Pope Francis Tells Catechists to Reach Out Now

Headline: The Pope Tells Catechists to Reach Out to Others in the Name of Christ


The church needs good catechists, who love Christ, live out the Gospel in their lives and courageously go to the margins of society to share the gift of faith with others, Pope Francis told catechists from around the world. “Let us follow him, imitate him in his dynamic of love, of going to others, and let’s go out, open the doors, have the audacity to strike out new paths to proclaim the Gospel,” he said in a 27 September talk.

The pope thanked them for their service to the Church and said being a catechist isn’t a job or a title, it’s a vocation, an approach to life. It starts first with being with God, getting to know him and conforming one’s life to the Gospel - a task that lasts a lifetime, he said. Being close to God means praying to him, talking with him and letting him “watch over you”, he said, which “warms the heart and keeps the fire of friendship with the Lord alive.”

Not everyone, especially busy mothers and fathers, can spend a lot of quiet time in prayer before the tabernacle, where Christ is truly present, he said. But everyone can find some way to be and stay with Jesus because, if not, “if there isn’t the warmth of God, his love, his tenderness in our heart, how can we - poor sinners - warm the hearts of others?”

The second thing catechists need to do, he said, is imitate Christ by going outside of themselves and be there for others. Receiving the gift of faith and having Christ at the center of one’s life, “pushes us out”, compels Christians to go outside their ego and reach out “to others in Christ’s name”.

This dynamic of receiving and then giving is like the diastolic and systolic pressures at work in the bloodstream, he said. Without both of these forces at work, the catechist’s “heart stops beating, he cannot live”. But this gift of faith must be total, 100 percent: “You don’t take a cut for yourself,” he said, “This is not a bargain.”

The third thing to do is to not be afraid of striking out into the unknown, like Jonah was when God told him to preach to the pagans in Nineveh. Jonah’s fear, the pope said, was because “he was rigid” and thought he had the truth staying right where he was. But “God is not afraid of the outskirts,” he said, and “is always beyond our mindsets.”

“God is creative, he’s not narrow-minded, and for this he is never rigid,” the pope said. God “welcomes us, comes to us and understands us.” While the Gospel does not change, catechists need to be creative and know how to change themselves, adapting themselves to the people and circumstances they encounter.

“To stay with God it’s necessary to know how to go out, to not be afraid of going out” into the world, he said. “If catechists let themselves be taken over by fear, they’re wimps, and if catechists are laid back they end up being a statue in a museum, and we have plenty of them, right?”

When a room is closed up tight, the air gets stuffy and the people inside get sick, he said. A similar sickness occurs when Christians are closed up within themselves, their group, their parish or their studies, he said. But Jesus did not say, “Go and make do,” he said, “Go, I am with you.”

“This is our beauty and our strength: If we go, if we go out to bring his Gospel with love, with real apostolic spirit, with (confidence), he walks with us, goes before us.” Even though it may seem too far away “and perhaps we are a little hesitant, in reality, he is already there. Jesus is waiting for us in the heart of that brother, in his wounded flesh, in his oppressed life, in his soul that lacks faith”.

   

##########

 

 

 

FREE Professional Webinar -- August 20 (2013)

FREE Professional Development Webinar –Tuesday, August 20, 2013

Growing the Next Generation

of Disciples Through Small Groups

          Ave Maria Press, in partnership with the National Conference for Catechetical Leadership, the National Association for Lay Ministry, and National Federation of Priests' Councils present free, online workshops on professional development for parish ministers.

         The webinar "Growing the Next Generation of Disciples through Small Groups" will be offered on Tuesday, August 20 at 3:00 pm EDT. You can register at PDW-08-20-2013 (http://tiny.cc/67ue1w).

         For a complete listing of professional development webinars in this series, please visit www.avemariapress.com/webinars.

Web Presenter:  Christopher Wesley, Director of Student Ministry, Church of the Nativity  (see below)

Date and Time:  Tuesday, August 20  --  3:00 PM - 4:00 PM Eastern

Description: 

Why do teens graduate from their faith when they graduate from high school or eighth grade? In most cases, they never made a personal connection with the local church. While traditional religious education is filled with priceless information and catechesis, the delivery system of that information is insufficient. This next generation of disciples doesn't need more schooling. They need Christ-like relationships with their peers as well as men and women who display healthy relationships with Christ and their Catholic faith. Small groups will achieve this. Through small groups, kids and teenagers will grow deeper in their faith, connect with the local church, and experience true life change.

