Vatican City, Nov 22, 2013 / 00:01 am
Reflecting on the end of the Year of Faith, a Vatican official says the witness of those joining the Church under difficult circumstances should prompt others to commit more fully to their faith.
Archbishop Rino Fisichella, the head of the Pontifical Council for the New Evangelization, reflected that catechumens, "prior to receiving baptism...have had a long journey to make, but they are animated by a desire to become part of the Church."
"So I think that for all of us Christians who are already baptized, the presence of catechumens tells us that we need to take the faith seriously," he told CNA in a Nov. 18 interview.
"We don't always live the faith with courage," the archbishop explained, and "frequently we hide it and many times in public places we prefer to keep silent about that which expresses our identity."