Initial Proclamation of Jesus Christ – August 14,2011 – Sampran, THA

Introduction: the story of a cab driver.

Some telling figure: In one decade, 1994-2004: the Protestants in Vietnam grow from 400.000 to 1,200,000 members, almost 300%. Meanwhile, the Catholic Church in Vietnam has grown just 1.01 %. The same may be said about the mainland China where our brothers and sisters of Protestant denominations are boasting of their fast growth in spite of the adversities and political oppression and persecution under different forms. Is there something missing in our Catholic vocation as missionaries and announcers of the Good News to all our brothers and sisters in this large Continent of Asia? Is there any sense of going in a wrong direction to the point that for centuries, our Catholic Church in Asia is still being a minority, except in the Philippines? I believe that these Study Days will explore new venue for our Proclamation of the Good News in its first phase: The Initial Proclamation.

Yet, first of all, this presentation would like to break down some key concepts as an introduction to our theme of these days, and after that, I would like to highlight some reflection on the Church teaching on this issue of the initial proclamation. The first part of this presentation is largely dependent on the presentation of professor

The great Commission of Jesus at the time He went back to His Father has been always treasured by the disciples:

1-And he said to them, “Go into all the world and proclaim the good news to the whole creation.” [Mc 16:15]

going, proclamation of the good news --> universality

2-“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember I am with you always to the end of the age.” [Mt 28:19-20]

Going, Making disciples, baptizing, teaching to obey, remembering the Lord's Presence

You are witnesses of these things. And see, I am sending upon you what my Father promised; so stay here in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.” [Luke 24:48-49]

Being sent, Being Witness, Being Clothed with Power from on high

“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” [Acts 1:8]

Receiving the Power of the Holy Spirit, Being Witness to the ends of the earch

For two thousand years, hundred thousands of Jesus' disciples have obeyed this Command and traveled to the far end of the world to share this Good News of Jesus and about Jesus. Vatican II in the last century has launched the whole universal church to its missionary thrust in facing various obstacles of the mordenity.

In fact, for Vatican II, the entire Church is missionary. Its missionary thrust comes directly from the Mystery of Trinity. In the words of Bevan, "the Church's foundation and continued existence are not to provide refuge from a sinful world or to provide a warm and supportive community for lonely souls, or even less to be a plank of salvation on a tempetuos sea that threatens damnation."

But "the church is to point beyond itself, to be community that preaches, serves and witnesses to the reign of God. In doing this, the church shares in and continues through the power of God's Spirit, the work of its Lord, Jesus Christ."

That's why Vatican II states that the "pilgrim church" is missionary by its very nature [AG 2]; Paul VI affirms that evangelization is the church's identity [EN 14], and John Paul II declares that missionary activity belongs to the nature of the Christian life" [RM 1]. Then, the Theological Advisory Commission of the Federationof Asian Bishops' Conference [FABC] proposes that "the church is a community of disciples bearing witness to the Risen Lord and his Gospel. Therefore it is the porcess f evangelization that is the raison d'etre of the church". A theologian expresses that the church does not have a mission-as if the church exists prior to its task- rather it is mission as such. (Bevans 9)

Hence, let us explore the content of our term "Initial Proclamation" in a larger context of “evangelisation”, which had diverse interpretations from Vatican II until today. Then, we will have some reflections on these nuances of meanings which can have relevance to our theme discussion.

It is in fact possible to identify two different ways of understanding evangelisation that had spread from two major documents of the Magisterium, Ad Gentes (1965) and Evangelii Nuntiandi (1975), which found further development in contemporary thought

In the Council Decree Ad Gentes, the Church's missionary work is presented as composed of four successive stages:

a) witness of life, dialogue, presence of charity,

b) evangelisation and conversion,

c) the catechumenate and initiation Christian,

d) formation of the Christian community.

In this perspective, evangelisation appears as a specific “moment” in the mission of the Church, precisely, the action directed to trigger the process that could lead to conversion and the first act of faith, which precedes the entry into the catechumenate (AG, n. 7).

Meanwhile, Evangelii Nuntiandi marks a major turning point. The document, which shows a marked missionary drive, offers a broader concept of evangelisation and defines it as a complex and varied elements which aims at the renewal of humanity through:

- witness,

- explicit proclamation,

- inner adherence,

- entry into the community.

