VATICAN - The work of the Annual General meeting of the Pontifical Mission Societies continues with the revision of the statutes

Saturday, 8 May 2004

Rome (Fides Service) - The Annual General meeting of the Pontifical Mission Societies which has brought together 117 national directors of the Pontifical Mission Societies from all over the world continues at the Pala Cavicchi, Ciampino, near Rome 6 to 14 May.
The first part of the Assembly is the Pastoral Session 6 to 8 May devoted this year to the revision of the Statutes of the Pontifical Mission Societies, the PMS Handbook and the Missionary Youth Movement.
Yesterday 7 May, the participants discussed the draft revised edition of the statutes sharing opinions in order to better outline the function and mission of each of the four Pontifical Mission Societies keeping in mind the present situation of the missionary Church and its most urgent needs.
A revision and updating of the statutes was necessary since the present edition was approved by Pope John Paul II in June 1980, and since that date at least four important documents or revised texts which regard missionary activity have been published: the new Code of Canon Law 1983, the Apostolic Constitution Pastor Bonus 1988, the Redemptoris Missio encyclical 1990 and the Instruction “Cooperatio Missionalis”. Once elaborated the new statutes will be presented to the plenary assembly of the Congregation for the Evangelisation of Peoples and after receiving approval from the Pope they will finally be signed and promulgated by Cardinal Crescenzio Sepe, Prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelisation of Peoples in Lyons, France during the 2005 General Assembly of the Pontifical Mission Societies. (R.G.) (Agenzia Fides 8/5/2004; Righe 18; Parole 239)


Share: