Denver, Colo., Dec 8, 2011 / 09:38 am
Catholics must rediscover their religious identity and mission, according to two new American appointees to the Pontifical Council for the New Evangelization.
“In a certain sense we don't have an option,” said Curtis Martin, founder and president of the Fellowship of Catholic University Students (FOCUS). He was named as a consultant for the council on Dec. 7, along with Sacred Heart Major Seminary Professor Dr. Ralph Martin.
“If we continue to do what we've been doing the last 40 years, we're on a course for self-destruction,” Curtis Martin said. “The good news is that the Church has within herself the mechanisms for healing – first and foremost, through the grace of God; but secondly, through a rediscovery of the Church's identity.”
Both men will advise the council that exists to re-awaken Christian faith in areas where it once thrived but has now declined. They are among the 15 new consultants announced by the Holy See Dec. 7, a group that includes six laypersons and nine clergy.