Our People

What is the “New” in the New Evangelization?

By Most Rev. Julian Porteous
Auxiliary Bishop of Sydney
7 September 2004

“Evangelization is in fact the grace and vocation proper to the Church, her deepest identity. She exists in order to evangelize” (EN n.14). I am sure we are very familiar with this statement of Pope Paul VI given in the Apostolic Exhortation, Evangelii Nuntandi, following the Synod on Evangelization of 1974. I believe there are no words that have so galvanized a fresh impetus for the Church since Vatican II than these.

Pope John Paul II carried this idea into his pontificate and further enunciated how this call should be responded to in the conditions of the world in the final decades of the twentieth century. It was in 1983 that the Pope first spoke of something that was to become a constant in his teaching over the next 20 years: “New Evangelization”. He first mentioned it at Haiti in relation to the 500 th anniversary of the first evangelization of Latin America with the arrival of the Europeans. The “new” evangelization implied that countries and societies that have been once evangelized and have lost the vigor of faith need to receive the message afresh in a way to win them to Christ in a fresh and vital way.

The Pope again and again spoke of the need to bring this revitalized message of salvation to civilizations that are formally Christian, but suffer under a loss of faith and a growing secularism.

His Apostolic Exhortation Christifideles Laici (1988) bring many of the ideas expressed on various occasions and in various places together. Indeed, what is immediately noticeable is that the Pope recognizes that this task of the new evangelization belongs in a special way to the lay members of the Church. He knew that the breath of the Spirit was moving among the laity and raising up groups, movements and communities whose heart was directed to the task of proclaiming the gospel in the contemporary situation in ways that could communicate to contemporary man.

In a section entitled: The Hour Has Come for a Re-Evangelization (par 34), the Pope says,

Whole countries and nations where religion and the Christian life were formerly flourishing and capable of fostering a viable and working community of faith, are now put to a hard test, and in some cases, are even undergoing a radical transformation, as a result of a constant spreading of an indifference to religion, of secularism and atheism. This particularly concerns countries and nations of the so-called First World, in which economic well-being and consumerism, even if coexistent with a tragic situation of poverty and misery, inspires and sustains a life lived "as if God did not exist". This indifference to religion and the practice of religion devoid of true meaning in the face of life's very serious problems, are not less worrying and upsetting when compared with declared atheism.

In Redemptoris Missio (1990) the Pope spoke of the evangelizing mission of the Church and called on the Church to commit itself to the work of evangelization. He distinguished between the first evangelization to those who have never heard the Gospel and the need to proclaim the Gospel afresh in areas where secularism has drained the faith of large groups of people.

The “New” in New Evangelization.

What marks out the character of the New Evangelization?
Certainly, the proposal that it is an evangelization directed towards those living in traditionally Christian societies who have lost their faith is one important aspect of calling this evangelization “new”. But this is not really a new phenomenon. For centuries there has been the need to meet the challenges of whole groups with traditionally Christian societies who have been lost to the Church.

It is certainly not the case that we have a “new” message. Pope Paul VI makes it abundantly clear:

Evangelization will also always contain - as the foundation, center, and at the same time, summit of its dynamism - a clear proclamation that, in Jesus Christ, the Son of God made man, who died and rose from the dead, salvation is offered to all men, as a gift of God's grace and mercy. (par 57)

The heart of the evangelizing message is the proclamation of Jesus Christ. The content of evangelisation is unchanging. It is the means that are new. The “New” Evangelization is reflected in a creativity and the development of new and effective ways of communicating the gospel message to people. As Pope Paul VI says in Evangelii Nuntiandi:

The obvious importance of the content of evangelization must not overshadow the importance of the ways and means. This question of “how to evangelize” is permanently relevant, because the methods of evangelizing vary according to the different circumstances of time, place and culture, and because they thereby present a certain challenge to our capacity for discovery and adaptation. On us particularly, the pastors of the Church, rests the responsibility for reshaping with boldness and wisdom, but in complete fidelity to the content of evangelization, the means that are most suitable and effective for communicating the Gospel message to the men and women of our times. (par 40)

“New” Ways and Means

In the light of some recent experiences, namely attending the Congress on the New Evangelization in Vienna last year, and the conducting of two parish missions in Sydney I would like to consider some aspects of the “new” ways and means open to us.

