Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Lisbon (Fides Service) - “Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception, the Christian people of this city kneel at your feet and proclaim you Queen of Lisbon and Queen of New Evangelisation. We consecrate ourselves to you, entrusting to your protection all that we are and all that we have because we place our hope in you”. With these words Cardinal Jose Policarpo, Patriarch of Lisbon, entrusted the Blessed Virgin Mary with the “City Mission”, which began with the Novena of the Immaculate Conception on 29 November in preparation for the 3rd Session of the International Congress for New Evangelisation ICNE to be held in Lisbon in November 2005..
ICNE is promoted by the Bishops of the local Churches of Vienna, Paris, Lisbon, Brussels and Budapest, who have taken up the challenge to go into the streets to announce Jesus Christ where people struggle, suffer and hope in the difficulties of every day life. The Bishops intend to launch an evangelising mission in the urban context of the great cities entrusted to their pastoral care.
Lisbon is the 3rd city to host this international Congress. In a Letter for the occasion “From Paris to Lisbon”, Cardinal Patriarch of Lisbon writes that the theme of the Congress will be “proclamation of the mystery of life, precious gift of the Creator, main responsibility of man whose fullness is announced in the Risen Christ, who communicates Life to us through the sacramental fecundity of the Church”. Hence the need to “enter into dialogue with the city through art, culture, qualified debates, in universities with young people, with politicians with public administrators…”.
Preparation for ICNE in Lisbon opened with the City Mission which will close with the week of the Congress. The City Mission, opened on 29 November, will continue to the end of the celebration of the 3rd session of ICNE (6-13 November 2005). The City Mission will involve “a series of catechesis, reflection on the mystery of Jesus Christ to prepare people to be witnesses and to engage in evangelisation in the dynamism of the first announcement of Jesus Christ”. It is a question of “proclaiming through witness that Jesus Christ is Living Lord, the Living God who calls us to open our hearts to his love. God is not an idea, an unreachable being, a cultural creation of religions. In Jesus Christ He becomes the event of our life, transforming it and giving it a radically new meaning”, Cardinal Policarpo said in his pastoral letter on the “City Mission”. Various initiatives of first announcement have been undertaken to put the city in a state of mission with the participation of parishes, movements, apostolate groups involved in this missionary event.
During a recent meeting with university students Cardinal Policarpo called on young people to take part in this great crusade of evangelisation: “People have lost all hope, in work, in the family, in love and in politics. People cannot live without joy, without hope, hence the urgent need to propose values which help city people adopt a positive attitude”. Accepting the challenge the young people present promised to work to “give life to the city”. (R.Z.) (Agenzia Fides 10/12/2004, righe 40, parole 533)
