EUROPE/BOSNIA - HERZEGOVINA - 50 years of Fidei donum service and the missionary responsibility of the Church in Bosnia Herzegovina

Thursday, 27 September 2007

Sarajevo (Agenzia Fides) - The Catholic Church in Bosnia Herzegovina is also reflecting on the Fidei Donum encyclical and the call to missionary responsibility, in this the 50th anniversary of the document's promulgation by Pope Pius XII. The National Director of the Pontifical Mission Societies (PMS) Fr. Tomo Knezevic, told Fides that “all the various activities for the 50th anniversary of the Fidei donum encyclical have been organised by the national office of the Pontifical Mission Societie ”. In three of Bosnia Herzegovina four dioceses, Sarajevo, Mostar, Trebinje and Banja Luka, special meetings were held to reflect on the theme “50 years of Fidei Donum and the missionary responsibility of the Church in Bosnia Herzegovina”. A report on the subject prepared by Bishop Ratko Peri Mostar diocese was distributed to every diocese.
Other initiatives for the 50th anniversary year include a translation into Croatian of a thesis prepared by former Fidei donum priest in Tanzania, Fr Stipe Ivan, with the title Misijski pokret dijecezanskoga klera u Crkvi u Hrvata u povijesno-teoloskom kontekstu (The Missionary Movement of diocesan clergy in the Church among Croats in the historical-theological context); comments on the Fidei donum Encyclical in various missionary publications such as “Radosna vijest”, “Katoli. Ki Tjednik”, “Crkva na Kamernu” and “Nasa ongijista” the PMS National Director told Fides.
Moreover the 50th anniversary of the Fide Donum encyclical and missionary responsibility in the Church in Bosnia Herzegovina was the theme of annual meeting for Croat missionaries working in the diocese of Banja Luka. During the same meeting Bishop Ratko Peri Mostar presented his report and other Bishops of Bosnia Herzegovina attended.
“In the past 50 years the Catholic Church in Bosnia Herzegovina has sent 15 diocesan priests as Fidei donum missionaries to various countries in different parts of the world, and all together they spent 165 years on mission” the National Director of the Pontifical Mission Societies concluded. (MS/SL) (Agenzia Fides 27/9/2007; righe 24, parole 307)


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