Part I Continued

Pope Paul VI - The Essential Mission of the Church

On December 8, 1975, Pope Paul VI published his Apostolic Exhortation: On Evangelization in the Modern World (Evangelii Nuntiandi). It was inspired by the Synod of Bishops of 1974 and is considered to be the “watershed” document for contemporary Catholic evangelization. It gives to Catholics a renewed focus on evangelization. As a result of that document, Catholic interest in evangelization has been renewed and the energy the Church seeks to devote to this work has been expanded. Pope Paul VI teaches that evangelization is the Church’s essential mission.

We wish to confirm once more that the task of evangelizing all people constitutes the essential mission of the Church. It is a task and mission which the vast and profound changes of present-day society make all the more urgent. Evangelization is in fact the grace and vocation proper to the Church, her deepest identity. She exists in order to evangelize, that is to say, in order to preach and teach, to be the channel of the gift of grace, to reconcile sinners with God, and to perpetuate Christ’s sacrifice in the Mass, which is the memorial of His death and glorious resurrection. (On Evangelization in the Modern World, #14).

Certainly, the Church has always cultivated a keen missionary vision before this date and time. Its history might arguably be defined as the chronicle of a great and sacred mission-on-the-march. But Pope Paul’s message did something startling: it gave a new understanding to Catholic evangelization. The mandate applies and permeates all aspects of Church life and not only missionary efforts in faraway places.

In this Apostolic Exhortation, Pope Paul VI describes what evangelization is. He writes:

“For the Church, evangelizing means bringing the Good News into all strata of humanity, and through its influence, transforming humanity from within and making it new.” (#18)

He further teaches that the object of Catholic evangelization is conversion to Jesus Christ in and through the Church. We believe that conversion is the change in our lives that comes about through the power of the Holy Spirit and happens in many ways. Some experience a gradual growth over many years. Others undergo conversion as they take part in the RCIA or through the formation received through the ordinary relationships of family and friends. Still, others have experienced conversion in renewals, ecumenical encounters, retreats, parish missions, or other spiritual movements that have blessed Church life today.

What is important in the Catholic understanding of conversion is that it begins with acceptance of Jesus Christ in Baptism but then continues to deepen throughout life. It is ongoing. The goal of Catholic evangelization is to invite a person to believe in Jesus Christ; to enfold the believer in the sacramental, communal life of the Church; and then to enable, inspire, and support a lifetime of full discipleship.

In On Evangelization in the Modern World, Pope Paul VI challenged every Catholic and minister to rethink his or her own vocation. The goal of Catholic evangelization is to invite a person to believe in Jesus Christ; to enfold the believer in the sacramental, communal life of the Church; and then to enable, inspire, and support a lifetime of full discipleship.