Agenzia Fides

Madrid (Agenzia Fides) - The Archdiocese of Madrid will start, until the end of this month, a mission that seeks to "renew faith" of all believers in raising their missionary commitment to reach out to people far from the Church. The Cardinal Archbishop of Madrid, Antonio Maria Rouco Varela, presented yesterday, September 11, "Mission Madrid 2012-2013", as a response to Pope Benedict XVI’s appeal last year, at the end of World Youth Day (WYD) celebrated in the Spanish capital. On 30 September, under the slogan "Servants and witnesses of truth", the Church of Madrid will begin this pastoral plan which, according to Cardinal Rouco Varela, is "particularly important in these difficult times of crisis of faith and spirituality."
The note sent to Fides Agency by the Archdiocese of Madrid, the Cardinal points out that one of the "guiding principles" of the mission is the "confession of faith" that the missionaries feel called to testify, then evangelization and "conversion of souls, minds and hearts." For the Auxiliary Bishop of Madrid, and General Coordinator of the mission, Mgr. César Franco, it is an "extraordinary action" designed to "renew" the missionary work sometimes "forgotten". The mission will have parishes as their main point of reference, so that "those who have not received Christ's call are able to receive it, those who are far away are able to get close, and all Christians are able to live consciously their missionary vocation."
The mission of the Pastoral Plan includes activities in schools, universities and other educational centers, as well as courses for catechists, pilgrimages to the Cathedral, missionary activities in parishes and preparing young people for World Youth Day (WYD) in Rio de Janeiro in 2013. (CE) (Agenzia Fides 12/09/2012)