On his first apostolic visit to Poland on June 9, 1979, Pope John Paul II in Nowa Huta vehemently lifted the Cross and, deeply moved, proclaimed, “A New Evangelization has begun!”

In Santo Domingo (1984) he called people to “a new Evangelization (NE) that would unfurl with greater vigor –just like the original evangelization– a potential for sanctity, a great missionary boom, a vast catechistic creativity, a bountiful manifestation of collegiality and communion, an evangelical commitment to give dignity to man, to generate… a great future of hope in order to propose the civilization of love and, as a mean, a new “Christian culture”.

This is a recurrent theme in the teachings and guidance of the Holy Father with a specific indication: “lay Christians, precisely at this moment in history, cannot avoid their responsibilities... all those who have been christened have a duty to evangelize…” (Message from the Holy Father to the Italian Bishops on the responsibilities of Catholics in the face of the challenges of the present time, Vat. 6.1. 1994.)

The concept of NE gradually defines a profile that distinguishes the current Pope: it conveys an excellent, profoundly moving sense of motivation and exhorts Christians to not be afraid to open their doors to Christ since, in contrast to the current ideologies, Jesus is the foundation that gives life meaning for man.

It is the hour of the layperson, and the Pope reminds us of the role of each of the members of the Mystic Body (Cf. Christifideles Laici, no. 34). The new century is dawning in the lives of men. How are we going to respond to the challenges of the Third Millennium?

John Paul II proposes a breaking point, a change of course… Where is the living Christ? Who speaks of Him and how much? Do they get results? Why have millions of people not yet benefited, through us, from this Good News?

Modern conditions, the current changes and attitudes invite us to announce the Word in a new projection, with new ardor and a passion that compromises the integrity of each and every Christian… it is not the mouth, but the “being a Christian” as a whole that vibrates, moved by the desire for more people to drink from the Fountain of Life.

The world makes proposals every day; our Church, as in the past, in a generous vision with a sense of the future, “launches itself towards new frontiers.” (Redemptoris missio, no. 30). Hence his current diagnosis that proposes a new methodology, new expressions and strategies.

Obviously, we are working on the marvelous history of a Church that in 2000 years has prospered, but the newness lies in an updated methodology that considers the characteristics peculiar to people’s social and cultural environments, the impact itself of the surrounding elements.

He emphasizes the new FERVOR translated into terms of sanctity: the vocation of all those who have been christened and the spirit of the apostolate. The saint grows, matures, gives testimony, assumes a coherent, committed role, all of which translates into solid, brave, decided apostolic actions, accompanied by a large dose of planning creativity. Ardor is contagious; it adheres to and unites the community, forming a whole.

Another revealing concept is the living understanding that all those who have been christened are the protagonists of the NE, and not just priests and members of religious orders, although each person fulfills his or her role according to their status and charismas. The NE wishes to favor the conformation of mature ecclesiastical communities in which FAITH reveals its connatural splendor (Cf. Christifideles laici, no. 34).

And now that laypersons have been invited to become aware of their role, it is up to the priests and members of religious orders to intensify their training and to coordinate, with love and understanding, the many strengths in the pastoral as a whole. In this modern era, the ultimate objective, which stems from the Life, Passion, Death and Resurrection of Our Lord Jesus Christ, seeks to:

Rediscover and strengthen the concept of HUMAN DIGNITY, in its best expression: man who is created in the image and likeness and is the son of God, temple of the Holy Ghost, has been redeemed by the precious Blood of Christ and is destined for eternal life in beatifying communion with God. This concept is fundamental because it is an expression that is unlike the one that sees man as an object of use, production and manipulation with only an earthly destiny, and therefore ignorant of man’s irreplaceable supernatural identity.

This is the lay response to this invitation by the Holy Father and which accompanies the assimilation of the responsibility assumed with baptism. It acquires its current physiognomy, as the fruit of the “VI Bolivian Marian Eucharistic Congress” held in Bolivia in October 1997. A lay group accepts the call made by Archbishop Mons. René Fernandez, urging them to TRULY ASSUME A CHRISTIAN COMMITMENT. The group is organized and begins working and that seed began to bear fruit. In less than three years they have reached all five continents, founding groups in sixteen countries. They are surprised, doors are opened to them everywhere… it is easy to understand: this is what was expected, committed laypersons who travel the world speaking of God, spreading His word, also seeking to set an example with their own lives. The Apostolate has an advisory committee of bishops, priests and spiritual directors, but in essence the movement is lay, consisting of brothers of all races and conditions who have said yes enthusiastically and vigorously to this fresh, renewed word carried by the Pilgrim Pope, a clear example of the evangelizing apostle.

In a society in which man seeks himself and forgets about God; concentrates on a world that makes more promises about earthly life than the eternal life; where we inherit on a daily basis information under the title of ideology, philosophy that hurts the land of souls, sowing errors and even heresies, we see the need to combat the aridness that is being sown in people’s hearts by proposing a “Crusade of Love and Mercy” that carries the ever living and fresh Word of the Gospel and that helps people to understand that even if the birth of Christianity has been bathed with the blood of Christ, it also includes the participation and offering of all those who have been baptized.

