New Evangelization New Century

May the Grace of Our Lord Jesus Christ, the Love of God and the Fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all!

Prologue

On the Launch of the “ New Evangelization for the New Century” Symposium
Pastoral Letter for 2001

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, May the Grace of Our Lord Jesus Christ, the Love of God and the Fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all! Prologue The Great Jubilee Year 2000 was indeed a time of special graces and blessings, the kairos, a time of salvation (2 Cor 6:2). Throughout the five years of preparation and especially in the various events of the Jubilee Year itself, we have truly had many blessings and graces from God. Now the Jubilee Year is drawing to a close, with hearts full of praise and thanksgiving we cross the threshold of the new century. Full of hope we go out to welcome the dawning light of the third millennium, continuing on our pilgrimage of life. To welcome the coming of the new century, faced with the challenges of a new society, new problems, new environment, and the new needs of humanity, guided by the light of the Holy Spirit, our local Church in Taiwan, four years ago proposed and began to plan for a “New Evangelization for a New Century”. The full title of the plan is New Evangelization for a New Century: the People of God working together in communion to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus, Saviour of the World, to realise the Mission of Christian Service and found Communities of Faith, Hope and Love.” After prayers, reflections, investigation and widespread sounding out of opinions we believe the time is ripe to call for a national Symposium. Hence in this Pastoral Letter we want to officially declare the opening of the Chinese Regional Symposium on “New Evangelization for a New Century” from 26-28 January 2001. This Letter sets out: the programme and main themes of the Symposium the way in which all the faithful may participate, directly or indirectly, in the Symposium the priorities for pastoral and Evangelization activities in the year 2001. I “New Evangelization for a New Century”: Programme and Themes I.1 Programme This Symposium will differ from previous ones; it will be held over ten months, divided into three stages: (1) an Initial Meeting; (2) Group Discussions; (3) Final Meeting. I.1.1 Initial Meeting The Initial Meeting of the Symposium will be held from 26-28 January 2001 at Wen Tzao Ursuline Junior College of Modern Languages, Kaohsiung. During these three days of prayer together, delegates in the Symposium, like the Apostles and Our Lady in the Cenacle who waited for the coming of the Holy Spirit, will come to listen to the spokespersons introducing the themes of the Symposium and giving concrete responses to those themes, fixing the directions for pastoral Evangelization and concrete priorities for work. The Holy Father sets great store by the Symposium and will send a special representative, His Eminence Jan P. Cardinal Schotte, Secretary General of the Synod of Bishops, who will preside at the Solemn Eucharistic Concelebration at 2:00 pm on Sunday 28 January in Wen Tzao College, and read the Pope’s Message of Congratulations. All the faithful are invited to come and take part. I.1.2 Group Discussions The Preparatory Committee of the Symposium, according to the wishes and expertise of the delegates, will divide the delegates into groups to discuss the various topics. At the Initial Meeting, the members of each group will have time for two group meetings, to choose a chair, secretary and spokesperson and to study the importance of themes assigned to that group, fix the dates, places and programme for the group meetings. After the Initial Meeting, each group will continue to study the themes assigned to them, meeting at least once every two months and sending in the results of their research to the Secretariat of the Symposium by 31 July 2001. I.1.3 Final Meeting The Final Meeting will be held at Fu Jen Catholic University, Taipei County, 9-11 November 2001. During these three days, undertaken in an atmosphere of prayer together with Mary, Queen of the Apostles, and under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, we will choose the directions and priorities to be adapted for our pastoral activities and Evangelization in the new century. I.2 Main Themes of the Symposium With four years of preparation, after thorough surveys at all levels of the Church and among all communities, the preparatory committee believes that, while it is essential to foster the evangelising zeal of each member of the Church, of greater importance is to foster a communitarian spirit, encouraging groups to work together, strengthening the faith, hope and love of community life, developing Evangelization together. Hence for “New Evangelization for a New Century”, we have chosen our chief direction as strengthening communities of faith, hope and love. In order to make this direction a practical reality our priority is placed in those communities that most affect the lives of the faithful: families, confraternities, parishes and communities. The Symposium will, therefore, discuss the following themes: A. Founding Evangelising Families of Faith, Hope and Love; B. Founding Evangelising Confraternities of Faith, Hope and Love; C. Founding Evangelising Parishes of Faith, Hope and Love; D. Founding Evangelising Church Organisations of Faith, Hope and Love; E. Founding Evangelising