Recently, Cardinal-elect Bishop Américo Aguiar of Lisbon, who is also the chief organizer of the upcoming World Youth Day (WYD), ignited controversy with his comments about religious conversion.
Cardinal-elect Bishop Aguiar’s remarks drew a wide range of responses, most notably from Bishop Robert Barron. Bishop Aguiar at first tempered his initial comments, clarifying his aim was to discourage heavy-handed proselytizing.
Bishop Barron, however, raised the concern that this perspective might foster a religious indifferentism, with the belief that religious truth is less important than ethical principles.
Barron further argued that this viewpoint could lead to an interpretation of religious diversity as a positive aspect of contemporary culture rather than a matter of eternal significance.
In a letter, Barron emphasized the Church’s commitment to doctrinal correctness and evangelism, asserting that institutions which lose sight of this evangelical purpose “lose their soul.”
He insisted that World Youth Day, one of the Church’s largest gatherings started by Pope Saint John Paul II, has an evangelical essence that should not be downplayed.
Barron, who is scheduled to deliver five presentations at the WYD in Lisbon, added that all his talks are intended to evangelize.
Photo credit: via Wikimedia Commons
