Part 2 of Archbishop Gilbert's address to the Caribbean Charismatic Conference held at the University of the West Indies, St Augustine, on the weekend of Jan 6-8

Theme Element Number 2: Preach the Gospel

Preaching the Gospel is the simplest definition of evangelisation. Pope Paul VI used that definition in his now famous 1975 Apostolic Exhortation on Evangelisation in the Modern World.

He raised the issues and also provided guidance for a proper response. Issue: To whom do we preach the Gospel? Response: To all the strata of humanity! Issue: For what purpose do we preach? Response: We preach to transform humanity from within and to make it new.

The forms of preaching and evangelisation are many. To discuss them is well beyond the scope of this address. However, I do want to consider with you two points about contemporary ministry/evangelisation that are related to the observations of Pope Benedict on the attitude of the world. Remember he said in his interview, “We must find ways to make people understand that they need God.”

The first point is that we cannot allow ourselves to move into the pastoral trap of just talking to ourselves. Very nice and very pious people do that all the time. I have been at meetings when speakers challenged bishops on this point.

The tendency is just to talk to each other. It is so safe and so comfortable. The problem with the tendency is that we rarely take on the preaching/evangelisation agenda.

That was not the pattern Jesus followed. Jesus formed his apostles, he sustained them and facilitated their growth, but most of the time he preached to and taught the people. Many people were not interested in listening or changing. He challenged them into thinking about their lives. Eventually he led some of them to conversion and new life.

The second point is about the importance of visibility. The visibility of ministry must include the use of media. Take for example, the funeral of Pope John Paul II.

It was a public relations expert's dream. The whole world watched and by watching it learned about the Church and the deceased Pope's teaching. By watching and learning the world began to think about the favourite themes of John Paul II:

1) Do not be afraid. He gave that advice in an age when most people are afraid;

2) Open the doors to Christ. He taught that truth in an age when many people have closed themselves off from the admittedly harsh realities of life;

3) Solidarity in Christ. He worked to make international communion possible fully aware that a blind spirit of nationalism is governing decision making throughout the world.

John Paul II never just talked to himself. He was always involved in an outward evangelising motion. The early evidence on Pope Benedict XVI is the same – visibility and an outward evangelising motion. The Caribbean Church must learn to become more involved in visibility and media and outward evangelising motion.

What does the goal of visibility and outward evangelising motion imply? It implies adult education/formation. It implies ongoing professional training for ministry. It implies drawing on the talents and skills of the professional Catholic community. It implies fund- raising that involves seven figures.

It implies never being satisfied with the quality of our ecclesial visibility. It implies always looking for ways to improve. It implies searching for ways to reach new people and to find new ways to touch their lives with the truth.

It implies never being so impressed by the history, magnificence and universality of the Catholic tradition that we do nothing else than treasure and quote the past . Make no mistake about it: we are called to influence the present and to shape the future.

Theme Element Number 3: Take Back the Nations

The third element of the conference theme can be covered in one brief sentence. The only way to realise the third element of the theme, “Take Back the Nations”, is to live the first two elements of the theme: rise up and preach the gospel. Don't talk about ministry, learn to do ministry! If you think you are already doing ministry, then work on learning to do it even better.

Conclusion

My conclusion is a call to action. Hopefully, you will agree that it is practical and challenging. Hopefully, when you go home you will pray about, think about and discuss the proposed call to action. I would like to see serious consideration given to the concept of an assembly of the Catholic Church in the Caribbean.

I understand the logistical challenges. It would mean an instrument would have to be developed to facilitate substantive dialogue among the people and analysis by the people. The instrument would have to be used by every parish, diocese and archdiocese in the region in a series of assemblies.

The resulting data and recommendations would have to be shared with the next level i.e. from parish, to vicariate or deanery, to diocese and then ecclesiastical Province assemblies. The information would have to be analyzed carefully and formed into proposals. Only then, in my opinion, would it be possible to host an assembly for the Caribbean Church .

Why do I favour such a challenging process? The reason is clear, at least to me: the Catholic Church is shrinking in the Caribbean . If we do nothing, we will continue to shrink and we shall also have to answer to the Lord for doing nothing.

However, if we gather the substantial resources of the Caribbean Church, while there is still time, we may just be able to fulfil the conference theme taken from the Book of Joshua and begin to ‘take back the nations'.”