Pope encourages French parish life renewal, emphasizes evangelization

Published: 2004-02-09

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Renewal of parish life is essential in order for French Catholics to regain their evangelical and social impact in society, Pope John Paul II said. The pope, speaking to a group of French bishops Feb. 7, said all lay Catholics need to experience parish life as a living community of faith oriented toward evangelization. Pastors need to be open to the potential contributions of lay movements and should make special efforts to welcome priests and laity who belong to more traditional groups, he said. The bishops, from two southern French provinces, were on their "ad limina" visits, made every five years to the Vatican. As in his previous talks to other groups of French bishops, the pope acknowledged that parish life has suffered because of a worsening shortage of priests in France. But he praised the bishops for carrying out a pastoral reorganization in many dioceses, with regrouping of parishes to reflect the priest shortage and the urbanization of the church's members.

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