Marianne Suba

BSACC-2A

Evangelii Nuntiandi

(Evangelization in the Modern World)

Overview

The official document for Evangelii Nuntiandi was presented by Pope Paul VI after the Third
General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops on “Evangelization” in 1974.

It is an apostolic exhortation issued on December 8, 1975 which deals with evangelism and
affirms the role of the Church –as an institution and as individual members - in spreading the
Catholic religion and promoting justice in the world.

A. From Christ the Evangelizer to the Evangelizing Church

The mission of Jesus was going from town to town to preach to the poorest — and
frequently the most receptive — the joyful news of the fulfillment of the promises and of the
Covenant offered by God is the mission for which Jesus declares that He is sent by the Father.

This Kingdom and salvation is available for everyone but a radical conversion of the mind
and heart is needed.

The Good News is meant for all people. And those who accept it must in turn become
evangelizers.

The Church is an evangelizer but she begins by evangelizing herself.

B. What is Evangelization?

1.) EVANGELIZATION

Evangelization can be defined in terms of proclaiming Christ to those who do not know
him, of preaching, of catechesis, of Baptism and of the Sacraments. Yet, the reality of
evangelization must not be partial or fragmented. The elements of evangelization are:

a.) RENEWAL

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

b.) TRANSFORMATION

Evangelization should affect human judgment, values, interests, thoughts and way of life
consistent with Word of God and the plan of salvation.
 c.) CULTURAL

The evangelization of the culture must always take the person as the starting
point and always come back to the relationships of people among themselves and with God.

d.) WITNESS AND PROCLAMATION

The Gospel must be proclaimed by personal life witness and by clear, explicit
proclamation of Jesus. The witness of life goes hand in hand with the Word of Life.

e.) APOSTOLATE

The person who has been evangelized goes on to evangelize others.

2.) Evangelization is a complex process with many elements which are complimentary and
mutually enriching: the renewal of humanity, witness, explicit proclamation, inner adherence,
entry into the community, acceptance of signs and apostolic initiative.

C. The Content of Evangelization

1. SALVATION

It is the primary message of evangelization. It is offered to all as a gift of God’s grace and
mercy.

2. HOPE

It includes the proclamation of the hereafter, the preaching of hope in the promises of
God, God’s love for us, our love of God and all men and women, of the mystery of evil and
active search for good. The active search for God is through prayer, communion and the
Sacraments

3. TOTAL LIFE

Evangelization consists of the personal, family and social dimension involving rights and
duties, family life, societal and international life, peace, justice, development and liberation.

4. LIBERATION

The Church has the duty to proclaim the liberation of people, of helping in it, of
witnessing to it and making sure it is complete. Liberation is integral to evangelization

5. HUMAN ADVANCEMENT

The plan of redemption includes working against injustices which can’t be ignored by
evangelization.
 6. INTEGRAL AND TOTAL

Salvation and liberation must not be reduced to just material well-being. The spiritual
and religious dimension can’t be ignored.

7. EVANGELICAL LIBERATION

Liberation cannot be limited to economics, politics, social or cultural life. It must include
the whole person.

8. CENTERED ON THE KINGDOM OF GOD

The proclamation of the Kingdom of God cannot be replaced by the proclamation of

forms of human liberation. The Church’s contribution to liberation is incomplete if she neglects
to proclaim the salvation in Christ.

9. EVANGELIZATION AND LIBERATION

Human liberation and salvation are linked in Christ. True liberation must be motivated
by justice and charity, and its final goal must be salvation and happiness in God.

10. CONVERSION

Personal conversion is needed to build structures which are more human, just, and
respectful of human rights, less oppressive and less enslaving.

C. The Content of Evangelization

11. NON-VIOLENT

Violence is not in harmony with true liberation. Violence leads to more violence and
brings new and worse forms of oppression and enslavement.

12. RELIGIOUS LIBERTY

It occupies a place for primary importance in evangelization.

D. The Methods of Evangelization

1. WITNESS OF LIFE

This is the first means of evangelization; he witness of life is given over to God and one’s
neighbors in a communion that nothing should destroy.

2. LIVING PREACHING

In preaching the Good News, some modern methods had been successfully used.

3. LITURGY OF THE WORD

 This is where preaching is found. This is a privileged occasion for communicating the
Word of the Lord.

4. CATECHETICS

-Catechetical instruction must be adapted to the age, culture and aptitude of the
persons concerned; they must seek the essential truths.

