Church responds to the 'signs of the times’

• Archbishop Charles J. Chaput, O.F.M. Cap.: 'To be good fathers, we need to know the world we've been sent into. We've got to know the lay of the land. Our mission territory isn't simply the parish we serve, or the city we live in. It's also the geography of the human heart, mind, body and soul. It's a culture. We have to know what our people are up against. We need to understand what's going on around them and what's going on inside them. That's what it means to know the signs of the times.'
• Today, Church Fathers can be understood as bishops, priests, and other leaders within the Catholic Church who guide and teach the faithful
• Lay of the land


  Understanding the physical and social environment, including the challenges and opportunities
• Culture


  The set of shared attitudes, values, goals, and practices that characterizes a community or society
• Knowing the 'lay of the land' means understanding the spiritual, cultural, and societal context in which the Church operates
• Determining the 'lay of the land'

  1. Studying the community

  2. Engaging with the community

  3. Understanding their needs

  4. Understanding their concerns

  5. Understanding cultural influences
• Know what the people are up against

  Understanding the challenges, obstacles, and pressures that people face in their daily lives
• Know the signs of the times

  Being aware of and understanding the current social, cultural, and spiritual trends and issues
• Words like "world," "mission territory," "geography of the human heart, mind, body, and soul," and "signs of the times" show a deep appreciation of the broad and intricate nature of the Church's missionary work
• The phrase ‘geography of the human heart, mind, body and soul’ evokes an image of a complex and intricate map that needs careful navigation
• Rephrased geography of the human heart, mind, body and soul


  The intricate and personal landscape of human emotions, thoughts, physical existence, and spirituality