The evangelistic IMPERATIVE

Addendum to "New CDF document Magna Carta of Evangelization" (Musings, December 14, 2007):

ROMA, December 17, 2007 – "It is an exact order from the Lord, and it does not allow for any sort of exemption. He did not tell us: Preach the Gospel to every creature, except for the Muslims, the Jews, and the Dalai Lama."

Thus does Sandro Magister begin his discussion of the CDF Note on Evangelization releasted last Friday, December 14, by recalling the preaching of Cardinal Giacomo Biffi, archbishop of Bologna, in a celebrated address he gave nine days after September 11, 2001. In his account, "Overturned: The Church Can – and Must – Evangelize" (www.chiesa, December 17, 2007), Magister stresses the target of the Note: the "growing confusion" that has penetrated even within missionary institutes, who, in deference to 'dialogue', refuse even to preach or to baptize, but stress only social activism. He also focuses on the two critical situations of evangelization within Russia and the Muslim countries.

Of related interest

• "Save the pagan babies" (Musings, December 9, 2006)
  
  
• "'Evangelism' and 'evangelization'" (Musings, March 15, 2007)