It points to a transcendent reality that people in a post-modern era will find attractive and appealing.

There are new ways to evangelise.

John Paul II was acutely aware of the importance of evangelisation. He wasn't the first Pope who realised that evangelisation had to be recast in the minds of the people, in terms of the modern world. Pope Paul the 6th's Evengeli Imutciandi, the first document that John Paul II based his own off.

What are the characteristics of a new evangelisation?

According to the pope the expression was popularised since Paul 6th's response to the challenges the contemporary world creates for the Church.

JPII was refocusing and redirecting the Church's priorities. "The time has come to focus all of the Church's energies to AD Gentes - no believer in Christ no institution of the Church can avoid this duty to proclaim Christ". The reality is, however, is that a large majority of the Catholic Church are not inclined to evangelisation and some even think that evangelisation is an Anglican or Jehovas witness thing.

JPII points to the fact that it is a grace and vocation, reflecting her deepest identity.

New evangelisation does not mean a new message. It's content cannot be new - it's theme will always be the same basic Christian message that Jesus Christ is the saviour of the world.

What are the features of the new evangelisation?

It is founded in Jesus Christ and his gospel. It is a clear proclamation of Jesus' saving grace. It's not a repetition of doctrine - it is a profound and personal meeting with the Lord and creator.

It's very easy for Catholics to be distracted by all that happens in a Catholic church.

Evangelisation must be Christocentric at all times. People should be coming to the Church for Christ, not for the bells and smells.

The new evangelisation is a call extended to the entire people of God.

The new evangelisation is not just for the foreign missions.
The first situation, Ad Gentes (to the nations), bring the gospels to people, groups and socio-cultural contexts where Christ is not known.
Secondly, there are healthy Christian communities, fervent in faith and have a good sense of the Church and her ability.
Thirdly, within countries there are entire groups of the baptised who have lost a living sense of the faith, or those who don't consider themselves to be part of the Church in any way. In this case they need a re-evangelisation, some need their faith to be renewed or enlightened, some have no basic training in the faith.

Inculturation - the intinmate transformation of intricate cultural values through Christianity and the insertion of Christianity into cultures.

The new evanglisation should lead to a civilisation of love.

It involves a proclamation of the Gospel karygma as the first step. Following that comes catechetical instruction... it is the saving message of Christ that must come first. The evanglisation calls for a missionary mentality. One must be receptive ot god, and docile to God. It is not possible to bear witness to Christ without representing his image, this relies on grace and the holy spirit. (The medium is the message - actions speak louder than words, to a large extent).

If the missionary has interiorised the message he is preaching than he will be impressive.

Personal holiness is an important aspect of all missionaries. All missionaries must be a contemplative (proclaimed in the 1991 - get some document information from Father) Not contemplative like a carmelite nun, but somebody who actually ponders life, and lives a prayer.

The fore runners, the council that didn't go far enough, the post-conciliar era, radical theological movements arise.

Aidan Nichols - the shape of Catholic theology (interesting quote ask Father about it)

Too often modern theology smacks of palagiarism, 'we don't need God, we don't need Christ'.

From the post modernist perspective, disunity is a strenght, the more plurality is the better.

But plurality is a weakness if it obscures the teachings of Christ.

The Church needs to rebuild it's plausability structure.