Religious News - Pope stresses duty to evangelize - ArcaMax Publishing

Religious News - Pope stresses duty to evangelize - ArcaMax Publishing: "Pope stresses duty to evangelize
ROME, Vatican City, Dec. 24 'Nothing can release or free us' from the task of announcing the Gospel and 'nothing is more beautiful, urgent and important,' said Benedict XVI to a crowd of 30,000 gathered in Saint Peter's Square Sunday. He spoke of the true meaning of Christmas and again about the 'duty' of Christians, especially the Church, to evangelize, AsiaNews reported Sunday.

'Tomorrow night we shall celebrate the great mystery of Love that never ceases to amaze us, namely love that became man,' he said. The 'mission of the Church is to provide an answer to the words 'Come Lord Jesus'' so that through his coming 'our hearts may change and justice and peace infuse the world.'

'In a situation in which many faithful have no clear idea as to the reasons for evangelisation,' the recent document released by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith 'reminds us all that welcoming the Good News is by itself a way to signal that we were given salvation as a gift,' he said.

'There is nothing more beautiful, urgent and important than to freely return what we have freely received from God. Nothing can release or free us from this weighty task,' he said.

'Each Christian and each community should feel the joy of sharing with others the Good News, that God loves the world so much that he gave his only Son so that the world may be saved through him ... This is the true meaning of Christmas that we must always rediscover and live intensely,' he concluded"

Merry Christmas everyone

Enjoy a great day with all those that you love and cherish. (and all who care and cherish you ) It is a great day to celebrate your true feelings.Let true peace and goodwill prevail everyhere.

Religious News - Vatican welcomes Blair to Catholic fold - ArcaMax Publishing

Religious News - Vatican welcomes Blair to Catholic fold - ArcaMax Publishing: "Vatican welcomes Blair to Catholic fold
ROME, Vatican City, Dec. 22 The Vatican welcomed former British Prime Minister Tony Blair's decision to become a Roman Catholic. A spokesman said such an 'authoritative personality' choosing to join the Catholic Church 'could only give rise to joy and respect.'

The ex-PM was received into the Church by the Archbishop of Westminster, Cardinal Cormac Murphy O'Connor. It comes as research shows Catholic churchgoers now outnumber Anglicans in the UK for the first time since the Reformation, BBC News online reported Saturday."