This article was first published
in The Catholic Herald
Evangelisation and the Future
of Europe
By Dwight Longenecker
Last week I travelled
to Vienna, the city of coffeehouses and choirboys,
palaces
and parks, dancing horses and dirndls, Mozart
and marzipan. The city was hosting the International
Congress for the New Evangelisation. Timed
to coincide with Ascension Day and the build
up to Pentecost, the congress was an innovative
combination of thought, prayer and action to
encourage the new evangelisation across Europe.
The congress was not just
another academic talking shop. Its true that
each morning
St Stephen’s Cathedral was packed with international
delegates to hear theologians, sociologists,
politicians, academics and cardinals debate
the problems of proclaiming the gospel in the
twenty first century. But the conference was
combined with a mission to the city of Vienna.
The academic sessions were interspersed with
worship, and every afternoon and evening the
city was buzzing with a whole range of creative
activities to promote the gospel.
Churches were open for
prayer, confession and meditation while teams
outside
encouraged tourists and shoppers to ‘spend
five minutes with God.’ Special marquees were
erected as mini-chapels in shopping districts.
Inside the Blessed Sacrament was exposed for
adoration while outside teams of missioners
distributed literature and engaged passers
by in conversation. There were concerts of
classical, jazz and pop music—all with a Christian
message included. There were art exhibits,
plays, films and debates between cardinals
and academics in the coffeehouses. There were
radio shows, youth missions, parish missions,
feasts for the homeless and dialogue with Muslims.
Martin Wiesauer, one of the organisers explained
that the organising committee were convinced
that when it comes to evangelisation, theory
and practice must go together. ‘Everybody has
two legs,’ he said. ‘You need both working
together to be able to run.’
The congress and mission
in Vienna was the first of four. They are the
brainchild of four European cardinals: Christoph
Schönborn of Vienna, Godfried Danneels of Malines-Brussels,
Jean-Marie Lustiger of Paris, and Jose da Cruz
Policarpo, patriarch of Lisbon. Next year Paris
will host the event. In 2005 Lisbon welcomes
the congress followed by Brussels in 2006.
Jean Luc Moens-- a member
of the Emmanuel Community-- said that the idea
for the congress and city mission first arose
from one of their community members during
the Jubilee year. Cardinal Lustiger picked
up the idea and Cardinal Schönborn volunteered
Vienna as the city to pioneer the effort. The
Emmanuel Community joined forces with Vienna’s
Catholic Action group to undertake the huge
task of welcoming nearly 5000 people to participate
in the combined congress and city mission.
As I took part in the worship,
mission, seminars and workshops I was able
to meet representatives from the large number
of new communities, organisations and movements
who are active in a whole range of creative
ways in the New Evangelisation. In Europe the
new communities and movements are rejuvenating
the church at every level. The congress in
Vienna was a showcase for their work and vision.
What was most striking
however, was the absence of the English. I went
to Vienna
because I am interested in the New Evangelisation,
and have just completed a new series of booklets
for The Catholic Truth Society to be used in
evangelisation. The priest in charge of our
bishops’ new agency for supporting evangelisation
was also there. Apart from us there were three
Americans who work in England and are members
of a new movement. In total we met only five
other English Catholics. Furthermore, when
meeting with representatives of the various
new movements we heard time and again that ‘it
is difficult to get into England.’
So why is it, that while
European Catholicism seems to be waking up the
Catholic
Church in England and Wales is still so hard
to stir? Why are the new movements meeting
with success and encouragement in Europe but
not in England? Is it because the bishops are
control freaks who don’t really like lay movements?
Is it the English dis-trust of enthusiasm (especially
religious enthusiasm)? Or is it that persistent
English disease—chronic Euro-phobia?
I don’t think any of these
issues are the real problem. Instead it is
simply a case that England’s time has not yet
come. English Catholics don’t realise that
a new evangelisation is either desirable or
necessary. Put simply; the problem is that
English Catholics don’t think there is a problem.
Parish life totters on much as it has done.
Our Catholic schools are full. The crisis in
priestly vocations hasn’t really begun
to bite. Sure, mass numbers aren’t what they
used to be, but people are busy on the weekends.
Things don’t seem that bad. Catholics in England
haven’t yet seen a need for a new evangelisation.
On the continent however,
the crisis in the Catholic Church is several
steps
further on. Catholic influence in national
culture has dwindled markedly. Secularism is
rampant. Mass numbers are disastrously low.
Vocations to the priesthood are almost non
existent. In some parts of Europe the Catholic
Church would be closing up shop if it weren’t
for the new movements and communities. This
is where the Catholic Church in England is
headed, but we don’t seem to be there yet.
Most of us can’t see that we’re heading for
the rocks, so we don’t see the need for new
movements, new communities and the new evangelisation.
If this analysis is correct,
and the church in England is some years behind
the rapid disintegration of European Catholicism,
then we are well on course to address the problem
as it develops. Not everyone is wearing blinkers.
Cardinal Cormac Murphy O’Connor knows where
we are headed. He has spoken forthrightly about
the fact that England is no longer a Christian
country. Our bishops are aware that a time
bomb is ticking and that the English church
will very soon be in the parlous state of our
continental cousins.
The Catholic Bishops have
taken some innovative steps. This summer the
Catholic
Missionary Society that was founded by Cardinal
Vaughan will finish its ministry so that a
new organisation with a wider remit can be
formed. Mgr. Keith Barltrop, a former rector
of Allen Hall, has been brought in to spearhead
the project. CASE (the Catholic Agency for
the Support of Evangelisation) will be launched
at Easter 2004. The aim of the agency is to
support a whole range of Catholic initiatives
in evangelisation. One of the particular aims
is to encourage and provide a reference point
for the various new communities and movements.
The committee is chaired by Declan Lang—the
Bishop of Clifton. With representatives from
CAFOD and the Catholic Charismatic Renewal,
it aims to encourage evangelisation within
the Church and the world through direct proclamation
as well as the renewal of Christian culture
and active promotion of Christian peace and
justice.
With this new agency in place
the English Church should make a better showing
at the future Congresses for the New Evangelisation.
Who knows, after Paris in 2004, Lisbon in 2005
and Brussels in 2006 the time might be perfect
in 2007 for the International Catholic Evangelisation
Roadshow to visit London.
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