5. MASS MEDIA

Through mass media, should reach vast numbers of people but with the capacity of
piercing the conscience of each individual.

6. PERSONAL CONTACT

This is indispensable to evangelization in the long run.

7. SACRAMENTS

Evangelization must touch both the natural and supernatural life. The Supernatural life
is expressed in the 7 Sacraments. The role of evangelization is to educate each individual
Christian to live the Sacraments as true Sacraments of life and not to receive them passively of
undergo them.

8. POPULAR PIETY

It manifests a thirst for God which only the simple and the poor can know. This makes
people capable of generosity and sacrifice even to the point of heroism.

E. The Beneficiaries of Evangelization

1. The Good News is for everyone.

2. Obstacles can never prevent the Good News from being proclaimed to the world.

3. The first proclamation of Christ and His Gospel is to those who do not know them. This can
be done through “pre-evangelization”.

4. The Good News of Jesus should always be proclaimed to a De-Christianized World (to those
who have been baptized but who live outside Christian life, for simple people who have certain
faith but an imperfect knowledge, for intellectuals who feel the need to know Christ).

5. The Church respects and esteems the non-Christian religions. They carry within them the
echo of thousands of years of an incomplete searching for God, but with great sincerity and
righteousness of heart. Yet, the Church cannot withhold from them the proclamation of Christ
and his riches.

6. The Believers of Christ need to continue to be deepened, consoled, nourished and matured
in their faith. The Church needs to deal with secularism, atheism and humanism.
7. There is an increase of unbelief in the modern world of aesthetic humanism, secularism and a
man-centered atheism (the non-Believers).

8. Evangelization must find the proper means and language to represent God’s revelation and
faith in Christ to non-practicing Christians.

9. If the preaching of the Gospel is to be effective, the Good News must be made to the heart of
the multitudes, to communities of the faithful whose action can and must reach others.

10. There are two kinds of “small communities”. One works with the Church, bringing Christians
together in communities to become hearers and evangelizers of the Good News. The other
criticizes the Church with an attitude of fault-finding and rejection. (To Basic Ecclesial
Communities)

These communities need to:

a. to seek food in the Word of God and do not allow themselves to be trapped by
political polarization or ideologies

b. to avoid the temptation of systematic protests and hypercritical attitude

c. to remain attached to the local and universal Church

d. To maintain a sincere communion with the pastors and Magisterium of the Church

e. To be aware that they are not the sole agents of evangelization

f. To constantly grow in missionary consciousness, fervor, commitment and zeal

g. To show themselves to be universal in all things and never sectarian

F. The Workers for Evangelization

1. Evangelization is the mission of the Church.

2. Evangelization is ecclesial which means that any act of evangelization is in union and
communion with the Church.

3. The Universal Church and the Individual Churches have roles to play in the evangelization.

4. Individual churches have the task of proclaiming the Good News in a language that people
can understand.

5. Faith content must not be sacrificed when evangelization is adapted to local situation and
people’s concrete lives which can be done by remembering the universal dimension of
individual churches.

6. There are many different evangelizing tasks to be done.

7. The Pope who is the successor of Peter has the ministry of teaching the revealed truth.

8. Bishops and priests are teachers of faith, while at the same time ministers of the Eucharist
and the Sacraments.

9. Religious witness to Christ in their concentrated lives. It

10. Laities are evangelizers in the arena of politics, society, economics, culture etc.

11. The Family as the “domestic church” is the place where the Good News is first shared and
from which it is spread out.

12. Young people who are well trained in faith and prayer must become more and more the
apostles of youth.

13. Side by side with the ordained ministries, the Church recognizes the place of non-ordained
ministries which are able to offer a particular service to the Church. A serious preparation is
needed for all workers for evangelization.

G. The Spirit of Evangelization

1. Evangelization will not be possible without the action of the Holy Spirit.

2. Evangelizing zeal must spring from true holiness of life and preaching must make the
preacher grow in holiness, nourished by prayer and love for the Eucharist.

3. Each evangelizer is called to a life of simplicity, the spirit of prayer, charity to all especially to
the lowly and poor, obedience and humility, detachment and self-sacrifice.

4. Unity among evangelizers is a proof that they are sent by the Father.

5. The evangelizer will be a person who, even at the price of personal renunciation and
suffering, always seeks the truth that he must share with others.

6. The evangelizer must have an ever increasing love for those whom he is evangelizing.

7. A fervor of spirit is needed to put aside the excuses which hinder evangelization.