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Evangelii Nuntiandi: Chapter III
The Content of Evangelization, No. 30
The Central Message (cont.)
Many of the bishops at the time of the writing of Evangelii Nuntiandi were dealing with issues of liberation in their daily interaction with their flocks. It is still the same today. Liberation has many aspects. Liberation has to do with freedom from forces outside us and those within us. Much of our lack of freedom comes from the forces within us, but not all. The people often live in conditions not always due to their own fault but because of the way international trade and commerce play out in their areas.
These bishops do what they can to relieve the situation. And they speak and write about the injustices that are causing the problems. Some of the problems are natural. Climate change is affecting whole areas in Africa. There the bishops request international aid. Other times they ask for improved trade agreements so that people can better benefit from international markets.
They discuss local politics too. Corruption at home in many countries is the cause of many problems. All this is part of evangelization. It is the Church reminding people of the things which enslave them and enslave others. Here they sometimes run into stiff resistance because we human beings do not like to be reminded of the things we are slaves to. We prefer to see these enslavements as powers and developments of our natural powers, or of our country’s economic welfare.
All these problems weigh on the bishops, who do what they can to relieve the situation. Many of them collect money from outside their dioceses to alleviate the social and economic problems. One of our bishops, for example, helped pay school fees for students who could not afford them.
Although the bishops are not to be the ones who institute reforms or start new institutions to care for problems, they do have the obligation to foster and encourage these things and those who are working for their implementation. They must keep the focus straight: on man as a creature of God, meant to know Jesus Christ and find salvation in him. In all of the struggle for liberation and equality man as a creature of God must be the goal. Men must be given the chance to live as Jesus Christ intends. Then they will be free.
Bishops speak of these problems because they love their people. They want the best for them. They see the evils in the world and how they threaten their people. They are given the grace of the Holy Spirit to see their needs and how to respond to them. We ought to listen to the bishops when they speak, especially to the bishop of our own diocese. He is the shepherd given to us. His is the voice of the Good Shepherd for us.
The Content of Evangelization, No. 30
The Central Message (cont.)
Many of the bishops at the time of the writing of Evangelii Nuntiandi were dealing with issues of liberation in their daily interaction with their flocks. It is still the same today. Liberation has many aspects. Liberation has to do with freedom from forces outside us and those within us. Much of our lack of freedom comes from the forces within us, but not all. The people often live in conditions not always due to their own fault but because of the way international trade and commerce play out in their areas.
These bishops do what they can to relieve the situation. And they speak and write about the injustices that are causing the problems. Some of the problems are natural. Climate change is affecting whole areas in Africa. There the bishops request international aid. Other times they ask for improved trade agreements so that people can better benefit from international markets.
They discuss local politics too. Corruption at home in many countries is the cause of many problems. All this is part of evangelization. It is the Church reminding people of the things which enslave them and enslave others. Here they sometimes run into stiff resistance because we human beings do not like to be reminded of the things we are slaves to. We prefer to see these enslavements as powers and developments of our natural powers, or of our country’s economic welfare.
All these problems weigh on the bishops, who do what they can to relieve the situation. Many of them collect money from outside their dioceses to alleviate the social and economic problems. One of our bishops, for example, helped pay school fees for students who could not afford them.
Although the bishops are not to be the ones who institute reforms or start new institutions to care for problems, they do have the obligation to foster and encourage these things and those who are working for their implementation. They must keep the focus straight: on man as a creature of God, meant to know Jesus Christ and find salvation in him. In all of the struggle for liberation and equality man as a creature of God must be the goal. Men must be given the chance to live as Jesus Christ intends. Then they will be free.
Bishops speak of these problems because they love their people. They want the best for them. They see the evils in the world and how they threaten their people. They are given the grace of the Holy Spirit to see their needs and how to respond to them. We ought to listen to the bishops when they speak, especially to the bishop of our own diocese. He is the shepherd given to us. His is the voice of the Good Shepherd for us.