Vatican City, Sep 1, 2004 / 22:00 pm
During an audience this morning with bishops from Boston and Hartford, the Holy Father encouraged Catholics in the U.S. to persevere in their witness to the Gospel, citing the “critical role” of the American church in “bringing about a fruitful encounter” between the Gospel and global culture.
“Throughout these reflections on the exercise of the 'munus episcopale propheticum', I have more than once drawn attention to the importance of the evangelization of culture,” he said to the bishops now concluding their quinquennial "ad limina" visit.
“A fundamental challenge in this area is surely that of bringing about a fruitful encounter between the Gospel and the new global culture which is rapidly taking shape as a result of unprecedented growth in communications and the expansion of a world economy,” he said.
“I am convinced that the Church in the United States can play a critical role in meeting this challenge, since this emerging reality is in many ways the fruit of contemporary Western, and particularly American, experiences, attitudes and ideals."