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La nuova evangelizzazione nei paesi postcomunisti

SUMMARY: The fall of Marxism has drawn the attention of John Paul II to the need of a new evangelisation of Europe, particularly in post-communist countries. The special Synod of Euro­pean Bishops (1991), taken into consideration the testimonies of the local Churches, indicated that the new evangelisation must bring to men the gospel message of Jesus Christ, Saviour of all men, and proclaim Christianity's claim of its absolute character. Pastoral mediation, family forma­tion, education of youth, inter-religious dialogue, the mass-media serve as means towards the new evangelisation. This evangelisation departs from the concrete situation - conditioned in the past by Marxism and its interpretation of atheism, religion, Christianity and the Church - and from the new situation characterised by a profound moral crisis, by the progress of secularisation, by the na­tionalisms associated with religion, by the complexities of relations among Churches, by the in­fluence of new religions, by sects and para-religious movements. The new evangelisation makes its approach to man, for a long time suffering under the influence of Marxism, by proclaiming the need of dialogue and religious freedom, leading him eventually to the discovery of the meaning of life in religion and of the fullness of life in the message of Jesus Christ. This evangelisation carries out its initiatives through the help of the Church, thus rendering it credible to its interlocutors by its witnessing of love and service in the context of all the problems concerning contemporary man-Its union with Jesus Christ and the Church, and the deep understanding of the man to whom it addresses itself, offer assured hope of success.