Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Melbourne (Fides Service) - The Archbishop of Melbourne, Mgr Denis Hart sees Evangelisation s a major a pastoral priority and has taken steps to promote the spread of the Good News of Christ. He has started the month of September with two special initiatives, a Letter on Evangelisation and a diocesan Office for Mission.
In his letter with the title “We are Sent”, the Archbishop recalls that he launched pastoral focus 2002-2004 on “Contemplate and launch out” reflecting Pope John Paul II’s apostolic letter Novo Millennio Ineunte and the present day “lack of the sense of God”, and other anxieties such as terrorism, genetic research, revolutions in technology and the global economy which all present challenges to the Church.
The Pastoral Letter offers a more direct application to the Archdiocese on evangelisation - “leading people to encounter the Gospel”. The Archbishop underlines the difficulties “problems with a basic knowledge of Christian beliefs, difficulties in linking prayer with workplace expectations, the Christian faith exerting less influence on public morality, the “doing” of tasks in competition to the “being” of life, growing tensions in marriage and family life, the widening gap between the rich and poor”. He says “new methods of evangelisation are necessary” and that much energy will be devoted to education to the faith in schools, parishes, pastoral centres, offering guidelines for mission.
The Office for Evangelisation will be the centre of activity: “Systematic focus on evangelisation by education, information, resources and strategies will be promoted from the Office.”, Archbishop Hart writes.
The Archbishop concludes his letter underlining the need to involve the whole Church in the fundamental task of mission: “I urge every parish, school, agency, and community operating in the Archdiocese of Melbourne to make evangelisation its primary focus.”
(PA) (Agenzia Fides 3/9/2004 lines 36 words 353)
