VATICAN - Synod Propositions presented to the Holy Father: “Seeing the example of Saint Paul, the apostles, and of so many missionaries who over the course of the Church's history have brought the Gospel to peoples and nations, this Synod reaffirms the urgency of the mission 'ad gentes' in our time.”

Vatican City (Agenzia Fides) – At the end of the sessions held during the Ordinary Assembly of the Synod of Bishops, a list of 55 Propositions was presented to the Holy Father, after having been approved during the XXIII General Congregation. The Holy Father Benedict XVI has permitted that an initial non-official version of the Propositions in Italian, prepared by the Secretary General of the Synod of Bishops, be published by the Holy See Press Office. Below are several large portions from some of the Propositions presented, those related in a direct manner to the theme of the Church's mission (from the third part of the list of Propositions.

Proposition 38 – Missionary task of all the baptized
The mission to announce the Word of God is the task of all the disciples of Jesus Christ, as a result of their Baptism. This awareness should be deepened in each and every parish, in every Catholic community and organization; initiatives should be proposed to make the Word of God more available to all, especially to the baptized who are not sufficiently evangelized. As the Word of God has become flesh to communicate Himself to mankind, a privileged mode of knowing Him is through an encounter with the witnesses that make Him present and alive.

In the mission, missionary congregations offer a special form of collaboration by virtue of their own charism and experience. Moreover, the reality of the new Church movements is an extraordinary wealth of the Church's evangelizing power in our time, thus enabling the Church to develop new forms of announcing the Gospel. The laity is called to rediscover their responsibility in exercising their tasks as prophets, which is rooted in their baptism, and to bear witness to the Gospel in their daily life: in their homes, workplaces, and wherever they go. This testimony often leads to the persecution of the faithful for the cause of the Gospel. The Synod makes a call to those in public office, asking that they ensure religious freedom. There is a need to open paths for Christian initiation in which through listening to the Word, the celebrating the Eucharist, and experiencing fraternal love in the community, the baptized reach an ever greater maturity in their faith. This should be considered the new challenge that arises from the phenomenon of mobility and migration that opens new horizons for evangelization, because immigrants do not only need to be evangelized, but they themselves should become evangelizers.

Proposition 39 – The Word of God and commitment in the world
The Synod Fathers especially remember all those believers who hold offices in political and social life. They hope that the Word of God can sustain them in this form of testimony, inspiring their work in the world, in search of the true good of all and respect of the dignity of the human person. Therefore, it is necessary that they be prepared with a thorough education according to the principles of the Church's Social Doctrine.

Proposition 44 – The Media
The Church is not only called to spread the Word of God using the media, but above all, to integrate the message of salvation in the new culture that the communications world creates and promotes. The new context for communications makes us aware of the various ways that exist in order to proclaim and reflect on Sacred Scripture. In its richness, it demands to reach out to all communities, reaching those who are at a distance, through these new instruments. It is advisable that the faithful become familiar with the media, keeping up with its rapid development and investing more energy into communication through the various instruments available, such as the television, the radio, magazines, Internet...They are all forms of facilitating the obedient listening to the Word of God. Catholics should be instructed so as to become convinced and competent workers in the area of the media.

Proposition 46 – Faithful reading of the Scriptures: historicity and fundamentalism
The faithful reading of Sacred Scripture, practiced from the beginning of the Church's Tradition, seeks the saving truth for the life of every one of the faithful and for the entire Church. This reading recognizes that historical value of the Biblical tradition. It is precisely on account of this value of historical testimony that she wishes to rediscover the living meaning of Sacred Scripture, addressed to the life of believers today, as well. This reading of Scripture is different from the “fundamentalist interpretations” that ignore the human mediation of inspired texts and their literary genres.

Proposition 47 – The Bible and the phenomenon of the sects
We experience a profound concern for the growth and changing nature of the phenomenon of the sects. The sects of various origins seem to offer an experience of the closeness of God to the life of the individual and promise a false happiness through the Bible which is often interpreted in a fundamentalist manner...Priests should be adequately prepared to face these new situations, being capable of proposing a Biblical pastoral ministry that can meet the needs of people today.

Proposition 48 – The Bible and inculturation
For an authentic inculturation of the Gospel message, missionaries should be guaranteed a formation that gives them a profound knowledge of the basic environment and social-cultural conditions, in such a way that the missionaries can incorporate themselves into the environment and the language, as well as into the local culture. Firstly, it demands that the local Church reach an authentic inculturation of the Gospel message, placing attention on the risk of syncretism. The quality of inculturation depends on the maturity level of the evangelizing community.

Proposition 49 – Missio ad gentes
The Word of God is a good for all mankind, which the Church cannot conserve only for herself, but must live with joy and generosity among all peoples and cultures, so that they may also find in Christ the way, the truth, and the life (cf. Jn 14:16). Seeing the example of Saint Paul, the apostles, and of so many missionaries who over the course of the Church's history have brought the Gospel to peoples and nations, this Synod reaffirms the urgency of the mission 'ad gentes' in our time.” It is an announcement that must be explicit, not only carried out within our churches, but everywhere, and which should be accompanied by a coherent life testimony, which sheds light on the content and reaffirms it. Bishops, priests, deacons, consecrated men and women, and laity should all be close to those who do not participate in the liturgy and do not attend our parishes. The Church should go out to all people with the power of the Spirit (cf. 1 Cor 2:5) and continue prophetically defending the right and freedom of all people to listen to the Word of God, seeking the most efficient means to proclaim it, even with the risk of persecutions.

Proposition 50 – The Bible and interreligious dialogue
The dialogue with non-Christian religions is an important moment in the Church's life and in the dialogue with mankind. The monotheistic religions, the traditional religions of Africa and Australia, the ancient spiritual traditions of Asia, all contain values of respect and collaboration that can greatly favor comprehension among peoples and society. The guidelines of this dialogue can be found in the Vatican II Declaration “Nostra Aetate.” The Synod also recalls the need that all believers have of being free to profess their own religion in private and in public, in addition to freedom of conscience.

Proposition 52 – Dialogue between Christians and Jews
The dialogue between Christians and Jews is part of the Church's nature...Faithful to His promises, God does not revoke the Old Covenant. Jesus of Nazareth was a Jew and the Holy Land is the mother land of the Church. Christians and Jews share the scriptures of the Jewish people, which Christians call the Old Testament. As descendants of Abraham, Jews and Christians can be a source of blessing for humanity. The Jewish understanding of the Bible can enlighten Christian intelligence and study of Scripture. The Christian Biblical interpretation is founded on the unity of the two Testaments in Jesus, the Word made Flesh. In Him, the full meaning of Sacred Scripture is fulfilled with continuity and discontinuity in relation to the inspired books of the Jewish people.

Proposition 53 – Dialogue between Christians and Muslims
Dialogue with them enable them to better understand one another and collaborate together in the promotion of ethical and spiritual values. In this dialogue, the Synod insists on the importance of respect for life, the rights of men and women, as well as the distinction between what concerns the social-political arena, and what concerns the religious arena, in promoting justice and peace in the world. Other important themes in this area are reciprocity and the freedom of conscience and religion. (SL) (Agenzia Fides 27/10/2008)