Year of Faith: Suggestions to Bishops Conferences
The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith has issued a note that provides suggestions and guidelines for the celebration of the Year of Faith proclaimed by Benedict XVI. Confirm the correct interpretation of Vatican II.
Vatican City (AsiaNews) - The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith issued a Note today that contains the pastoral guidelines for the celebration of the Year of Faith, proclaimed by Pope Benedict XVI in the apostolic letter of 11 October 2011 Port fidei. The year of the Faith will begin on 11 October 2012, the fiftieth anniversary of the opening of the Second Vatican Council, and will end November 24, 2013, Solemnity of Christ the King. Another anniversary falls in the year of Faith, namely the publication of the Universal Catechism of the Catholic Church.
The year is presented as a good opportunity for all the faithful to deepen their understanding that the foundation of Christian faith is "the encounter with an event, a person who gives life a new horizon and a decisive direction", as Pope Benedict wrote in his encyclical "Deus Caritas Est." "Even to this day faith is a gift to rediscover, to cultivate and to witness" so that "the Lord that grant each of us may the experience the beauty and joy of being Christians."
The beginning of the Year of Faith coincides with the anniversaries of two great events which have marked the life of the Church in our days: the fiftieth anniversary of the opening of the Second Vatican Council, called by Blessed Pope John XXIII (11 October 1962), and the twentieth of the promulgation of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, given to the Church by Blessed Pope John Paul II (11 October 1992)».
After the Council the Church – under the sure guidance of the Magisterium and in continuity with the whole Tradition – set about ensuring the reception and application of the teaching of the Council in all its To assist in the correct reception of the Council, the Popes have frequently convoked the Synod of Bishops, ... providing the Church with clear guidance through the various post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortations. The next General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops, to be held in October 2012, will have as its theme: The New Evangelisation for the Transmission of the Christian Faith.
From the beginning of his pontificate, Pope Benedict XVI has worked decisively for a correct understanding of the Council, rejecting as erroneous the so-called "hermeneutic of discontinuity and rupture" and promoting what he himself has termed "the 'hermeneutic of reform', of renewal in continuity", of the one subject-Church which the Lord has given us is a subject which increases in time and develops, yet always remaining the same, one subject of the journeying People of God."
The Note offers several suggestions to the Episcopal Conferences, to devote study days tothe topic of faith, personal testimonies of faith and its transmission to new generations. It recommends a renewed effort to translate the documents of Vatican II and the Catechism of the Catholic Church into the languages in which they do not exist. It encourages charitable support for initiatives such translations into local languages of the mission countries, where the particular Churches can not manage the costs, an effort conducted under the guidance of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples.
In addition, drawing on the new language of communication, It is also hoped that use will be made by the bishops, of the language of the mass media and art, with television and radio transmissions, films and publications focusing on the faith, its principles and content, as well as on the ecclesial significance of Vatican Council II. And since the modern world is sensitive to the relationship between faith and art the note recommends the proper evaluation of the medium, with a catechetical focus and possibly in ecumenical collaboration, as well as the safeguarding of the heritage of works of art found in places entrusted to their pastoral care.
It will also be useful to prepare, with the help of competent theologians and authors, various catechetical supplements so that the faithful can better respond to the questions that arise in different cultural contexts, in relation to the challenges of sects, or the problems associated with secularism and relativism. At the same time, a review of local catechisms and catechetical programs in use in the various particular Churches is desirable, to ensure their full conformity with the Catechism of the Catholic Church. "In the case where some catechisms or supplements for catechesis are not in full accord with the Catechism, or reveal gaps, new programs should be developed, possibly following the example and with the help of other bishops' conferences that have already reviewed them. "
The year is presented as a good opportunity for all the faithful to deepen their understanding that the foundation of Christian faith is "the encounter with an event, a person who gives life a new horizon and a decisive direction", as Pope Benedict wrote in his encyclical "Deus Caritas Est." "Even to this day faith is a gift to rediscover, to cultivate and to witness" so that "the Lord that grant each of us may the experience the beauty and joy of being Christians."
The beginning of the Year of Faith coincides with the anniversaries of two great events which have marked the life of the Church in our days: the fiftieth anniversary of the opening of the Second Vatican Council, called by Blessed Pope John XXIII (11 October 1962), and the twentieth of the promulgation of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, given to the Church by Blessed Pope John Paul II (11 October 1992)».
After the Council the Church – under the sure guidance of the Magisterium and in continuity with the whole Tradition – set about ensuring the reception and application of the teaching of the Council in all its To assist in the correct reception of the Council, the Popes have frequently convoked the Synod of Bishops, ... providing the Church with clear guidance through the various post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortations. The next General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops, to be held in October 2012, will have as its theme: The New Evangelisation for the Transmission of the Christian Faith.
From the beginning of his pontificate, Pope Benedict XVI has worked decisively for a correct understanding of the Council, rejecting as erroneous the so-called "hermeneutic of discontinuity and rupture" and promoting what he himself has termed "the 'hermeneutic of reform', of renewal in continuity", of the one subject-Church which the Lord has given us is a subject which increases in time and develops, yet always remaining the same, one subject of the journeying People of God."
The Note offers several suggestions to the Episcopal Conferences, to devote study days tothe topic of faith, personal testimonies of faith and its transmission to new generations. It recommends a renewed effort to translate the documents of Vatican II and the Catechism of the Catholic Church into the languages in which they do not exist. It encourages charitable support for initiatives such translations into local languages of the mission countries, where the particular Churches can not manage the costs, an effort conducted under the guidance of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples.
In addition, drawing on the new language of communication, It is also hoped that use will be made by the bishops, of the language of the mass media and art, with television and radio transmissions, films and publications focusing on the faith, its principles and content, as well as on the ecclesial significance of Vatican Council II. And since the modern world is sensitive to the relationship between faith and art the note recommends the proper evaluation of the medium, with a catechetical focus and possibly in ecumenical collaboration, as well as the safeguarding of the heritage of works of art found in places entrusted to their pastoral care.
It will also be useful to prepare, with the help of competent theologians and authors, various catechetical supplements so that the faithful can better respond to the questions that arise in different cultural contexts, in relation to the challenges of sects, or the problems associated with secularism and relativism. At the same time, a review of local catechisms and catechetical programs in use in the various particular Churches is desirable, to ensure their full conformity with the Catechism of the Catholic Church. "In the case where some catechisms or supplements for catechesis are not in full accord with the Catechism, or reveal gaps, new programs should be developed, possibly following the example and with the help of other bishops' conferences that have already reviewed them. "
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