Vatican Publishes 'Venite ad Me': A Call to Renew Proclaiming the Faith Amid a Crisis in Passing It On
The Vatican's Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith published a new document, "Venite ad Me" ("Come to Me"), on October 22, formally titled "Venite ad Me: Considerations on the Transmission of the Faith in an Epochal Change." Approved by Pope Leo XIV on August 21 and signed by the dicastery's prefect, Cardinal Víctor Manuel Fernández, the text runs to more than 25,000 words across eight chapters. According to Catholic media reports, the document was written in response to a request first made by the late Pope Francis toward the end of his life, and is presented as "considerations" meant to stimulate reflection, rather than a definitive doctrinal text.
The document addresses what it calls a crisis in the intergenerational transmission of the Christian faith. In many places, it says, the handing on of faith within families has been interrupted, and amid secularization, the breakdown of families and the influence of digital technologies, children and adolescents often receive only fragmentary contact with Christian belief and practice. It calls on the whole Church to embark on a renewed period of proclaiming the Gospel, placing the kerygma — the first proclamation of Christ — at the heart of the Church's mission.
The family, the document insists, remains the "first and most essential place" for the transmission of the faith, and parents are their children's first catechists. At the same time, it urges greater attention to the evangelization of adults alongside the catechesis of children and teenagers, including adults who have become distant from the faith or have never encountered the Gospel, and underlines the importance of Christian witness, community life, prayer, liturgy and works of charity.
The document also notes a rise in conversions and returns to the Church among youth and young adults in secularized parts of Europe and America. Citing data from the French bishops' conference, it reports that baptisms in France rose 26% in 2026 over the previous year, with the vast majority of the newly baptized under 40, many seeking the faith after a time of crisis, a spiritual awakening or contact with other believers. It cautions, however, against "triumphalistic attitudes," noting that new baptisms do not always lead to lasting religious commitment, and calls on communities to welcome new members and help them sustain their faith. The document also calls for greater participation of women in church leadership roles, and warns that digital evangelization can become detached from daily life or shaped by ideology and personal preferences.
Source: GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：教宗良十四世（资料图）。CC BY-SA 4.0，经 Wikimedia Commons