Dioceses of Faith, Hope and Love; F. Evangelization and Society; G. Evangelization and Justice and Peace; H. Evangelization and Ecumenism; I. Evangelization and Religious Dialogue; J. Evangelization and Acculturation; K. Evangelization and the Media. II How can Everyone take part? The Symposium of “New Evangelization for a New Century” will be a major event in the life of the local Church in Taiwan. Everyone should be concerned and strive to contribute to the Symposium as much as possible. Each has a different role to play: some are chosen as delegates to take full part in the deliberations of the Symposium; others, although not directly engaged, may be involved indirectly. II.1 Direct participation The official members of the Symposium are all the Bishops, delegates chosen by each diocese or community and delegates named by the Bishops’ Conference. They have the right to take part in the meetings and group discussions and hence the duty to ensure that they have time to be present as much as possible and accomplish the tasks set by the Symposium. Moreover, they must pay attention to any important new problems in the Church and society and, in prayer, reflect on how the spirit of the Gospel can resolve the said problems. They should also frequently meet and discuss with their brothers and sisters in Christ, especially in their parishes, confraternities and other communities, to gather opinions and ideas. After prayer, study, analysis, synthesis and discernment, these suggestions will be passed on to the main Symposium. At the same time, they will report on the state of progress of the Symposium and related matters to their local communities, parishes and confraternities. II.2 Indirect Participation Those who do not take part directly can share in the Symposium by prayer, concern, sacrifices, financial support and service. They may pass on any suggestions to the official delegates or they may write directly to the Symposium secretariat at Kuang Fu South Road, Lane 32, No. 34, Taipei 105. The Symposium needs the support and investment of each member of the faithful. The key to its success, apart from the help of God, lies in the concern and involvement of each one, whether direct or indirect. III The Work Priorities of Pastoral Evangelization 2001 Faced with the present state of society in Taiwan and the urgent needs of the Church, we have chosen the following two priorities for pastoral work in the year 2001: III.1 Promoting the “Hope 21” Movement (NB. 21=21 st Century) Today’s society in Taiwan is faced with serious problems in the economy, politics, social order and the environment. On the economic front, the stock market is on the verge of collapse, land and housing is expensive but with no market, banks are saddled with irrecoverable loans, traditional industries have moved offshore or collapsed, many industrialists have situated their enterprises elsewhere, the middle classes are migrating overseas, unemployment is increasing. On the political front, bribery and corruption is rampant, while some representatives and government officials are clean, many have accepted bribes, political parties put their own interests first, a clash between the government and Legislature has led to a motion of impeachment of the President, cross strait relations have worsened leading people to become more and more apprehensive for the regional security, and social unrest is increasing. On the social front, drug dealing continues without restraint, robberies are a daily occurrence, rape, incest, fraud and arson are serious problems. On the environmental front, rubbish is everywhere, forests uprooted, hillsides that should not have been developed have been destroyed leading to massive flooding, landslides and natural disasters that breed terror in the human heart. However, our society also has its beautiful and bright aspects. Last year, when the earthquake struck on 21 September, many people came forward with great generosity to offer assistance to the victims. On the democratic front, we have made great progress and in this year’s presidential elections there was a peaceful transition of power. People more and more appreciate the rights of women, children, indigenous people, the handicapped and weaker members of society. The Presidential Office has created a National Human Rights Committee. These events of light and beauty give us cause for rejoicing and hope. The Catholic Church in Taiwan is faced with many dangers and difficulties: the aging of the clergy, a reduction in vocations, many churches are left with noone to look after them, the faithful are dispersed. Secularism, consumerism and a lack of zeal for Evangelization are infiltrating the Church such that some people experience a sense of failure and frustration. But the Church also has points of consolation. Since the last Evangelization Symposium in 1988, formation of the laity has been given greater emphasis and their awareness of the need to become evangelisers has grown, as also has their participation in the work of the Church. One outstanding example is of the lay people who went to evangelise in Mudan, Pingtung County, and founded new community. The state of society today and the dangers facing the Church in Taiwan, for people of faith are a challenge and inspiration to engage in Evangelization on a deeper and broader front. Far from being weighed down in despair, we trust even more in God and gain the courage to meet all difficulties. For “we know in whom we have put