The Joy of the Gospel

By: Pope Francis

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Synopsis: "I realize of course that joy is not expressed the same way at all times in life, especially at moments of great difficulty. Joy adapts and changes, but it always endures, even as a flicker of light born of our personal certainty that, when everything is said and done, we are infinitely loved." Given in Rome by Pope Francis on November 24, 2013, the Solemnity of Christ the King, The Joy of the Gospel (Evangelii Gaudium) encourages all members of the faithful to a renewed personal encounter with Christ and to a greater evangelization. In his first apostolic exhortation, Pope Francis delves more deeply into the new evangelization, building on the foundation laid by Benedict XVI and John Paul II. The document discusses evangelization in the context of both the pulpit and the world. Pope Francis expresses a desire for "a 'missionary option', that is, a missionary impulse capable of transforming everything..."(#27) Referencing Paul VI, John Paul II, Benedict XVI, the Second Vatican Council, and many other Church documents, Pope Francis calls the Church to a greater evangelization that is empowered by a deeper relationship with Jesus Christ. "