EUROPE/ITALY - “Communion co-responsibility for Mission”: National Mission Congress 27 to 30 September aims to help the Church in Italy renew its missionary spirit

Thursday, 16 September 2004

Rome (Fides Service) - ‘Communion and Co-responsibility’ is the title of a National Mission Congress organised by the Italian Bishops Conference’s Office for Missionary Cooperation in Montesilvano, Pescara 27 to 30 September. The theme indicates the goal of the Congress: to help the Christian community, parishes especially, realise that mission is not reserved for a few experts, it is a responsibility for every baptised persons and so the entire community is called to open itself to universality, co-ordinating available energies, identifying new paths of formation and maturation in the faith in a missionary key. Precisely for this mission the Congress is not only for missionaries and missionary groups it is open to catechists, animators of liturgy, parishioners involved in charity work, representatives of church movements and voluntary work.
The opening address will be given by Bishop Flavio Roberto Carraro, Bishop of Verona who is President of the Bishops’ Commission for Missions. Whereas the Prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelisation of Peoples, Cardinal Crescenzio Sepe will preside the opening Mass. Cardinal Dionigi Tettamanzi, Archbishop of Milan; Mgr. Giuseppe Betori, Secretary general of the Italian Bishops’ Conference and Mr Christian Sina Diatta Senegalese minister for scientific research are among the speakers at the Congress. The participants will hear “the voices of the Church on the different continents” from bishops, missionaries, active laity and young people from Africa, Asia, Oceania, America, Europe. In workshops they will reflect on the themes proposed and formulate proposals. The Congress will close with a concelebration of the Eucharist and the sending of missionaries presided by Bishop Renato Corti, Bishop of Novara who is Vice president of the Bishops’ Conference and the proclamation of a “Message to the Churches in Italy”. Fides will shortly publish an interview on the Congress with Mgr. Giuseppe Andreozzi, Director of the Bishops’ Office for Missionary Cooperation and National Director of the Pontifical Mission Societies. (S.L.) (Agenzia Fides 16/9/2004; Righe 24, Parole 311)


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