©2022 Victor R. Claveau, MJ
The world is a secular society beset with numerous moral challenges, i.e., abortion, drug abuse, pornography, embryonic stem cell research, euthanasia, child and spouse abuse, homosexuality, promiscuity, the attack on marriage, racism, slavery, etc., etc., etc. The list seems never-ending.
Only the Gospel message, broadly and enthusiastically proclaimed, has the power to change attitudes, and guide individuals from these destructive paths towards holy lives and eventual righteousness before God.
“The purpose of the Church is to spread the kingdom of Christ so that all men may be saved and that through them the world may be effectively ordered to Christ” (Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, On Christian freedom and liberation, Libertatis Conscientia, 22 March 1986, 80).
Noted theologian, Fr. Louis Bouyer, of the Oratory, in referring to the Church states, “It is her right, her duty to bring salvation to men by bringing them the possibility of conversion. This is the special mission of the apostles and their successors, and all their collaborators, which can be exercised only in close contact with the testimony of all believers”… “’Woe to me if I do not preach the Gospel!’ is as applicable to the whole Church as to the Apostle. Here, ultimately, is the proper characteristic of supernatural charity, of life in the Holy Spirit, of the Church community—of not being able to preserve oneself without communicating, of finding one’s fulfillment in the Church by embracing the entire world, so that the complete and perfect Church of the last days may evolve from it. (Bouyer, Louis, The Church of God, Part II, Chap. 11-7).
Simply stated, the purpose of the Church is to evangelize—to win souls for Christ.
Evangelization begins in the heart of the individual. It is the fervent desire to share the joy of the Gospel message of salvation with one’s neighbor. It is also necessary for salvation, “Service of and witness to the faith are necessary for salvation: ‘So everyone who acknowledges me before men, I will also acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven; but whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven’” [Matt 10:32-33], (Catechism of the Catholic Church §1816).
There is also a decided personal up-side to evangelization. St. James tells us that “If any one among you wanders from the truth and someone brings him back, let him know that whoever brings back a sinner from the error of his way will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins” (Jas. 5:19-20).
Beginning in the home, the Gospel message must be spread to one’s friends, neighbors, the community at large, to the county, state, nation, and in the end, the entire world.
Evangelization must also be a communal effort. In order to be truly successful, it requires the support and cooperation of the entire Catholic community.
Evangelization must be a two-pronged effort: 1) it must focus on the existing Catholic community by providing proper catechesis, liturgy, and opportunities for community interaction and participation; and 2) Evangelization must also be directed towards both un-churched and non-Christians.
“The communion of the local Churches with the universal Church reaches its perfection only when these take part in the missionary effort on behalf of non-Christians, both within their own territory and beyond their borders” (Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples, Pastoral Guide, II, 4).
Our Divine Lord entrusted his Church to Saint Peter, and his successors. The Holy Father, Benedict XVI, is responsible before God for the salvation of every soul on the face of the earth. This monumental mission cannot be accomplished in isolation, it can only be completed with the cooperation of the entire Church—bishops, priests, and laity alike. It is only under the inspiration and guidance of the Holy Spirit, Who, through the Sacrament of Confirmation, equips every son and daughter of God as a warrior for Christ, that this monumental task can and will be accomplished.
“The evangelization of non-Christians who are present in the territory of a diocese or parish is entrusted, as a primary responsibility, to the respective pastor with his community. This apostolic duty requires that the bishop should be essentially a messenger of faith, and that the priests should work with all their strength to preach the gospel to those who are outside the ecclesial community, committing them-selves personally to it and involving their faithful in it, in collaboration with the missionaries” (Ibid, 4)
The primary responsibility of every priest is to evangelize, catechize, and administer the sacraments, in that order of accountability. Evangelization is to be the top priority. Without evangelization, there will be no souls to catechize, and without proper catechesis, there can be no administration of the sacraments.
“The priest should give priority to proclaiming the gospel message to those in the area who have not yet been baptized. First evangelization is a basic duty that the Church, through the apostles, has received from the Lord himself: ‘Go out to the whole world; proclaim the Good News to all creation’ (Mk 16:15; cf. Mt 28:19). Every priest, by virtue of his prophetic role and in close collaboration with the missionary responsibility of his bishop, has a strict duty to proclaim ‘the living God and Him whom He has sent for the salvation of all, Jesus Christ’(cf.1 Th 1:9-10; 1 Cor 1:18-21). Thus, when the Holy Spirit opens their heart (cf. Acts 16:14), non-Christians may believe and be freely converted to the Lord’. Like Peter and John, every priest should affirm his intention to be an unwearying proclaimer of the good news about Jesus the Messiah: ‘We cannot promise to stop proclaiming what we have seen and heard’ (Acts 4:20); they should take as addressed to themselves the words of the Lord to Paul: ‘Do not be afraid to speak out, nor allow yourself to be silenced: I am with you’” [Acts 18:9-10] (Ibid, 7).
