Coming out into the open” “

The “France presse” agency has called the series of events promoted by the Church of Paris for the week of All Saints “an operation of unprecedented seduction” that marks “a change in relations between Church and society”. The whole idea – says a wire service on Wednesday 27 October – was born from the desire of French Catholics to promote “a new evangelization in the capital” in which Catholics have not hesitated to use all the most “fashionable” means of communication: from the “happy hours” organized in the church of the Trinity to the “flash mob” of several hundred youngsters in a metro station to realise “a graffito of hope”. A MINORITY, EVEN IF LIVELY CHURCH. Over 500 events were organized during the week: rock concerts and conference-debates proposed in parishes all over the city; plus fifty or so art exhibitions and a similar number of fund-raising and charitable projects. The programme had a twofold aim. For, in tandem with these city events aimed mainly at Parisians themselves, the second international Congress on the “new evangelization” is in progress in the cathedral of Notre-Dame. It is being attended by some 3000 delegates from various parts of the continent. But in what social context are French Christians living and, more especially, in what context is the Christian message being announced? The statistical data speak of a significant decline in the Catholic population in France, amounting to a 10% drop in practising Catholics, even if 62% of the French still declare themselves “Catholics”. Some 24,000 priests perform their ministry in France, led by a hundred or so archbishops, bishops and auxiliary bishops. These figures, according to the experts, are set to decline by a third within the next ten years. According to the sociologist Marcel Gauchet, the All Saints initiative promoted and strongly desired by the archbishop of Paris, Jean-Marie Lustiger, “testifies to the Church’s consciousness of the situation. So long as Catholicism was predominant, it had no need to come out into the open. Today, Catholics have realised they are a minority and are adopting a new attitude”. GIVING A RESPONSE TO PEOPLE’S yearnings. The event of the Church of Paris has therefore surprised many of the most attentive observers of France, who have asked themselves: why is there this “new missionary drive” by the Church? “France presse” put the question to Monsignor Jean-Yves Nahmias, vicar general of the diocese of Paris and delegate of Cardinal Lustiger for the organization of Paris-Toussaint-2004 (as the All Saints event is called). “We are today seeing a paradox – explains the priest – there’s a great ignorance about the most elementary points of reference of the Christian faith, but at the same time there is a deep yearning, especially for the Church. That requires of us a greater effort to speak to people”. It is a question of wishing to “share” our own faith with others. “We know very well – points out Monsignor Nahmias – that religion occupies a delicate position in France today. There is no desire on our part to conduct a form of imperialism or triumphalism. We simply wish to share our faith with others, and no longer remain silent”. But why was it decided to organize this event just in the week preceding All Saints? “For many of our contemporaries – replies Nahmias – the feast of All Saints is a time of nostalgia and grieving”. The Christian proposal is to give this day its “dimension of celebration, by reaffirming the Christian hope and by speaking of life and of death”. BUT HOW DOES THE CHURCH EVANGLISE? In a plural religious context like that in Europe today, Christianity becomes just “one proposal among many”. In this context Christians are called to make their proposal of life. But how? Some suggestions were made by Father Enzo Bianchi, prior of the Bose religious community, in the cycle of conferences held in Notre-Dame on the new evangelization in Europe. First of all – he said – we need to have “good communication, a kind of conduct that puts the other person at his ease, cordiality in listening to others, and a willingness for dialogue. Yes, the Christian message must not be transmitted at any cost”, nor is it necessary to “have recourse to over-exposure to evangelise”. Christians know that “the primary way of evangelising remains the daily witness of an authentically Christian life”.