Someone said that we read to know that we are not alone (from the movie " Shadowlands", Shadowlands, R. Attenborough, 1993). Perhaps today we could say, thinking of cell phones and phenomena such as "whatsup": we call to know that we are not alone.

And we are not. At least we Christians know it. Faith assures us that God has wanted to save us not individually but through a family - the Church - the seed of unity in the human family.

In the new evangelization, we must all work together to transmit the faith, so that it may be what determines our life "in Christ" through the Spirit, as an offering to the Father and a service to the world. And the faith today has a precise and accurate reference point in the Catechism of the Catholic Church.

The role of the Catechism of the Catholic Church and its Compendium in the new evangelization depends, to a great extent, on us; that we know how to rely on them for Christian initiation and the permanent training of Christians, so that we can be the seed of unity and fraternity in the world.

The Catechism saw the light of day in 1992, at a time when we were talking about globalization, rapid in Economics and in communication, but fragmentary and late in the cultural sphere. Twenty years later, we are more aware of the problems involved. Globalization continues to advance from the technological point of view. The culture of the image is imposing itself as a vehicle for transmitting ideas and certainties. The image is capable of perceiving, exploring and communicating reality with new perspectives. These new languages are ideal for the transmission of the faith and even for being present in theological methodology.
The "new culture" presents lights and shadows that the human and social sciences are highlighting, and that have become evident in the economic crisis, which has an ethical context in the background. There is an aspiration for respectful dialogue and communion among human groups, although this is not always achieved, especially because of the spread of relativism and individualism. There has been a strong migratory movement towards Western countries, which is receding due to the consequences of the crisis. Meanwhile, the cultural discussion remains scarce. And to all this has been added what Benedict XVI calls the "educational emergency (urgency)".

These are a few brushstrokes on the framework of a necessary intercultural dialogue. And for this dialogue, which is also important within the Church, we need a "common language" that is capable of respecting the legitimate diversities in the way of perceiving, living and communicating the Christian faith.

The Christian faith contributes to intercultural dialogue to the extent that it itself becomes culture. "A faith that does not become culture is a faith not fully accepted, not fully thought out, not faithfully lived" (John Paul II, Letter establishing the Pontifical Council for Culture committee , May 20, 1982). This means that faith must enlighten and enliven families and professions, systems of thought, the sciences and the arts, leisure and sport, as well as socio-political activity, in a diversity of choices and in an amiable dialogue with non-believers, a dialogue possible only in the measure of authenticity and openness of all to the truth.

This undoubtedly requires mediators who are ready to study the Catechism and make it "topic" of their prayer, to live it and thus be able to explain it to others, so that it can inform people's behavior and customs, contributing from within them to liberate the "seeds" of truth, beauty and goodness latent in their cultures. Mediators also to dialogue about the faith, with reference letter to this Catechism of the third millennium, through the new channels of transmission of ideas and knowledge: sms, blogs, websites, social networks.

Faced with the various dimensions of the faith, many people may be puzzled and wonder if we Christians have not failed in what is fundamental (the "transmission of the faith"). In recent decades, there has been a pendulum swing in the Christian training , which in past centuries was centered on knowledge, towards a training that emphasizes interest in life. And perhaps this is as valid as the other, as long as we do not forget that we are dealing with dimensions of faith, which cannot exist each one in isolation from the others.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church and its Compendium contain the authoritative exhibition - and synthetic in the case of the Compendium - of the four "pillars" that support the building of our life in Christ: professing the faith, celebrating the mysteries, living according to Christian ethics and praying to God.

Both constitute a precious financial aid for the formative task and a point of reference letter for the elaboration of other catechisms and aids in the Education of the faith. They are a light for rediscovering the essentials of the faith, which can be believed, celebrated and lived with diverse expressions; and therefore, valuable instruments for intercultural dialogue. They are called to be the "soul" of the "living catechism" which is, above all, the life of Christians in society.