This week’s article for Aleteia explains why the Pope’s encyclical should be regarded as a milestone in Catholic evangelization.
The pope realizes that many outside the church and outside Christianity cannot hear the simple message of Christ because of the distractions of religious language, historical prejudice, cultural baggage and anti religious propaganda.
So he takes lessons from St Paul.
The article picks up on the point that St Paul, when preaching in Athens, knew his audience. He understood their world view and he adapted his message in such a way that they would be interested to hear more.
The genius of Pope Francis’ encyclical Laudato Si’ is that he is preaching like St. Paul. The Pope realizes how attractive the figure of St. Francis is to many people who are not Catholic believers. He also realizes how important the issue of the environment is to many who are outside the church. Laudato Si’ is an excellent example of how we should evangelize our culture. In re-reading the encyclical it is fascinating how little explicitly religious and theological language the pope uses. At its best the wording is accessible to all and presents the Catholic faith with simplicity and mystical charm.
Go here to read the whole article
