Philadelphia, Pa., Sep 25, 2013 / 12:10 pm
Archbishop Charles J. Chaput of Philadelphia said the Holy Father's recent lengthy interview calls attention to the modern world as a "missionary field" that needs witnesses to Christ's saving power.
"Among the many vital things the Pope reminds us of in his interview is the new and drastically different condition of the modern world that God seeks to save," the archbishop said in a Sept. 25 column.
What Catholics need to realize is that the world we live is "morally fractured," the archbishop explained, meaning that many people "no longer have that common vocabulary" that would allow for a fruitful discussion about issues such as abortion and sexuality.
"The modern heart can only be won back by a radical witness of Christian discipleship – a renewed kind of shared community life obedient to God's Commandments, but also on fire with the Beatitudes lived more personally and joyfully by all of us," he said.