Catechism of the Catholic Church

The Profession of Faith 225 still has the obligation and also the sacred right to evangelize all men.” 338 Mission—a requirement of the Church’s catholicity 849 The missionary mandate. “Having been divinely sent to the nations that she might be ‘the universal sacrament of salvation,’ the Church, in obedience to the command of her founder and because it is demanded by her own essential universality, strives to preach the Gospel to all men”: 339 “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, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you; and Lo, I am with you always, until the close of the age.” 340 850 The origin and purpose of mission. The Lord’s missionary mandate is ultimately grounded in the eternal love of the Most Holy Trinity: “The Church on earth is by her nature missionary since, according to the plan of the Father, she has as her origin the mission of the Son and the Holy Spirit.” 341 The ultimate purpose of mission is none other than tomakemen share in the communion between the Father and the Son in their Spirit of love. 342 851 Missionary motivation. It is fromGod’s love for all men that the Church in every age receives both the obligation and the vigor of her missionary dynamism, “for the love of Christ urges us on.” 343 Indeed, God “desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth”; 344 that is, God wills the salvation of everyone through the knowledge of the truth. Salvation is found in the truth. Those who obey the prompting of the Spirit of truth are already on the way of salvation. But the Church, to whom this truth has been entrusted, must go out to meet their desire, so as to bring them the truth. Because she believes in God’s universal plan of salvation, the Church must be missionary. 852 Missionary paths. The Holy Spirit is the protagonist, “the principal agent of the whole of the Church’s mission.” 345 It is he who leads the Church on her missionary paths. “This mission 338 AG 7; cf. Heb 11:6; 1 Cor 9:16. 339 AG 1; cf. Mk 16:15. 340 Mt 28:19-20. 341 AG 2. 342 Cf. John Paul II, RMiss 23. 343 2 Cor 5:14; cf. AA 6; RMiss 11. 344 1 Tim 2:4. 345 John Paul II, RMiss 21. 738, 767 257 730 221, 429 74, 217 2104 890 2044 2473