"the bishop's primary duty"
Last November 5, Pope Benedict XVI received the Austrian bishops and spoke to them (click on this post's title) about what we should do in this time of secularization and loss of faith. Certain speakers at the upcoming Religious Education Congress in Anaheim ought to hear the Pontiff's words and take them to heart:
"There can be no doubt that what is needed is clear, courageous and enthusiastic witness to faith in Jesus Christ, Who is alive and present in His Church, and in Whom alone human beings find their true happiness...we must adopt 'missionary measures,' both great and small, in order to invert the current negative tendency."
The Holy Father continued, "It is the bishop's primary duty to bear witness to the faith. 'I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole counsel of God,' said the Apostle Paul in Ephesus."
Then the Pope said these momentous words: "It is true that we must act delicately, but this must not prevent us from presenting the divine message clearly, even on those subjects that do not enjoy widespread approval, or that give rise to protest or even derision, especially in the field of the truth of faith and moral teaching...Catholic teaching presented incompletely is self-contradictory and cannot be fruitful in the long term."
Imagine a Religious Education Congress in which everyone present adopted these words as their own and then faithfully went out and acted on them! L.A. would become a different city.
"There can be no doubt that what is needed is clear, courageous and enthusiastic witness to faith in Jesus Christ, Who is alive and present in His Church, and in Whom alone human beings find their true happiness...we must adopt 'missionary measures,' both great and small, in order to invert the current negative tendency."
The Holy Father continued, "It is the bishop's primary duty to bear witness to the faith. 'I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole counsel of God,' said the Apostle Paul in Ephesus."
Then the Pope said these momentous words: "It is true that we must act delicately, but this must not prevent us from presenting the divine message clearly, even on those subjects that do not enjoy widespread approval, or that give rise to protest or even derision, especially in the field of the truth of faith and moral teaching...Catholic teaching presented incompletely is self-contradictory and cannot be fruitful in the long term."
Imagine a Religious Education Congress in which everyone present adopted these words as their own and then faithfully went out and acted on them! L.A. would become a different city.
posted by Quintero at 9:52 PM
2 Comments:
If LA were transformed (from LA to the Los Angeles it was meant to be), Hollywood could be transformed. With Hollywood transformed, the world might just follow in transformation.
The entertainment industry is powerful for ill; it could be powerful for good as well.
Jared:
You are absolutely right. And it's a good thing you are there -- in Hollywood -- like leaven in the dough.
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