Opera Omnia

INSTRUCTION V
AWARENESS OF THE WORLD'S NEEDS
Conditions for the Pauline apostolate

The first condition is to be clothed in the new man, who, in God's design, was created in justice and holiness of the truth [cf. Eph 4:24]. This means to experience the love of truth, to possess the Lord's grace, to observe justice towards God and our fellow human beings.
The second condition is to put on Jesus Christ [cf. Rom 13:14]. In Jesus Christ, with Jesus Christ, through Jesus Christ: for the glory of God and peace among men.
The third condition is to feel and think with the Church, to love the Church, to cooperate with the Church so as to be its holiest, most devout and active members.
Such are the conditions for giving doctrine, morals, liturgy, and worship first of all; then whatever is good, whatever is true, whatever is useful. All, of course, with the quickest and most effective modern means.

Art. 198. Since the beginning of the priestly life is usually beset with the greatest dangers, Superiors

are bound under a special obligation to watch that the newly-ordained Priests, after their sacred ordination, and after having completed the course of studies, for a certain period of time be taken care of with special concern in order to perfect their pastoral and apostolic training.
Art. 199. That this may be attained more easily, Superiors should assign newly-ordained Priests to a house where perfect religious discipline and observance are practised. There they shall be made to follow a special period of probation at least for a year, so as to apply themselves thoroughly to the study of pastoral theology and the practice of the apostolate of communications.
Art. 200. Priests must not neglect study, especially that of the sacred sciences, in which they must always follow the sound doctrine handed down by the Fathers and commonly accepted by the Church. They must avoid profane novelties of expression - and what is wrongly called scientific - so that they may become every day more effective in spreading the Divine Word.

A heart more vast than the seas

1. There are three billion people in the world. They are spread out over the five continents, broken down into countries and families.
Our heart needs to be more vast than the seas and the oceans. There are almost two billion pagans who have no religion, or who are atheists. Let them all be loved as God's children and as our brothers and sisters who are created for paradise. Our travelling companions on the way to eternity, they are ensnared by astute and dangerous enemies. They came from God; they must give a proof of faith, love and fidelity in this life; our heavenly Father awaits them in heaven.

And Jesus Christ, the incarnate Son of God, has marked out the way, he has become the light of the world, he has gained supernatural life by dying on the cross. And he has left the Church (of which he is the soul) which will continue to be throughout time, for every generation, and for every person the way, the truth and the life.
The Church offers the message of salvation to everyone. It is up to human beings, free agents, to give their yes or their no. Yes bespeaks a place on the right; No bespeaks a place on the left in the final judgement.
Love everyone, think of everyone, and work with the spirit of the Gospel which is universality and mercy. Venite ad me omnes.¹ Just like the spirit of Saint Paul the Apostle, always straining forward to those peoples who had not yet the light of Jesus Christ: illuminare iis qui in tenebris et in umbra mortis sedent.²

Ecumenism and truth

2. About 350 million Christians are heretics or schismatics; they are separated from the Church of Rome either because of heresy or have become independent of it. Catholics number 450 million.
The Catholic Church cannot sacrifice any dogma, even were it a question of one or more nations; just as it cannot deny itself or the primacy of Peter. It is one, holy, catholic, and apostolic.
There can be concessions of a disciplinary nature, or in non-essential liturgical forms, and so on; but not in matters of doctrine and unity.
Jesus said to the Apostle Peter: And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the powers of death shall not prevail against

it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven [Mt 16:18-19].
Just as the Church is infallible in its Ecumenical Councils, so too is the Pope, when he himself defines ex cathedra³ matters concerning faith and morals.
Peter's primacy is not simply one of love, as primus inter pares,⁴ it is one of true jurisdiction and total universality: Feed my lambs, feed my sheep: all the faithful and all the shepherds.
Those who do not have the Church as their Mother cannot have God as their Father. Outside of the Church (except for those in good faith) there is no salvation.
The apostle, with his publications, must bring light to all who have erred and make straight the way of their return to the Catholic Church. He does so with fraternal charity, with the goodness of the Good Shepherd who seeks out the lost sheep, takes it on his shoulders and brings it back to the fold.

Adaptation and inculturation

3. There are almost 500 million members united in the Catholic Church who profess all the truths of the Credo; they recognize and follow their respective bishops, and through them, are subject to the Supreme Pontiff.
Religious instruction for Catholics needs to be more broadbased as regards the truths to be believed, their moral behavior, the sacred liturgy (Mass, Sacraments, Sacramentals, and so on). This instruction extends from the child who has reached the age of reason right on up to adults and the educated classes.

4. While the Church itself always remains steadfast, it knows how to adapt to the circumstances and needs of time and place. The era of the early persecutions was one thing, the thirteenth, the fifteenth and the seventeenth century another, the present age quite another.
In every age there are errors, struggles, and political movements. The Church's doctrine and mission remain always the same; but it is always ready with its initiatives to provide for the necessities of the world and the faithful.
The Pope and the hierarchy are sensitive to such needs and apply the principles of the Gospel with wisdom and charity.
At the same time there are so many different needs between one continent and another, and between one diocese and another.
The apostolate aligns itself with the invitations and directives that come from the Pope.
The apostle with his publications, in dependence on and in collaboration with the Pope and the Bishops, will respectfully study the thinking of the Vicar of Christ, and communicate it to the masses with the technical means of the press, cinema, radio, television, discs and so on.
Likewise, the Bishops of a particular country or Province may express their particular needs of time and place. Here, too, the publications' apostle aligns his activity with that of the hierarchy so that their programs are publicized and fulfilled. For example, the diocesan, regional or national paper could render a great service.
You could then come down to the needs of a parish. Such would be a parochial bulletin, films, catechism, Gospel Days, library, and so on. Then needs of an association of teachers, young people, artists, and the like.
The publications' apostle becomes all things to all people.

