If you send an email to Denver's Archbishop Charles Chaput, don't be surprised when you receive a prompt response from him. His email address is posted on the archdiocesan Web site, and he replies to about 100 messages weekly.

"When one opens new doors of communication," says the 55-year-old Capuchin Franciscan Friar, "people communicate. That's a wonderful burden."

It sometimes means answering email at 4:30 a.m. to allow time for his other responsibilities, including weekly visits to northern Colorado parishes, where he meets his flock face-to-face.

"You'd be amazed at how quickly a bishop discovers what's on their minds," he says. From these discussions, and prayer, Archbishop Chaput decides what topics to address in his pastoral letters. Since being installed as Denver's archbishop, in April 1997, he's written four letters—on evangelization, contraception, reconciliation, and priestly vocations. He also writes a regular column for the archdiocesan newspaper, and his articles appear in a number of other publications.

Passionate Dedication to the Truth

In his writings and his talks, Archbishop Chaput tackles the tough subjects. "It's important for any bishop to speak the truth passionately, clearly, and without compromise," he says. "If we do that, and if we always do it with love, we're fulfilling our mandate to 'Go and make disciples of all nations.' That's the example Jesus gave us. He withheld nothing. His words were plain and to the point." As are the archbishop's words.

"Sharing the gospel isn't always easy," he says. "Living it is even harder. Even many Catholics want the truth to be different on issues like abortion. But we bishops, or priests, or religious, or laity, do others no favor when we distort or discard pieces of the truth to make them more palatable to modern tastes."

Changing the World, Changing Our Hearts

Although Archbishop Chaput is a proponent for the proper use of technology, he sees the task of the church in the third millennium as essentially unchanged. "The most important legacy of the information age won't be how it simplified or accelerated our lifestyles or work but, instead, how it changed us. The greatest challenge facing the church in the coming millennium is nothing new. ... I hope we'll steer these new technologies in a way that glorifies God and respects the human person."

"[We are experiencing] the same crisis faced by people since the dawn of humanity," he explains. "It's a crisis of faith. We simply do not believe deeply enough. God has revealed himself to us through Jesus Christ, but we're afraid to follow his example. So the central crisis we face isn't something happening in our culture or our church—it's within ourselves. If we want to change the world, we need to begin by changing our hearts."

The coming millennium is fertile missionary territory, the archbishop adds. "Our task is to recover the faith and missionary zeal of the early Christians, so we can proclaim the gospel with the same energy and confidence."

This article first appeared in Envoy Magazine. It is used with permission. To read more articles like this or find out about Envoy's work, please visit www.envoymagazine.com.