Thanks.Well I really think that someone’s podcast opinion does not reflect the truth.
In fact, all Popes since Vatican II have called to evangelize all nations including Muslims.
Read this for more info
gatestoneinstitute.org/3779/vatican-islam
Here is an excerpt
The apostolic imperative of the Catholic Church to evangelize all nations is the most prevalent apprehension of even those Muslim leaders who are in dialogue with the Vatican. This command, to teach all nations, was a divine directive from Christ to his Apostles as He departed from them for the last time before re-joining the essence of the Father (Yahweh). Pope John Paul II lends credence to this Muslim fear. The Pope informed his experts on relations with non-Christians that there is no contradiction between simultaneous evangelization and dialogue. The almost constant travel of the Pontificate of John Paul II underscores the reality that the Vatican more than ever is energized, even driven, by the command to evangelize on a universal scale. This divine directive of Christians remains in direct conflict with the similar prime command of Allah to bring all nations to Islam. John Paul in fact, chose his name after his election as Pontiff, in part, for a desire to emulate Paul, the premier apostle to the gentiles. John Paul personalized papal proselytizing as no other Pontiff before him. His personal diplomacy accelerated the growth of Catholicism in those regions where Islamdom’s own proselytizing efforts were in full swing, particularly on the African continent, and was interpreted by some as a direct challenge to Islam in Africa.
Perhaps we should start with some quotes from Vatican II. Ad Gentes teaches,I heard while listening to Craig’s defenders podcast that Vatican II said that because the plan of salvation includes Muslims, that we shouldn’t evangelize them! Now, that sounds unbelievable that they would say that. Surely Muslims are worse off, albeit not completely hopeless, without knowledge of Christianity? Is what Craig said about what Vatican II said actually true?
http://chirho.me/memes/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/31036_134519950031089_1391117494_n.jpegI heard while listening to Craig’s defenders podcast that Vatican II said that because the plan of salvation includes Muslims, that we shouldn’t evangelize them! Now, that sounds unbelievable that they would say that. Surely Muslims are worse off, albeit not completely hopeless, without knowledge of Christianity? Is what Craig said about what Vatican II said actually true?
She does. I think we have to be careful though, to recognize that “evangelize” does not mean “proselytize”. Evangelizing can mean many things according to our station in life. Take the film “Of Gods and Men” for example, the true story of the monks of Tibhirine. The monks “evangelized” by providing necessary medical care to the local Muslim community, by befriending them, and by dialogue with them.I thought evangelism was part of the faith as commanded by Christ Jesus at the end of the book of Matthew? So why wouldn’t the Catholic Church endorse evangelism?
May God Bless!
Ed
This speaks to something I have become more and more convinced of lately, that we need more witness and less apologetic. Jesus commanded us to be witnesses, not apologists.She does. I think we have to be careful though, to recognize that “evangelize” does not mean “proselytize”. Evangelizing can mean many things according to our station in life. Take the film “Of Gods and Men” for example, the true story of the monks of Tibhirine. The monks “evangelized” by providing necessary medical care to the local Muslim community, by befriending them, and by dialogue with them.
Our local Benedictine community does it by simply being a listening presence in the community. Anybody is welcome to the abbey, regardless of religious confession; everybody, again regardless of religious confession (or no confession), can ask for guidance from a monk. The monk will not pressure anybody into converting but will act as witness to the Faith.
Here’s a story: on my last job, I worked with several Muslims. One lady in particular worked in my department and we worked together on several projects. One day just before noon, she came to see me about a technical issue and I was praying mid-day prayer from my breviary. She immediately and softly said “oh, I’m sorry, I see you’re praying from your Bible, I’ll come back later”.
She ended up being someone I’d occasionally go on noon walks with, and we’d discuss faith in God, she asked me many questions on how Catholics pray, etc., and how she found much more kinship with Christian and Jewish believers than the typical secular non-believers in my part of the world, something I share with her because none of the non-believers would think twice of interrupting me in prayer.
We dialogued, we expressed common joy in how God fills our lives, how important He was to our families and our own lives, etc., how we feared for the secular world, etc.
IMHO that’s how evangelizing should work. It’s not about proselytizing or apologetics. It’s living and witnessing to the faith, dialoguing with non-believers or believers of other faiths, even working with them on some projects. In 2009 at the World Oblate’s Congress we had an excellent presentation from the Undersecretary of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dailogue. He spoke at the levels of dialogue with people of other confessions. Some levels, such as theological discussion, is way above our pay grade. At our level, it involves things like living as neighbours in a community, building the community together (schools, hospitals, etc.), and respecting one another. It’s about finding common ground and emphasizing similarities rather than differences.
Souls are won one at a time. It’s unrealistic to expect mass conversion. But individuals do come to Christ all the time, from all confessions. Because it happens one soul at a time, it rarely if ever gets publicized. Somewhere, someone prayed for each soul that converted, and we can’t neglect the power of prayer as a tool to evangelize. Often that prayer is for someone close to our hearts in our own families.
There are also realities to consider. For Muslims in some part of the world, converting is a very dangerous thing. It can mean a one-way ticket on the express to martyrdom…
Agree wholeheartedly. Apologetics can also backfire and do the exact opposite of what we try to achieve.This speaks to something I have become more and more convinced of lately, that we need more witness and less apologetic. Jesus commanded us to be witnesses, not apologists.
Sitting at your desk praying the office said more than ten thousand reasoned arguments ever could.
-Tim-
The Catholic Church does evangelize. She does in different ways at different times. She discerns what the Holy Spirit is guiding her to do. Since human beings are involved this certainly can cause some problems – yet we do nothing on our own. Pray for Church leaders to be faithful.I thought evangelism was part of the faith as commanded by Christ Jesus at the end of the book of Matthew? So why wouldn’t the Catholic Church endorse evangelism?
May God Bless!
Ed
No one can give himself the mandate and the mission to proclaim the Gospel. The one sent by the Lord does not speak and act on his own authority, but by virtue of Christ’s authority; not as a member of the community, but speaking to it in the name of Christ. No one can bestow grace on himself; it must be given and offered. This fact presupposes ministers of grace, authorized and empowered by Christ. From him, bishops and priests receive the mission and faculty (“the sacred power”) to act in persona Christi Capitis; deacons receive the strength to serve the people of God in the diaconia of liturgy, word and charity, in communion with the bishop and his presbyterate. The ministry in which Christ’s emissaries do and give by God’s grace what they cannot do and give by their own powers, is called a “sacrament” by the Church’s tradition. Indeed, the ministry of the Church is conferred by a special sacrament.