our trust, and firmly believe that He has the power to save us” (2 Tim 1:12). The Lord in whom we trust is “Jesus Christ, yesterday, today and for ever, always the same” (Hebrews 13:8). He is “True God and true Man, the Lord of cosmos, also the Lord of History… In Him the Father has spoken the definitive word about mankind and our history.” (Tertio Millennio Adveniente # 5) “Christ is the only hope of mankind” (1 Tim 1:1), for “Christ, the Redeemer of the world, is the one Mediator between God and men, and there is no other name under heaven by which we can be saved” (Acts 4:12). (Tertio Millennio Adveniente #4) Faith tells us that in the face of all difficulties, God is always with us. “If God is for us, who can be against us?” (Rm 8:31). In the face of the insecurity in Taiwanese society today and the difficulties facing the Church, as people of faith, we console and encourage one another and also wish to work hard at consoling and encouraging our brothers and sisters. According to the ability of each individual or community, we wish to give special assistance to those who have fallen into difficulties, bringing them the warmth of Christ’s love and the light of His hope. According to the mission of the Church in Asia, we seek to give witness through service for “human promotion” (Ecclesia in Asia, Ch 6). May each member of the faithful, each family, confraternity, parish, Religious Congregation and Church organisation, according to the real needs of those around us, reflecting on our mission to others, in concrete ways promote “Hope 21” together. Trusting in God’s help may Taiwan society and our local Church come out of darkness, passivity, and fear so as to walk on the path of light, hope and ever-renewed strength. III.2 Active Participation in the Symposium on “New Evangelization for the New Century” This Symposium is important for the local Church in Taiwan, under the guidance and grace of God, we hope to find the way ahead for the future and the priorities for our pastoral and Evangelization. For this reason, each member of the faithful, each family, confraternity, parish, Religious Congregation, and Church organisation should reflect daily on the themes of the Symposium, and when they meet together discuss in depth how to go about Evangelization in today’s society, forwarding positive and constructive suggestions to the Symposium. Secondly, we hope that, inspired by the spirit of the Symposium, we will undertake new pastoral experiments in working together at Evangelization in our families, confraternities, parishes, Religious Congregations and Church organisations. Moreover, for the “New Evangelization in the New Century”, we should be ready to take part in the work of promotion by giving of our time as volunteers or by financial contributions and thus assist greatly in the work of the Symposium. While human plans, effort, communion and cooperation are essential just as the farmer is needed to plough and water the fields, yet what matters most is the grace and help of God, which causes the flowers to open and bear fruit. (1 Cor 3:5-9). Hence, while exerting ourselves to the utmost, we need also to trust wholly in the Lord, fervently addressing our prayer for the “New Evangelization for a New Century” to Him: All merciful Father, We thank you, for sending us so many zealous evangelisers. Under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, They have helped many people to know your Son, To accept the Gospel, be baptised and enter the Church, Becoming Your Sons and Daughters. In this new and least part of your Church, Faced with many difficulties in the work of Evangelization, Grant that we may not loose hope, But trusting in your aid, gain new strength. Grant us Your Holy Spirit, To shed light on our way, on the path to be chosen, So that more people may know Your Beloved Son And be filled with the Grace of Salvation for the glory of your Holy Name. Amen. In the coming year, 2001, all churches and chapels in Taiwan will add the above prayer to the Prayer of the Faithful. May we all pray daily for the success of the Symposium. This year on the Feast of the Holy Family, Sunday 31 December, this Pastoral Letter is to be read in all churches after the Gospel and to be explained to the faithful. Conclusion In the Great Jubilee Year, God has given us many graces, especially those of repentence, renewal, reconciliation and forgiveness, increasing our trust in God and strengthening our hope for the future. Although we are faced with the chaos of our new society and the many difficulties of our local church, we do not give up but rather are filled with courage for “we know in whom we have put our trust” (2 Tim 1:12). Four years ago, the Holy Spirit inspired us to hold the preparatory meetings for the Symposium on a “New Evangelization for the New Century”. We will take one whole year for this Symposium, like the Apostles around Mary, the Mother of Jesus, in the cenacle we are “united in prayer” (Acts 1:14), waiting for the coming of the Holy Spirit. With the Mother of the Church and in a spirit of prayer, we will listen to the voice of the Spirit and under the guidance of His Light, we shall plan the work of a “New Evangelization for a New Century” in the local Church of Taiwan. May the Lord bless us that this Symposium may bear fruit. Wishing you all a Happy Christmas and a Peaceful New Year! Yours sincerely in Christ, The Bishops of the Chinese Regional Bishops’ Conference First Sunday in Advent, 3 December 2000