- acceptance of signs.

- apostolic initiative» (EN, n. 24).

The vision of evangelisation that emerges is global: every ecclesial activity may, indeed it must fall within its scope. The text, conscious of the breadth meaning introduced, expresses it this way:

«These elements may appear to be contradictory, indeed mutually exclusive. In fact they are complementary and mutually enriching. Each one must always be seen in relationship with the others. The value of the last Synod was to have constantly invited us to relate these elements rather than to place them in opposition one to the other, in order to reach a full understanding of the Church's evangelising activity » (n. 24).

In the hindsight, the term mission has been employed with different meanings and has brought with it some secular understanding [mission impossible]and it has been gradually replaced with a more catholic term evangelization [Protestants prefer to use the term evangelism. However, somehow they are exchangeable since both of these terms have the more general meaning of the church's ministry ad intra [to be a sign and credible of what it satnds for),and ad extra (for the work outside, persuading peopleto membership or promoting values of God's reign in the world). It seems rather clear that church's documents use both term[missison and evangelization] as interchangeble in some contexts.

N.B. We have to state categorically inthe beginning that , to evangelise does not mean simply to teach a doctrine, but to proclaim Jesus Christ by one’s words and actions, that is, to make oneself an instrument of his presence and action in the world.

EN contributes more than any other document to the deep understanding of evangelisation, but, paradoxically, it is one of the cause of the difficulties of interpretation of this term, especially since its use in the narrower sense is never entirely abandoned which, in any case, requires being re-named, especially at this historical moment in which the action takes on new importance that the Church will help to inspire faith in the non-believers.

Besides,various terms are used today but it should be noted immediately that the same adjectives or prefixes (first evangelisation, pre-evangelisation and new evangelisation, re-evangelisation) do not seem to answer the question while they end up multiplying variants.

Among the various terms, initial proclamation is probably to be preferred for its continued presence through time in a large number of documents; for being the term which preferred among the more or less equivalent formulations; for the “univocal” meaning that is attributed to it. In any case it is the terminology preferred by the GDC (n. 51).

Finally, Initial proclamation is especially used in contexts considered to be missio ad gentes, but this form of evangelisation is increasingly considered a necessity even among the Christian Churches of ancient tradition (cfr. GDC, nn. 25 e 58). The concept, despite of its emphasis on proclamation, is used by the documents to mean more than mere witnessing or mere proclamation of the contents of the kerygma; therefore, it cannot be reduced to some limited and occasional intervention.

Another term with a close meaning is that of first evangelisation. Compared to the previous concept [Initital Proclamation] it has the advantage of better reflecting the complexity of pastoral action aimed at arousing the faith (which surely means a verbal proclamation, but it also has a component not entirely attributable to the word); It, could include also all moments ranging from

- initial dialogical witness

- to the explicit proclamation of Christ,

- arousing in the intercolutor an initial adhesion of faith.

However, it can be understood as:

- an ecclesial action aimed at arousing the faith (CT, n. 19);

- “missio ad gentes” to distinguish it from “new evangelisation” (RM, n. 37);

- the first phase of the process of Christian initiation (RCIA, n. 68).

Another term, rarely used and associated with “evangelisation” in the restricted sense used in EN (GCD, n. 17) and or “initial proclamation” after EN (CT, n. 18; GDC, n. 52), is missionary preaching.

In such as way, Ecclesia in Europa introduced a novel distinction between “initial proclamation” and renewed proclamation.

Initial proclamation is directed to the non-baptised (EE, n. 46) in the context of "ad gentes"

Renewed proclamation is directed to the baptised who do not live a faith consciously.

A term which is widely used today, even at the risk of becoming a repository, more or less relevant, of any innovative attempt in the field of pastoral ministry is new evangelisation. The reference point is RM, n. 33 that, giving specific attention to people and not to individuals, distinguishes between

=/= “missio ad gentes” (directed to peoples, groups, and socio-cultural contexts in which Christ and his Gospel are not known, or which lack Christian communities sufficiently mature to be able to incarnate the faith in their own environment and proclaim it to other groups),

=/= “pastoral activity” of the Church (directed to Christian communities with adequate and solid ecclesial structures, fervent in their faith and in Christian living, bearing witness to the Gospel in their surroundings and having a sense of commitment to the universal mission),

- “new evangelisation” (directed instead to an intermediate situation, in which groups of the baptized have lost a living sense of the faith, or even no longer consider themselves members of the Church, and live a life far removed from Christ and his Gospel). The text of RM is widely cited in GDC, n. 58.

