Romana

“Each Christian, by virtue of baptism, is a missionary disciple to the extent that he or she has encountered the love of God in Christ Jesus.” These words are from the preamble of the Apostolic Constitution Praedicate Evangelium, which is reported on in this issue of Romana.

The Second Vatican Council teaches that “the laity, by their very vocation, seek the kingdom of God by engaging in temporal affairs and by ordering them according to the plan of God” (Const. Lumen Gentium, no. 31), Echoing these words, Pope Francis again points to the key role of the laity and of all the baptized in the Church’s mission in the world: “Their presence and their participation is essential, since they contribute to the well-being of the entire Church. By their family life, their engagement in society and their faith, which helps them to discern God’s working in the world, they have much to offer, especially through their promotion of the family, respect for the values of life and creation, the Gospel as a leaven of temporal affairs, and the discernment of the signs of the times” (Const. Praedicate Evangelium, no. 10). In this vast scenario, “the marvelous …