The Great Jubilee Year 2000 was indeed a time of special graces and blessings, the kairos, a time of salvation (2 Cor 6:2). Throughout the five years of preparation and especially in the various events of the Jubilee Year itself, we have truly had many blessings and graces from God. Now the Jubilee Year is drawing to a close, with hearts full of praise and thanksgiving we cross the threshold of the new century. Full of hope we go out to welcome the dawning light of the third millennium, continuing on our pilgrimage of life.

To welcome the coming of the new century, faced with the challenges of a new society, new problems, new environment, and the new needs of humanity, guided by the light of the Holy Spirit, our local Church in Taiwan, four years ago proposed and began to plan for a “New Evangelization for a New Century”. The full title of the plan is New Evangelization for a New Century: the People of God working together in communion to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus, Saviour of the World, to realise the Mission of Christian Service and found Communities of Faith, Hope and Love.” After prayers, reflections, investigation and widespread sounding out of opinions we believe the time is ripe to call for a national Symposium. Hence in this Pastoral Letter we want to officially declare the opening of the Chinese Regional Symposium on “New Evangelization for a New Century” from 26-28 January 2001.

the programme and main themes of the Symposium
the way in which all the faithful may participate, directly or indirectly, in the Symposium
the priorities for pastoral and Evangelization activities in the year 2001.

I “New Evangelization for a New Century”: Programme and Themes

I.1 Programme

This Symposium will differ from previous ones; it will be held over ten months, divided into three stages: (1) an Initial Meeting; (2) Group Discussions; (3) Final Meeting.

I.1.1 Initial Meeting

The Initial Meeting of the Symposium will be held from 26-28 January 2001 at Wen Tzao Ursuline Junior College of Modern Languages, Kaohsiung. During these three days of prayer together, delegates in the Symposium, like the Apostles and Our Lady in the Cenacle who waited for the coming of the Holy Spirit, will come to listen to the spokespersons introducing the themes of the Symposium and giving concrete responses to those themes, fixing the directions for pastoral Evangelization and concrete priorities for work.

The Holy Father sets great store by the Symposium and will send a special representative, His Eminence Jan P. Cardinal Schotte, Secretary General of the Synod of Bishops, who will preside at the Solemn Eucharistic Concelebration at 2:00 pm on Sunday 28 January in Wen Tzao College, and read the Pope’s Message of Congratulations. All the faithful are invited to come and take part.

I.1.2 Group Discussions

The Preparatory Committee of the Symposium, according to the wishes and expertise of the delegates, will divide the delegates into groups to discuss the various topics. At the Initial Meeting, the members of each group will have time for two group meetings, to choose a chair, secretary and spokesperson and to study the importance of themes assigned to that group, fix the dates, places and programme for the group meetings.

After the Initial Meeting, each group will continue to study the themes assigned to them, meeting at least once every two months and sending in the results of their research to the Secretariat of the Symposium by 31 July 2001.

I.1.3 Final Meeting

The Final Meeting will be held at Fu Jen Catholic University, Taipei County, 9-11 November 2001. During these three days, undertaken in an atmosphere of prayer together with Mary, Queen of the Apostles, and under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, we will choose the directions and priorities to be adapted for our pastoral activities and Evangelization in the new century.

