Wednesday, January 8, 2014

BASIC ECCLESIAL COMMUNITIES: COMMITTED TO TRANSMITTING THE GOSPEL


Vatican City, 8 January 2014 (VIS) – The Holy Father has written a letter, dated 17 December 2013, for the 13th Inter-ecclesial Meeting of the Basic Ecclesial Communities (CEB), which will be held from 7 to 11 January in the city of Juazeiro do Norte in the Brazilian state of Ceara. The meeting will be dedicated to the theme: “Justice and prophesy in the service of life”.

The Pope conveys to the participants his wish that “the light of the Holy Spirit help you live with renewed enthusiasm the commitments of the Gospel of Jesus within Brazilian society”, and, recalling the Aparecida document, remarks that the CEB constitute a tool for ensuring “greater knowledge of the Word of God, social commitment in the name of the Gospel, the appearance of new lay services and education in faith for adults”.

He goes on to reiterate that the CEB must be characterised by “a new evangelical impulse and the capacity to relate to the world for the renewal of the Church”, and that it is therefore necessary “not to lose touch with the rich reality of the local parish, and to integrate the organic pastoral of the particular Church”.

Pope Francis concludes the letter by mentioning that evangelisation is the duty of all the Church, of all the People of God: “we must all be pilgrims, in the field and in the city, bringing the joy of the Gospel to all men and women. May the words of St. Paul resound in our hearts: 'Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel!'”.


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