Without the Gospel, Church programs become 'blah blah,' Vatican prefect tells new bishops (Fides)

In brief

Cardinal Lazzaro You Heung-sik told new bishops from missionary dioceses that Church programs risk becoming meaningless words and activities if they are not grounded in the Gospel. The prefect of the Dicastery for the Clergy warned that without this foundation, even the programs of a missionary Church may fail to change the hearts of people or the lives of communities.

Cardinal You Heung-sik said he prioritizes being a disciple of Jesus over simply doing activities. He encouraged bishops to cultivate relationships with collaborators and to keep their focus on the Crucified and Risen One.

Archbishop Fortunatus Nwachukwu, secretary of the Dicastery for Evangelization, also addressed the bishops. He described missionary dioceses as the fruit of missionary labor. Nwachukwu noted that some people in local Churches are labeled as conservatives when they remain faithful to missionary teachings. He stated that some in the West want these communities to abandon their heritage for new, untested values, but argued that the future is rooted in the past.