RADIO VATICANA REPORT: Pope Benedict on Saturday evening addressed a conference entitled "New Evangelizers for the New Evangelization - The Word of God grows and spreads" sponsored by the recently established Pontifical Council for Promoting the New Evangelization.The Holy Father began his address by affirming the Word of God is still alive, to this day, because the Church makes it present through her faithful transmission, in the celebration of the sacraments and in the testimony of believers, living the same life-blood as the first Christian community.
Pope Benedict then presented the challenges the new Pontifical Council faces in today’s world.
”Modern man is often confused and cannot find answers to many questions which trouble his mind in reference to the meaning of life and issues that arise in the depths of his heart,” he said. “Man cannot avoid these questions which touch on the very meaning of self and of reality, nor can he live in a single dimension. Instead, he often removes himself from the search for the essential meaning of life, while turning to things which give him fleeting happiness, a moment’s satisfaction, but which soon leaves him unhappy and unsatisfied.”
Pope Benedict said despite this condition of modern man, the Word of God continues to grow and spread. He mentioned three reasons.
“The power of the Word does not depend primarily on our action…but by God, who hides his power under the guise of weakness…the second reason is because the seed of the Word…still falls into good soil that produces fruit… the third reason is that the Gospel has spread to the very ends of the world, and even in the midst of indifference, misunderstanding, persecution, many continue today to courageously open their hearts and minds to accept the invitation of Christ to meet him and become his disciples,” he said.
He said the Pontifical Council for Promoting the New Evangelization is called to offer special help to the Church's mission, especially in those countries of ancient Christian tradition which seem to have become indifferent or even hostile to the Word of God.
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