‘evangelisation of culture is all the more important’ because of a ‘dictatorship of relativism’ which, as he puts it, ‘threatens to obscure the unchanging truth about man’s nature, his destiny and his ultimate good.’ Countering those who would like to sideline religious faith, Pope Benedict went on to insist that ‘religion is...a guarantee of authentic liberty and respect’ because it leads us ‘to look upon every person as a brother or sister.’ Accordingly, Pope Benedict challenged us to witness to our faith and ‘to put the case for the promotion of faith’s wisdom and vision in the public forum’. As Christians, we believe that the answer to all our longings is in Christ. Even so, the Holy Father’s call to keep faith alive in the public forum is not born of a sectarian desire to make everyone Catholic, rather, it is rooted in a fundamental concern to serve the wellbeing of all. Writing in Deus Caritas Est, he reminds us ‘Charity...cannot be used as a means of engaging in...proselytism. Love is free; it is not practised as a way of achieving other ends. But this does not mean that charitable activity must somehow leave God and Christ aside for it is always concerned with the whole person. Often the deepest cause of suffering is the very absence of God. Those who practise charity in the Church’s name will never seek to impose the Church’s faith upon others. They realise that a pure and generous love is the best witness to the God in whom we believe and by whom we are driven to love’ (DCE, 31 - more on this encyclical on p.52) Simply put, the life of the Church and its members should be attractive and compelling to those outside. Our lives should arouse curiosity by their goodness and encourage people to enquire as to the source of this same goodness. As the Holy Father insists, Christianity is not a list of negative proscriptions or lists of things disapproved of by the Church, but rather a positive option, a positive influence and a source of joy and life.
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pilgrim