The Participation of the Laity in the Work of Evangelization. Francis’ Inspirations

Abstract

For Francis, evangelization is the key to reforming the Church. The lay faithful, on the other hand, are an important and irreplaceable subject of this work. This study presents the Pope’s selected inspirations regarding the participation of the laity in contemporary evangelization. The first part, of the article points to the Pope’s ecclesiology, which underpins his thoughts concerning the  missionary assignment of the lay faithful. It also presents specific areas of evangelization in which Francis sees the laity as active  subjects. Next, two of Francis’ original exhortations are discussed, namely, his warning against clericalism and an encouragement to implement the synodality of the Church. Finally, the teachings of Francis are presented in the perspective of fulfilling the Church’s prophetic function. The focus here is on the theological and pastoral reading of the catechist’s ministry established by the Pope. The analyzes showed that Francis’ teaching on the participation of the laity in evangelization has many new accents. However, when understanding evangelization, the present pope maintains a hermeneutic continuity with the teachings of the Vatican Council. Francis’ invocations can stimulate contemporary evangelization and contribute to the Church’s renewal.