Cardinal Koch calls on ACN to bear witness to the truth and beauty of the Gospel
In a meeting with ecclesiastical assistants from national offices of ACN, Cardinal Kurt Koch highlighted the “ecumenism of the martyrs” which is helping heal wounds between different Christian confessions.
The international president of Aid to the Church in Need (ACN), Cardinal Kurt Koch, has called on the pontifical foundation to continue to bear witness to the truth and beauty of the Gospel, with joy and courage.
Speaking to a meeting of ecclesiastical assistants of the national offices of ACN, Cardinal Koch defined the nature of the Church as one of mission.
“The Church as a whole is dedicated to the transmission of the faith and to mission, though only if it not only proclaims the Word of God but is itself a place where God is present, so that people may experience that the Church exists first and foremost ‘for God’s sake’. It is not an end in itself, but exists so that a glimpse of God may emerge in the world,” said the Swiss cardinal, adding that “from its very inception, Christianity has understood itself as a religion entrusted with a universal mission addressed to all people and nations.”
However, he explained, this mission can only be carried out by people who are prepared to convey “concrete, personal witnesses,” even if that means paying the ultimate price.
“Bearing witness to the truth and beauty of the Gospel remains the mission of Christians today. The secret of this mission lies in a convincing Christian life and in sharing what has been experienced in faith. In the presence of the ecclesiastical assistants from the charity “Aid to the Church in Need”, it is particularly fitting to recall that the most credible witnesses to the faith and the most convincing interpreters of the Gospel of Jesus Christ are the martyrs – that is, those Christians who have laid down their lives for their faith in Jesus Christ,” Cardinal Koch explained, highlighting that recalling that “the Christian faith is the most persecuted religion today.”
“This harrowing reality not only presents a major challenge to showing compassionate solidarity with persecuted Christians, but also opens up the possibility that the Church’s mission can be carried out today in ecumenical fellowship. For today, all Christian churches and ecclesial communities have their martyrs,” and “the blood that the martyrs shed for Christ today does not divide us Christians, but unites us.”
In any case, Cardinal Koch explained, it should not be fear that guides the Church’s efforts, but joy. “Proclaiming the joy of the Gospel of Jesus Christ is therefore the Church’s most important mission today. Joy is the innermost driving force of the Church’s mission.”
“Passing on the faith and mission are therefore not merely a duty, but the very dynamic of the experienced faith itself. Today, this takes place above all through personal witness to the faith, as it were, through ‘word of mouth’. It does not take place today so much through consumer-friendly advertising or the distribution of large quantities of printed material, nor is it carried out through the media. Rather, the decisive medium through which God’s radiance shines forth is the Christians themselves, who live out their faith credibly and thus give the Gospel a personal face.”
“Passing on the faith and mission require baptised people whose hearts are filled with God and whose minds are enlightened by the light of God, so that their hearts may touch the hearts of others and their minds may speak to the minds of other people. Then what the Second Vatican Council passionately emphasised can become a reality: that the Church is “missionary by its very nature” and that its purpose is to evangelise – including through the work carried out by the papal foundation Aid to the Church in Need.”
Busy schedule and meeting with Pope Leo
The meeting of ecclesiastical assistants of the national offices of ACN took place in Rome from 7 to 11 September and included a private audience with Pope Leo XIV.
Over 20 assistants travelled to the eternal city and gathered to exchange experiences, pray together and meet with high dignitaries in different departments of the Roman Curia, including Cardinal Koovakad, president of the Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue; the president of the Dicastery for Evangelisation, Cardinal Tagle, and the sostituto of the Secretary of State, Archbishop Paolo Rudelli.
The ecclesiastical assistants returned home greatly enriched by the meeting and with a clearer understanding of their role and mission within ACN and of the importance of their office. The personal exchanges, common prayer and various presentations and reflections were especially valuable and greatly appreciated by all participants.
The meeting was also an opportunity for the ecclesiastical assistants to get to know Fr. Friedrich Bechina, who will be taking on the role of assistant to the International Office of ACN, in Konigstein, Germany.
Fr Bechina will be replacing Fr Anton Lässer, who serve in the role for over three years, but will now be stepping down.
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