Pope urges return of ‘lukewarm’ Catholics
New ways of reaching out to drifters discussed at synod
Pope Benedict XVI celebrating Mass at the end of the Synod of Bishops at the Vatican. Photo: Reuters
Pope Benedict, closing a gathering of bishops who discussed how to win back lapsed and lukewarm Catholics, on Sunday said the Church had to develop new ways of reaching out to those who had drifted from the faith.
Pope Benedict, 85, said a solemn Mass in St Peter’s Basilica to close the three-week synod of some 260 bishops from around the world on the theme of the “New Evangelisation”, or how to stem the haemorrhaging of the faithful.
The Church is suffering desertions from its practising flock in former strongholds in Europe, North America and Latin America due to sex abuse scandals, increasing secularism, rival faiths and open dissent against Church teachings on homosexuality and its ban on female priesthood.
“Besides traditional and perennially valid pastoral methods, the Church seeks to adopt new ones, developing a new language, attuned to the different world cultures,” he said.
He did not name any new methods but recently the 1.2 billion member Church has increasingly turned to the internet and social media to spread its message.
One of the 58 proposals made by the bishops at the end of the gathering called for Catholic leaders to be better trained in the use of electronic communications.
In his homily, the Pope said Church leaders had to work harder to turn around a situation “where the light of faith has grown dim and people have drifted away from God, no longer considering him relevant for their lives”.
The synod’s final message said the Roman Catholic faith in many advanced countries risked being “eclipsed” by an increasingly secularised and materialistic world.
The message, a synthesis of the topics discussed, said that while the Gospel could not be “a product to be placed in the market of religions”, the Church needed to find new ways of putting it “into practice in today’s circumstances”.
The message took a dig at the US and Canada, saying these needed to “recognise the many expressions of the present culture in the countries of your world which are today far from the Gospel”.
The Pope will use the deliberations at the synod and the proposals to write his own document, known as an “apostolic exhortation” on the topic.
Popular Stories
In Discussion
4 Comments
Post comment
Please sign in or create your Account to post comments.
Svetlana Borg
Oct 31st 2012, 10:25
Part of the solution is already available if the Maltese Church wants to:
http://pro-tridentina-malta.blogspot.com/2011/09/faqs-how-to-apply-summorum-pontificum.html
It's only a matter of time. And the benefits will be substantial. The Maltese Bishops are wise enough not to let this opportunity vanish.
Mr Emanuel Farrugia
Oct 30th 2012, 21:00
The Catholic Church [PART 2]
Church membership is implied in the way the New Testament requires elders to care for the flock in their charge. Of course elders can extend their love to anyone and everyone, and should, within the limits of their ability.
Emanuel Farrugia [TARXIEN] former student Faculty of Theology UOM
Mr Emanuel Farrugia
Oct 30th 2012, 20:55
The Catholic Church [Part 1]
Church membership is implied by the way the church is supposed to discipline its members. Consider the implication of Matthew 18:15–17 where “the church” (ekklesia) appears to be the final court of appeal in matters of church authority as it relates to membership.
Emanuel Farrugia [TARXIEN] former student Faculty of Theology UOM
Kurt Waschnig
Oct 30th 2012, 15:05
Human beings need a meaning of life. There is no doubt. The Catholic Church tries to figure out to win back its dwindling flock.
In a globalised, liberal and secular environment human beings have lot of opportunities to find their own specific meaning.
To find a meaning the Church is no longer needed.
Please choose the reason of your report below: