San Antonio, Texas, Feb 15, 2010 / 12:15 pm
Archbishop José H. Gomez of San Antonio issued his third pastoral letter today, urging the laity to embrace the task of evangelization, calling it “the duty of every believer.” The task of evangelization is all the more necessary because of the “de-Christianized” American culture, he said.
“We have a duty,” stated Archbishop Gomez, “to bear witness to God. It is a duty of delight, a duty we carry out with joy and thanksgiving. We want the world beginning with those nearest to us, to share in what we have been given – the free gift of God's grace and the joy that comes with knowing the truth that sets us free.”
Marking his fifth anniversary as Archbishop of San Antonio, the prelate said that he wanted his letter to continue the archdiocese's “reflection on the Christian life by talking about our duty as disciples to bear witness to Christ and his Gospel.”
Recognizing that this is the Year for Priests, Archbishop Gomez said he intentionally wanted his pastoral letter to focus on the laity and “the priestly soul of the lay apostolate.” Evangelization, he wrote, “is not an option or obligation reserved for priests, religious and bishops. It is the duty of every believer.”