''Ad gentes'' (''To the Nations'') is the
Second Vatican Council's decree on missionary activity.
The document establishes
evangelization
In Christianity, evangelism (or witnessing) is the act of preaching the gospel with the intention of sharing the message and teachings of Jesus Christ.
Christians who specialize in evangelism are often known as evangelists, whether they are i ...
as one of the fundamental missions of the Catholic Church and reaffirms the tie between evangelization and charity for the
poor. Ad gentes also calls for the formation of strong Christian communities as well as strong relations with other Christians. Finally, it lays out guidelines for the training and actions of the missionaries.
See also
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Catholic charities
The Catholic Church operates numerous charitable organizations.
Catholic spiritual teaching includes spreading the Gospel, while Catholic social teaching emphasises support for the sick, the poor and the afflicted through the corporal and spi ...
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Evangelii gaudium
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Lumen gentium
''Lumen gentium'', the Dogmatic Constitution on the Church, is one of the principal documents of the Second Vatican Council. This dogmatic constitution was promulgated by Pope Paul VI on 21 November 1964, following approval by the assembled bishop ...
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Redemptoris missio
''Redemptoris missio'' (Latin for ''The Mission of the Redeemer''), subtitled ''On the permanent validity of the Church's missionary mandate'', is an encyclical by Pope John Paul II published on 7 December 1990. The release coincided with the tw ...
References
Further reading
Teaching the Spirit of Mission Ad Gentes: Continuing Pentecost Today A Statement of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, 2005
External links
English translation at the Vatican website
{{Authority control
Catholic missions
Decrees
Documents of the Second Vatican Council
Latin texts
1965 documents
1965 in Christianity