How to approach non-Catholics

As regards editorial work with respect to non-Christians and non-Catholics:
The first step is prayer and study. Prayer so as to love people with a sincere heart. To be moved by the sight of hunger, sickness and moral suffering brings us into line with the sympathetic heart of our Teacher. But even more worthy of our compassion are those who do not know God, Jesus Christ, or the Church; all those who are blinded by error and prejudice or overwhelmed by vice.
You need to study their errors, difficulties and objections in order to give suitable instruction, to reply clearly, to use the proper means.
Some rules:
1. Convey Christianity as the religion of goodness, order and peace.
2. Prepare an introduction to the study of Christian doctrine; this acts as a preliminary stage to the basic notions regarding doctrine, morals and worship.
3. Treat people with patience, respect and constant kindness; be like Saint Francis de Sales who converted [the state of] Chablais from Calvinism.
4. Avoid becoming ill-tempered: show yourself to be conciliatory to the limits of truth; avoid questions of pure politics; be dignified, honest and sincere; admit what is or was truly a mistake.
5. Combat error and sin, not the erring or the sinner; if possible always leave the way open to take up the written or broadcast debate later on.
6. Make abundant use of the defence of truth and justice;

employ discussion with a great deal of prudence.
Polemics, too, requires greater intellectual preparation, greater love for the truth, greater spiritual balance. To avoid becoming emotional is a great virtue.
7. Organize groups of people who will pray for us and are capable of mortifying themselves in view of helping our editorial, technical and promotional work.

Editorial work with respect to Catholics

The Gospel in particular, and sacred scripture in general, is God's book. The Lord who created man's heart, mirroring his own wisdom and love, has given him a teaching which is more suited, useful and effective for him.
Among the crowd that listened to Jesus during his public life, one officer said: No man ever spoke like this man! [Jn 7:46]. The word of Jesus was clear and reliable; it was accompanied by grace and by a light that he communicated to a person's inner being.
The less the human side appears in our writings and words so as to make room for God and the Church, so much more effective and listened to will the apostle be.
The apostle in fact is not some great thinker who proposes his conclusions, or has to defend his teachings; the apostle is a witness: Eritis mihi testes.⁵ He is a witness of what he has seen and heard from the Divine Teacher, and from the Church in which [Christ] continues to live, teach and guide.

This is great wisdom and a guarantee of success.
The Church is infallible in matters of faith and morals; the Church has the mandate: go and preach; it propounds its teaching which is the message of salvation. It propounds its doctrine with the authority of Jesus Christ; there is the greater sanction: salvation or perdition; man is free to accept it or to refuse it.
The publications' apostle presents himself as Saint Paul: ut sim minister Christi Jesu in gentibus⁶ (Rom 15:16). Jesus Christ cujus factus sum minister.⁷ Sic nos existimet homo ut ministros Christi et dispensatores misteriorum Dei⁸ (1 Cor 4:1).
The publications' apostle presents first of all the teaching of the Church; the Apostles preached before the Gospels were written down. Following the Church there is no need to introduce interpretations of the texts, personal opinions, studies undertaken, or opinions. The Church's teaching is set out systematically in the catechism.
Jesus Christ was the first catechist. Then came the Apostles to whom he had said: Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them… [Mt 28:19]. Their preferred preaching was baptismal catechesis; the doctrine of the Teacher, set out within the story of his life.
Deacons and also some lay persons joined the Apostles. The catechumenate was the follow-up to the initial catechesis of the Apostles. Its purpose was to bring together the followers of the Christian faith, give them suitable instruction and prepare them for baptism.

Important catechetical schools sprung up in Antioch, Jerusalem, and Rome. Distinguished catechists who flourished in the Church were Saint Clement of Alexandria, Tertullian, Saint Cyril of Jerusalem, Saint Ambrose, and Saint Augustine.
Noticeable in the early Middle Ages is a certain barrenness in the catechetical program. New input was given by the Council of Trent which placed religious instruction as the basis for Catholic reform and Church discipline and law. From then on the catechism had its own organization, under the guidance of such eminent Doctors and Bishops as Saint Robert Bellarmino in Rome, Saint Charles Borromeo in Milan, and Saint Gregory Barbarigo in Padua. Then came the first texts among which the most practical were those of Saint Peter Canisius in Germany and Saint Robert Bellarmino in Italy.
The publications' apostle contributes to the field of catechetics by means of all his initiatives. Especially by helping in three great activities: catechetical instruction, catechetical formation, and catechetical organization. Catechetical teaching must be complete. It is not, in other words, to be limited to one part of Catholic teaching, but must embrace all three parts: faith, morals and grace, developing each part in a suitable way.
While the writer apostle is not to overlook the good that is in every method he is to prefer the progressive cyclical one. To this he will add so-called activism, in all its various aspects: intellectual, organizational, collaborative and vital.