The key to an understanding here can be as simple as considering the theme chosen for the Congress in Vienna: “Open the Doors to Christ”. These words are inspired from Pope John Paul’s opening homily of his pontificate, October 22, 1978.

The task of the New Evangelization is not so much to preach a message of salvation, but to create opportunities whereby a person can open the doors of their hearts and lives to Christ. The premise behind this approach is a simple one – every person needs Christ. The questing of the human heart will only be satisfied by coming into a real relationship with Christ. Whether people know it or not they are searching for the authentic life which can only be found in God, mediated through Christ.

I would like to identify some of the distinguishing features of this “new” evangelization.

1. Location of Mission

Catholic Parish Missions have traditionally been conducted in the parish church. While the church was the location for events during the (recent) mission, the full location for the mission was the whole territory of the parish. Many mission events were held outside the parish property – the local shopping centre, schools, hospitals, local cinema, a procession through the streets, visiting homes.

The mission was seen as being taken to the people. It was important that the local community knew that the mission was taking place so the missionaries wore distinctive dress.

2. A Multifaceted approach

Evangelization in a mission is often seen as an exercise of preaching. Preaching will always be a vital component in evangelization, but there are other means of evangelization that are available to us. “New” evangelization calls for a creativity in being able to engage and communicate with people. Apart from people with preaching gifts and the use of gifts of music, drama and art, many other gifts can be utilized. Catholic evangelization can very effectively use our traditional symbols and practices presented in a fresh and vital way. Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, the Sacrament of Penance, icons, the cross, blessings are some of the means that can draw people into a fresh and living relationship with Christ. “Open the Doors” proposes that the evangelizing team seek ways to enable people to open their hearts to the presence of Christ, and the rest will happen within that meeting.

3. The human encounter

In the rush and anonymity of modern urban life, the human personal encounter is often lost. The opportunity of a person of faith to meet with another in a relaxed and free environment is a useful means for evangelization. In the mission simple tools like having an “Open House” or a “Coffee Tent” where people can meet and talk of things of faith are effective in evangelization. Thus, the “new” evangelization relies upon the engagement of many missionaries. At Bossley Park (Parish Mission in Sydney) we had over 50 missionaries involved, half of them seminarians. Each person was an evangelizer whenever they established contact with a local person.

4. The Ecclesial Dimension of Evangelization

The development of the New Evangelization has been one of the fruits of the growth of the new movements in the Church over the past forty years. One of the distinguishing aspects of these movements is the way in which priests, consecrated men and women, and both single and married lay people are united in the one common spirituality and way of life, while maintaining the particular aspects of their vocational state. The New Evangelization advocated by the Pope has largely been a fruit of the missionary spirit of these new movements. Thus, the new evangelization engages people of all vocational states in one united effort, while each maintaining its particular charisms. The new evangelization is an ecclesial work, with the diverse vocations all contributing from their particular gifts.

5. A Christological thrust

One of the defining characteristics of the spirituality of the Pope is his strong Christo-centrism. His opening declaration to the world was to open our hearts and lives to Christ. His first encyclical, Redemptor Hominis, presented Christ as the redeemer of man. Christianity is not a programme or a philosophy or an ethics, it is a person – Jesus Christ. The New Evangelization is clearly Christ centred. The objective is to put people “not only in touch but in communion with Jesus Christ”, as Catechesi Tradendae expresses it (cf. par 19). True evangelization as both Pope Paul VI and John Paul II have clearly stated has as its essence a proclamation of Jesus Christ. While other themes may be presented in evangelization, Christ must be at the heart and purpose of all evangelization.

6. Coming to a personal faith

One final point can be made. In the secular environment that is engulfing the western world, it is faith in God that is a particular causality. As the Pope has stated that even traditional Catholic countries, may still have the vestiges of Christian culture but the people live as though God does not exist. The great challenge is to re-awaken a sense of faith and to nurture a spiritual life in people. It is a struggle on the spiritual level, and our greatest weapon is the Holy Spirit, given to and active within the Church. Pope Paul VI, in the concluding sections of Evangelii Nuntiandi, gave wonderful testimony to the importance of the Holy Spirit, calling him the “agent of evangelization”. The New Evangelization is essentially a spiritual exercise, and requires strong faith and a recourse to prayer.

A Grace Given to the Church

These are some of the defining aspects to the New Evangelization. It is a grace that has been given to the Church to meet the challenges of our age. The New Evangelization has proven itself a powerful tool, producing rich and enduring fruit.