Vatican City (AsiaNews) - A few days before after the World Day of Prayer for China, Taiwan Regional Bishops' Conference have published the full text of "Porta Fidei ", the Apostolic letter that Benedict XVI published to launch the Year of Faith.
For the Pope, the Year of Faith should be used to discover "the joy and the renewed enthusiasm of our encounter with Christ." And this especially for Christians who give " are more concerned for the social, cultural and political consequences of their commitment, continuing to think of the faith as a self-evident presupposition for life in society ", while "not only can this presupposition no longer be taken for granted, but it is often openly denied "
To avoid that "salt should become tasteless or the light be kept hidden," the pope proposes that the faithful re-learn the texts of Vatican II and the Catechism of the Catholic Church. Moreover, the Year should begin right on 11 October, " the fiftieth anniversary of the opening of the Second Vatican Council, and it will end on the Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, Universal King, on 24 November 2013. The starting date of 11 October 2012 also marks the twentieth anniversary of the publication of the Catechism of the Catholic Church "
The rediscovery of faith, has a purpose for the pope: the Christian witness, personal and community, united around the faith professed by the Pope and bishops.
Benedict XVI hopes that the rediscovery of the encounter with Jesus Christ will lead to a new season of world evangelization.
In this way, the faithful of today are comforted by the living examples of many witnesses and martyrs: " By faith, the martyrs gave their lives, bearing witness to the truth of the Gospel that had transformed them and made them capable of attaining to the greatest gift of love: the forgiveness of their persecutors. "
The publishing of the Chinese edition of the Apostolic Letter, almost coincides with the World Day of Prayer for the Church in China. Launched by Benedict XVI in his letter to the faithful in China in 2007, the day coincides with the feast of Mary Help of Christians, venerated at the National Shrine of Sheshan, about 40 km south-west of Shanghai.
The pope's intention is that through prayer unity will be strengthened between underground and official Christians as well as communion with the Successor of Peter, also asking the Lord for strength to persevere in Christian witness, even amid the suffering of persecution. For the occasion, Benedict XVI has also composed a special prayer (see: Pope: Prayer to Our Lady of Sheshan).
A Chinese priest told AsiaNews that "the rediscovery of faith and public witness and also our bond with the Pope are essential to revitalizing communities in China. The Year of faith is not only for the secularized Western world, but it is also for those of us who sometimes reduce faith to pious sentiment, without any influence in reason and in life. "
For the text of "Porta Fidei" in simplified Chinese, see.: http://www.asianews.it/files/File/CINA-%28cn%29-0521-Door-of-Faith-cn-simp.pdf
For the text of "Porta Fidei " in Traditional Chinese, see.: http://www.asianews.it/files/File/CINA-(cn-trad)-0521-Door-of-Faith-cn-trad.pdf
For the Italian text, see. " Porta Fidei ": "Porta Fidei": la Lettera apostolica del papa per l'Anno della Fede
For the English text, see.: 'Porta Fidei': the pope's apostolic letter for the Year of Faith