Chris Wesley, Director of Student Ministry at Church of the Nativity (the inspiration for the book Rebuilt: Awakening the Faithful, Reaching the Lost, and Making Church Matter), will focus on why small groups are essential to student ministry, what a healthy small group looks like, and how you can get them started in your parish.

New Evangelization and a New Pentecost? -- Be Not Afraid

Paperback Resource:   The New Evangelization and You: Be Not Afraid

Author:   Mr. Greg Willits

Publisher:   Servant Books, 2013

     Greg Willits is passionate about helping Catholics share their faith. He's explored all kinds of ways to reach out -- from radio and TV to various forms of social media -- and he's learned a lot about what works and what doesn't. This book, The New Evangelization and You: Be Not Afraid, encourages Catholics everywhere to first know their faith, and then to live it and share it authentically with others.

      Many have heard the phrase "New Evangelization" but don't know what it means or how they might apply it. The book clearly explains what the New Evangelization is and how it applies to every Catholic. It examines reasonable ways to make the New Evangelization a part of each Catholic's daily life.

      While determining the goals, history, concepts, and action items of the New Evangelization, the book spotlights the stories of Catholic people already making a difference by the ways they share their faith. Willits' book inspires readers to embrace this call in their own lives. This book seeks to light a fire under every Catholic who encounters it.

FREE Webinar: 7 Ways to Encounter Christ

FREE Professional Development Webinar  – Tuesday, September 10, 2013 --  3:00 PM 

Presented to you for free by Ave Maria Press, the National Conference for Catechetical Leadership, the National Association for Lay Ministry, and the National Federation of Priests' Councils.

"Open the Doors: Seven Approaches to Encounter Christ"

Register at PDW - 09-10-2013    http://tiny.cc/g1vv0w

Presenter:  Lee Nagel

Prepare for this year’s Catechetical Sunday theme “Open the Doors of Faith.” The webinar presenter, Mr. Lee Nagel, Executive Director for the National Conference for Catechetical Leadership, will share seven key elements that facilitate an encounter with Christ, including:

1. Prepare to open your mind to God

2. Seek balance

3. Prime the pump (make connections and activate learning styles

4. Use seven-minute chunks

5. Quiet moments for reflection

6. Review

7. Go forth

All registered participants will receive practical pointers and useful techniques that are immediately applicable to any environment.

Pope Francis and the Vatican's Use of Social Media

       Msgr. Paul Tighe, Secretary of the Pontifical Council for Social Communications, discusses the Vatican's approach to social media, Facebook, and other e-digital outreach.  He also comments on the styles of communication employed by Pope Francis.

The interview is on a YouTube file. It lasts about 20 minutes. Right click on the link below, then left click on your mouse.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=Y58qHtdSZq8

Msgr. Paul Tighe

New Book -- New Evangelization: Passing On the Faith Today

        "This is a new moment in the life of the Church, a new Pentecost. It's our turn now, to share the great gift we have been given, the gift of our Catholic faith, and renew the face of the earth."

                                                                                                             --  Cardinal Donald Wuerl

          For the first time since the term New Evangelization was coined by Blessed John Paul II, 250 bishops from all over the world were called to Rome by Pope Benedict XVI, during Fall 2012, to discuss it, define it, and determine what it really means to Catholics today. In an exclusive first-hand summary of the three-week Synod, the leader of the gathering, Cardinal Donald Wuerl, provides a succinct, specific and tactical roadmap for where Catholics and parishes and dioceses go from here, including:

     ---What's the point? The three most important priorities of the New Evangelization

     ---What am I up against? The three isms that get in the way of sharing and growing the Faith

     ---What do I do? How to galvanize people around one simple truth of the Gospel message

     ---Where it all began: The four theological foundations of the New Evangelization

     ---Learning from the best: The four characteristics of great evangelizers

         In addition to personal and group reflection questions at the end of every chapter, Wuerl also shares his own personal faith sharing experiences with non-Catholics and Catholics alike and how the insight he gained shaped his own view of the New Evangelization.

