Pope Paul VI said that for the Church to evangelise, it means bringing the Good News into, and transforming, every level of humanity, and making the whole of humanity new in the process .

This starts with the need for individuals to be converted and renewed by lives lived according to the Gospel, but the Church should not stop there. As the hearts of individuals are changed by Jesus’ love, they will more and more shine the Light of Christ to those around them in their lifestyles and workspaces.

Evangelisation is, first and foremost, the spreading of the Good News of Jesus Christ, and it is a step of our Christian walk that naturally follows on from a meaningful encounter with Him. The three scenes mentioned above, plus many more throughout the New Testament all have a few things in common.

Firstly, Jesus is there.
Jesus is the messiah: the one the prophets have spoken about - the chosen people have heard so much about him.

But there’s more to Him than that…

A working definition of what “New Evangelisation” actually means was given by Archbishop Nikola Eterović, Secretary of the forthcoming Synod, which distinguishes three kinds of missionary effort:

1. i. Evangelization as a regular activity of the Church, directed at practicing Catholics;
2. ii. The mission ad gentes, meaning the first proclamation of Christ to non-Christian persons and peoples;
3. iii. “New Evangelization,” meaning outreach to baptized Catholics who have become distant from the faith. (John L Allen Jnr report in National Catholic Reporter, 18/3/11)

To read more of what Archbishop Nikola Eterović had to say visit LineaMenta

Documents relating to the establishment of the Pontifical Council Promoting the New Evangelization and the forthcoming Synod on the New Evangelization.

Pontifical Council for Promoting the New Evangelisation: Motu proprio

http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/benedict_xvi/apost_letters/documents/hf_ben-xvi_apl_20100921_ubicumque-et-semper_en.html

Synod 2012: The New Evangelization for the Transmission of Christian Faith: Linea Menta

http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/synod/documents/rc_synod_doc_20110202_lineamenta-xiii-assembly_en.html

Instrumentum Laboris fro the Sydney on the New Evangelisation:

http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/synod/documents/rc_synod_doc_20120619_instrumentum-xiii_en.html

YEAR OF FAITH

http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/benedict_xvi/motu_proprio/documents/hf_ben-xvi_motu-proprio_20111011_porta-fidei_en.html

Below are some links to articles about New Evangelisation and/or LineaMenta

Vatican

Evangelii Nuntiandi - Pope Paul VI

Novo Millennio Ineunte - Pope John Paul II

Redemptoris Missio - Pope John Paul II

VERBUM DOMINI - Pope Benedict XVI

"Light of the World" - Archbishop Fisichella, President of the Pontifical Council for Promoting the New Evangelization

Pope Benedict XVI on Evangelization

Press Conference for the presentation of the "Lineamenta" of the XIII ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops

The New Evangelisation - Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger

Pope Benedict's Homily at Mass with New Evangelisers - Zenit 17 Oct 2011

Pope Benedict's address to New Evangelisers - Zenit 17 Oct 2011

New Evangelisation Council Gearing up for Synod - Zenit

Pontiff Calls for "Missionary Audacity" - Zenit

Work and Enthusiasm: Evangelisation Council Turns 1 - Zenit

Australia

Catholic Schools as Centres of the New Evangelisation - Bishop Anthony Fisher

Compass, A review of topical theology -  Learning New ways of Evangelisation - Jim Quinlan

CREDO - 4th CREDO Colloquium  - New Evangelisation The Evangelising Parish, Eucharistic Heart of a Parish, NE and Parish

New Evangelisation - Catholic Education Diocese of Parramatta - taken from Catholic Schools at a Crossroad

St Columbans Mission Society - Breaking Open the Lineamenta

Evangelisation and Spiritual formation - Catholic Education - Archdiocese of Brisbane

The New Evangelisation - Archbishop Philip Wilson (scroll down past the Grace of God)

Lenten Pastoral Letter 2004 - Bishop Gerard Holohan

Cath Blog: The New Evangelisation offers a future for the Church - Daniel Ang - 20 March 2012

New Evangelisaiton - Deacon Anthony Gooley

New Evangelisation and learning from Others - Jim Quillinan  - Sale Diocese

The New Evangelisation - Richard Houlihan - Catholics at Monash - 8 March 2012

The Liturgy and the New Evangelisation - Liturgy news - Vol 41 No 4 - December 2011

St Patrick and the New Evangelisation - Archdiocese of Melbourne - Hartbeat - 4 March 2012

