EUROPE/GERMANY - New national director of Pontifical Mission Societies-Munich takes office. For Cardinal Wetter, Germany needs to “renew its spirit of mission”.

München (Agenzia Fides) - The new national director of Pontifical Mission Societies-Munich-Germany Father Eric Englert OSA, appointed last October 16 by Cardinal Crescenzio Sepe, Prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelisation of Peoples, officially took office on 17 May. At the time of his appointment Father Englert an Augustinian, aged 52, was provincial Superior of his Order in Germany after working for some years as a missionary in Congo. He takes the place of Mgr. Konrad Lanchenmayr,71, head of the Pontifical Mission Societies Germany-Munich (missio München) for 12 years.
During the Mass to welcome the new National Director, Cardinal Wetter, Archbishop of München-Freising, said that Germany needs “to renew its missionary spirit” and addressing the out-going National Director, the Cardinal thanked Mgr. Lachenmayer for always “presenting German Catholics with an enthusiastic picture of the young Churches”. For his part Mgr Lachenmayer underlined that “however necessary aid for development or interreligious dialogue may be they are never as important as proclaiming the Good News of Jesus Christ”. (MS) (Agenzia Fides, 18/5/2004 - 18 righe, 220 parole)