Alpha Friends

“Modern man is often confused and cannot find answers to the many questions which trouble his mind in reference to the meaning of life,” (Pope Benedict XVI, Vatican’s Paul VI Audience Hall, ‘New Evangelisers for the New Evangelisation event’, October 2011)

Only last year Pope Benedict XVI created the new council for Promoting the New Evangelisation, appointing Archbishop Salvatore Rino Fisichella as President and Archbishop Octavio Ruiz (who attended Alpha International Week this year) as Secretary. This weekend Pope Benedict spoke to thousands at the council’s first large event in Rome.   

Over 8000 Catholics, engaged in evangelisation through their parishes, organisations and communities, were invited to the ‘New Evangelisers for the New Evangelisation – the Word of God grows and spreads event’, organised by the Council for Promoting the New Evangelisation at the Vatican on October 15th & 16th.  According to an interview with Archbishop Fisichella on Vatican Radio, this event will be one of many contributions in preparation for the Synod of bishops meeting in October 2012, to help inform bishops regarding existing forms of evangelisation that are already in place around the world. 

Over 500 Catholics leaders, representing the different groups were invited, attended a meeting on Saturday morning with Archbishop Fisichella to discuss the New Evangelisation in more detail and to share experiences of evangelisation.   Alpha was well represented at this meeting by Catholics leaders involved with Alpha across the world, including Marc de Leyritz, founder of Alpha France, who had the opportunity to speak on behalf of Alpha. He said:“Alpha is a tool for the local parish; it is neither a community nor a movement.  It has existed for around 30 years and consists of 10 simple evenings around a dinner, during which the kerygma is announced... I think it’s important that each Christian community adopts a tool to reach out to those who are, according to the Church, often far away.  Alpha is a tool to hold on to; it is running across the world in over 162 countries and is absolutely wonderful!”

In preparation for this meeting, a paper was also submitted to the council, highlighting the use of Alpha as a tool for the New Evangelisation, in relation to the Lineamenta document, which was produced in preparation for the Synod meeting.

On Saturday afternoon, all those invited took part in a meeting at the Vatican’s Paul VI Audience Hall, attended by the Pope.  The conference began with talks on evangelisation from Mother Veronica Berzosa, Founder and Superior of Iesu Communion, Vittorio Messori, a Catholic writer and H.E. Archbishop Fabio Suescun Mutis, Military Bishop for Colombia,followed by a performance by Andrea Bocelli before the arrival of the Holy Father.  During his speech, the Pope said, “Seeing all of you and knowing the hard work that everyone of you places at the service of the mission, I am convinced that the new evangelists will multiply more and more to create the true transformation which the world of today needs”.

On the Saturday evening, participants were also invited by the Diocese and City of Rome to attend various events involving prayer and reflection.  The following morning a special Mass was also held at St. Peter’s Basilica, celebrated by the Pope, who looked at the First Letter of Saint Paul to the Thessalonians for inspiration, explaining that in order to be effective, evangelisation needs the power of the Word and the Holy Spirit.  During the Mass, the Pope also announced that 2012 will quite aptly be the “Year of Faith’, describing it as ‘a new impetus to the mission of the whole Church to lead men out of the desert in which they often find themselves, to the place of life, of friendship with Christ.”