Gospel Joy: Pope Francis and the New Evangelization

This book examines the central elements of Francis' vision of the Church as it sets out to preach the gospel to people of every nation and every walk of life. In four chapters, it examines the heart of his message and the focus of his vision for the future of Catholicism, Christianity, and the world. Central to that vision is his call to continue the new evangelization. He writes: "Each individual Christian and every community is called to be an instrument of God for the liberation and promotion of the poor, and for enabling them to be fully a part of society" (EG 187). The pope admits that neither he nor the Church has "a monopoly on the interpretation of social realities or the proposal of solutions to contemporary problems" (EG 184). He wishes, however, to contribute some constructive insights concerning our present situation. For Pope Francis, the joy of the gospel is simple: God wishes to live in our hearts. When we let God do so his Spirit dwells there, purging our imperfections and slowly divinizing us so that as free and faithful disciples we follow the way of the Lord Jesus.