Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Vatican City (Fides Service) - “Mission remains the most pressing urgency for the Church and there is nothing to show that the time for mission ad gentes is over. Indeed at this time in history, more than ever it is necessary to announce and proclaim God’s plan to save all humanity through Christ, the Son of God, made man, who died and is risen for us and is the sole mediator between God and mankind (1 Tim 2,5), present and living in his Church.” This passge was part of a message addressed by Cardinal Crescenzio Sepe, Prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelisation of Peoples to Archbishop Jaime Pedro Gonçalves of Beira and President of Mozambique, on the occasion of a meeting of Bishops’ Conferences of Portguese speaking countries in Maputo, capital of Mozambique (see Fides 31/8/2005).
“The Church is by nature missionary - the Cardinal wrote - and she lives this vocation when she realises this. Every Catholic can and must live this responsible communion with the universal mission of the Church. We find an encouraging missionary prospect today precisely in the many praiseworthy lay catechists, members of Church Movements and new Communities, missionary associations and families, men and women of great zeal and generosity committed in front line to proclaiming the Gospel. You, dear brother Bishops, as privileged witnesses of fruits of missionary activity maturing in the Church, be grateful and welcome these gifts of God, new carisma which are relaunching evangelisation in the world today and constitute an authentic “springtime of the Spirit”.
The meeting, the sixth of its kind, which brings together Bishops of Angola, Brazil, Cape Verde, Guinea-Bissau, Mozambique, Sao Tome and Principe, Portugal and East Timor, is held every five years. Its purpose is to offer the Catholic Bishops of all Portuguese speaking countries an opportunity to compare and share experience in the different local Churches and to promote evangelisation. (S.L.) (Agenzia Fides 9/9/2005 Righe: 26 Parole: 345)