$4.95  --  91 Pages  -- Online orders:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1612786987/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1612786987&linkCode=as2&tag=natioconfefor-20

)))))))))))))   ((((((((((((((

Pope Francis Publishes Letter on Faith

A ninety page encyclical letter, titled Lumen fidei, or “Light of Faith,” by Pope Francis, was released today in Rome.


The new text includes outreach to people open to God but who have not yet arrived at the fullness of belief.

It says: To the extent that they are sincerely open to love and set out with whatever light they can find, they are already, even without knowing it, on the path leading to faith.

Francis also claims a genuine concern for others, even among non-believers, represents a stirring of faith. The document adds, Anyone who sets off on the path of doing good to others is already drawing near to God.

Christians should not be arrogant about this. Lumen fidei says instead that, on the contrary, truth leads to humility.

Noted American spiritual writer and Jesuit priest, Fr. James Martin, noted that the new statement could help “the seeker, the doubter, the agnostic and even the atheist.”

Lumen fidei is a heartfelt attempt to speak to anyone searching for God, Martin concluded.

Based on reporting by John Allen in the National Catholic Reporter, July 5 (2013).

)))))))))))))))) ((((((((((((((((



The Record -- Archdiocesan Newspaper Online

      Our Archdiocesan newspaper, The Record,  is published weekly. For the convenience of everyone, it is posted to the Archdiocesan website around 12 Noon each Thursday. It is then available around the clock for readers and news-seekers.

      Here is the webpage address. Keep it handy. It will help you get all the important news, features, and columns regarding the Catholic parishes, schools, and organizations in the Archdiocese of Louisville.

http://therecordarchlou.wordpress.com/

      This week's edition of The Record features a reflection by Archbishop Kurtz about the ministry of priests in our area. It also contains news about the observation of the Fortnight for Freedom 2013  that got underway recently.

       News articles, announcements, and special features about the Faith-Formation department are carried regularly in The Record -- as are similar pieces about Catholic Schools, Youth Ministry, and Young Adult Ministry (all of which are the departmental parts to the Archdiocesan Office of Lifelong Formation and Education.)

http://www.archlou.org/departments-and-services/agencies-facilities/office-of-lifelong-formation-and-education/

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Bishops Issue Call -- Defend Religious Liberty

       The Archdiocese of Louisville will observe the 2013 call to a Fortnight for Freedom. Check here for ideas and resources: 

 www.archlou.org/liberty

       Educational materials, prayers, and other resources -- from the U.S. Bishops -- are here:

www.fortnight4freedom.org

 

       The Most Rev. Joseph Kurtz, Archbishop of Louisville, urges active involvement by all:

 

 
Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ:

May God bless you! I write to you about an alarming and serious matter that negatively impacts the  
Church in the United States and that strikes at the fundamental right to religious liberty for all citizens of any faith.

The federal government, which claims to be “of, by, and for the people,” has just dealt a heavy blow to almost a quarter of those people—the Catholic population—and to the millions more who are served by the Catholic faithful.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced recently that almost all employers, including Catholic employers, will be forced to offer their employees’ health coverage that includes sterilization, abortion-inducing drugs, and contraception. Almost all health insurers will be forced to include those “services” in the health policies they write. And almost all individuals will be forced to buy that coverage as a part of their policies.

In so ruling, the Administration has cast aside the First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States, denying to Catholics our nation’s first and most fundamental freedom, that of religious liberty. And as a result, unless the rule is overturned, some Catholic employers will be compelled either to violate their consciences or to drop health coverage for their employees (and suffer the penalties for doing so). The Administration’s sole concession was to give these institutions one year to comply.

We cannot—we will not—comply with this unjust law. People of faith cannot be made second class citizens. Our parents and grandparents did not come to these shores to help build America’s cities and towns, its infrastructure and institutions, its enterprise and culture, only to have their posterity stripped of their God-given rights. In generations past, the Church has always been able to count on the faithful to stand up and protect her sacred rights and duties. I hope and trust she can count on this generation of Catholics to do the same. Our children and grandchildren deserve nothing less.

