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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
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EVANGELIIGAUDIUM 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
Conclusion I have tried to make explicit the Inescapable social dimension of the Gospel message & to encourage Christians to demon- strate it by their words, attitudes and deeds Pope Francis
Current Issues Poverty Housing Environment & climate change Migration Trafficking 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