Evangelization

Characteristics of the New Evangelization

6 Characteristics of the New Evangelization of the Catholic Church

Catholic brothers and sisters use often the term new evangelization. Pope John Paul II have used this term and also pope Benedict XVI. What is this new evangelization. I found an article What Are Characteristics Of The New Evangelization? What is the new evangelization? Here is one answer: 1. The New Evangelization is Christocentric. 2. The New Evangelization is the responsibility of the entire People of God. 3. The New Evangelization is not just for the foreign missions. 4. The New Evangelization is directed to individuals and to whole cultures. 5. The New Evangelization is not limited to the presentation of the basic Gospel message (kerygma) but is a comprehensive process of Christianization. 6. The New Evangelization calls for a missionary spirituality. ) It is not new in its content; its theme is always Christocentric, that is, the one Gospel given in Jesus Christ, the Lord and savior of all mankind. Pope Benedict XVI has often reminded us that being Christian is not the result of an ethical choice or a lofty idea, but the event of an encounter with a person Jesus Christ, which gives life a new horizon and a decisive direction. B) It is inspired by the Holy Spirit who guided Jesus steps and, from the day of Pentecost, guides the Church. The gift of the Spirit is the prime mover, the first source, the first breath of a true evangelization. C) It is the responsibility of all the people of God, not just the work of a few people with a special vocation. All the laity are co-responsible. As Christians, we cannot avoid the supreme duty to evangelize. D) It is not just for foreign missions or only those who have not heard or believe the Christian message. The new evangelization is also for healthy Christian communities and for those Christians who have lost a living sense of faith. E) It is directed to individuals as well as to entire cultures of people and a wide variety of socio-cultural and demographic sectors. F) It is not only about proclaiming the Good News of the Kingdom of God, but involves the comprehensive process of being Christian, ongoing conversion and catechesis, and creating a civilization of love. G) It calls for a faithful missionary spirit that springs from prayer and holiness, hope and charity toward others.
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What is the New Evangelization? On the one hand, "traditional" evangelization refers to announcing the Gospel to nations who have not yet heard the Good News. The new evangelization, on the other hand, reaches out to people living in societies that have already been in contact with the Gospel and the Church. However, these people, for various reasons, have not yet had a personal encounter with Christ, and their faith has not had a chance to develop. The new evangelization addresses the needs of these people, and is concerned with revitalizing or awakening faith in social environments where Christianity has had an influence but can now be deemed "dormant".

Some Principal Characteristics What can we gather from the people and groups involved in the new evangelization? For our purposes, we have noted a number of characteristics, though not exhaustive, pertaining to four themes: a valuing of community, a spiritual renewal, an audacity to speak, and a concern for faith education. A Valuing of Community "A Christian alone is a Christian in danger!" (Saint Augustine) This rings especially true in a social context such as ours where it is increasingly felt that Catholicism is becoming a minority religion. Taking this into account, the new evangelization, recognizes the importance of Church community - what kind of Church? What are its traits? First, it is a Church which places its hopes in youth. While traditionally, faith education in Qubec focused mainly on children, leaving some wondering what would become of the 18 to 35 year-old generation, the new evangelization's priority is youth. Some local initiatives come to mind: the diocesan Youth Ministry Service (Mission Jeunesse) which promotes the "evangelization of youth by youth", the BEATAttitudes Youth Ministry Team, Duc in Altum (with the Salesian Sisters of St. John Bosco), the Challenge Movement, COR (Christ in Others Retreat), the Newman Center of McGill University, and so on 2. Without a doubt, much of our local Church's vitality stems from evangelizing youth. Second, the Church that values community also values the diversity and complementarity of vocations. In the perspective of the new evangelization, it is understood that the vision of vocations is not restricted to ordained ministry and consecrated life. Of course, these vocations are strongly promoted, but the vision expands to include a requalification of lay vocations (married or celibate). This is a crucial point: "The commitment of the laity to the work of evangelization is changing ecclesial life," asserted John Paul II in his encyclical letter

