VATICAN
FOR THREE WEEKS this past Fall, October 7-28, 2012, some 300 Catholic bishops and cardinals gathered at the Vatican at the invitation of Pope Benedict XVI to consider
“The New Evangelization for the Transmission of the Christian Faith.” I was honored to represent the Baptist World Alliance® as one of a dozen or so fraternal delegates at this meeting. Fraternal delegates
were asked to address the Synod of Bishops, participate in small working groups, and submit written comments on the issues discussed. I learned much and made many new friends from around the world.
a NEW Evangelization by Timothy George The Synod of Bishops coincided with the 50th anniversary
of the Second Vatican Council which was opened by Pope John XXIII on October 11, 1962. Vatican II met for three years in four sessions and produced 16 documents that are constitutive for Catholic theology and church life today. It also introduced a process of aggiornamento—an Italian word that means “updating.” The 2012 Synod of Bishops embodied this same spirit as it addressed major questions that concern all Christians: How can the message of Jesus Christ be passed on intact to the rising generation? How can the Gospel best be presented to those who yet have no living relationship with Jesus Christ?
The Synod described the new evangelization as “a time of
awakening, of new encouragement, and new witness that Jesus Christ is the center of our faith and daily life,” and it called “every member of the church to a renewal of faith and an actual effort to share it.” To complement the catechism of the Catholic Church, published 20 years ago, the Synod called for a new compendium, a “Pastoral Plan of Initial Proclamation” that would teach a “living encounter with Jesus Christ,” and give practical guidance on the sharing of one’s faith.
Baptists are known for our own Though these are not new questions, there is an acute need for “new”
evangelization because communicating the Gospel of Jesus Christ faces new and difficult challenges in today’s world. These include what Pope Benedict has called the “tyranny of relativism” and a growing secularism. The result is a denial of God and the loss of basic decency and respect for life that undercuts both belief in God as well as the dignity and sacredness of human life. The process of globalization has made these trends a reality throughout the world. The prevalence of nominalism is another concern. Many people have some church affiliation but do not know Jesus Christ as personal Savior and Lord. The Synod of Bishops declared that the Christian faith is “not simply teachings, wise sayings, a code of morality, or a tradition.” Rather, it is “a true encounter and relationship with Jesus Christ, the Good News and great gift of God to humanity.”
8 BAPTIST WORLD MAGAZINE
commitment to mission and evangelism. Several bishops said to me, “Now, tell us how the Baptists accomplish this?” I was pleased to describe how Baptists make the Great Commission a defining priority in our church life, how Baptists have followed the words of Jesus to go among all the nations, evangelizing, baptizing, and catechizing—and doing all of this in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit – and how Baptists have proclaimed a holistic Gospel emphasizing nurture and discipleship as well as conversion.
The missionary God who sent the church into the world to
evangelize and make disciples also placed before her the imperative for Christian unity. We are not only to proclaim the Good News to all peoples but to do it in a way that visibly reflects the unity and love between the Father and the Son. “As the Father has sent me, so I send you,” Jesus said. And also, “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another,” (John 20:21; 13:35). Christian unity is not an end in itself but is always
The Synod called for a new compendium . . . that would teach a “living encounter with Jesus Christ,” and give practical guidance on the sharing of one’s faith.
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32