Images for New Evangelisation

The New Evangelisation - Presentation to the National Conference of the Catholic Women's League of Australia -David Schutz 15 September 2011
New Evangelisation - Professional Development for Catholic Schools - ACU

International

The Tablet - Pope puts family values at heart of New Evangelisation (10 December 2011)

Catholic News Agency - Pope appoints Archbishop Fisichella to lead Council for New Evangelization

CASE - What is the New Evangelisation  - Catholic Agency to Support Evangelisation (CASE)

For What we preach is not ourlselves but Jesus Christ as Lord - Fr Raniero Cantalamessa OFM CAP, Papal Preacher

John Paul II and the 'New Evangelisation" Origins and Meaning - Richard Rymarz

Live the Good News - The Times of Malta - Archbishop Paul Cremona

National Catholic Reporter - Vatican tries to flesh out "New Evangelisation"

Pouring New Wine into New Wineskins - The New Evangelisation and what it means for the way we do catechesis - Bishop E Clark

Reflections on the Component of EVANGELIZATION - Frank Mercadante

The New Evangelisation - Key Issue for Church - Adoremus Bulletin

The Key to Evangelisation - George W. Kosicki, C.S.B.

What are the Characteristics of the New Evangelisation?  - Dave Nodar - Baltimore, Maryland  USA

Archibishop Fisichella named to new discastery - Zenit 30-06-2010

Church must learn the language of Youth - Fisichella - Zenit 21-07-2011

New Evangelisation Dicastery Seeks to Define Terms - Fisichella - Zenit 15-03-2011

The Tablet - the problems facing the Catholic Church in Latin America (12 May 2007)

Resources for the New Evangelisation - US Bishops issue call to give witness - Zenit 17 April 2012

A New Relationship - Bishops, Theologians and the New Evangelisation - America- National Catholic Weekly, 26 Sept 2011

New Evangelisation will fuel Church's dialogue with everyone searching for God - Irish Times 8 May 2012

Medjugorje's Sign of New Evangelisation 9 March 2012

Vatican Tries to flesh out New Evangelisation - National Catholic Reporter - by John L Allen Jr 4 March 2011

Ourselves
Looking at it this way, we are reminded that we all fall short of perfection in some way, and we see that we all need to be converted more and more to Christ. In fact, when we talk about evangelisation, we must begin by evangelising ourselves. Prompted by the Holy Spirit within us, we must seek to deepen our faith, continuously turn away from sin in repentance, and seek to draw ever closer to God. We should constantly strive to be better, answering the call to “be holy, as God is holy” and seek to be converted more and more into His likeness through His grace.

Those in our Church
Our Church and parish communities are comprised of people who are journeying in faith. As we journey together, we as Christians must be open to both evangelising and being evangelised by those in our faith community. This means building up the community – not in a way that is bossy, preachy, critical or judgemental of fellow members of the Body of Christ but in a way that shows others Christ’s love for them.

Just before His ascension, in the Great Commission , Jesus commands the Apostles, “Go… make disciples of all nations” and we His Church are commanded to do the same. However, this commandment isn’t given in isolation. While Christ has invited us to bring the Good News to the whole world, we cannot achieve anything if we are only working from our own strength. We must remember that the command is only possible because it is followed by the assurance, “behold, I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

The following are some reasons as to why we should evangelise

Because Jesus Christ commanded us, the Church, to do so.
The Church’s Mission is to be missionary. In what is called “the Great Commission” Jesus said to his disciples:

“All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

In early July this year Archbishop Bruno Forte from the Archdiocese of Chieti-Vasto in Italy presented at a variety of events in Melbourne. Along with Cardinal Pell, Archbishop Forte is one of twenty members of the Pontifical Council for Promoting the New Evangelization. A noted theologian, Archbishop Forte is also a member of the Papal International Theological Commission. Whilst in Melbourne the Archbishop presented at the Orientale Lumen Conference Australasia, engaged in a public conversation with Professor Tony Kelly CSsR from Australian Catholic University at the Helder Camara Lecture and presented a public lecture on the New Evangelisation at Australian Catholic University. As part of his busy schedule Archbishop Forte engaged in a conversation with delegates at the Australian Catholic Theological Association Conference. Take up and read this engaging and thoughtful text prepared and presented by one who is at the heart of the Church's mission to engage in a New Evangelisation. At the very end of the article you will find a link to the text of another of the Archbishops presentations in Melbourne 'Theology of Beauty: a way to unity?' This may also be of interest to some readers.