Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Rome (Fides Service) - Albania, Lebanon, Philippines, Thailand, Argentina, Senegal, Kenya, Guinea Bissau: these countries have been the laps of the past two years of meetings between the Church in Italy and the Church in countries where Italian missionaries are active collaborators. On the agenda we have Congo (15-18 November) then Sudan, Syria, Indonesia, Papua Nuova Guinea. “These are meetings between two Bishops’ Conferences and the local Italian missionaries, rather than meetings only for missionaries” Mgr Giuseppe Andreozzi, National Director of Pontifical Mission Societies in Italy and Head of the Italian Bishops Conference’s CEI Office for Missionary Cooperation among Churches. “These are meetings of exchange among local Churches organised on behalf of the Italian Bishops’ Conference with the active involvement of the Presidents of the local Bishops’ Conference, Nunciatures, National PMS offices, representatives of local clergy and men and women religious and laity.”
The main objective is to assess the work of evangelisation in both local Churches and in which missionaries can serve as a bridge of sharing. “A standard meeting lasts 3 days but it can vary-Mons. Andreozzi told Fides -. Day one is for the missionary Church: the bishops and pastoral workers report on progress in evangelisation and emerging needs. On Day two the representatives of the Church in Italy illustrate evangelisation progress and missionary priorities in Italy and for Italy towards other countries. Day three is dedicated to study group reflection on missionary service in the mission Church, vocations, social programmes followed by Italian missionaries and their return to Italy. A final Message summarises the meeting and gives outlines the path of mission for both local Churches.”
The fact that the Church in Italy, founded on the testimony of the Apostles and with a long missionary history, (identified in many minds with Rome, the See of Peter and the Roman Curia), sets out to visit young Churches to compare notes on the work of evangelisation, listen to local mission experiences, very often is the cause of surprise, followed by availability, enthusiasm and satisfaction. “No one has ever said no -Mons. Andreozzi told Fides-, on the contrary, the opposite is often a problem. Local Churches would be only too happy to have another such experience in the near future. We aim to create continuity with other alternate initiatives”.
Many positive elements emerge from the meetings: greater appreciation for the presence of foreign missionaries, missionaries feel sustained in their work often difficult, re-discovery of missionary service and renewed reflection on New Evangelisation. Lastly, deeper awareness of the universality or Catholicity of the Church. It is also possible to see how the Church’s missionary activity differs according to the local situations: in Asia priorities include dialogue with other religions, new forms of poverty, missionary animation. In Africa confrontation with Islam - particularly in certain areas -, globalisation, poverty, inculturation. America needs to hold back the invasion of protestant sects, as it becomes ever more aware of mission ad Gentes. In Europe it is necessary to maintain past levels of missionary commitment and for the East, dialogue with the Orthodox.
“The initiative was born of the need to coordinate Italian missionaries who went to Albania after the fall of the wall, to meet the needs of the local Church which was starting up again. We had the idea of a holding a Forum of the Church in Italy and the Church in Albania. And we held four of them from 1998 to 2002. That positive experience was a laboratory from which emerged a model for other contexts where there might be urgent problems or situations of suffering in the life of the Church, a numerous presence of Italian missionaries, or where a missionary pastoral exchange might appear necessary. In 2001 in response to CEI Guidelines for the first Decade of 2000, “Communicating the Gospel in a Changing World”, a Meeting of Italian Diocesan Directors for Missionary Pastoral officially approved the proposal to hold these meetings between the Church in Italy and local Churches in mission territories which we are promoting.” (S.L.) (Agenzia Fides 23/7/2004; Righe 48 - Parole 684)