The last word used is kerygma. Its principal meaning is the content of the message proclaimed, the extension of meaning to the action of proclaiming – analogically possible - is very rare.

RM attests to the importance of the mission “ad gentes” in old and new contexts: the traditional territorial areas, which have similar situations but not homologous to ours, the big cities, especially in the southern hemisphere, the cultural areas, the "new areopagi” (n. 37).

It reaffirms the permanent priority of the IP in the life of the Church, its “central and indispensable” role (n. 44) in building up the Church and because all peoples have the right to know the Good News of “new life” offered by God in Jesus Christ. This proclamation is to be done in the context of the lives of those who receive it, in an attitude of love and esteem for the listener, with a language that is concrete and adapted to circumstances in the certainty that the Spirit is at work and establishes a communion between the missionary and listeners.

More clearly, the General Directory for Catechesis distinguishes three moments in the one evangelising process:

- missionary activity, aimed at non-believers and religiously indifferent;

- catechetical activity-initiation, for those who choose the Gospel or in need to complete or restructure initiation;

- pastoral activity, for believers, in the community (n. 49). The document itself acknowledges that the boundaries between church activities are not clear.

Ecclesia in Europa distinguishes :

The first proclamation of the Gospel, intended for the unbaptised; meanwhile renewed proclamation, for the baptised in the faith but illiterate or inconsistent in its practice (n. 46). Here, the challenge is not to baptise the converts but to bring Christ to the baptised (n. 47).

Later on, in Dialogue and Proclamation, our magisterium wants to deal with the relationship between dialogue and proclamation. Here, proclamation is examined in the context of the unbalanced treatment which seems to take place in some regions where the explicit mention of the Lordship of Jesus Christ is "bracketed" in favor of dialogue under different forms. In this document, the stress is again put on the primacy of proclamation without any rejection dialogue:

There can be no true evangelization without the explicit proclamation of Jesus as Lord [EA 19].

It says:

Since the church understands that in [initial] proclamation, the "presentation of Jesus Christ could come as the fulfillment of the yearnings expressed in the mythologies and folklore of the Asian peoples

Recently, John Paul II expands the content of evangelization in Ecclesia in Asia:

The proclamation of Jesus Christ in Asia presents many complex aspects, both in content and in method. The Synod Fathers were keenly aware of the legitimate variety of approaches to the proclamation of Jesus, provided that the faith itself is respected in all its integrity in the process of appropriating and sharing it. The Synod noted that "evangelization today is a reality that is both rich and dynamic. It has various aspects and elements: witness, dialogue, proclamation, catechesis, conversion, baptism, insertion into the ecclesial community, the implantation of the Church, inculturation and integral human promotion. Some of these elements proceed together, while some others are successive steps or phases of the entire process of evangelization". ¹¹² In all evangelizing work, however, it is the complete truth of Jesus Christ which must be proclaimed. Emphasizing certain aspects of the inexhaustible mystery of Jesus is both legitimate and necessary in gradually introducing Christ to a person, but this cannot be allowed to compromise the integrity of the faith. In the end, a person's acceptance of the faith must be grounded on a sure understanding of the person of Jesus Christ, as presented by the Church in every time and place, the Lord of all who is "the same yesterday, today and for ever [EA 43]

II- REFLECTION:

After trying to make undertandable some concepts related to proclamation, and initial proclamation in the total process of evangelization through church's documents, let us focus upon some key points that I believe need to be stressed to get some implications for our discussion. In the words of Dialogue and Proclamation:

Proclamation is the communication of the Gospel message, the mystery of salvation realized by God for all in Jesus Christ by the power of the Spirit. It is an invitation to a commitment of faith in Jesus Christ and to entry through baptism into the community of believers which is the Church. This proclamation can be solemn and public, as for instance, on the day of Pentecos, or a simple private conversation... It leads naturally to catechesis which aims at deepening this faith (DP 10).

In the words of professor ...

