The "new evangelization" is undoubtedly at the forefront of Pope Benedict XVI's thoughts

That the "new evangelization" is at the forefront of Pope Benedict XVI’s thoughts, could hardly be questioned.

 

The Bavarian
pope, who as a cardinal had concealed his conviction that it was
necessary to simplify and streamline the Roman Curia, has instead created, two
years ago, a new Vatican department in charge of promoting and
coordinating the new evangelization of  Countries where in recent
decades secularism has been the strongest.

 

The Synod of Bishops to be held next autumn in the Vatican will also be dedicated to this theme.

 

Lastly, Pope
Ratzinger will discuss "new evangelization" at the annual meeting of
his former students, the so-called Schülerkreis, which will meet at
Castel Gandolfo from the August 26 to 28.

 

In particular, as explained by
the group coordinator, Salvatorian Father Stephan Otto Horn,  in the
'70s Assistant to Professor Ratzinger in Regensburg, reflections will 
be made on the role of theology in the new evangelization.

 

In order to communicate a modern form of the Gospel
to the contemporary world there is indeed a need for high-profile
public events with mass participation, and charismatic “leaders”, but
also the cultural work of a "creative minority" and especially by theologians.

 

For Horn, the
Pope "has warned against attempts to link the efforts of the new
evangelization with the ability to lead the masses to the faith over a
short time".

 

"Of course - Horn
said in an essay on the" new evangelization" according to Benedict XVI
published in the journal 'Kirche' – he is skeptical of mass movements,
because they quickly collapse on themselves”.

 

Hence the need for theologians to contributed to the effort by talking of faith in ways adapted to modernity - a need emphasized in the recent book 'Light of the World', in which the Pope quoted the secular philosopher Jürgen Habermas in this regard.

 

The Pope also
warns against '"activism": "The availability - Horn writes, analyzing
his thought - to engage in the new evangelization must not slide into
activism”.

 

To reflect on these issues,
as usual, the circle of former students of Ratzinger will also hear the
contributions of two 'outside' experts,  in this case two lay people:
the theologian Hanna-Barbara Gerl-Falkowitz and the Austrian member of the Community of Emmanuel, Otto Neubauer.

 

The first, an expert on Romano
Guardini and the relationship between philosophy and culture, teaches
in Dresden, is an old friend of the Pope who knows him from back when he
was a professor.

 

The meetings have been held regularly
since 1977, the year in which Ratzinger was named Archbishop of Monaco. 

Since then, the event is repeated every year on a specific topic and
has not stopped even with his appointment as Pope in 2005.

 

Since the beginning of his pontificate,
the ex-students were confronted themselves on the issues of Islam,
evolution and evolutionary theory, the historical Jesus, the mission and
dialogue with other religions and cultures, the interpretation of
Vatican II . 

Among Ratzinger's former students who have 'made ​​a career' - and still take part in the meetings - there are the Cardinals Christoph Schönborn, Archbishop of Vienna, and the Auxiliary Bishop of Hamburg, Monsignor Hans-Jochen Jaschke.

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