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Friday 14 December 2007

"DOCTRINAL NOTE ON SOME ASPECTS OF EVANGELIZATION"

As CNA reported they would, the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith under Levada has produced a VERY big document.
Because a lot of what passed for, like, evangelization and junk, was kinda, ya know, "centered on feelings or confused ideas about the teachings of the Church on the nature of Jesus."
Ya think?
The fact that prominent Catholics, even prelates, do not wish others to be brought to knowledge of Christ Jesus, and loudly proclaim their opposition to evangelization, limiting missionary efforts to good works, to social work; or decry efforts at true ecumenism, at true unity, in TRUTH, under... was that what gave you the clue?
Anyway, a summary is up on the Vatican website.

http://212.77.1.245/news_services/bulletin/news/21315.php?index=21315&lang=en

How's this for getting to the heart of the matter? --
3. Today there is "a growing confusion" about the Church’s missionary mandate. Some think "that any attempt to convince others on religious matters is a limitation of their freedom," suggesting that it is enough to invite people "to act according to their consciences", or to "become more human or more faithful to their own religion", or "to build communities which strive for justice, freedom, peace and solidarity", without aiming at their conversion to Christ and to the Catholic faith.
Others have argued that conversion to Christ should not be promoted because it is possible for people to be saved without explicit faith in Christ or formal incorporation in the Church. Because "of these problems, the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith has judged it necessary to public the present Note."


Or this:
10. For Christian evangelization, "the incorporation of new members into the Church is not the expansion of a power-group, but rather entrance into the network of friendship with Christ which connects heaven and earth, different continents and ages." In this sense, then, "the Church is the bearer of the presence of God and thus the instrument of the true humanization of man and the world."

This is simply beautiful:
The communication of truths so that they might be accepted by others is also in harmony with the natural human desire to have others share in one’s own goods, which for Catholics includes the gift of faith in Jesus Christ. Members of the Church naturally desire to share with others the faith that has been freely given to them.

I am reminded of a story I read about, IIRC, Hillenbrand, in which he recoiled when a Jewish friend told of a Catholic mentor who had not tried to convert him.
How can we not want to share this, share Him?

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Off topic posts and spam should be deleted from this thread.