Nature of the evangelizing action
Evangelizing is the action of announcing, communicating and helping to live the Good News, starting from the sending or mission. This action is also called “apostolate” and pastoral action. Missionary action has as its objective “the manifestation of God’s purpose or epiphany, and its realization in the world and in history” (AG 9; RMi 41). These plans of God Love for all humanity have been revealed to us by Christ his Son. “Evangelization means for the Church to bring the Good News to all the environments of humanity and, with its influence, to transform from within, to renew humanity itself” (EN 18).
The evangelizing action of the Church prolongs in time the evangelizing action of Christ, the preaching of his message, his announcement of conversion and his call to baptism, his salvific signs, his closeness to the poor, his sacrificial oblation. The nature of missionary action follows from its purpose or objective. It is, therefore, a call to faith, conversion and baptism.
Essentials and Media
There are many components of the missionary action of the Church and of each apostle. According to times and authors, these essential elements have been underlined propagating the faith, communicating salvation, calling for conversion and baptism, implanting the Church, making the community live its reality of “universal sacrament of salvation”, fulfilling the missionary mandate , bring to fullness in Christ, build the unity of ecclesial communion… The means of this missionary action are the proclamation (with witness), the celebration of the mysteries of Christ and the construction of the community in love.
In the Church mystery, communion and mission
The missionary action is framed in the reality of the Church “mystery” and communion, as a transparent sign and bearer of Christ, which must be expressed in the mission of building the human community as a reflection of the Trinitarian communion.
Universalist and “ad gentes” missionary action tends, by appropriate means, to announce the Kingdom, the call to baptism to form part of the ecclesial community (centered on the Eucharist), the implantation or insertion of the Church in all peoples and the tension towards salvific fullness in Christ, building a universal community as an ecclesial family.
References GA 6-9; PO 4-6.10; AA 9-22; EN40-48; RMi 41-60; CIC 781-792.
Reading of documents Announcement, apostolate, pastoral charity, evangelization, liturgy, ministries, mission, pastoral, missionary pastoral, testimony, human promotion.
Bibliography J. APAECHEA, Biblical foundations of pastoral action (Barcelona, Flors, 1963); FX ARNOLD, Theology and history of pastoral action (Barcelona 1969); G. CARDAROPOLI, La pastorale come mediazione salvifica (Assisi, Cittadella, 1991); J. ESQUERDA BIFET, Evangelize today, Animators of the communities (Madrid, Soc. Educ. Atenas, 1987); Idem, Theology of evangelization. Missiology Course (BAC, Madrid, 1995); C. FLORISTAN, M. USEROS, Theology of pastoral action (BAC, Madrid, 1968); JM IRABURU, Apostolic action, mystery of faith (Bilbao, Messenger, 1969); S. PINTOR, L’uomo via della Chiesa, elementi di teologia pastorale (Bologna, EDB, 1992); R. SPIAZZI, The theological foundations of the pastoral ministry (Madrid, Studium, 1962); J. RAMOS, Pastoral Theology (Madrid, BAC 1994).
(ESQUERDA BIFET, Juan, Dictionary of Evangelization, BAC, Madrid, 1998)
Source: Dictionary of Evangelization