I.2 Main Themes of the Symposium

With four years of preparation, after thorough surveys at all levels of the Church and among all communities, the preparatory committee believes that, while it is essential to foster the evangelising zeal of each member of the Church, of greater importance is to foster a communitarian spirit, encouraging groups to work together, strengthening the faith, hope and love of community life, developing Evangelization together. Hence for “New Evangelization for a New Century”, we have chosen our chief direction as strengthening communities of faith, hope and love. In order to make this direction a practical reality our priority is placed in those communities that most affect the lives of the faithful: families, confraternities, parishes and communities. The Symposium will, therefore, discuss the following themes:

II How can Everyone take part?

The Symposium of “New Evangelization for a New Century” will be a major event in the life of the local Church in Taiwan. Everyone should be concerned and strive to contribute to the Symposium as much as possible. Each has a different role to play: some are chosen as delegates to take full part in the deliberations of the Symposium; others, although not directly engaged, may be involved indirectly.

II.1 Direct participation

The official members of the Symposium are all the Bishops, delegates chosen by each diocese or community and delegates named by the Bishops’ Conference. They have the right to take part in the meetings and group discussions and hence the duty to ensure that they have time to be present as much as possible and accomplish the tasks set by the Symposium. Moreover, they must pay attention to any important new problems in the Church and society and, in prayer, reflect on how the spirit of the Gospel can resolve the said problems. They should also frequently meet and discuss with their brothers and sisters in Christ, especially in their parishes, confraternities and other communities, to gather opinions and ideas. After prayer, study, analysis, synthesis and discernment, these suggestions will be passed on to the main Symposium. At the same time, they will report on the state of progress of the Symposium and related matters to their local communities, parishes and confraternities.

II.2 Indirect Participation

Those who do not take part directly can share in the Symposium by prayer, concern, sacrifices, financial support and service. They may pass on any suggestions to the official delegates or they may write directly to the Symposium secretariat at Kuang Fu South Road, Lane 32, No. 34, Taipei 105.

The Symposium needs the support and investment of each member of the faithful. The key to its success, apart from the help of God, lies in the concern and involvement of each one, whether direct or indirect.

III The Work Priorities of Pastoral Evangelization 2001

Faced with the present state of society in Taiwan and the urgent needs of the Church, we have chosen the following two priorities for pastoral work in the year 2001:

Today’s society in Taiwan is faced with serious problems in the economy, politics, social order and the environment. On the economic front, the stock market is on the verge of collapse, land and housing is expensive but with no market, banks are saddled with irrecoverable loans, traditional industries have moved offshore or collapsed, many industrialists have situated their enterprises elsewhere, the middle classes are migrating overseas, unemployment is increasing. On the political front, bribery and corruption is rampant, while some representatives and government officials are clean, many have accepted bribes, political parties put their own interests first, a clash between the government and Legislature has led to a motion of impeachment of the President, cross strait relations have worsened leading people to become more and more apprehensive for the regional security, and social unrest is increasing. On the social front, drug dealing continues without restraint, robberies are a daily occurrence, rape, incest, fraud and arson are serious problems. On the environmental front, rubbish is everywhere, forests uprooted, hillsides that should not have been developed have been destroyed leading to massive flooding, landslides and natural disasters that breed terror in the human heart.

However, our society also has its beautiful and bright aspects. Last year, when the earthquake struck on 21 September, many people came forward with great generosity to offer assistance to the victims. On the democratic front, we have made great progress and in this year’s presidential elections there was a peaceful transition of power. People more and more appreciate the rights of women, children, indigenous people, the handicapped and weaker members of society. The Presidential Office has created a National Human Rights Committee. These events of light and beauty give us cause for rejoicing and hope.

The Catholic Church in Taiwan is faced with many dangers and difficulties: the aging of the clergy, a reduction in vocations, many churches are left with noone to look after them, the faithful are dispersed. Secularism, consumerism and a lack of zeal for Evangelization are infiltrating the Church such that some people experience a sense of failure and frustration. But the Church also has points of consolation. Since the last Evangelization Symposium in 1988, formation of the laity has been given greater emphasis and their awareness of the need to become evangelisers has grown, as also has their participation in the work of the Church. One outstanding example is of the lay people who went to evangelise in Mudan, Pingtung County, and founded new community.

