EUROPE/ITALY - “The Good News travels without a passport” - The missionary path towards Holy Childhood Day, January 6, 2010

Wednesday, 18 November 2009

Rome (Agenzia Fides) - “The Good News travels without a passport” is the slogan that accompanies the preparation for the Holy Childhood Day, January 6, 2010, promoted by the National Directorate of the Pontifical Mission Societies (PMS) of Italy. “The Missionary Children guard and carry the Good News to the schools of Italy and other countries, not only to schools but to playgrounds, sports teams, parishes, city streets, music groups, and to every kind of encounter,” writes Fr. Gianni Cesena, National Director of the PMS, in presenting the initiative. Holy Childhood members do not ask for a passport, they are not the border police. Instead, they open their eyes, hands and hearts to meet with each person as Jesus did with the crowds of His time, without distinguishing whether or not someone was native or foreign, rich or poor, sick or healthy, men or women. He embraced them all.
Recalling the celebration of the Year for Priests, Fr. Andrea Rossi, invites reflection on the relationship between the priesthood and the universal mission of the Church: "In order for our children to believe in and live the universality of the Church and its missionary character, need to see in their parents, catechists, teachers, and especially in their priests, not just teachers, but witness to universality, missionary zeal, magnanimity, tolerance, and openness to diversity."
After presenting the "pillars" of Holy Childhood's service ("listen and learn, pray, share, show solidarity), the project proposed for the time of Advent is the implementation of the Advent Wreath, with concrete commitments in the four weeks preceding Christmas, and the celebration of the Christmas Novena of Children Missionaries. For the Christmas season, they re-propose the initiative known as the "Sowers of Stars," and the celebration of Holy Childhood Day, on the day of Epiphany. Finally, there is a presentation of the support projects being carried out in Africa, Asia, Latin America, and Oceania. (SL) (Agenzia Fides 18/11/2009)


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