It is possible to distinguish two main ways of understanding IP: as an ecclesial “style” and as a concrete evangelising practice of the Church.

IP as “style” of proposing on the part of the Church

First of all, IP can be understood as institutional and collective attitude of the Church in all its public events that, while not wishing it to be so, are in fact its image and the “initial proclamation" that the world receives, and which must be given careful attention specially in frontier situations and in the encounter with reality, people and situations outside the usual spheres.

Hence, for Italian Luca Bressan, IP indicates a mentality and the Church’s style of presenting herself and the interventions that"

«More than a practice in itself, more than a further additional element, with “initial proclamation” […] I intend to indicate an organising principle.

Proclamation in the development of the argument, suggests a number of guiding principles that may be useful in our discussion:

• The interlocutors are “outsiders”, i.e. non-believers or baptised who do not participate regularly in church activities. This implies a distancing from the ordinary, habitual answers, to the demands of Christian community life to which we have been accustomed until now.

• From the anthropological point of view, this style requires paying attention to the places where identity and the meaning of life are expressed, at the same time, one should be reminded that the dynamism makes Christianity capable of “living the fundamental anthropological experience while opening them up to new meanings” through the activation of symbolic dynamics that these experiences contain but which often remain inactive. The so-called inculturation .

In other words, Christianity will pay attention to places and practices that every culture develops to express the fundamental dimensions of human life; it must then examine these practices, discover the ability to be open to the meaning, the openness to listen to the Christian message; it must know how present itself as an authority able to discuss these practices.

From the institutional point of view, through humanising relationship, initial proclamation as a style is an invitation of people to listening to questions and their acceptance, and the relationships that foster these in response to several requests become in many cases the starting point for a beginning [re-start] of a journey of faith.

• In reality, initial proclamation is presented to us as a style which makes Christianity a very unique relationship, that has these elements: it chooses the contexts of proximity as the anthropological space in which it establishes itself; it makes the ordinary daily life the characteristic that describe the way it functions; it accepts the challenge of diversity and ambiguity as points of departure and possible place for the recognition of the different partners of the relationship; at the same time, it jealously keeps guardian of its memory, of Christian diversity which pushes it as a stimulus to inhabit these territories, in order to weave these relations. It is precisely due to these elements that Christianity can make its frontiers, its borders, a truly significant space for initial proclamation».

IP as a concrete practice of evangelisation

A second way of understanding the initial proclamation is to consider it as a concrete pastoral action in everyday practice with individuals and groups.

From this point of view, one of the definitions that had favourable reception among experts in this area is the one provided by the Belgian André Fossion: «IP designates the statements of the Christian faith in various forms, which, in determined contexts, encourage and make possible the first steps in the faith by those who are far from».

In the reflection of Xavier Morlans:

Initial Proclamation is that activity or set of activities that aim to bring the core message of the Gospel to those who do not know Jesus Christ, to those who have known him and have abandoned him, to those who believe that they already know him sufficiently and live the Christian faith out of habit, with the intention of arousing interest in all of them for Jesus Christ that could lead to an initial adhesion or a revitalisation of faith in him.

In other words, we understand initial proclamation as one of the seven elements of the complex process of evangelisation described so well by Paul VI in the apostolic exhortation Evangelii Nuntiandi (n. 24) and as the General Directory for Catechesis repeatedly reminds (nn. 47-49):

i- witness with works,

ii- initial proclamation,

iii- faith and the initial conversion,

iv- basic catechesis and

v- entrance into the community,

vi- the reception of the sacraments,

vii- organised apostolate --> renewal of humanity.

These elements may appear to be contradictory, indeed mutually exclusive. In fact they are complementary and mutually enriching. Each one must always be seen in relationship with the others” (EN 24).

In summary, IP, in general, is relative to the first steps of the faith:

• it is “first” for the interlocutor, who feels moved to undertake a path of growth in faith;

• the plural “faith statements” means that there is no single form of IP;

• By affirming that steps in the faith “are possible” it is clear that it deals with a proposal that takes into account freedom and it does not refer to a relationship of force or conquest;

• The recipients are those who, for various reasons, are estranged from the faith, are “far" from it or have moved away from it;

• The expression “in determined contexts” highlights the complexity and diversity of socio-historical situations.

