Annus Fidei: The Year of Faith Begins

Today the Church embarks upon the Year of Faith, “a summons to an authentic and renewed conversion to the Lord, the one Savior of the world.” Pope Benedict XVI announced the Year of Faith in response to a modern crisis of faith—the very crises that sparked the present Synod for the New Evangelization. This Year of Faith begins as we celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of the opening of the Second Vatican Council and the twentieth anniversary of the publication of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, and it will end on November 24, 2013, the Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, Universal King.

In his Apostolic Letter Porta Fidei, Pope Benedict XVI writes that the connection between the Year of Faith, the Second Vatican Council, and the Catechism of the Catholic Church is intentional. The Holy Father echoes the words of his predecessor, Blessed John Paul II, saying that in the texts of Vatican II “we find a sure compass by which to take our bearings in the century now beginning.” And in the Catechism we find the tenets of the Faith explained in a way, which is understandable for all members of the Church.

Pope Benedict writes:

We want this Year to arouse in every believer the aspiration to profess the faith in fullness and with renewed conviction, with confidence and hope. It will also be a good opportunity to intensify the celebration of the faith in the liturgy, especially in the Eucharist, which is “the summit towards which the activity of the Church is directed; ... and also the source from which all its power flows.” At the same time, we make it our prayer that believers’ witness of life may grow in credibility. To rediscover the content of the faith that is professed, celebrated, lived and prayed and to reflect on the act of faith, is a task that every believer must make his own, especially in the course of this Year.

The Creed must take on personal and communal importance, not merely as a set of words, but as the answer to what our hearts are seeking. The Catechism of the Catholic Church must lay a new foundation for believers and form their hearts. The Church must take this opportunity to “intensify the witness of charity” and rediscover the rich history of faith in the Church. The Liturgy and the Sacraments will give the “profession of the faith efficacy,” and all must be reminded of the ultimate importance of fixing their gazes upon Jesus Christ.

Rediscovering the Word of God

The Pontifical Council for Promoting the New Evangelization released a new website with the intention of preparing all Catholics for the upcoming Year of Faith.

Pope Benedict XVI called for the Year of Faith, which begins on October 11, 2012, marking the 50^th anniversary of the opening of the Second Vatican Council and the 20^th anniversary of the publication of the Catechism of the Catholic Church. The Holy Father called for this time in order to encourage Church members to study and understand Church teaching. This is necessary, he wrote in his Apostolic Letter Porta Fidei, because many people have been affected by “a profound crisis of faith.”

We cannot accept that salt should become tasteless or the light be kept hidden (cf. Mt 5:13-16). The people of today can still experience the need to go to the well, like the Samaritan woman, in order to hear Jesus, who invites us to believe in him and to draw upon the source of living water welling up within him (cf. Jn 4:14). We must rediscover a taste for feeding ourselves on the word of God, faithfully handed down by the Church, and on the bread of life, offered as sustenance for his disciples (cf. Jn 6:51). 

Quite appropriately, then, the Year of Faith website gives the faithful tools which will help them to rediscover this taste. Click through and you’ll find everything from Pope Benedict’s catechesis on Medieval Theologians to an online Compendium of the Catechism. They’ve even included the score for the official hymn of the Year of Faith!

This site is a beautiful contribution to the New Evangelization, and it’s sure to prepare Catholics for the upcoming Pontifical Council and the Year of Faith. Check out the calendar of events here, and make sure to participate by sharing the site with friends.

Mary, Star of the New Evangelization, Pray for Us!