EUROPE/ITALY - CEI Standing Council approves statement on occasion of the 50th anniversary of Fidei donum Encyclical by Pius XII, “a precious opportunity to maintain mission awareness in our dioceses”

Rome (Agenzia Fides) - The Standing Council of the CEI Italian Bishops' Conference, gathered for its Autumn session, 17-19 September, among other things approved a statement prepared by the Bishops' Commission for the Evangelisation of Peoples and Cooperation among Churches, on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the Fidei donum Encyclical issued by Pope Pius XII. The Statement reads “the fidei donum experience, that is the sending of diocesan priests to mission territories, involves today about 1.6% of the secular clergy in Italy, whereas the number of lay fidei donum missionaries has gradually increased. Unanimous is our recognition of the fact that this is a precious opportunity to maintain mission awareness in our dioceses, underlining the centrality of missionary proclamation and activity and confirming yet again the traditional preference for those most in need. The Statement mentions changes which have come about since the publication of the Encyclical: almost complete, the pioneer stage when the priest set out to plant the Church; today fidei donum missionaries operate in ecclesial situations with their own native clergy, sensitivity and a well defined pastoral plan. Hence those who depart for this mission must have the capacity for communion, sharing and readiness to be vitally inserted in a local Church, accepting to belong both to the sending Church and the receiving Church and therefore the temporary nature of his service.” (S.L.) (Agenzia Fides 26/9/2007; righe 17, parole 235)