. In this way, as Pastors of their people, they will contribute still more effectively to the work of the new evangelization.⁽⁶⁵⁾ As the Acts of the Apostles makes clear, the outstanding characteristic of the apostolic mission inspired by the Holy Spirit is the courage to proclaim "the word of God with boldness" (4:31). This courage was given to them in response to the prayer of the whole community: "Grant to your servants to speak your word with all boldness" (4:29). The same Spirit today too enables the Bishops to speak out clearly and courageously when they face a society that needs to hear the word of Christian truth. The Catholics of Oceania continue to pray fervently that, like the Apostles, their Pastors will be audacious witnesses to Christ; and the Successor of Peter joins them in that prayer.

With the Bishops, all Christ's faithful - clergy, religious and laity - are called to proclaim the Gospel. Their communio expresses itself in a spirit of cooperation, which is itself a powerful witness to the Gospel. Priests are the Bishops' closest co-workers and greatest support in the work of evangelization, particularly in the parish communities entrusted to their care.⁽⁶⁶⁾ They offer the Sacrifice of Christ for the needs of the community, reconcile sinners to God and to the community, strengthen the sick on their pilgrimage to eternal life,⁽⁶⁷⁾ and thus enable the whole community to bear witness to the Gospel in every moment of life and death. Men and women in the consecrated life are living signs of the Gospel. Their vows of evangelical poverty, chastity and obedience are sure paths to deeper knowledge and love of Christ, and from this intimacy with the Lord comes their consecrated service of the Church, which has proven such a wonderful grace in Oceania.⁽⁶⁸⁾ Lay people also play their part by consecrating the world to God, and many of them are coming to a deeper sense of their indispensable role in the Church's evangelizing mission.⁽⁶⁹⁾ Through the witness of love in the Sacrament of Matrimony or the generous dedication of people called to the single life, through their activity in the world whatever it might be, lay people can and must be a true leaven in every corner of society in Oceania. Upon this, the success of the new evangelization depends in large part.

A new proclamation of Christ must arise from an inner renewal of the Church, and all renewal in the Church must have mission as its goal if it is not to fall prey to a kind of ecclesial introversion. Every aspect of the Church's mission to the world must be born of a renewal which comes from contemplation of the face of Christ.⁽⁷⁰⁾ This renewal in turn gives rise to concrete pastoral strategies; and in this regard, the Special Assembly invited the local communities to contribute to the new evangelization by a spirit of fellowship at their liturgies, in their social and apostolic activities; by reaching out to non-practising and alienated Catholics; by strengthening the identity of Catholic schools; by providing opportunities for adults to grow in their faith through programmes of study and formation; by teaching and explaining Catholic doctrine effectively to those outside the Christian community; and by bringing the social teaching of the Church to bear on civic life in Oceania.⁽⁷¹⁾ As a result of these and allied initiatives, the Gospel will be presented to society more convincingly and influence culture more deeply.

The first Christians were stirred by the Holy Spirit to believe in Christ and to proclaim him as the world's only Saviour, sent by the Father. In every age, the true agent of renewal and evangelization is the Holy Spirit, who surely will not fail to help the Church now to find the evangelizing energies and methods needed in rapidly changing societies. Nor will the new evangelization fail to bring to the peoples of Oceania the wonderful fruits of the Holy Spirit as experienced by the first Christians, when they encountered the Risen Lord and received the gift of his love which is stronger even than death.

The Primacy of Proclamation

20. The kerygmais God's word proclaimed in order to set humanity right with God through faith in Christ. We see the power of the kerygma at work in the first community in Jerusalem. "They devoted themselves to the Apostles' teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers" (Acts 2:42). This is the essence of the Church's life, the fruit of the first evangelization. Adherence to Jesus Christ comes through believing his word proclaimed by the Church. Saint Paul asks, "How can people preach unless they are sent?" (Rom 10:15); and indeed Christ sent his Apostles whose "voice went out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world" (Ps 19:5). As "witnesses of divine and Catholic truth",⁽⁷²⁾ the missionaries in Oceania travelled over land and sea, passed through deserts and floods, and faced great cultural difficulties in accomplishing their remarkable work. Inspired by this story of the Church's birth in Oceania, the Synod Fathers felt the need for a new and courageous preaching of the Gospel in our own day.

The Church faces a twofold challenge in seeking to proclaim the Gospel in Oceania: on the one hand, the traditional religions and cultures, and on the other, the modern process of secularization. In each case, "the first and most urgent task is the proclamation of the Risen Christ by way of a personal encounter which would bring the listener to conversion of heart and the request for Baptism".⁽⁷³⁾ Whether faced with traditional religion or refined philosophy, the Church preaches by word and deed that "the truth is in Jesus Christ" (Eph 4:21; cf. Col 1:15-20). In the light of that truth, she makes her contribution to discussion about the values and ethical principles which make for happiness in human life and peace in society. The faith must always be presented in a rationally coherent way, so as to favour its capacity to penetrate into ever wider fields of human experience. Faith in fact has the force to shape culture itself by penetrating it to its very core. Alert to both Christian tradition and contemporary cultural shifts, the word of faith and reason must go hand in hand with the witness of life if evangelization is to bear fruit. Above all, however, what is needed is a fearless proclamation of Christ, "a parrhesia of faith".⁽⁷⁴⁾

Evangelization and the Media

21. In today's world, the media of social communication are increasingly powerful as agents of modernization, even in the remotest parts of Oceania. The media have a great impact on the lives of people, on their culture, on their moral thinking and on their religious behaviour; and, when used indiscriminately, they can have a harmful effect on traditional cultures. The Synod Fathers called for a greater awareness of the power of the media, which "offer an excellent opportunity for the Church to evangelize, to build community and solidarity".⁽⁷⁵⁾ Indeed the media often provide the only contact the Church has with non-practising Catholics or the wider community. Therefore, they should be employed in a creative and responsible manner.⁽⁷⁶⁾

Where possible, the Church should devise a pastoral plan for communications at the national, diocesan and parish levels. Coordination of the Church's efforts is necessary to ensure better preparation of those who represent the Church in the media,⁽⁷⁷⁾ and to encourage dedicated lay people to enter the media professionally as a vocation. It is a sign of hope that Christians working in the media are giving evidence of their commitment to Christian values. With their assistance, religious material and programmes reflecting human and moral values can be professionally produced, even if funding is often a problem. A Catholic media centre for the whole of Oceania could be of great help in using the media for the purposes of evangelization. The Bishops also expressed concern about standards of decency in the public media and denounced the level of violence they have reached.⁽⁷⁸⁾ Church leaders need to collaborate when codes of ethics for the media are drawn up;⁽⁷⁹⁾ and families and young people need assistance in critically evaluating the content of programmes. Catholic educational institutions therefore have a vital role in helping people, especially youth, come to a critical appreciation of the media. The Christian faith challenges us all to become discriminating listeners, viewers and readers.⁽⁸⁰⁾

Advertising has great power to encourage both good and evil. The process of globalization and the growing pattern of monopolies in the media give it still greater power over people. By means of image and suggestion, advertising often propagates a culture of consumerism, reducing people to what they have or can acquire. It leads people to believe that there is nothing beyond what a consumer economy can offer. "The greatest concern with this power is that, for the most part, it ceaselessly propagates an ideology that is clearly in conflict with the vision of the Catholic faith".⁽⁸¹⁾ It is important therefore that the faithful, especially the young, be equipped to deal critically with the advertising which is an ubiquitous part of life today. This means that they must be given a clear and strong sense of the human and Christian values which are fundamental to the Catholic understanding of human life.