” “The missionary testimony of the laity, according to card. Ruini, is called to express itself in two forms. One is "that of the Christian enlivening of the social realities that the laity must carry out of their own initiative and in their own responsibility and at the same time in accordance with the lesson of the Church", especially in the "ethical and anthropological spheres". The other one is "that of the direct proposal and testimony of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, not just in the ecclesial settings but also, and even more, in the many spaces of daily life". It is the laity therefore that has the opportunity "of carrying out a sort of apostolate or deaconship of conscience, by expressing their faith and translating into effective and visible behaviours their Christianly-formed consciences", so as to help everyone "rediscover the look of faith and keep conscience awake". This form of missionary testimony, that can be translated into the second stage of the cultural plan put forward by card. Tettamanzi at the opening of the meeting, "looks decisive for the future of Christianity, in particular to keep awake the ‘popular’ nature of Italian Catholicism".” “
