Year of Faith and the New Evangelization

[MariaChristi]

…On the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the opening of the Second Vatican Council, Benedict XVI has proclaimed a Year of Faith, which will begin Oct. 11.

In an exclusive interview with ZENIT, the president of the German Episcopal Conference, Archbishop Robert Zollitsch of Fribourg of Brisgovia spoke of the event and of the situation of the faith in Germany.

ZENIT: Why do we need today -- 50 years after Vatican II, which sought to promote a New Evangelization -- an initiative like the Year of Faith?

Archbishop Zollitsch: Jesus sent the Apostles saying: “Go out to the whole world.” Hence, in every moment and in every place the Church has the obligation to proclaim, with perseverance, the Gospel of Jesus Christ. This was also the conviction of the Fathers of Vatican II and, precisely because of this, an evangelizing thrust began from the Council. Today, 50 years later much has changed and it is good to give a new dynamic to this thrust. The Year of Faith, which as the Holy Father affirms, is founded on the Council, intends to serve this request. The appeal to the New Evangelization serves this purpose.

Because of the numerous changes that have occurred in the last decades and their impact on society, we live, on one hand, a considerable secularization and alienation from the faith of the Church, and on the other hand, a rather new desire of self-transcendence, to put one’s life in a larger sphere than the one known, a desire of hope in God. Many countries in which a religion prevails – and in particular Christian life – succeeded in creating active and believing community relations; today they are characterized, rather, by indifference and a variety of religious options.

However, this does not yet mean that disposition to a Christian spirituality or openness to an interpretation of a specifically Christian sense is lost. It is a question of proclaiming and witnessing credibly and authentically the Gospel of the closeness of God in Jesus Christ in a changed age. In this connection, a New Evangelization should promote an opening and deepening of a pure and solid faith and be force of true liberation...

Part 1 of this interview is [HERE](http://www.zenit.org/article-35210?l=english)

 

[PeterJohn]

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[MariaChristi]

Dear PeterJohn,

Thanks for your reply. This excerpt was “Part I” of the interview, so I’m awaiting more. These words were particularly significant to me:

…It is a question of proclaiming and witnessing credibly and authentically the Gospel of the closeness of God in Jesus Christ in a changed age. In this connection, a New Evangelization should promote an opening and deepening of a pure and solid faith and be force of true liberation…

I’m hoping that in Part 2, the Archbishop may touch on the necessity of those who are to proclaim and witness having this closeness of God in Jesus Christ. We cannot give what we do not have. It seems to me that the Year of Faith needs to be a time to pray also for “re-evangelization” of many Catholics. We cannot “presume” that all have the “pure and solid faith” which the Archbishop hopes will be “opening and deepening”. For some, it may need to be restored or actually found for the first time!