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6 I NEWS SEPTEMBER 25, 2013 I DENVER CATHOLIC REGISTER Pope Francis reveals priorities for Church, evangelization BY KARNA SWANSON In a wide-ranging interview published last week by America Magazine, Pope Francis revealed himself as a "master evangelist" who understands the challenges of proclaiming the Gospel in a secular and often antagonistic environment, said David Uebbing, chancellor for the Archdiocese of Denver. "This interview is classic Pope Francis," said Uebbing. "He is first and foremost an evangelist who seeks to connect everyone he meets with Jesus." Denver's chancellor agreed with the pope when he said: "The proposal of the Gospel must be more simple, profound and radiant. It is from this that the moral consequences flow. "If we are going to reach people who have been formed by a broken culture and are suffering the consequences of it—sometimes without even knowing they are suffering—then we need to begin by proclaiming God's healing mercy and that they can find happiness in him," said Uebbing. "I believe that what we are seeing is the mark of a master evangelist," the chancellor continued, "a pope who understands that you have to get to the root cause of modern man's misery: the world does not know Jesus and thinks it can live without him." Obituaries, Funeral Notices, In Memoriam Let your friends in the Catholic Community know... The paper publishes each Wednesday, the deadline is Tuesday at noon for the next week's issue. To place an Obituary, Funeral Notice or In Memoriam in the Denver Catholic Register, contact Linda at: 303-715-3212 Email: linda.engel@archden.org E E SERVING THE DENVER CATHOLIC COMMUNITY SINCE 1890. 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(303) 455-3663 www.denverfuneralproviders.com Matt Whaley 26 Years In the interview, conducted by Antonio Spadaro, S.J., editor in chief of La Civiltà Cattolica, the Italian Jesuit journal, Pope Francis said that what the Church needs most today "is the ability to heal wounds and to warm the hearts of the faithful; it needs nearness, proximity." "The Church won't lead many people to Christ by condemning and denouncing their wounds and sins," said Uebbing. "First it must proclaim Jesus' mercy, and once those wounds begin to heal, then it can provide correction. This is exactly what Jesus did when he met the adulterous woman who was about to sin." Up close Ben Akers, director of the Catholic Biblical School, noted that the pope got extremely personal in the interview: "There seemed to be no reservation by Pope Francis to share himself and his thoughts. If someone wants to get an insight into the pope's personality, this interview is a good start." Akers also noted that the interview revealed the pope's "humility and simple faith." "What you see is what you get," he said. "There are no ulterior motives in his actions. "His choice to not live in the Apostolic Palace was not so he could just 'appear' simple to the world. He really wanted to live in an austere way and to be close to a community of people." Akers said he was also struck by how theBY ELI pope responded to the question: "Who is Jorge Mario Bergoglio?" ROM "He claimed that the most accuratePope Fr definition was, 'I am a sinner,'" he recalled.sive sui "How many people would answer thattian Ch way? He's not just repeating a platitude.weeken He really means it. He really sees himselfunaccep as a sinner that has been redeemed by Je-efforts i sus Christ. "Toda "And, he wants everyone else in thea wrong world to know the joy that accompaniestred, of this truth. His goal is to share his knowl-in which edge and love of Jesus Christ with every-"This ch one that he meets. At aro "In this interview and in his public dis-suicide courses he is always re-centering the at-selves u tention on Christ," said Akers. "He reallyhundre wants people to be creative in connect-the hist ing the people of today with Jesus. That'sKohati G a great challenge for all of us to hear andarea of P respond to in our own lives." Witne killed a Karna Swanson: 303-715-3230; karna.more th swanson@archden.org; www.twitter.com/heard tw DCRegister the seco In the pope's words America Magazine published a 10,000-word interview with Pope Francis last week. Here are a few excerpts of what he said. To read the entire interview, scan the QR code or go here: http://www. americamagazine.org/ pope-interview Healing wounds "I see clearly that the thing the Church needs most today is the ability to heal wounds and to warm the hearts of the faithful; it needs nearness, proximity. ... You have to heal his wounds. Then we can talk about everything else. Heal the wounds, heal the wounds." God's pastors "The ministers of the Gospel must be people who can warm the hearts of the people, who walk through the dark night with them, who know how to dialogue and to descend themselves into their people's night, into the darkness, but without getting lost. The people of God want pastors, not clergy acting like bureaucrats or government officials." The new evangelization "Instead of being just a church that welcomes and receives by keeping the doors Arc cou open, let us try also to be a Church that finds new roads, that is able to step out- DES M side itself and go to those who do notof Faith attend Mass, to those who have quit orNovemb are indifferent. ... But that takes audac-what co ity and courage." the De gests lo witness "A beautiful homily, a genuine ser-some an mon must begin with the first proc- "For lamation, with the proclamation ofbishop salvation. There is nothing more solid,Year of deep and sure than this proclamation.renewa Then you have to do catechesis. Thenin the you can draw even a moral conse-Christia quence. But the proclamation of theperiod o saving love of God comes before moral The a and religious imperatives." remarks of the N God with us the Equ "I have a dogmatic certainty: God isSepulch in every person's life. God is in every-in Des M one's life. Even if the life of a person has Archb been a disaster, even if it is destroyedthe Ord by vices, drugs or anything else—Maalula God is in this person's life. You can,maic—t you must try to seek God in everycan still human life. Although the life "In t of a person is a land fullrecount of thorns and weeds,Maalula there is always alines of space in which thetroops o good seed cansad and grow. You havetopple h to trust God." "On "armed Islamist PHOTO BY STEPHEN and AlDRISCOLL/CATHOLIC NEWS AGENCY town an es. As th POPE Francis in St. la, the r Peter's Square images "In o for the May found t 22 general and one audience. A good homily

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