Abstract:

To fulfill the universal salvific plan of God, the Catholic Church in Bangladesh (CCB) is a missionary “little flock” as a living witness to Jesus Christ..This research is fundamentally influenced by the apostolic exhortation Evangelii Gaudium of Pope Francis. The general situation and realities of Bangladesh as well as origin and development of Christianity is offered in order to fully understand the Bangladesh context for integral evangelization as envisioned by Pope Francis in Evangelii Gaudium.. This tesina explores the biblical foundations and meaning of evangelization and mission while describing the Church’s renewed vision in the Second Vatican Council, recent popes and the Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences. It also elaborates important themes including insights of theologians and Bangladesh perspectives about mission and evangelization as well as explains the contemporary understanding of principal elements of integral evangelization..This work searches for the connections between Church teaching and lived experience, seeking integration of theological and pastoral insights, especially those of the apostolic exhortation Evangelii Gaudium of Pope Francis..The writer attempts to explore how the Catholic Church in Bangladesh can engage in integral evangelization in a complex situation of a multi-cultural, pluri-religious, and poor society..Pope Francis emphasizes that “Each Christian and every Community must discern the path that the Lord points out, but all of us are asked to obey his call to go forth from our own comfort zone in order to reach all the peripheries in need of the light of the Gospel”€ (Evangelii Gaudium 20). Therefore, all members of the Church are sent to evangelize as missionary disciples with the joy of the Gospel so that all may be saved in the name of the Lord and establish the Kingdom of God.

Final Defense:

Board of Examiners: Fr. Hartono Budi, S.J., Th.D. (Principal Examiner), Fr. James Kroeger, M.M., D.Miss., Fr. Manuel Francisco, S.J., S.T.D.

Proposal Defense: