10 Questions about the Year of Faith

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By St. Josemaria Institute

1.    What is the Year of Faith?
The Year of Faith “is a summons to an authentic and renewed conversion to the Lord, the one Savior of the world” (Porta Fidei, 6).

2.    When does the Year of Faith begin and end?
The Year of the Faith takes place October 11, 2012 through November 24, 2013.

3.    Why were those dates chosen for the Year of Faith?
The opening date, October 11th, coincides with two anniversaries: the 50th anniversary of the opening of the Second Vatican Council and the 20th anniversary of the promulgation of the Catechism of the Catholic Church.  The closing date, November 24th, is the Solemnity of Christ the King.

4.    Why has the Holy Father established a Year of Faith?
“As we know, in vast areas of the world the faith is in danger of being extinguished like a flame that has lost its fuel,” the Holy Father explained in his Address to the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.  “We are facing a profound crisis of faith, a loss of the religious sense, that constitutes the Church's greatest challenge today. The renewal of faith, then, must be the priority in the work of the whole Church in our time. It is my wish that the Year of Faith contribute, with the cordial collaboration of all of the People of God, to making God present again in this world and to opening to men the way to faith, to entrusting themselves to that God who loved us to the end (cf. John 13:1), in Jesus Christ crucified and risen.”

5.   What are some of the aims of the Year of Faith?
The aims of the Year of Faith are explained in the Holy Father’s Apostolic Letter Porta Fidei.  They include:

• • Reflection on the Faith, so as to help believers in Christ acquire a more conscious and vigorous adherence to the Gospel;
  • Public and private professions of Faith (the Credo) with renewed conviction and fullness, with confidence and hope;
  • Intensified celebration of the Faith in the liturgy, especially the Eucharist;
  • Rediscovery and study of the fundamental content of the faith found in the Catechism of the Catholic Church.

6.   Where will the Year of Faith be celebrated?
The Year of Faith is a universal celebration.  As the Holy Father explains, “We will have the opportunity to profess our faith in the Risen Lord in our cathedrals and in the churches of the whole world; in our homes and among our families, so that everyone may feel a strong need to know better and to transmit to future generations the faith of all times” (Porta Fidei, 8).

7.    What activities are being suggested for celebrating the Year of Faith?
In a note from the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, the Congregation recommended several activities for dioceses, parishes, and individuals, including:

• Prayer and Sacraments:
  • Active, prayerful, and fruitful participation in the Eucharist and the Sacraments of the Church.
• Devotions:
  • Pilgrimages of the faithful to the See of Peter (Rome) and to the Holy Land.
  • Special devotion to Mary and to the Holy Rosary through the daily recitation of the Holy Rosary during the Year of Faith and pilgrimages and celebrations at Marian shrines.
• Study and Reflection:
  • Reading closely and meditating upon the Holy Father’s Apostolic Letter Porta Fidei.
  • Deepen personal knowledge of the primary documents of the Second Vatican Council and study of the Catechism.
  • Organizing and participating in symposia, conferences and gatherings that encourage and promote the study and understanding of the contents of Catholic doctrine and the teachings of Vatican II.
• Charity and Apostolate:
  • All of the faithful, called to renew the gift of faith, should try to communicate their own experience of faith and charity to their brothers and sisters of other religions, with those who do not believe, and with those who are just indifferent. In this way, it is hoped that the entire Christian people will begin a kind of mission toward those with whom they live and work, knowing that they “have welcomed the news of salvation which is meant for every man.”

8.    What can I read to help understand and live the Year of Faith?

• • Pope Benedict XVI’s Apostolic Letter Porta Fidei
  • Catechism of the Catholic Church
  • Documents of the Second Vatican Council

9.    Where can I find additional information and news about the Year of Faith?

• • www.annusfidei.va

10.     Where can I find information about activities and resources for the Year of Faith in the USA?

• • www.usccb.org/beliefs-and-teachings/how-we-teach/new-evangelization/year-of-faith/

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