Pope Francis on How to Evangelize

[GAHere]

“You can’t evangelize without dialogue. It’s impossible. Because you must begin from where the person who is to evangelized comes from. And this is so important. ‘But father, we waste so much time because every person has his or her own story, he or she comes with their own ideas…’ And, time is wasted. More time than God wasted when he created the world and He did it well. Dialogue. Spend time with that person because that person is who God wants you to evangelize, it’s more important to give him or her the news about Jesus. But according to who he or she is, not how it should be: how he or she is right now.”

Text from page: en.radiovaticana.va/news/2014/05/08/pope_francis:_the_church_should_bestow_the_grace_of_god_not/en1-797492 of the Vatican Radio website

I think I will be pondering this one for a while, especially that last sentence. It takes patience at the onset - listening attentively. For me, that’s difficult, because I’m one of those who get so excited about helping that I interrupt, complete their sentences so I can springboard off that point. I’m learning, though, through prayer, and patience, that when I hold my tongue there really IS more to the point the other was trying to make. Pope Francis is wise, indeed.

 

[MacQ]

I hope his holiness can influence people…I am alarmed at some of the posts I read here from Catholics who seem to be out there acting like the most radical bible-bashing pious self righteous fundamentalist you could find. Getting in people’s faces to tell them they’re going to hell…

Just today I read posts about taking Jehovah’s witness and Mormon literature from hotel rooms and mailboxes to keep people from reading it…and other catholics saying that’s ok “because we’re right and they’re wrong”.

And yet more posts from one of our faithful here who seems to post on many threads about having identified some new sinner in her midst (they’re gay or they’re agnostic, or whatever) who she thinks she should acquaint with the facts of salvation. Uninvited. She sounds like someone I’d run the other way from.

Ok, rant over.

I think the best way for Catholics to evangelize is by living our faith…radiating some joy, wisdom and patience, and above all, LOVE. Be the person who has what others want. Peace and joy.

Otherwise, it is as The Pope suggests. Dialogue. But I would add:
Only after a relationship exists, and only if asked. He said it takes time. It may take decades.

 

[pacomius]

a great drawback in evangelization is that sometimes we do not only fail to recognize the unique background of each individual, we even go as far as presenting the gospel as we would want it instead of how it really is.

 

[POJIUJH]

Just today I read posts about taking Jehovah’s witness and Mormon literature from hotel rooms and mailboxes to keep people from reading it…and other catholics saying that’s ok “because we’re right and they’re wrong”.

In fairness though, this is okay. Two conflicting understandings do not rule out the truth. JW material really is erroneous even if they think it is true.

 

[MacQ]

In fairness though, this is okay. Two conflicting understandings do not rule out the truth. JW material really is erroneous even if they think it is true.

That doesn’t justify stealing from people’s porches or mailboxes it to prevent them from reading it.
Not okay.

 

[Pancras]

How about evangelizing to homosexuals – which comes first, their conversion or their baptism?

 

[pacomius]

How about evangelizing to homosexuals – which comes first, their conversion or their baptism?

their baptism. baptism means they are willing to make effort to live according to the church’s teaching

 

[Pancras]

(homosexuals - which comes first conversion or baptism?)

their baptism. baptism means they are willing to make effort to live according to the church’s teaching

Does RCIA have nothing to do with conversion?

 

[MacQ]

(homosexuals - which comes first conversion or baptism?)

Does RCIA have nothing to do with conversion?

The process of conversion (coming into communion with the catholic church) for adults IS RCIA. It culminates with baptism (only for those not previously baptized), confirmation, and eucharist.
Sexual orientation has nothing to do with it.

 

[pacomius]

(homosexuals - which comes first conversion or baptism?)

Does RCIA have nothing to do with conversion?

RCIA means you are ready to be initiated into the Christian fold. it does not ever say you have to become a saint first. so the most important thing here is ‘what do you mean by conversion’?

 

[MacQ]

RCIA means you are ready to be initiated into the Christian fold. it does not ever say you have to become a saint first. so the most important thing here is ‘what do you mean by conversion’?

RCIA is the process by which you become ready to be initiated

 

[Pancras]

.
I appreciate the several replies, above, but rather than confuse things, I’ll focus on one post here:

RCIA means you are ready to be initiated into the Christian fold. it does not ever say you have to become a saint first. so the most important thing here is ‘what do you mean by conversion’?

Acknowledging the appropriate response of MacQ, *“RCIA is the process by which you become ready to be initiated,” * it seems to me that perhaps an equally pressing issue is this question pacomius asks: “What do you mean by ‘conversion’?”

This could be it’s own thread, the discussion of what conversion means, what it does not mean, how it can be misunderstood, how it has been hijacked, what it means to one person or to another person, &c. But after all the cows come home, we ought to be measuring our precepts and concepts in our own minds by the standard that God has provided us.

Does anyone know what *conversion *means in the mind of God?
Can anyone know that, and if so, can they ever be able to explain it?
***Is ***there even such a thing in the *first *place?
.

 

[Pancras]

.
So as not to lose focus, the OP was as follows:

Pope Francis said:
“You can’t evangelize without dialogue. It’s impossible. Because you must begin from where the person who is to [be] evangelized comes from. And this is so important. ‘But father, we waste so much time because every person has his or her own story, he or she comes with their own ideas…’ And, time is wasted. More time than God wasted when he created the world and He did it well. Dialogue. Spend time with that person because that person is who God wants you to evangelize, it’s more important to give him or her the news about Jesus. But according to who he or she is, not how it should be: how he or she is right now.”

 

[pacomius]

Does anyone know what conversion
means in the mind of God?
Can anyone know that, and if so, can
they ever be able to explain it?
Is there even such a thing in the first
place?
.

1. hope I’m not causing you any confusions?
2. about the RCIA I was meaning to say that a person accepting RCIA is inherently accepting the Catholic faith and its responsibilities; thus what is more important is the desire to adhere as much as possible (I was not defining RCIA as a concept)
3. no one knows the mind of God. the first part of the catechism CCC deals with man’s capacity to know God.
4. there is conversion. st Paul is an example
5. rather proffer a definition for conversion and spark some confusion or misunderstanding I will rather you read the conversion of st Paul and infer the meaning from it