New Archbishop of NY; Church is not a Country Club

Love the quote below the link. Lots more if you hit the link.

“Today in the Gospel, Jesus gives us the Great Commission,” … “Go, and make disciples, baptize them in the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. And behold, God is with us always.”

“This is a call to be a missionary Church, not a country club,” he continued. “A club exists to serve its members. The Church, on the other hand, exists to go out and serve all people, on fire with faith, hope, and charity in the name of Jesus Christ. This is not a criticism, but an invitation to renew who we are and rediscover why the Church exists. To follow Jesus, who fed the hungry, healed those ill in body and spirit, rejected hatred and proclaimed love.”

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Archbishop Hicks urged New Yorkers to follow the Divine Commission.

“The Church exists to proclaim Jesus Christ and the Gospel to everyone, publicly and credibly, without fear, in every culture and circumstance,” he said. 

He emphasized Christians’ responsibility to share the faith with all people. 

“We are called to be a missionary church,” he said. “A church that catechizes, evangelizes, and puts our faith into action. A church made up of missionary disciples who go out and make disciples, passing the faith on from one generation to the next.”

Catholic social teaching includes taking care of the poor, the vulnerable, and creation, defending and respecting life from conception to natural death, he noted.