Stories

The Catholic Church must renew its efforts to proclaim Jesus Christ in a rapidly changing world, placing personal encounters with the risen Lord at the center of evangelization, according to a new Vatican document that draws extensively on experiences from local Churches around the world, including many in missionary territories.

Released Oct. 22 by the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, Venite ad me: Considerations on the Transmission of the Faith in an Epochal Change examines the challenges facing the Church as traditional ways of passing on the faith from one generation to the next weaken, particularly in societies experiencing secularization, technological transformation and profound cultural changes.

The document was originally requested by Pope Francis, who repeatedly urged the Dicastery to study the transmission of the faith. Following his election in May 2025, Pope Leo XIV reiterated the request. The document was adopted by the Dicastery June 24 and approved by the Pope Aug. 21.

Signed by Cardinal Víctor Manuel Fernández, prefect of the Dicastery, and Monsignor Armando Matteo, secretary for its Doctrinal Section, the text presents pastoral considerations rather than a doctrinal note. Its purpose is to encourage reflection and offer practical approaches to evangelization.

The document places particular emphasis on the kerygma, the first proclamation of the Gospel: Jesus Christ, through his death and resurrection, reveals God's love and offers salvation to humanity.

Its publication follows Pope Leo XIV's repeated calls for a missionary renewal of the Church. Addressing the Italian bishops in June 2025, the Pope called for "renewed zeal in the proclamation and transmission of faith," emphasizing the importance of a personal relationship with Christ.

Missionary Churches contribute to a global reflection

One of the distinctive features of Venite ad me is the significant contribution of bishops' conferences from around the world.

The Dicastery invited national bishops' conferences to submit reports and personal testimonies about the transmission of the faith in their territories. The resulting document incorporates observations from countries including Nigeria, Tanzania, Ghana, Bangladesh, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, Peru and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

These contributions offer a picture of the different circumstances in which the Church carries out her evangelizing mission.

In Africa, where the Catholic Church continues to grow in many regions, bishops identify both opportunities and challenges, including the need for deeper formation, the influence of secularization among younger generations and competition from religious groups promoting prosperity-based interpretations of Christianity.

The bishops of Nigeria emphasize the importance of locally born priests who understand the languages, traditions and experiences of the communities they serve.

Their report notes that the presence of "indigenous clergy has facilitated the transmission of faith," helping bridge the relationship between traditional Nigerian values and Catholic teaching.

In Tanzania, bishops highlight the effectiveness of Small Christian Communities, where Catholics gather regularly for "prayer, catechesis, and fellowship."

These communities, often organized around neighborhoods or extended family relationships, help believers deepen their faith and support one another in living it out.

The document also recognizes the challenges facing African Catholics who have received the sacraments but lack ongoing formation. It stresses the importance of helping believers develop a personal relationship with Christ rather than relying exclusively on religious customs or community affiliation.

In Asia, where Catholics often constitute a small minority, the challenges are different.

Bishops from Bangladesh, Japan and South Korea describe how economic pressures, professional demands and changing family structures affect religious formation.

In South Korea, for example, grandparents are increasingly responsible for teaching children the faith as parents prioritize academic success and professional advancement. Similar concerns are reported in Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei.

The Dicastery notes that the minority status of Christians in many Asian countries has often strengthened their sense of communal identity, helping Catholic communities persevere even in difficult circumstances.

However, these Churches are not immune to secularization and individualism, particularly among younger generations.

The document also acknowledges the persecution experienced by Christians in parts of the world, condemning violence committed in the name of religion and urging political authorities to protect religious freedom.

Missionary witness through charity and personal encounters

Beyond its analysis of global trends, Venite ad me gives particular attention to the role of personal witness in bringing people to the Catholic faith.

The document emphasizes that evangelization continues to depend on relationships and encounters between people, even as digital communications create new opportunities to share the Gospel.

It recalls that the first form of evangelization takes place "from person to person," highlighting friendship, hospitality and Christian charity as important paths toward faith.

One example comes from Myanmar, where years of conflict have left many communities facing displacement, poverty and suffering.

