Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Vatican City (Agenzia Fides) - "To give new impetus to the mission of the whole Church to lead men out of the desert in which they often find themselves, to the place of life, of friendship with Christ who gives us life in abundance ... in order to illustrate the meaning of this 'Year of Faith', I will prepare a special Apostolic Letter. This 'Year of Faith' will begin on 11 October 2012, the 50th anniversary of the Second Vatican Council, and will end on November 24, 2013, Solemnity of Christ the King. It will be a moment of grace and commitment to a more complete conversion to God, to strengthen our faith in Him and to proclaim Him with joy to the people of our time". These are the words with which the Holy Father Benedict XVI declared the Year of Faith during the homily at the Mass he presided in St. Peter's Basilica on Sunday, October 16, at the conclusion of the first international meeting organized by the Pontifical Council for the New Evangelization. In his homily the Pope expressed his satisfaction over the fact that the conference had taken place "in the context of the month of October, just one week before World Mission Sunday: this refers to the correct universal dimension of the new evangelization, in harmony with that of mission ad gentes."
Even before reciting the midday Angelus with the faithful gathered in St. Peter's Square, the Holy Father recalled the meeting on the new evangelization, which "had the main purpose of deepening a renewed proclamation of the Gospel in the countries of ancient Christian tradition." The Pope also recalled that Blessed John Paul II had clearly indicated to the Church "as an urgent and exciting challenge" that of the New Evangelization, "in the wake of the II Vatican and of the person who carried it out- Pope Paul VI – who was both a strenuous supporter of the mission ad gentes, thus, to the people and territories where the Gospel has not yet put its roots, and a herald of the new evangelization. These, are, aspects of the only mission of the Church, and therefore significant to consider them together in this important month of October, characterized by the celebration of World Mission Day, next Sunday."
Recalling the announcement of the Year of the Faith, Pope Benedict XVI continued: "I believe that, after half a century since the opening of the Council, linked to the happy memory of Blessed John XXIII, it is appropriate to recall the beauty and the centrality of faith, the need to strengthen and deepen it at a personal and community level, and to do it in the perspective, not so much celebratory, but more missionary, in the perspective, in fact, of the mission ad gentes and new evangelization."(SL) (Agenzia Fides 17/10/2011 )