- It could be add that while catechesis is an organic and systematic reality, IP is a naturally partial experience (someone compares it to the “first gear” in starting the car, that is, the necessary time needed to shift to the “second gear”); it is an emblematic operation of what the Church is and what it should do; it is a communication device, an interface between the Church and the contemporary human person.

- The acceptance of IP has no formal visibility (for example a liturgical rite) but it is basically something that occurs in the conscience or inside the recipient, thus it is sometimes difficult for those who make the initial proclamation to verify it. On the contrary, it is part of the attitude of the one who proclaims not to seek the immediate certainty of the results.

Turning to our Asian context, the great question now facing the Church in Asia is how to share with our Asian brothers and sisters what we treasure as the gift containing all gifts, namely, the Good News of Jesus Christ [EA 19]. In fact, EA re-affirms that: there can be no true evangelization without the explicit proclamation of Jesus as Lord.

EA re-states what the Second Vatican Council and the Magisterium have repeatedly stressed, that is, the primacy of the proclamation of Jesus Christ in all evangelizing work [EA 19]

For sure, deeply aware of the complexity of so many different situations in Asia, and "speaking the truth in love" (Eph 4:15), EA invites us to proclaim the Good News with loving respect and esteem for her listeners, a kind of proclamation which respects the rights of consciences. Yet, Respect does not eliminate the need for the explicit proclamation of the Gospel in its fullness EA 19

Concurring what the Asian church leaders and theologians have stated for decades, EA approves the way the proclamation should be done in Asia: the proclamation of Jesus Christ can most effectively be made by narrating his story, as the Gospels do. For EA, the ontological notions can be complemented by more relational, historical and even cosmic perspectives. The Church in Asia must be open to the new and surprising ways in which the face of Jesus might be presented in Asia.

The second stress is the much-quoted statement: A fire can only be lit by something that is itself on fire.

It means,

"The Good News of Jesus Christ can only be proclaimed by those who are taken up and inspired by the love of the Father for his children, manifested in the person of Jesus Christ. . . .Christians who speak of Christ must embody in their lives the message that they proclaim. [EA 23].

In our theological course on Evangelization, different theological Dimensions of Evangelization are presented:

1- Transcendental/metahistorical/metaphysical Model

2- Objective/historical/socio-cultural Model

3- Subjective/existential/psychological Model

1. Transcendental/metahistorical/metaphysical dimension of evangelization

It is

heralding or proclamation of the GOOD NEWS, that is, God’s revelation of his plan of salvation (God’s saving presence) and

salvific or efficacious proclamation.

Through Evangelization the Church in its praxis proclaims and makes concrete God’s revelation and gift of salvation.

2. Objective/historical/socio-cultural dimension of salvation ((Acts 2:42-46) , that is

kerygmatic (communicating God’s Word - evangelization),

liturgical (mediating God’s grace – sanctification)

community-building (leading people to fellowship with God and among themselves – shepherding, pastoring) and

diaconal (serving God’s reign – ministering, charity) sectors of ecclesial praxis

In concrete, mthe act of communicating or proclaiming the Good News should be

Integral - referring to all the sectors of ecclesial praxis

Holistic or contextual - addressing or addressed to the whole life context of people, namely the religious-cultural, socio-political, and ecological-economical aspects of their life,

in short, the cultures.

In this connection comes in the theme of inculturation

- an appropriate dialogue with culture [traditional and secular modern; dominant and popular in the evangelizing activity]

- simultaneous and intrinsic to evangelization

- inclusive/dialogical

- liberating, that it makes the oppressed and the oppressive forces conscious of their role in creating the unjust situation in society.

Hence, a holistic, contextual evangelization calls for a three-fold dialogue with:

cultures,

religions, and

the poor.

3. Subjective/existential/psychological dimension of evangelization

The persons doing the act of communication [apostle/apostolate, missionary [mission], martyr or witness]

Those to whom the act of communication is directed

Authentic evangelization - involving the whole personality of the giver and receiver of the Good News, made up of the

• cognitive

• affective

• behavioral aspects of life, thus helping the person become mature and coherent.

In theological terms, evangelization is authentic when the evangelizer and the evangelized lead Christian life that results from

faith that enlightens the cognitive aspect,

love that strengthens the affective aspect, and

hope that inspires the behavioral aspect.