During a June 2 visit to the Dicastery, the country's bishops described how the Church continues accompanying the poorest members of society, regardless of their religious affiliation.

In predominantly Buddhist Myanmar, Catholics often provide assistance and companionship to people who do not share their faith.

According to the document, this witness of charity sometimes leads non-Christians to ask what motivates Catholics to remain close to those who suffer, creating opportunities to speak explicitly about Jesus Christ.

A different example comes from Malaysia, where the bishops shared the testimony of a Vietnamese catechumen who grew up in a Buddhist family.

The individual traveled to Malaysia to study English and discovered free language classes offered by Filipino Christians.

"I was welcomed by everyone," the catechumen recalled.

The Christians' kindness and generosity made a lasting impression. During one lesson, the students watched a video about the passion and resurrection of Jesus, sparking questions about God and the Christian faith.

Years later, the Vietnamese student befriended a Malaysian Christian, began attending Mass and eventually entered the catechumenate in preparation for baptism.

The testimony is among several personal accounts included in the document to illustrate how seemingly ordinary encounters can become the starting point of a journey toward Christ.

The Dicastery also highlights the importance of Catholic schools, hospitals and charitable institutions as places of evangelization.

“As the bishops of Ghana attest: ‘The transmission of the Catholic faith is significantly strengthened through Catholic education, which serves as an important channel for continuous formation among children, youth, and even adults’,” the document says, while pointing out that in other countries, such as Venezuela, “religious education program facilitates integration between school and parish activities, confirming the pastoral value of Catholic schools as well.”

Yet it’s in countries where Catholics represent a minority, “these institutions often constitute the only point of contact that a large part of the population has with the Catholic Church. However, in several regions, restrictions on the teaching of religion in schools mean that parishes must bear the entire burden of catechesis. In countries where Catholics constitute a minority, these institutions may represent the principal point of contact between the Church and people of other religious traditions.”

Inculturation and the future of evangelization

Another important aspect of the document concerns inculturation, the process through which the Gospel becomes rooted in the cultures and traditions of the communities receiving it.

The Dicastery recalls the teaching of St. John Paul II that inculturation is "a slow journey" accompanying the life of the missionary Church.

Evangelization, it explains, cannot be understood simply as bringing the Gospel to a geographical area. Missionaries are called to encounter people within their cultural, linguistic and social environments.

This requires an understanding of local traditions and ways of life, as well as the ability to communicate the Gospel in ways that are faithful to Church teaching and accessible to those hearing it.

The document emphasizes that inculturation involves missionaries, local Christian communities and bishops, who are responsible for guiding and discerning the process.

It also identifies popular piety, sacred music, liturgy, art and beauty as important means through which Catholic communities communicate and preserve the faith.

Throughout the text, the Dicastery insists that proclaiming Christ remains the central task of evangelization, whether in countries where Christianity is growing or in historically Catholic societies where religious practice has declined.

A call to missionary renewal after World Mission Sunday

The document's publication comes just four days after the Church celebrated the centenary of World Mission Sunday, Oct. 18, under the theme chosen by Pope Leo XIV: "One in Christ, united in mission."

In his message for the 100th World Mission Sunday, Pope Leo, who spent many years serving as a missionary in Peru, expressed particular gratitude to men and women who leave their homelands to proclaim the Gospel in challenging circumstances.

"The world still needs these courageous witnesses of Christ," he wrote.

The Pope also thanked The Pontifical Mission Societies for fostering missionary cooperation, recalling their role in connecting Catholic communities worldwide through prayer, charity and material assistance.

The Vatican document places that missionary responsibility within the broader task of the entire Church, emphasizing that handing on the faith requires the involvement of families, parishes, educators, consecrated men and women, and lay Catholics.

In its conclusion, Venite ad me uses the lighting of candles during the Easter Vigil as an image of how faith is transmitted: As the flame of the Paschal candle is passed from one person to another, the light gradually spreads throughout the church.

Venite ad me presents this image as a reminder that Catholics who have encountered Christ are called to share that gift with others, allowing the light of faith to reach new generations and communities throughout the world.