Bishops suggest ways to bring Word of God to the modern world

Vatican City, Oct 13, 2008 / 08:00 am

At Monday morning’s assembly of bishops on the Word of God, Cardinal George Pell and Cardinal Stanislaw Rylko both spoke about ways to reach the modern world with the Scriptures.

Cardinal Pell, who recently hosted World Youth Day in his diocese this past July, described five ways that bishops can "clear the way for the Spirit to work effectively when the Word of God encounters individuals and communities."

The first idea offered by the Australian cardinal was the formation of young adult lay teams to witness to Christ in youth groups, parishes, schools, and universities.

Secondly, he proposed "the development of contemporary equivalents of the medieval Mystery Plays" to help people engage the Word of God. As examples he cited the World Youth Day Way of the Cross, Oberammergau and 'The Passion of the Christ' film.

Cardinal Pell also pointed to the use of the internet-based social networking sites to expose people to the Scriptures.

The Bible should also be promoted by developing "a central Institute for Bible Translation so the Bible can be translated more quickly and accurately into local languages in Asia, Africa and Oceania," the cardinal suggested.

Finally, Pell offered the idea of requesting that the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith produce "guidelines on inerrancy in Scripture."

Cardinal Stanislaw Rylko, the president of the Pontifical Council for the Laity, also addressed the assembly. Since Vatican Council II, the cardinal noted that the Word of God has taken on a greater prominence in the lives of the laity.

"For many lay people," Cardinal Rylko observed, "movements and communities have become true 'laboratories of the Word of God' in which to acquire familiarity with Sacred Scripture, to learn to appreciate the Word of God and to live it in the ordinary conditions of lay life at the heart of the world."

"Another great sign of hope comes from the younger generations," said the cardinal pointing out that the "World Youth Days have given and continue to give a notable contribution to the spread of the knowledge of the Word of God among the young."