We are already joined by our brothers and sisters of all faiths and many others of good will in this important effort to regain our religious freedom. I ask of you two things. First, as a community of faith we should join together in prayer and fasting that wisdom and justice will prevail, and religious liberty will be restored. Without God, we can do nothing; with God, nothing is impossible. Second, I would also recommend visiting www.usccb.org/conscience, to learn more about this severe assault on religious liberty and how to contact Congress in support of legislation that would reverse the Administration’s decision.

Thank you for your attention to this vital issue. You and your families are in my prayers.

Sincerely yours in our Lord,


Most Reverend Joseph E. Kurtz, D.D.
Archbishop of Louisville, Kentucky





Can One Person Change the World?

You can change the world.  Do you believe?

         A fine, contemporary Christian author on all things human, just, and spiritual is Jim Wallis. In his recently published book, he notes that

one's personal decisions, choices, and

commitments will change the world

more than politicians and politics. His words are practical, real and truly compelling -- not detached from life, disconnected, preachy.  The title of the book is clever:

On God's Side: What Religion Forgets and Politics Hasn't Learned

         Take these 10 personal decision issues for example. Act on them.

1. Make your children the most important priority in your life. Build other commitments around them. If you are not a parent, look for children who could benefit from your investment in their lives.

2. Be faithful to your spouse. Demonstrate commitment to fidelity and love. If you are single or married, measure your relationships by their integrity, not their usefulness.

3. Focus not just on what you believe but on how you act on important beliefs. Seek ways to love your neighbor.

4. Live with integrity, accountability, and seriousness. Take responsibility for your existence.

5. Have a vocation, not just a career. Discern your gifts and talents. Look for opportunities to use them well. Personal good contributes to the common good.

6. Choose what is enough, not all that is possible to acquire. Replace appetites with values. Model those values in all cases.

7. Make your business, company, or organization more ethical. Challenge that which is dishonest and/or exploitative.

8. Ask yourself what offends your sense of justice. Decide to change that. Join with others who are committed to social transformation.

9. Know your political representatives are at the local and national levels. Make your convictions and commitments known to them. Hold them accountable for theirs.

10. Examine all that is important enough to give your life for. Put your life and beliefs into action.

#########

Catechetical Weekend: September 14-15, 2013

This year, the U.S. Church will celebrate Catechetical Sunday on September 15, 2013. It will focus on the theme Open the Door of Faith.

In many parishes and missions, catechists will be called forth to be commissioned for their ministry. Catechetical Sunday is a wonderful opportunity to reflect on the role that each baptized person plays in handing on the faith and witnessing to the Gospel. Catechetical Sunday is an opportunity for all to rededicate themselves to this mission as a community of faith.

Check these two webpages for more information and resources --

www.NCCL.org

http://usccb.org/beliefs-and-teachings/how-we-teach/catechesis/catechetical-sunday/

Welcome!  Open the Door  –  Pass through the Gate  –  Seek the Christ

New Evangelization -- One-Stop Resource Page

        Now there is a 'one-stop shopping' website to find all things related to The New Evangelization and to Evangelizing Catechesis. 

        It is an online product of the NCCL (www.nccl.org):

        www.21stcenturycatholicevangelization.org

        --  as a practical, resourcing tool in your ministry

        --  by joining its e-mailing list

        --  by checking it regularly for updates, for it will be a living webpage

        --  by submitting your idea(s) and/or effective practice(s) for inclusion

        Please share this NCCL news with others! Use these web materials to support and spread The New Evangelization.

XXXXXXXXX

Catechetical Materials for Faithful Church Teaching

"The 'door of faith' . . . is always open for

us. To enter through that door is to set

out on a journey that lasts a lifetime."

                                        --  Benedict XVI

A Parish Resource

Catechetical Materials as Faithful
Resources for Church Teaching

by Sr. Catherine Dooley, O.P., Ph.D.
Faculty, Dominican University

The current Year of Faith  promulgated for the Universal Church by Pope Benedict XVI offers a new opportunity for faith communities to revisit and renew the teachings of the Second Vatican Council. The apostolic letter Porta Fidei of Pope Benedict XVI,which introduces the Year of Faith, is in itself an important resource for catechists. In the letter, the pope lists the documents of Vatican II and writes that the fiftieth anniversary of the opening of the Second Vatican Council is a good opportunity to revisit the spirit and content of the documents. "They need to be read correctly, to be widely known and taken to heart as important and normative texts of the Magisterium, within the Church's Tradition" (Porta Fidei [PF], no. 5, www.vatican.va/holy_father/benedict_xvi/motu_proprio/documents/hf_ben-xvi_motu-proprio_20111011_porta-fidei_en.html ).The pope has described this Year of Faith as the time for
a renewal of a relationship with Jesus, and for reopening the "door of faith," which was first opened at one's Baptism. "To enter through that door is to set out on a journey that lasts a lifetime" (PF, no. 1), but now is a good opportunity to "open it again" and renew the relationship with Christ and his Church.