For this, man must rediscover his spiritual nature, which implies questioning the earthly race that blinds and that often deviates the eternal sense contained in all human being’s internal life, so neglected in the majority of the social, cultural, technical, scientific and economic events.

ANE proposes a Crusade of love and Mercy that helps to inscribe in the bottom of our hearts and in the depths of our minds two fundamental premises: Love and Mercy, as a concept and as an action. It is important that in man’s daily behavior, he should not be inspired basically by the materialistic concept that keeps him busy in the pursuit of earthly goods, but rediscover his integrity considering his biological, intellectual and emotional dimension that is united and linked preponderantly to his spiritual reality, a context that has been severely neglected. Here is a test: How much time have we invested this year or these months in our body and our material needs, and how much have we done for our spirit?

Consequently, the Crusade suggests a LIFESTYLE that makes the union between humanity and divinity more constant, and by means of new methodologies, stimulates in each man the glorification of the Father. We often forget that the actions of every Christian affect the whole Mystical Body, and therefore the actions of each one of us for the good of the Word and Message of Jesus becomes everybody’s heritage, though still conserving its personal value.

We believe that not spreading the Good News reveals an inadequate love for God and too much indifference towards those brothers who need Divine Mercy. The absence of a clear Christian commitment reveals a lack of Christian conviction and endangers good and the promises of hope and charity since it will not be available to all men. Neither can we flee from this responsibility thinking that “others” should carry out this task. We often deplore social injustice, which is quite right, but we do not deplore nor do we perform a self-examination on the spiritual injustices committed as a result of so much omission, lack of commitment, lack of Christian charity.

The Great Crusade of Love and Mercy arises from an understanding that many modern proposals have made salt insipid and have extinguished the light in many spirits… It is every Christian’s duty to be the salt of the earth and to take Light where darkness prevails. We believe that for today’s layperson, the time has come to witness the immense value of eternal goods, understanding the true and unique reasons for which we have been created and redeemed. Neither sociology nor philosophy created us, but the Love that comes from the one God, Father of all Humanity.

The sustenance for this action is the conviction that as the children of God “we should concern ourselves with God’s things” (Cf. Luke 2, 49), and the entire task is strengthened through daily prayer and commitment. Like all human works it obviously has its limits, but as the children of God full of faith they trust constantly in His graces.

ANE is interested in reaching all nations. Great movements are not needed, but personal, authentic responses that wish to renew the commitment of the New Alliance. It is an opportunity for those who believe that the world has attracted them too much, for those who feel unenthusiastic, who cannot find inner peace or who profess a love for God that they would like to translate into concrete actions. But above all, it is an invitation to those who not only want to participate in the Wedding of Cana, but also remain at the foot of the cross and embrace it with the greatest sense of giving possible.

ANE clearly recognizes and assimilates the magnificent legacy left to us by Jesus from the Cross. The most precious and sweetest of all: His Mother Mary, our Mother. The Apostolate seeks refuge in Mary’s heart. In which other Mother’s heart could everyone be better received? Access is easy and simple; in Her heart the captive finds consolation, the sinner hope, the angels joy… Next to her, the Star of the New Evangelization (Speech, John Paul II, Mexico, 28.1.1999), we will certainly not cry out in vain. She is the great little woman of Nazareth who sought and accepted the countless progeny with love.

Her teachings in Cana are the fundamental inspiration for our Apostolate: “Whatsoever he saith unto you, do it” (John 2, 5). Her lifestyle teaches us the thing we should include in our own: Yielding to God, continuous faith, complete acceptance of the Will of God. And we believe that Mary’s triumph will consist of that which will give Her greatest pleasure: “to contemplate the return of Her children to the House of the Father.”

ANE is the lay response to the Holy Father’s invitation, but above all, it is a “yes”, with the desire to be true transmitters of the Good News. And although geographically we do not live in the desert, we assume the evangelizing word of St. John the Baptist, who defines his voice as one “crying in the wilderness” (Matthew 3, 3).

The Holy Father, in his valiant and fruitful pontificate, when underlining the committed role of each layperson, has given us the TORCH OF THE NEW EVANGELIZATION, inviting us to carry this light throughout the world. Do you accept this torch too?

ANE-BOLIVIA: Casilla SM:12366, La Paz, Bolivia; Internet: www.gruppaz.org ; Fax: +591 (2) 79-5845

ANE-MEXICO: Apartado Postal 41561, 1001 - México, DF; Internet: www.ane.com.mx ; Fax: +52 (5) 589-1701

ANE-USA 7890 Backlick Rd. Springfield, VA 22150 USA; Internet: www.apostolate.org; Fax: +1 (703) 503-7991

ANE is currently present in: Argentina, Australia, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Egypt, Israel, Italy, Korea, Mexico, Panama, Peru, Spain, USA, Venezuela.