Where is this mystery steeple? Page 4
BISHOP FOLDA’S MESSAGE:
The journey of Advent Page 2
New Earth CATHOLIC DIOCESE
OF
FARGO
September 2011 December 2013 Vol.34 No. 32 No.11 8 Vol.
“Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth” — Rev. 21:1
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Let’s begin ‘new chapter’ of joyful evangelization, Pope Francis exhorts Catholic News Agency
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CNS photo
“ . . . our personal experience of being
accompanied and assisted . . . will teach us to be patient and compassionate with others, and to find the right way to gain their trust, their openness and their readiness to grow. Pope Francis
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Pope Francis makes a point as he leads his general audience in St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican Nov. 20. In his first extensive piece of writing as pope, Pope Francis lays out a vision of the Catholic Church dedicated to evangelization, with a focus on society’s poorest and most vulnerable, including the aged and unborn.
n his first apostolic exhortation, “The Joy of the Gospel,” Pope Francis urged the Christian faithful to begin “a new chapter of evangelization,” marked by the joy that is “constantly born anew” with Christ. “The Joy of the Gospel fills the hearts and lives of all who encounter Jesus,” the pope wrote, inviting Christians to “a renewed personal encounter with Jesus Christ.” The apostolic exhortation, also known as “Evangelii Gaudium,” follows the 2012 bishops’ synod on the new evangelization, which was held as part of the Year of Faith. Released Nov. 26, the papal document stressed the need for Christian joy. “There are Christians whose lives seem like Lent without Easter,” the pope said. Despite different ways of expressing joy and the difficulties of experiencing joy in suffering, he said, we must all allow joy to be part of our lives. At the core of preaching is “the God who revealed his immense love in the crucified and risen Christ,” the Holy Father explained. Christians should appear not as someone seeming to solely impose new obligations, but as those “who wish to share their joy, who point to a horizon of beauty and who invite others to a delicious banquet.” Examining challenges to evangeli-
zation including relativism and secularization, Pope Francis observed a “profound cultural crisis” in marriage and the family, which is the “fundamental cell of society.”
Money an idol The pontiff rejected “an economy of exclusion and inequality,” which marginalizes people and treats them as disposable. Money has become an idol in the modern culture of indifference, he said, stressing the need for humancentered ethics in the financial system. Furthermore, the pope encouraged pastoral workers to see their faith as tied integrally to their identity, and to embrace a missionary spirituality without selfishness, sloth or pessimism. He discouraged worldliness as well as warring among different groups within the church. He recognized the important role of the laity in the church, particularly noting the unique gifts of women, while affirming the male priesthood. Turning to the call of every Christian to evangelize, Pope Francis acknowledged the necessity of explicitly proclaiming Christ as Lord. He assured that “cultural diversity is not a threat to church unity,” and explained that unity “is never uniformity, but a multifaceted and inviting harPlease turn to POPE on page 6
Francis is third pope to win Time’s Person of the Year honor By Catholic News Service
Pope Francis is not seeking fame or accolades, but being named Time magazine’s Person of the Year will make him happy if it helps attract people to the hope of the Gospel, said the Vatican spokesman. “It’s a positive sign that one of the most prestigious recognitions in the international press” goes to a person who “proclaims to the world spiritual, religious and moral values and speaks effectively in favor of peace and greater justice,” said the spokesman, Jesuit Father Federico Lombardi. The choice of Pope Francis “is not surprising, given the wide appeal and huge attention” to his pontificate so far, Father Lombardi noted shortly after Time announced it had named the pope for the annual feature. “Rarely has a new player on the world stage captured so much attention so quickly — young and old, faithful and cynical — as has Pope Francis,” Time said
on its website. “With a focus on compassion, the leader of the Catholic Church has become a new voice of conscience.” Blessed John Paul II was named Person of the Year in 1994 and Blessed John XXIII in 1962. Other past honorees include several U.S. presidents, Mahatma Gandhi, Adolf Hitler, Josef Stalin and Mark Zuckerberg, founder of Facebook. The magazine says the title goes to the person or idea that “for better or worse . . . has done the most to influence events of the year.” The pope “does not seek fame and success, because he serves to proclaim the Gospel and God’s love for everyone,” Father Lombardi said. But if the recognition “attracts women and men and gives them hope, the pope is happy.” The spokesman added that Pope Francis would also be pleased if the magazine’s decision “means that many have understood, at least implicitly, this message” of hope.
“Rarely has a new
player on the world stage captured so much attention so quickly — young and old, faithful and cynical — as has Pope Francis. With a focus on compassion, the leader of the Catholic Church has become a new voice of conscience. Time magazine
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