The state of society today and the dangers facing the Church in Taiwan, for people of faith are a challenge and inspiration to engage in Evangelization on a deeper and broader front. Far from being weighed down in despair, we trust even more in God and gain the courage to meet all difficulties. For “we know in whom we have put our trust, and firmly believe that He has the power to save us” (2 Tim 1:12). The Lord in whom we trust is “Jesus Christ, yesterday, today and for ever, always the same” (Hebrews 13:8). He is “True God and true Man, the Lord of cosmos, also the Lord of History… In Him the Father has spoken the definitive word about mankind and our history.” (Tertio Millennio Adveniente # 5) “Christ is the only hope of mankind” (1 Tim 1:1), for “Christ, the Redeemer of the world, is the one Mediator between God and men, and there is no other name under heaven by which we can be saved” (Acts 4:12). (Tertio Millennio Adveniente #4) Faith tells us that in the face of all difficulties, God is always with us. “If God is for us, who can be against us?” (Rm 8:31).

In the face of the insecurity in Taiwanese society today and the difficulties facing the Church, as people of faith, we console and encourage one another and also wish to work hard at consoling and encouraging our brothers and sisters. According to the ability of each individual or community, we wish to give special assistance to those who have fallen into difficulties, bringing them the warmth of Christ’s love and the light of His hope. According to the mission of the Church in Asia, we seek to give witness through service for “human promotion” (Ecclesia in Asia, Ch 6). May each member of the faithful, each family, confraternity, parish, Religious Congregation and Church organisation, according to the real needs of those around us, reflecting on our mission to others, in concrete ways promote “Hope 21” together. Trusting in God’s help may Taiwan society and our local Church come out of darkness, passivity, and fear so as to walk on the path of light, hope and ever-renewed strength.

III.2 Active Participation in the Symposium on “New Evangelization for the New Century”

This Symposium is important for the local Church in Taiwan, under the guidance and grace of God, we hope to find the way ahead for the future and the priorities for our pastoral and Evangelization. For this reason, each member of the faithful, each family, confraternity, parish, Religious Congregation, and Church organisation should reflect daily on the themes of the Symposium, and when they meet together discuss in depth how to go about Evangelization in today’s society, forwarding positive and constructive suggestions to the Symposium. Secondly, we hope that, inspired by the spirit of the Symposium, we will undertake new pastoral experiments in working together at Evangelization in our families, confraternities, parishes, Religious Congregations and Church organisations. Moreover, for the “New Evangelization in the New Century”, we should be ready to take part in the work of promotion by giving of our time as volunteers or by financial contributions and thus assist greatly in the work of the Symposium.

While human plans, effort, communion and cooperation are essential just as the farmer is needed to plough and water the fields, yet what matters most is the grace and help of God, which causes the flowers to open and bear fruit. (1 Cor 3:5-9). Hence, while exerting ourselves to the utmost, we need also to trust wholly in the Lord, fervently addressing our prayer for the “New Evangelization for a New Century” to Him:

In the coming year, 2001, all churches and chapels in Taiwan will add the above prayer to the Prayer of the Faithful. May we all pray daily for the success of the Symposium.

This year on the Feast of the Holy Family, Sunday 31 December, this Pastoral Letter is to be read in all churches after the Gospel and to be explained to the faithful.

Conclusion

In the Great Jubilee Year, God has given us many graces, especially those of repentence, renewal, reconciliation and forgiveness, increasing our trust in God and strengthening our hope for the future. Although we are faced with the chaos of our new society and the many difficulties of our local church, we do not give up but rather are filled with courage for “we know in whom we have put our trust” (2 Tim 1:12). Four years ago, the Holy Spirit inspired us to hold the preparatory meetings for the Symposium on a “New Evangelization for the New Century”. We will take one whole year for this Symposium, like the Apostles around Mary, the Mother of Jesus, in the cenacle we are “united in prayer” (Acts 1:14), waiting for the coming of the Holy Spirit. With the Mother of the Church and in a spirit of prayer, we will listen to the voice of the Spirit and under the guidance of His Light, we shall plan the work of a “New Evangelization for a New Century” in the local Church of Taiwan. May the Lord bless us that this Symposium may bear fruit.