Pope Francis finishes this section (Evangelii Gaudium 60-67) with the assistance of Saint Paul:
67. The individualism of our postmodern and globalized era favors a lifestyle which weakens the development and stability of personal relationships and distorts family bonds. Pastoral activity needs to bring out more clearly the fact that our relationship with the Father demands and encourages a communion which heals, promotes and reinforces interpersonal bonds.
Do those of us in the Catholic blogosphere promote this? Perhaps not always. What about in our parishes? If it doesn’t begin where we interact with people, or where the potential for interaction exists, what hope is there for the witness of Christians?
In our world, especially in some countries, different forms of war and conflict are re-emerging, yet we Christians remain steadfast in our intention to respect others, to heal wounds, to build bridges, to strengthen relationships and to “bear one another’s burdens” (Gal 6:2). Today too, various associations for the defence of rights and the pursuit of noble goals are being founded. This is a sign of the desire of many people to contribute to social and cultural progress.
Some of those associations are not explicitly Christian. Do they have something to teach?
