Baltimore, Md., Nov 12, 2012 / 12:12 pm
The mission of evangelization, which is critical to the calling of every bishop, must begin with penance and interior renewal, said Cardinal Timothy M. Dolan, president of the U.S. bishops' conference.
"We cannot engage culture unless we let Him first engage us; we cannot dialogue with others unless we first dialogue with Him; we cannot challenge unless we first let Him challenge us," the cardinal told his fellow bishops.
"Only those themselves first evangelized can then evangelize," he stressed, encouraging the U.S. bishops to adopt a "spirit of conversion born of our own interior renewal."
The cardinal delivered his remarks to the Nov. 12--15 fall assembly of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, which is being held in Baltimore.
He acknowledged numerous "urgent issues" that call for the bishops' "renewed and enthusiastic commitment," including the recent devastation caused by Hurricane Sandy, the call to a New Evangelization and the challenge of engaging the culture on critical topics.