Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Burgos (Fides Service ) – The Bishops’ Commission for Missions and cooperation among the Churches has organised a Mission Congress which will take place in Burgos (Spain) 18 to 21 September with the slogan “This is the hour of Mission”. The objectives include: carry out profound reflection on the missionary responsibility of the Church in Spain; identify new social and cultural areas for mission which need attention in Spanish dioceses; increase missionary awareness; make known the generous work of Spanish missionaries in mission territories. For in-depth preparation in the dioceses and missionary institutes the Commission has issued a Working Document and Pedagogical Guidelines.
During their 80th plenary assembly the Spanish Bishops gave special attention to the Mission Congress because one of the priorities of the present pastoral plan of the Church in Spain is to give new impulse to mission ad gentes.
The Congress will start on 18 September with a presentation by Archbishop Carlos Amigo, of Seville. This will be followed by the reading of a message from Pope John Paul II by the Nuncio to Spain Archbishop Manuel Monteiro di Castro. The opening conference “The Church and the challenge of mission today” by Archbishop Robert Sarah, Secretary of the Congregation for the Evangelisation of Peoples.
On Friday 19 there will be conferences by Archbishop Castro Quiroga of Tunja (Colombia) on “Situation of mission ad gentes in the Church”; Archbishop Carlos Osoro Sierra of Oviedo (Spain) su “theological foundations of mission ad gentes”, and around table discussion on “The Aims of mission ad gentes”. On Saturday 20 there will be the talks “Challenges of mission today ”, by Archbishop Estanislao E. Karlic of Parana (Argentina) and “Mission ad gentes, priority task of the Particular Churches” by Mgr Juan Esquerda Bifet, Professor of the Pontifical Urban University and a round table discussion on “the missionary ministry” aimed at highlighting the different forms of response to the missionary vocation starting from the ecclesial vocation proper to each Christian. The Congress will close on Sunday 21 September with a solemn celebration of the Eucharist presided by Cardinal Rouco Varela, Archbishop of Madrid and a closing ceremony. During the Congress several people will offer missionary witness and testimony to illustrate mission ad gentes today on every continent and highlight future prospects for evangelisation.
Preparations for the National Mission Congress, included National Days for Diocesan Mission Delegates 2 to 4 July and the general assembly of diocesan directors of Pontifical Mission Societies at Alcala de Henares (Madrid), which focussed on the National Mission Congress and missionary youth pastoral.
(R.G) (Fides Service 11/7/2003 - lines 37; words 470)
