“The Church exists to evangelise,” says Pope
VATICAN CITY-- Pope Benedict XVI emphasised the importance of evangelism, speaking at mass held this morning in the Vatican, on the second day of the Synod of Bishops.
He declared that “the Church exists to evangelise”, an echo to the theme of the Synod, “The New Evangelization for the transmission of the Christian faith”.
He solemnly declared the Spanish saint Johnof Avila(1499 – 1569), and the German saint Hildegard of Bingen (1098 – 1179) as two new Doctors of the Catholic Church. They join another 31 Doctors of the Church, including three women.
The last saint to be placed among the doctors of the Church was Saint Therese of Lisieux, as announced by Pope John Paul II in 1997.
The 13thsynod of bishops was officially opened on Sunday by the pope, in a service in front of St Peter’s Basilica. It will run until October 28th.
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