All forms of evangelisation should aim at leading others to discover the joy which is found in Christ, the joy of our faith. In response to the spiritual poverty afflicting so many of our contemporaries and to the fundamental questions which everyone must face about meaning, life and happiness, we must help others to see where true joy lies. The task of evangelisation must aim at communicating that only in Christ do we find true joy, only in him do we find the truth and love that gives life meaning and makes it worth living. As the Holy Father says: “There is nothing more beautiful than to be surprised by the Gospel, by the encounter with Christ. There is nothing more beautiful than to know him and to speak to others of our friendship with him.” By doing this, we are performing a service to joy, “to God’s joy which longs to break into the world”.(Homily at the Mass for the Inauguration of the Pontificate, 24 April 2005.)

Monsignor Joseph Murphy, Secretariate of State, Vatican