Can anyone explain the New Evangelization?

[WD615]

So, I am a little confused by the “New Evangelization.” I’m not entirely sure what it means. I guess the naming of it is a little confusing.

But I don’t get the purpose/method of the New Evangelization. Every time I read/hear on the radio/ see on the TV it almost seems like a cop-out. I don’t mean any offense but it seems like anytime somebody talks about the need to convert people or share the Gospel, it seems like somebody talks about the “New Evangelization” as if you just need to live a holy life and people will convert to Catholicism.

I can understand how this is the first step to evangelization (it’ll make people listen up and can open the door). However, it always seems like this is thrown up when people talk about what I would call “the second step” and that is actually sharing the gospel or giving your “reason” or sharing the truth of the Catholic faith.

I know sometimes people will throw out that quote from St Francis “preach the Gospel at all times. If necessary, use words.” But even St Francis set out to convert the Muslims! I just know that seeing Catholics leading a holy life opened me up to Catholicism. But for most people there’s a lot of other hurdles and I wouldn’t have converted if those hadn’t been cleared. I would have just considered Catholics as good people but not for me or as good people but mistaken.

If I am wrong, I would love to have this cleared up. Any quotes on the New Evangelization would be appreciated.

 

[Joe_5859]

In about a year or so, once the pope releases his Apostolic Exhortation on the New Evangelization, which always follows every Synod of Bishops, then there will be a nice handy authoritative document to point you to.

In a nutshell, the “New Evangelization” refers to the re-evangelization of lax Christians.

We are at a unique point in human history in that we now have many countries that can be described as “post-Christian”. They heard and embraced the Gospel. Now they have left it for secularism instead.

We cannot reach these people in the same ways we reach those who have never heard the Gosepl to begin with. We need a different approach. That’s where the “New Evangelization” comes in.

You might check out some of the preliminary working documents from last Fall’s Synod on the New Evangelization:

• [Lineamenta (http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/s...doc_20110202_lineamenta-xiii-assembly_en.html)
• [Instrumentum Laboris (http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/synod/documents/rc_synod_doc_20120619_instrumentum-xiii_en.html)

Just for some background, as with any Synod of Bishops, a Lineamenta is drawn up by the appropriate Vatican office and sent out to the bishops of the world. The bishops respond and the Vatican office then colates the results into the Instrumentum Laboris, which is the starting point for the Synod when the bishops come together to discuss the matter. At the Synod, the bishops come up with a list of propositions that they give to the Holy Father who then writes an Apostolic Exhortation on the topic.

So the Instrumentum Laboris I linked to above gives lots of good insights into the New Evangelization, but it is still a work in progress.

 

[Joe_5859]

Just to put your mind at ease, the New Evangleization does not mean that we forsake all attempts to evangelize except to just be good people. If anyone tells you that, then they have greatly misunderstood the concept.

If it’s difficult to understand, that’s because – in many ways – this is an evolving concept. It started with a few off-handed mentions by Pope John Paul II about the need for a new evangelization that is “new in its ardor, methods and expression.” It sort of grew from there.

The USCCB has a nice document that sort of summarizes the origins of the concept:

Disciples Called to Witness

 

[MaryT777]

Good question.

 

[acarlson]

Here’s a couple of links to articles/websites explaining what the New Evangelization is all about in more-or-less “layman’s terms” (I’m a FOCUS alumna, so it’s kinda my thing):

focus.org/news-for-you/september/what-is-the-new-evangelization.html
usccb.org/beliefs-and-teachings/how-we-teach/new-evangelization/
ewtn.com/new_evangelization/introduction.htm

Hope that helps!

 

[WD615]

Ok. So it’s referring to bringing people back to the Church. I guess that fits with the whole Catholics Come Home program I’ve seen sometimes.

 

[Lancer]

First…welcome Home to your Church and family…Thanks be to God!

You seem to understand the Pope/bishops exhortation very well and explain it very correctly…the two necessary initiatives…but you are inadvertently, I believe, trying to apply the classical protestant “either/or” methodology…to the Catholic methodology which is almost always…“both/and”. The Pope (Benedict at the time) and all the bishops see it as a “both/and”…so I think you are being a bit too critical…unfair to their actual exhortation…and seem to be making a big generalization that we Catholics are just or too focused on our own holiness…vice that we should be more focused on evangelizing those who are not Catholic…your anecdotal experience on the focus and how the New Evangelization is being carried out…is just that…anecdotal…its not the exhortation in its fullness…and it is not what many dioceses are doing…e.g., many are taking a census to find fallen away Catholics as well as having “open house” meetings…inviting all to attend, especially interested persons to explore the Catholic Faith. Additionally many human resources and CD’s DVD’s and Faith Formation classes are being offered.

