Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Brasilia (Fides Service) - “Our campaign of evangelisation opens the way to channelling solidarity on the part of all Catholics to support the mission of the Church in Brazil ” Bishop Odile Pedro Scherer, Secretary General of the Brazilian Bishops’ Conference said in a message sent to Fides from the National Office of the Pontifical Mission Societies in Brazil. This 6th consecutive annual national Advent Evangelisation Campaign has the slogan “Participating and Evangelising”.
Since the campaign is for evangelisation is also includes a collection which will be taken on the 3rd Sunday of Advent. The proceeds will be distributed following specific criteria with priority for the poorer regions and most urgent needs in the field of evangelisation.
The aims of the campaign are the following: increase among the baptised awareness of the duty of evangelisation and responsibility to support the pastoral work of the Church in Brazil; help to overcome a individualist mentality and subjective vision of religion, with an attitude of solidarity oriented to the common good; foster adult faith witnessed with attitudes and actions consistent with personal conversion and social transformation as demanded by the Gospel; guarantee the Church at the diocesan, regional and national level the necessary resources to fulfil her work of evangelisation both in the poorer regions and in the ambit of major national meetings.
Bishop Odile Pedro Scherer, explains the motivations for the Campaign as follows: “The Church needs to assume the same attitude of love as Jesus towards people whatever their situation, and she therefore needs the solidarity of every baptised in order to have the necessary means for her mission”. Solidarity in evangelisation means first of all, Bishop Scherer explains, a willingness to be evangelised because a person in an authentic process of evangelisation becomes in turn an evangeliser. In the season of Advent, we should remember: “anyone who experiences the immense love of God the Father cannot remain indifferent to the many people who have yet to encounter Christ, the Truth who liberates and saves humanity”. (R.Z.) (Agenzia Fides 10/12/2004, righe 28, parole 355)
