I shall use my column this week to continue the reflection on the importance of the ministry of evangelisation for our times that I began last week. The chronology of the two different levels of evangelisation theology is to be noted:
1) Cardinal Dulles delivered his address on the various models for evangelisation in April of this year (Cf last week’s column);
2) The Fifth General Conference of the Latin American and the Caribbean Bishops’ Conferences (to be reported on for the next two weeks) was held in May.

The Fifth General Conference of the Latin American and Caribbean Bishops’ Conferences was celebrated in Brazil, South America. Pope Benedict XVI opened the Conference. He spoke to the Bishops and various groups in the Church e.g. priests, religious and the lay representatives from the various Conferences of CELAM and the Caribbean. The major theme of the Holy Father’s interventions at the Conference was evangelisation.

After the Holy Father returned to Rome, the Bishops continued meeting. At the end of the Conference, the Bishops issued a brief Message. However, the final document of the Conference (106 pages) will be translated into the various languages of the world and is scheduled for publication by November of this year.

Three summaries

I shall try to summarise the principal points of the Holy Father’s teaching, the essential points contained in the Statement of Cardinal Hummes to the Conference and the teaching of the Final Document. As we approach Synod 2008, the teaching at the Conference on evangelisation will help the Synod with its consideration of pastoral planning.

The summary of papal teaching

1) The Conference is a great ecclesial event and part of the outreach which Latin America and the Caribbean needs;
2) Jesus himself teaches that the true way to salvation lies in conforming our wills to God’s will. Jesus attracts us by his will and so he leads us to salvation. By freely accepting the will of God, we open the world to God’s Kingdom;
3) Preach the truth of the faith, teach the urgent need for the sacramental life and proclaim the promise of Christ’s continual assistance to his Church;
4) Being Christian is the result of an encounter with Jesus which gives life a new horizon. Therefore there is need to promote evangelisation which aims at personal and communal fidelity to Christ;
5) The particular problem of those who have abandoned the life of the Church is the lack of evangelisation that is completely directed to Christ and the Church.
6) The Church should be clearly marked by pastoral initiatives especially by sending missionaries (lay or religious) to the homes of people to enter into dialogue with the people in a spirit of understanding, sensitivity and charity.
7) The poor need to feel that the Church is close to them. Bishops must see to it that the poor are offered the consolation of the faith without neglecting their need for material bread;
8) Faith is a journey led by the Holy Spirit which can be summed up in two words: conversion and discipleship. At this time, there is an urgent need for an adequate understanding of the faith.
9) Education in Christian personal and social virtues is an essential part of catechesis as is education in social responsibility;
10) Given the rapidly growing number of new Christian denominations and especially certain forms of aggressive proselytism, the work of ecumenism has become more complex. In this context a good historical and doctrinal formation is absolutely essential;
11) Be faithful disciples so as to be courageous and effective missionaries;    
12) At the beginning of this new phase that the missionary Church of Latin America and the Caribbean is preparing to enter, an indispensable pre-condition is a profound knowledge of the Word of God. We must teach people to read and meditate on the Word of God: this must become their stable diet. How can they proclaim a message, they do not know or understand?

Summary of Cardinal Hummes’ statement

1) The goal of the Conference is to awaken the Church in Latin America and the Caribbean to a great missionary movement;
2) We have baptised many, but for many different reasons, we have not succeeded in evangelising them;
3) Our people are easily influenced because they have a faith that is fragile and, at times, confused even though they have preserved a kind of innate religiosity;
4) Our missionary movement is not proselytism nor is it anti-ecumenical because we are dealing with people that we ourselves have baptised;
5) Our evangelising mission cannot be separated from solidarity with the poor and with their integral development;
6) Our missionary movement must arise out of openness to the inspiration of the Holy Spirit;
7) The various levels within the Church – dioceses, parishes, ecclesial movements – will have to accept the need for an evangelising mission and make it the focus of their pastoral work.
8) The mission must extend to all levels of society and touch all people personally especially those in post-modern and urban society in which people feel very distant and stand in need of interpersonal contact. 
9) Be not afraid! Put out into the deep! Jesus will be with us for a catch which promises to be miraculous.

Conclusion

I ask the readers of this column to reflect carefully on the points from the first two summaries. Apply the points to your parish, your vicariate, to the departments of the archdiocese, to the religious and ecclesial communities and to the Synod sessions that are approaching.

We must approach these challenging issues as an archdiocesan community striving for holiness and trying to live and collaborate in a spirit of solidarity.

Most importantly, I ask that everyone (myself included) make a personal application of each point in the two summaries. The reason should be clear: the archdiocese is only as alive as its members. As we recommit ourselves to the mission of evangelisation, we cannot exempt ourselves from participation or simply leave the mission to the Commission for Evangelization and others. By Baptism and Confirmation we are all disciples, not just some of us.

Next week the third summary and concluding comments.