As defined by Church documents the mission of the Church is to evangelize, “that is she must proclaim the good news of salvation to all, generate new creatures in Christ through Baptism, and train them to live knowingly as children of God.” [1] The mission of the Church is to make the Kingdom of God present in our world [2], guiding people to friendship with Christ, to the communion of love with the Lord who is the true light in our lives [3].

To evangelize, explains Pope Paul VI, “constitutes the essential mission of the Church. … Evangelizing is in fact the grace and vocation proper to the Church, her deepest identity. She exists in order to evangelize, that is to say, in order to preach and teach, to be the channel of the gift of grace, to reconcile sinners with God, and to perpetuate Christ’s sacrifice in the Mass”. [4]

Pope John Paul II says that the new evangelization “calls for the involvement of the entire People of God, and requires a new fervor, new methods and a new expression for the announcing and witnessing of the Gospel.” [5]

Our parishes, our Christian communities and all the faithful are called to embrace this impulse of missionary transformation.

Pierre-Alain Giffard

[1] The Sacred Congregation for Catholic Education, The Catholic School, March 19, 1977, 7.
[2] Cf. Evangelii Gaudium, 176.
[3] Cf. Homily of Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, Commemoration Mass In Honour of the Popes Paul VI and John Paul I, Altar Of The Chair, St Peter’s Basilica, Tuesday, 28 September 2004.
[4] Evangelii Nuntiandi, 14.
[5] Pastores Dabo Vobis, 18.

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