According to George Barna, in his 1996 book, The Index of Leading Spiritual Indicators… about one-third of the public attends church every week; about one-third attends one to three times a month; and about one-third attends rarely or never”.
Few, if any, dioceses have an ongoing evangelization program focused on bringing lapsed Catholics back into the fold, or target the 33% un-churched Americans.
Evangelization is the responsibility of every Catholic, not just priests and religious. “In programming the apostolic activity of the diocese and the parish, an important place should be given to the specific task of preaching to non-Christians, involving first of all priests and deacons, with close collaboration from catechists and the whole Christian community” (Ibid, 7).
“Consequently, even when preoccupied with temporal cares, the laity can and must perform a work of great value for the evangelization of the world. For even if some of them have to fulfill their religious duties on their own, when there are no sacred ministers or in times of persecution; and even if many of them devote all their energies to apostolic work; still it remains for each one of them to cooperate in the external spread and the dynamic growth of the Kingdom of Christ in the world. Therefore, let the laity devotedly strive to acquire a more profound grasp of revealed truth, and let them insistently beg of God the gift of wisdom” (Dogmatic Constitution on the Church, Vatican Council II, Lumen Gentium, (IV, 35).
The Code of Canon Law, Title II, § 781 – 790, are also very specific about the need to evangelize. Can. 781 describes evangelization as “a fundamental duty of the people of God.”
Can. 784 identifies those who are to be missionaries and evangelists, “Missionaries, that is, those who have been sent by the competent ecclesiastical authority to engage in missionary activity, may be chosen from the indigenous population or from others, be they secular clergy, or members of institutes of consecrated life or of a society of apostolic life, or other lay members of Christ’s faithful” (emphasis added).
Can. 785 §1 – Catechists are to be given a role in missionary work. These are lay members of Christ’s faithful who have received proper formation and are outstanding in their living of the Christian life. Under the direction of missionaries, they are to present the Gospel teaching and engage in liturgical worship and in works of charity.
How is this work to be done? Can. 787 §1 – By the testimony of their words and of their lives, missionaries are to establish a sincere dialogue with those who do not believe in Christ, so that, taking their native character and culture into account, ways may be opened up by which they can be led to know the good news of the Gospel.
The Purpose of the Church
©2022 Victor R. Claveau, MJ
The world is a secular society beset with numerous moral challenges, i.e., abortion, drug abuse, pornography, embryonic stem cell research, euthanasia, child and spouse abuse, homosexuality, promiscuity, the attack on marriage, racism, slavery, etc., etc., etc. The list seems never-ending.
Only the Gospel message, broadly and enthusiastically proclaimed, has the power to change attitudes, and guide individuals from these destructive paths towards holy lives and eventual righteousness before God.
“The purpose of the Church is to spread the kingdom of Christ so that all men may be saved and that through them the world may be effectively ordered to Christ” (Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, On Christian freedom and liberation, Libertatis Conscientia, 22 March 1986, 80).
Noted theologian, Fr. Louis Bouyer, of the Oratory, in referring to the Church states, “It is her right, her duty to bring salvation to men by bringing them the possibility of conversion. This is the special mission of the apostles and their successors, and all their collaborators, which can be exercised only in close contact with the testimony of all believers”… “’Woe to me if I do not preach the Gospel!’ is as applicable to the whole Church as to the Apostle. Here, ultimately, is the proper characteristic of supernatural charity, of life in the Holy Spirit, of the Church community—of not being able to preserve oneself without communicating, of finding one’s fulfillment in the Church by embracing the entire world, so that the complete and perfect Church of the last days may evolve from it. (Bouyer, Louis, The Church of God, Part II, Chap. 11-7).
Simply stated, the purpose of the Church is to evangelize—to win souls for Christ.
Evangelization begins in the heart of the individual. It is the fervent desire to share the joy of the Gospel message of salvation with one’s neighbor. It is also necessary for salvation, “Service of and witness to the faith are necessary for salvation: ‘So everyone who acknowledges me before men, I will also acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven; but whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven’” [Matt 10:32-33], (Catechism of the Catholic Church §1816).
There is also a decided personal up-side to evangelization. St. James tells us that “If any one among you wanders from the truth and someone brings him back, let him know that whoever brings back a sinner from the error of his way will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins” (Jas. 5:19-20).
Beginning in the home, the Gospel message must be spread to one’s friends, neighbors, the community at large, to the county, state, nation, and in the end, the entire world.
Evangelization must also be a communal effort. In order to be truly successful, it requires the support and cooperation of the entire Catholic community.