For catechists, religious educators, study groups, and individuals, the call to reread and study the documents is not only a "good opportunity" but also a necessary one. Some adult faith formation groups choose to read the four Constitutions and begin with The Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy (Sacrosanctum Concilium, 1963), because it was the first document promulgated and had a major impact on community worship. Other groups may choose to begin with the Constitution on the Church (Lumen Gentium, 1964),devoting particular attention to Chapter 2, which focuses on the People of God. It may not be easy reading for some, but it is important that, even when an overview or introduction to a document is provided for the group, the participants read the actual documents. Some questions for discussion might include the following:


■  What do I understand by faith? What role does faith have in my life? How do I hand on my faith?

■  The purpose of the Council was fourfold: "to impart an ever-increasing vigor to the Christian life of the faithful; to adapt more closely to the needs of our age those institutions which are subject to change; to foster whatever can promote union among all who believe in Christ; and to strengthen whatever can help to call all humankind into the Church's fold."

■  Which of these goals do you think has been most adequately achieved? What is the reason for your choice?

■  What insight did I get from the document into the meaning of the Council? What aspect of a document was the most interesting to me? Of what significance is this document in today?

The promulgation of the Year of Faith and the admonition to review the spirit and content of the documents has produced a number of resources for the study of Vatican II. It has also renewed interest in earlier studies such as the classic four-volume series edited by Joseph A. Komonchak and Giuseppe Alberigo, The History of Vatican II:volume 1, Announcing and Preparing Vatican Council II;volume 2, Formation of the Council's Identity; volume 3, The Mature Council: Second Period and Intercession;and volume 4, Church as Community (Maryknoll, NY: Orbis Books, 1996).

Another fine commentary is by Matthew L. Lamb and Matthew Levering: Vatican II—Renewal Within Tradition (New York: Oxford University Press, 2008).

Among the many other resources that offer insight into the profound meaning of the Second Vatican Council for the Catholic community today are the following:


■  Pope Benedict XVI, Theological Highlights of Vatican II (Mahwah, NJ: Paulist Press, 2009). This book is both a report and a theological commentary on the debates and struggles that made up each of the four sessions of Vatican II (1962-1965).

■  Massimo Faggioli, True Reform: Liturgy and Ecclesiology in Sacrosanctum Concilium (Collegeville, MN: Liturgical Press, 2012). Faggioli asserts that Sacrosanctum Concilium not only discusses reform of the liturgy but also offers an ecclesiology for the Universal Church.

■  Rita Ferrone, Liturgy: Sacrosanctum Concilium in the Rediscovering Vatican II Series (Mahwah, NJ: Paulist Press, 2007). Ferrone outlines the major concepts of the document, their implementation and importance, and whether they have been accepted in today's Church.

■  Maureen Sullivan, The Road to Vatican II: Key Changes in Theology (Mahwah, NJ: PaulistPress, 2007),and John O'Malley, et al., Vatican II: Did Anything Happen? (New York: Continuum International Publishing, 2011). These authors discuss the contexts of the Council that were important for the interpretation of the Council.

■  William Madges and Michael J Daley, eds., Vatican II: 50 Personal Stories (Maryknoll, NY: Orbis Books, 2003, 2012). In this publication, fifty distinguished scholars offer their assessments of Vatican II.

Together with the documents of Vatican II, Pope Benedict XVI named the witness of believers, whose presence and profession of faith implies public testimony and witness, as another important source in the renewal of the church (PF, no. 6). Knowledge of the content of faith is essential for giving one's own assent, that is, "for adhering fully with intellect and will to . . . the saving mystery revealed by God" (PF, no. 10). It is for this reason that Pope Benedict XVI recommends the Catechism of the Catholic Church, which the pope calls "a precious and indispensable tool" for teaching the faith and as an "instrument for ecclesial communion" (PF, no. 11).