I applaud and admire your desire (if I understand you correctly) to see a heavier focus on those who are not Catholics…but, the Pope and our USCCB are actually quite clear…two steps/focuses are imperative for the Life and Mission of The Church…re-evangelize us Catholics in our Faith…and re-propose the Faith to those who have never received it.

What is the New Evangelization?
The New Evangelization calls each of us to deepen our faith, believe in the Gospel message and go forth to proclaim the Gospel. The focus of the New Evangelization** calls all Catholics to be evangelized** and then go forth to evangelize. In a special way, the New Evangelization is focused on ‘re-proposing’ the Gospel to those who have experienced a crisis of faith.

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.

usccb.org/beliefs-and-teachings/how-we-teach/new-evangelization/
"

Why…look at some of the facts/data…
Pax Christi

According to the CARA study, only 23% of U.S. Catholics regularly attend Mass once a week, while 77% self-identify as proud to be Catholic.

Twenty-six percent of adult Catholics say they participate in the Sacrament of Reconciliation once a year or more often (this is equivalent to 13.3 million adults). Only 2 percent of Catholics do so once a month or more often. Thirty percent say they go to Confession less than once a year and 45 percent say they never do so.

Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate (CARA) at Georgetown University

cara.georgetown.edu/sacraments.html​

​

Major Findings
​

Six in ten respondents (61 percent) agree “somewhat” or “strongly” with the statement, “Sacraments are essential to my faith.” More than nine in ten adult Catholics (92 percent) have received their First Communion and 84 percent have celebrated the sacrament of Confirmation. Nearly all weekly Mass attenders and those who have attended Catholic educational institutions have received their First Communion and have been confirmed.

Respondents were asked** how meaningful each of the seven sacraments are to them**. More than eight in ten adult Catholics say the following four are either “somewhat” or “very” meaningful to them: Marriage (89 percent), Baptism (88 percent), the Eucharist (84 percent), and Confirmation (83 percent). Nearly all Catholics (90 percent or more) who attend Mass weekly or more often say all seven sacraments are at least “somewhat” meaningful to them.

About a third of respondents (34 percent) agree “strongly” with the statement, “I can be a good Catholic without going to Mass every Sunday.” More than two-thirds** (68 percent) agree with this statement at least “somewhat**.”

Of the seven sacraments, Catholics are least likely to say the sacrament of Reconciliation is “somewhat” or “very” meaningful to them. Only two-thirds (66 percent) of adult Catholics responded as such (39 percent “very” meaningful).

More than three in ten adult Catholics (31.4 percent) are estimated to be attending Mass in any given week. This is equivalent to 16.1 million adult Mass attendees per week. Twenty-three percent say they attend Mass every week (once a week or more often). This has remained unchanged—within margins of sampling error in the last five years.

A majority of adult Catholics, 57 percent], say their belief about the Eucharist is reflected best
by the statement “Jesus Christ is really present in the bread and wine of the Eucharist],” compared to** 43 percent who said their belief is best reflected in the statement, “Bread and wine are symbols of Jesus, but Jesus is not really presen**t.”

 

[WD615]

You seem to understand the Pope/bishops exhortation very well and explain it very correctly…the two necessary initiatives…but you are inadvertently, I believe, trying to apply the classical protestant “either/or” methodology…to the Catholic methodology which is almost always…“both/and”. The Pope (Benedict at the time) and all the bishops see it as a “both/and”…so I think you are being a bit too critical…unfair to their actual exhortation…and seem to be making a big generalization that we Catholics are just or too focused on our own holiness…vice that we should be more focused on evangelizing those who are not Catholic…your anecdotal experience on the focus and how the New Evangelization is being carried out…is just that…anecdotal…its not the exhortation in its fullness…and it is not what many dioceses are doing…e.g., many are taking a census to find fallen away Catholics as well as having “open house” meetings…inviting all to attend, especially interested persons to explore the Catholic Faith. Additionally many human resources and CD’s DVD’s and Faith Formation classes

Actually, I was worried that a Protestant either/or mindset was the mindset of the New Evangelization! What precipitated this was listening to Catholic radio and a caller asked why Catholics don’t share Catholicism with others as much as some denominations (not saying that’s always true, but that’s what she said) and I understood the host’s response as sort of putting “being holy” as a substitute/replacement for other evangelization (of course I probably misinterpretated). These responses have helped flesh out my understanding of it.

 

[WD615]

On another note, I think those statistics that Lancer quoted are just so sad. I have heard them before, but it grieves my heart to see so many people with the world opened up before them (I mean you have the opportunity for reconciliation, be physically present before the Son of God Himself, can partake of the Body and Blood of Christ! Isn’t this what all the prophets cried out for?) and don’t even see it.

 

[kkollwitz]

I’d say the New E means you understand Catholicism well enough to explain and defend it to others; and you do so.