"Although non-Christians can be saved by the grace that God donates in ‘ways known to Him’, the Church cannot help considering that they lack an extremely great asset in this world: knowing the true face of God and the friendship of Jesus Christ, the God-with-us": with these words, the Note illustrates some of the deep reasons for the evangelical announcement, recalling that "there’s nothing more beautiful than being reached, surprised by the Gospel, by Christ". Evangelisation, after all, according to the Note, is not unidirectional, but "also involves a sincere dialogue, one which tries to understand other people’s reasons and feelings. One cannot penetrate man’s heart without gratuitousness, love and dialogue". In this connection, the document states that, "nowadays, however, the missionary announcement of the Church is ‘endangered by relativistic theories, which mean to justify religious pluralism, not only de facto, but also de iure (or in principle)’. A situation has come into being since long ago, in which many devotees do not really understand why evangelisation exists. They even go so far as to say that the claim of having been donated the fullness of the Revelation of God would hide an attitude of intolerance and a threat for peace". (continued)
