LAY PEOPLE, CONFESSORS OF THE FAITH IN TODAY'S WORLD

VATICAN CITY, MAR 1, 1999 (VIS) - John Paul II today received the participants in the plenary assembly of the Pontifical Council for the Laity, whose theme is "The Lay Faithful, Confessors of the Faith in Today's World."

The Pope said that the Jubilee of the Year 2000 "moves each lay Christian to ask fundamental questions: "What have I done with my Baptism? How do I answer my vocation? What have I done with my Confirmation? Have I used the gifts and charisms of the Spirit to bear fruit? ... Have I a deep, full commitment to the Church? Am I faithful in my decisions to the truth offered by the Magisterium of the Church? Is my life permeated ... with the teaching of Christ? Is my commitment to society and politics rooted in Gospel principles and in the social doctrine of the Church? What is my contribution ... to the inculturation of the Gospel?"

With the Second Vatican Council "we have experienced the grace of a new Pentecost. There are many signs of hope which have flourished for the mission of the Church," among which "the discovery and the appraisal of charisms, ... the renewed zeal for evangelization and the advancement of lay people."

The Holy Father said that at the same time, it cannot be ignored that "unfortunately, many Christians ... are indifferent," and some, "letting themselves be swept along by the relativism typical of today's culture, have difficulty accepting the doctrinal and moral teaching of the Church."

"I hope that the lay faithful do not avoid this examination of conscience, so as to be able to cross the threshold of the Holy Door of the third millennium full of the truth and holiness of true disciples of Jesus Christ."

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