AMONG the great challenges to be faced by Christians in the third millennium are the new evangelisation, Christian unity, growth in interreligious dialogue, defence of the family and environment, and the ethical implications of biotechnology, Pope John Paul says in an apostolic letter to mark the beginning of the new millennium.
He signed the letter, called Novo Millennio Ineunte (At the Beginning of the New Millennium), in St Peter’s Square at the end of the Mass of the Epiphany on January 6. The Mass, which was attended by more than 100,000 pilgrims, began with the closure of the Holy Door and ended with the Te Deum in thanksgiving for the blessings of the Jubilee.
The title of the Pope’s letter links it to Tertio Millennio Adveniente (As the Third Millennium Approaches) in 1994, which prepared Christians for the Great Jubilee of the Year 2000.
In the new document, he studies in depth the meaning of the 379 days of “grace”, which call the Church to “put out into the deep” in keeping with Jesus’ order to Peter, to face the challenges of the world.
Full text of Pope’s Letter, click here
