November 7, 2018: Wise Words from St. Paul VI
by Katie Prejean McGrady
Pope Paul VI, most known for taking the reins of Vatican II after the death of St. John XXIII and writing Humanae Vitae, was canonized on October 14, 2018, by Pope Francis. It’s significant that his canonization occurred in the midst of the Synod on Young People, the Faith, and Vocational Discernment—not because he was known for his work with youth and young adults, but simply because the synod process exists because of his leadership.
Before the Second Vatican Council, it was common for cardinals and bishops to gather in ecumenical councils to discuss important and relevant issues to the life of the Church. After Vatican II, Pope Paul VI established the “Synod of Bishops”—a gathering of bishops from around the world to discuss pertinent issues, craft documents to advise and lead the faithful, and guide the Church in her evangelistic mission.
From 1963 to 1975, Pope Paul VI presided over three synods covering the preservation and strengthening of the Catholic faith, the ministerial priesthood, and evangelization in the modern world.
The Synod on Evangelization in the Modern World resulted in an Apostolic Exhortation entitled Evangelii Nuntiandi, which is just as relevant today as it was in 1975. Paul VI implored the faithful not to hide Jesus, but to bring him boldly to the world, announcing the Gospel with our lives and challenging us to recognize the evangelical mission that is the very nature and character of the Church. If we thought the concept of “new evangelization” was just making better graphics for the parish bulletin or updating a diocesan website, by the time you’ve finished reading Evangelii Nuntiandi, you’ll realize it’s so much more.
In honor of Pope Paul VI’s canonization and because Evangelii Nuntiandi should be in the hands of every person who finds themselves in a position to evangelize (every Baptized person), here are a few key quotes to inspire you in your work of sharing the Gospel and living the faith:
The necessity of evangelization
“For the presentation of the Gospel message is not an optional contribution for the Church. It is a duty incumbent on her by the command of the Lord Jesus, so that people can believe and be saved. This message is indeed necessary. It is unique. It cannot be replaced.” (5)
Evangelization is the very work of the Church
“Evangelizing is in fact the grace and vocation proper to the Church, her deepest identity. She exists in order to evangelize, that is to say, in order to preach and teach, to be the channel of the gift of grace, to reconcile sinners with God, and to perpetuate Christ's sacrifice in the Mass, which is the memorial of his death and glorious resurrection.” (14)
The evangelizing community
“For the Christian community is never closed in upon itself. The intimate life of this community—the life of listening to the Word and the apostles’ teaching, charity lived in a fraternal way, the sharing of bread his intimate life only acquires its full meaning when it becomes a witness, when it evokes admiration and conversion, and when it becomes the preaching and proclamation of the Good News. Thus it is the whole Church that receives the mission to evangelize, and the work of each individual member is important for the whole.” (15)
The need for witnesses
“Modern man listens more willingly to witnesses than to teachers, and if he does listen to teachers, it is because they are witnesses.” (41)
The use of media
“Our century is characterized by the mass media or means of social communication, and the first proclamation, catechesis or the further deepening of faith cannot do without these means, as we have already emphasized. When they are put at the service of the Gospel, they are capable of increasing almost indefinitely the area in which the Word of God is heard; they enable the Good News to reach millions of people.” (45)
Unity among believers
“The Lord's spiritual testament tells us that unity among his followers is not only the proof that we are his but also the proof that he is sent by the Father. It is the test of the credibility of Christians and of Christ himself. As evangelizers, we must offer Christ's faithful not the image of people divided and separated by unedifying quarrels, but the image of people who are mature in faith and capable of finding a meeting-point beyond the real tensions, thanks to a shared, sincere and disinterested search for truth.” (77)
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