Redemptoris Missio (#2). This comple - mentarity of vocations is put forward by certain new religious communities, born of Vatican II (for example, the Chemin Neuf, the BEATAttitudes and the Emmanuel communities), as well as in religious communities where consecrated members and lay people share a "family" charisma (the Franciscan or Dominican laities, for instance). Third, the Church of the new evangelization pays attention to personal faith histories. Mass Catholicism in Qubec is a thing of the past, and the new evangelization takes this into account. Emphasis is put on the individual person, his or her spiritual experiences and growth in faith. Interest tends to focus on children and their awakening to faith, on young adults from dechristianized enviroments, on "new beginners" who are taking steps to reactivate their faith after a dormant period, on elderly people facing existential questions as they near the end of the road... In all these cases, various forms of accompaniment are proposed. In Montreal, the Ignatian Spirituality Centre, for example, provides training for spiritual directors, as does the Centre Le Plerin, linked with Saint Joseph's Oratory. Fourth, the Church of the new evangelization is open to interculturality. Globalization is in the air, not only economically and socially, but in the Church as well. Catholic immigrants are numerous in the Diocese of Montreal. Foreign priests are part of our reality. World Youth Days have given Qubec-born Catholics the opportunity to discover they belong to an international community of Catholics. In this perspective, the new evangelization fights the tendency to withdraw into one's close-knit Church network by situating the local Church in the larger, universal community. Finally, the Church of the new evangelization offers a variety of ways of belonging to a community. The parish, with its traditional territorial structure, remains an institution many continue to identify with. However, a new model of Church is emerging: it is composed of networks, of Bible and faith-sharing groups, of ecclesial movements, many of which are not necessarily linked with parishes. In the United States, some sociologists speak of this model as the "liquid Church", in contrast with the institutional parish model. The diverse realities of the Church of the new evangelization translate into the challenge of belonging, from the stable and the solid to the uncertain and the provisory. A spiritual renewal At the heart of the new evangelization lies an intense spiritual renewal, focused especially on prayer in its multiple expressions. Liturgies are centered on beauty and silence, like those of Taiz prayers and of the Fraternits Monastiques de Jrusalem. Small prayer groups offer a friendly atmosphere for intimate prayer; larger groups experience festive events, with joyous musical rhythms and openness to emotion and motion as means of prayer. The new

evangelization also insists on the importance of personal and collective witness. As Pope Paul VI put it, "Modern man listens more willingly to witnesses than to teachers, and if he does listen to teachers, it is because they are witnesses" (Evangelii nuntiandi, # 41). Witnessing plays a key role in the current evangelization. An audacity to speak The third characteristic of the new evangelization has to do with speaking up. The Good Word and the word of contemporary witnesses is meant to be visible, clear and assured. Jean Rigal, professor of ecclesiology, writes that the new evangelization is generally based on an affirmation of identity, and therefore quite opposed to being "buried" in the "human dough". Using biblical language, one might say that the "city on the hill" predominates over the "salt of the earth". 3 This tendency is observed in the new evangelization, and obvious ly does not exclude witness bearing witness to the Gospel by one's discreet presence and actions. Another observation regarding the audacity to speak is the means by which it does so. To preaching in churches we can add websites and blogs. Finally, let us note that the Word we are announcing is Good, and such a Good Word arises, first and foremost, from an attitude: that of proposing the Gospel today. As convinced as we may be, nothing can justify evangelical imperialism or a crusade-minded pastoral vision. Such a Good Word insists on the goodness of Christ and steps away from the morally obsessive with which the Church has, and has been, identified with. A concern for faith education

This last aspect of the new evangelization derives from speaking up: faith education. It does not suffice to speak. One must have something substantial to say! "The faith that seeks understanding" (St. Anselm of Canterbury) is taken seriously by those involved in the new evangelization, as one can see by the various faith formation activities and programs for all walks of life, offered by a number of centers, movements, groups, and academic institutions. Far from being exhaustive, these characteristics come together in a general portrait of the new evangelization and its diversity of Church bonds and community experiences. Further research could investigate how the new evangelization plays into various aspects of faith, such as social action, the valuing of family, interreligious dialogue, and the ecumenical movement of Churches, collaborative ministry, and the promotion of partnerships among men and women, among others. These are all tangible signs of the vitality of today's Church, our Church, asking to be explored!