| Evangelii nuntiandi Latin for 'Evangelization in the Modern World' Apostolic exhortation of Pope Paul VI | |
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| Signature date | 8 December 1975 |
| Number | 12 of 12 of the pontificate |
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Evangelii nuntiandi (Evangelization in the Modern World; abbreviation: EN) is an apostolic exhortation issued on 8 December 1975 by Pope Paul VI on the theme of Catholic evangelization. The title, taken from the opening words of the original Latin text, means "in proclaiming the Gospel".[1] It affirms the role of every Christian, not only ordained ministers, priests, and deacons, or religious, or professional church staff, in spreading the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Paul VI convened a synod to meet in September 1974 to define what Catholics mean by "evangelization." The exhortation, which appeared in late 1975, reflects the work of that synod. The term, although ancient, was and is ambiguous for many. Evangelii nuntiandi gave theological principles to guide members in understanding what is meant by the word evangelization and how it applies to the average Roman Catholic. In doing so, the document emphasized that the modern world emphasized images more than words. As such, the world needs to see witnesses of a new possible way of living in order to be introduced to the Gospel.[2]
At the time of the synod, Cardinal Karol Wojtyla, the Archbishop of Kraków and future Pope John Paul II, was consultor to the Pontifical Council for the Laity. He acted as the synod's general rapporteur or recording secretary and participated extensively in the original drafting of Evangelii nuntiandi.[3]
- ^ Summi Pontificis, Pauli VI. "Evangelii Nuntiandi". The Vatican-The Holy See. Retrieved 10 February 2013.
- ^ His Holiness, Paul VI. "EVANGELII NUNTIANDI--APOSTOLIC EXHORTATION". The Vatican--The Holy See. Archived from the original on 2 March 2013. Retrieved 10 February 2013.
- ^ Moreira Neves, Lucas Cardinal. "EVANGELII NUNTIANDI: PAUL VI'S PASTORAL TESTAMENT TO THE CHURCH". Eternal Word Television Network. Retrieved 10 February 2013.