A helpful resource for studying the Catechism of the Catholic Church is the United States Catholic Catechism for Adults (USCCA) (Washington, DC: United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, 2006). The USCCA follows the outline of the Catechism of the Catholic Church: Creed, Sacrament, Christian Life, and Prayer. Jem Sullivan's Study Guide for the USCCA (Huntington, IN: Our Sunday Visitor, 2006) is a practical catechetical counterpart to the USCCA. The Guide presents a process for catechetical sessions rooted in the Scriptures, offers participants an outline for studying the doctrinal aspects of faith, and addresses current situations in society, both affirming the positive in the culture and challenging the negative. Each chapter also includes suggestions for further reading and study. Another resource is the website of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops -- www.usccb.org/beliefs-and-teachings/how-we-teach/new-evangelization/year-of-faith -- which offers family resources for the Year of Faith as another way of "strengthening faith in the family."

Here are some excellent guides for adult faith study:

■  Father Robert Barron, Catholicism: A Journey to the Heart of Faith (New York: Image Books, 2011). This book, which offers insight into the content of faith, is also published as a ten-part DVD with study guides.

■  Berard Marthaler, OFM Conv, The Creed: The Apostolic Faith in Contemporary Theology, 3d rev. ed. (Twenty-Third Publications, 2007). This expanded edition provides a helpful commentary and analysis of the context and content of the Creed.

■  Luke Timothy Johnson, The Creed: What Christians Believe and Why It Matters (New York: Doubleday 2003) offers a history of the Creed and an exposition of the articles of the Creed.

■  The papers delivered at a symposium at the Irish College in Rome have been published under the title Faith, Word and Culture: Forty Years after Vatican II (Columbia Press, 2005). The four themes of the conference were the salvific value of other religions (Gavin D'Costa); the Bible in Catholic life (Joseph Fitzmyer, SJ); the Irish experience regarding the Council (Dermot Lane); and the controversial area of liturgical change (Liam Bergin).

Many publishers, including the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), RCL Benziger, W. H. Sadlier, and Our Sunday Visitor, have developed materials that not only explore the documents of the Second Vatican Council and teach about the importance of faith but also seek to deepen the faith life of individuals, families, and parishes:


■  In conjunction with the Year of Faith, the USCCB Office of Evangelization and Catechesis has prepared a series of short videos and provided links to a variety of resources that are tools for studying and understanding the documents of Vatican II and the Catechism of the Catholic Church (www.usccb.org).

■  Benziger has five 60-minute DVDs that cover some of the most significant aspects of Vatican II. The videos also include online study guides and participant handouts. Another Benziger publication helpful for the Year of Faith is Exploring our Catholic Faith by Fr. Louis J. Camelli, which "aims to engage adults in a process of learning, reflection and prayer that leads to action." The text is correlated with the Catechism of the Catholic Church and the United States Catholic Catechism for Adults.

■Sadlier offers a wide variety of resources for the Year of Faith: articles, links to other websites, webinars, a Gather in My Name event, and a correlation of the themes of the Year of Faith to We Believe with Project Disciple, and more.

■The Growing Faith Project from Our Sunday Visitor is "for adults of all ages to continue their faith journey and grow in love and understanding of the Church." The program consists of a facilitator's guide and a series of forty-eight books that focus on major teachings of the Catechism. Each book opens up one important dimension of faith.

Pope Benedict XVI reminds us that "'the door of faith' . . . is always open for us. . . . To enter through that door is to set out on a journey that lasts a lifetime" (PF, no. 1). Part of that journey is to come to a greater understanding of the texts bequeathed by the Council Fathers as an important part of personal renewal and the renewal of the Church. Faith "is the lifelong companion that makes it possible to perceive, ever anew, the marvels that God works for us. . . . faith commits every one of us to become a living sign of the presence of the Risen Lord in the world" (PF, no. 15).

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Copyright © 2013, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Washington, DC. All rights reserved. Permission is hereby granted to duplicate this work without adaptation for non-commercial use.

Excerpts from Pope Benedict XVI, Porta Fidei, copyright © 2011, Libreria Editrice Vaticana (LEV). Used with permission. All rights reserved.

--  XXXXXXXXXX  --