Evangelization must be a two-pronged effort: 1) it must focus on the existing Catholic community by providing proper catechesis, liturgy, and opportunities for community interaction and participation; and 2) Evangelization must also be directed towards both un-churched and non-Christians.
“The communion of the local Churches with the universal Church reaches its perfection only when these take part in the missionary effort on behalf of non-Christians, both within their own territory and beyond their borders” (Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples, Pastoral Guide, II, 4).
Our Divine Lord entrusted his Church to Saint Peter, and his successors. The Holy Father, Benedict XVI, is responsible before God for the salvation of every soul on the face of the earth. This monumental mission cannot be accomplished in isolation, it can only be completed with the cooperation of the entire Church—bishops, priests, and laity alike. It is only under the inspiration and guidance of the Holy Spirit, Who, through the Sacrament of Confirmation, equips every son and daughter of God as a warrior for Christ, that this monumental task can and will be accomplished.
“The evangelization of non-Christians who are present in the territory of a diocese or parish is entrusted, as a primary responsibility, to the respective pastor with his community. This apostolic duty requires that the bishop should be essentially a messenger of faith, and that the priests should work with all their strength to preach the gospel to those who are outside the ecclesial community, committing them-selves personally to it and involving their faithful in it, in collaboration with the missionaries” (Ibid, 4)
The primary responsibility of every priest is to evangelize, catechize, and administer the sacraments, in that order of accountability. Evangelization is to be the top priority. Without evangelization, there will be no souls to catechize, and without proper catechesis, there can be no administration of the sacraments.
“The priest should give priority to proclaiming the gospel message to those in the area who have not yet been baptized. First evangelization is a basic duty that the Church, through the apostles, has received from the Lord himself: ‘Go out to the whole world; proclaim the Good News to all creation’ (Mk 16:15; cf. Mt 28:19). Every priest, by virtue of his prophetic role and in close collaboration with the missionary responsibility of his bishop, has a strict duty to proclaim ‘the living God and Him whom He has sent for the salvation of all, Jesus Christ’(cf.1 Th 1:9-10; 1 Cor 1:18-21). Thus, when the Holy Spirit opens their heart (cf. Acts 16:14), non-Christians may believe and be freely converted to the Lord’. Like Peter and John, every priest should affirm his intention to be an unwearying proclaimer of the good news about Jesus the Messiah: ‘We cannot promise to stop proclaiming what we have seen and heard’ (Acts 4:20); they should take as addressed to themselves the words of the Lord to Paul: ‘Do not be afraid to speak out, nor allow yourself to be silenced: I am with you’” [Acts 18:9-10] (Ibid, 7).
According to George Barna, in his 1996 book, The Index of Leading Spiritual Indicators… about one-third of the public attends church every week; about one-third attends one to three times a month; and about one-third attends rarely or never”.
Few, if any, dioceses have an ongoing evangelization program focused on bringing lapsed Catholics back into the fold, or target the 33% un-churched Americans.
Evangelization is the responsibility of every Catholic, not just priests and religious. “In programming the apostolic activity of the diocese and the parish, an important place should be given to the specific task of preaching to non-Christians, involving first of all priests and deacons, with close collaboration from catechists and the whole Christian community” (Ibid, 7).
“Consequently, even when preoccupied with temporal cares, the laity can and must perform a work of great value for the evangelization of the world. For even if some of them have to fulfill their religious duties on their own, when there are no sacred ministers or in times of persecution; and even if many of them devote all their energies to apostolic work; still it remains for each one of them to cooperate in the external spread and the dynamic growth of the Kingdom of Christ in the world. Therefore, let the laity devotedly strive to acquire a more profound grasp of revealed truth, and let them insistently beg of God the gift of wisdom” (Dogmatic Constitution on the Church, Vatican Council II, Lumen Gentium, (IV, 35).
The Code of Canon Law, Title II, § 781 – 790, are also very specific about the need to evangelize. Can. 781 describes evangelization as “a fundamental duty of the people of God.”
Can. 784 identifies those who are to be missionaries and evangelists, “Missionaries, that is, those who have been sent by the competent ecclesiastical authority to engage in missionary activity, may be chosen from the indigenous population or from others, be they secular clergy, or members of institutes of consecrated life or of a society of apostolic life, or other lay members of Christ’s faithful” (emphasis added).
Can. 785 §1 – Catechists are to be given a role in missionary work. These are lay members of Christ’s faithful who have received proper formation and are outstanding in their living of the Christian life. Under the direction of missionaries, they are to present the Gospel teaching and engage in liturgical worship and in works of charity.
How is this work to be done? Can. 787 §1 – By the testimony of their words and of their lives, missionaries are to establish a sincere dialogue with those who do not believe in Christ, so that, taking their native character and culture into account, ways may be opened up by which they can be led to know the good news of the Gospel.
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