Over the past several years Catholics have been hearing a lot about the New Evangelization; especially since last October when Benedict XVI called for a Year of Faith where Catholics are called to learn about their faith and share it with others. The term New Evangelization and what we mean by it has never really been explained, so I would like to share with you my understanding of the New Evangelization.
My understanding of the New Evangelization is that it is about proclaiming the Gospel to the modern world. It is new not in content but in method. This movement, to proclaim the Gospel in the modern world, really began in the years leading up to the Second Vatican Council and was really the reason why John XXIII called the Council. Fr. Hattie, a professor at Our Lady Seat of Wisdom Academy and an expert on the New Evangelization has said that "John XXIII called Vatican II because he felt that there was a need for the Church to proclaim anew the message of Christ in the modern world. This was a continuation of Christ's mission."
Many people believe that Vatican II and the New Evangelization marked significant changes in the Church's teaching and think that the purpose of the Council was to make the Church more open and accepting of cultural practices which the Church has traditionally condemned such as; divorce and remarriage, same-sex marriage, contraception, abortion, women priests, etc. This is not the case. The Second Vatican Council, according to Fr. Hattie, "was more about changing the world then about changing the Church." The goal of the New Evangelization is not to change the teachings of the Church but to proclaim these teachings in new ways.
One example of this is the emphasis the Church has placed on using social media to proclaim the Gospel. In my home diocese, the Diocese of London, Ontario, Bishop Fabbro has assigned one of his priests, Fr. Paul Nicholson, to be a "Missionary Preacher" and focus on spreading the Gospel and promoting the New Evangelization by creating a Catholic presence on the internet. If you are interested in learning more about Fr. Paul and his mission please see his YouTube channel, Twitter feed, or Facebook page or follow this link to his website: http://fatherpaulnicholson.com
The New Evangelization began with Vatican II, continued with Paul VI and Humanae Vitae, and really came into popularity with John Paul II and the promulgation of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, the teaching of Theology of the Body and the founding of World Youth Day. Everything John Paul II did throughout his pontificate was meant to participate in the New Evangelization and give Catholics the tools they need to proclaim the Gospel in the Third Millennium.
Since Vatican II the Church has been trying to find new ways and language to express the unchanging message of the Gospel which she has proclaimed since Christ commissioned the Apostles and sent them out to baptize the whole world. The doctrines of the Church have not changed and cannot change. The New Evangelization is new in method, not content. There is only one Gospel and it is unchanging.
The New Evangelization is not just for clergy; it is for all Catholics. Each one of us is called to share our faith with the people in our lives. Now this does not mean we all need to be formal instructors of the Faith. We simply need to be witnesses to the truth of the Gospel. We are all followers of Christ so we all have the same mission; to proclaim the Good News of God's salvation to the whole world. How we do this will be different for everyone. Some may be blessed with a talent for teaching and they can use this to formally teach the faith. Others have been blessed with time and resources (financial or other) which they can donate to the Church to support and encourage our priests and lay instructors of the faith. Some have been given a talent of using their hands to create things and by doing so they participate in the creative work of God. Each one of us has been given a talent or skill which can be used to build up the Church and we must take it upon ourselves to discern what that talent is and how God is calling us to use it to further His work.
We all have family and friends who can see, by our example, how to live a Christian life in the modern world, so we can all join the New Evangelization, so please use your gifts and talents to help
the Church in the New Evangelization and begin (or continue) to share the message of hope with everyone you meet through your words and deeds. God Bless!
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