EVANGELII GAUDIUM Chapter 4

The SOCIAL DIMENSION of EVANGELISATION

4 July 2015

TO EVANGELIZE IS TO MAKE THE KINGDOM OF GOD PRESENT IN OUR WORLD

4 parts

• Repercussions of the First Proclamation of the Gospel• Inclusion of the poor in society• The common good and peace• Social dialogue contributes to

peace

Repercussions 1• Heart of gospel is community life /

engagement with others• Redemption not just for the individual• Trinity – community• Accepting the proclamation means we

desire to seek and protect the good of others (178)

• Gospel not merely about personal relationship with God (180)

Repercussions ll• Not about small personal gestures

to ease our conscience• Universal fraternity, justice, peace

and dignity• The Kingdom of Heaven is at hand• We must have an impact on society• Catholic Social Teaching

More repercussions

• No longer possible to restrict religion to private sphere and say prepare souls for heaven ( 182, 183)• Authentic faith desires to change

the world• Need a just ordering of society /

church must fight for justice

2 Inclusion of the Poor in Society• Largest section of 13 pages• Liberation of the poor• That means working to eliminate

structural causes of poverty• Solidarity more than a few acts of

generosity• Priority of life of all over ownership by a

few

Inclusion of the poor• Other peoples needs round the world• Education, access to health care, employment• Just wage • Mercy triumphs (193)• Gospel message is clear and direct, simple and

elegant – why complicate it? 194• Orthodoxy sometimes complicit (194)

Inclusion of the poor ll• Divine preference for the poor Lk 4:18

Preach the Good News to the Poor• St Paul urged followers to reject self-centred

hedonism Gal 2:10• Option for the poor• Let us be evangelised by them (198)• Poor esteemed as of great value• None of us exempt from concern for social

justice (201)

Inclusion of the poor- the economy

• Welfare projects (food banks..) are temporary• Reject autonomy of markets & financial

speculation• Attack structural causes of inequality• Inequality root of social ills (202)• Need better distribution of income• Politics a lofty vocation if it seeks common good

Inclusion of the poor- the vulnerable

• Global world means shared responsibility• Don’t just talk about social issues• homeless, addicted, refugees, indigenous

people, elderly, isolated and abandoned• Migrants a special concern of universal church• Human trafficking• Excluded women show daily heroism (212)• Unborn children (214) • Environment

3 Common good and peace

• Not the mere absence of violence

• Not absence of war based on precarious balance of power

• Keeping peace no justification for silencing or appeasing poor to allow more affluent to continue lifestyle

Social Dialogue - a contribution to peace l

• Three Areas stand out – dialogue with States, with Society & with Other Believers

• Church wishes to cooperate with all national & international authorities

• Every baptised person to be a peacemaker not just a few or a minority

• Dialogue with science belongs to work of evangelisation at service of peace

Social Dialogue - a contribution to peace ll

• Ecumenism dialogue• Dialogue with religious Jews• Dialogue with Non-Christians• Dialogue in context of religious freedom

ConclusionI have tried to make explicit the Inescapable social dimension ofthe Gospel message & toencourage Christians to demon-strate it by their

words, attitudes and deeds

Pope Francis

Current Issues

PovertyHousing

Environment & climate changeMigrationTrafficking

Human Rights

JPIC Support• J&P diocesan co-ordinator & members• commission planned (22 July mtg)• Diocesan newsletter- sign up to receive• Assemblies twice a year• NJPN regular email and NJPN Annual

conference in July• List of websites - available on line and today• Petition sites • Parliamentary Outreach – informative

sessions on how to influence decision making