It leads to the transformation of the people’s attitude giving rise to the threefold praxis of

believing, trusting and doing God’s will.

Universal evangelization - that which is offered is offered to all and offered without reserve. Hence the traditional view of

missio ad fideles or pastoral evangelization, addressed to the faithful to lead them to an ever deeper knowledge of the mystery of Christ;

missio ecumenical or ecumenical evangelization, addressed to the divided Christianity to promote unity in truth;

missio ad gentes, or missionary evangelization, addressed to those who have no knowledge of the Good News, inviting them to a conversion of heart and acceptance of Christ.

The FABC prefers the term: Progressive evangelization - referring to that which grows, develops and matures through:

• formation (first/initial proclamation, catechesis, theology as the action-reflection of adult members as agent-subjects of ecclesial praxis and

• spiritual guidance.

Asia prides itself on the plurality of primal and traditional religions, cultures and traditions. At the same time, the scandalous poverty suffered by the marginalized and oppressed in Asia is an affront to God. In this context, the Asian Bishops explain mission as a triple dialogue: with the poor, the different cultures, and religions (Synod 1999: No. 5).

In order to carry out its triple mission effectively among the indigenous peoples, the Church's first and foremost mission is to initiate a dialogue of life that fosters a sense of solidarity with them. Only an abiding sense of solidarity will dispose the indigenous peoples to invest in a trusting relationship with the Church. This relationship becomes the basis by which they entrust their problems to the Church and call upon the Church to respond to their plight. It is expedient that the Church responds to their plight by deploying its resources, be it personnel or otherwise, that will facilitate the triple dialogue.

Intercultural dialogue with indigenous peoples of diverse cultures will certainly deepen the Church's understanding and appreciation of their aspirations, hopes, struggles, their traditional values, worldviews, beliefs, rites, myths, and cultural symbols. This familiarization with how indigenous peoples value their intimate connection between creation/nature and humankind, community life, the sharing of goods and services, the celebration of life's joys and tragedies, will enrich the life of the Church. At the same time, the Church will be challenged to promote these cultural values in a world so plagued by unbridled consumerism that has little regard for the environment and the marginalized. This enrichment will enable the Church, especially in its catechesis and liturgy and theology, to express the Christian message in and through the indigenous cultures. The openness and sensitivity shown by the Church will dispose it to engage itself in the struggle of the indigenous peoples to determine and promote their cultural identity and development.

Dialogue with the primal religions enables the Church to realize that the mystery of God is beyond the Church. God's Spirit is operative through indigenous shamanism to bring about wholeness of human life through the healing rituals for the sick. Indigenous shamans are the existential symbols of the continuity of their cultures and collective memory. The continuous practice of shamanism indicates the vibrancy of a cultural worldview which promotes the "many worlds" in the one creation of God, regarded as a "seamless whole" by indigenous cultures. This worldview is subverting the scientific worldview that the world is merely onedimensional. The process of globalization, manipulated by neoliberal capitalism, has lent impetus to this scientific rationality. The globally-targeted efforts to collapse, and/or erase, the many cultural worldviews into one are being challenged and resisted by peoples of other cultures. As it stands, the dialectic tension is far from being resolved. In fact, the cultural battle between the "many into one" and the "many in one" will continue in the third millennium. (see Fung 2000: 192-193).

For reasons that the mystery of God is uniquely revealed in Christianity as Abba

She carries out this first proclamation of Jesus Christ by a complex and diversified activity which is sometimes termed "pre-evangelization" but which is already evangelization in a true sense, although at its initial and still incomplete stage. An almost indefinite range of means can be used for this purpose: explicit preaching, of course, but also art, the scientific approach, philosophical research and legitimate recourse to the sentiments of the human heart.

52. This first proclamation is addressed especially to those who have never heard the Good News of Jesus, or to children. But, as a result of the frequent situations of dechristianization in our day, it also proves equally necessary for innumerable people who have been baptized but who live quite outside Christian life, for simple people who have a certain faith but an imperfect knowledge of the foundations of that faith, for intellectuals who feel the need to know Jesus Christ in a light different from the instruction they received as children, and for many others.

53. This first proclamation is also addressed to the immense sections of mankind who practice non-Christian religions. EN