VATICAN - PMS Assembly: Pontifical Society for the Propagation of the Faith (PSPF)

Friday, 31 May 2019 pontifical mission societies missionary animation extraordinary missionary month

Fides

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Rome (Agenzia Fides) - "The task of the International Secretariat of the Pontifical Mission Society of the Propagation of the Faith (PSPF) is to coordinate the efforts of the Society in its support for the spread of the Good News of the Risen Lord, encouraging missionary animation at a local level and the prayer for the mission of the Church, as well as ensuring the equitable and responsible distribution of the goods collected each year by the People of God throughout the world and which are allocated for the Pope's Universal Solidarity Fund". This is what Fr. Tadeusz J. Nowak, OMI, Secretary General of POPF recalled in his report to the General Assembly of the Pontifical Mission Societies, presented yesterday, May 30 (see Fides, 24/05/2019).
Father Nowak, appointed Secretary in July last year for a five-year term, highlighted the harmony of a "missionary spirituality" constantly promoted by Pope Francis to arouse in the heart of all the baptized a deeper sense of missionary discipleship, with the charism of the PSPF according to the intuition of its founder Pauline Jaricot: "Our work strongly encourages the participation of all the faithful in the evangelizing mission of the Church, especially through prayer and charity". He then thanked the National Directors for their constant commitment to the missionary animation and formation of the local Churches through "many interesting and laudable initiatives" especially in view of the Extraordinary Missionary Month of October 2019.
Moving on to the economic aspect, Fr. Nowak recalled that the Universal Solidarity Fund is set up with World Mission Sunday collections and other offers collected especially by the National Directions. "In 2018 - he explained - significant decreases were recorded in certain parts of the world, while in other parts increases were recorded compared to the amounts recorded in 2017. In fact, this year the amount made available for the distribution of subsidies is about US $ 7,000,000.00 less than last year's amount. For this reason, responding to the needs expressed by the Ordinaries for extraordinary projects and subsidies for catechists was truly a great challenge".
The most significant drop, of € 5,013,443.20, was recorded in Europe. On the positive side there was an increase in funds raised in North America, with the United States of America registering a significant increase of US $ 2,131,000.00 compared to last year, as well as in French-speaking Canada, with a increase of US $ 85,915.36. The rest of the Americas recorded a decline of approximately US $ 685,989.08 but with four missing National Directions. Asia also registered a decrease in offers of US $ 479,007.17, while Africa recorded an increase of US $ 11,697.34.
After focusing on various aspects related to the 2019 Budget, the General Secretary of the PSPF informed that the total sum of the ordinary and extraordinary subsidies proposed in the 2019 Assembly is equal to US $ 64.463.745,37, distributed as follows: AFRICA US $ 38.051.255.37 (59.03%), AMERICA US $ 3.700.000,00 (5.74%), ASIA US $ 20.138.050,00 (31.24%), EUROPE US $ 228.540,00 (0, 35%), OCEANIA US $ 2,345,900.00 (3.64%).
Given the importance of greater transparency and financial responsibility, the Secretary General invited the National Directors of the countries that receive extraordinary subsidies "to organize pastoral visits to some places where these projects are being carried out. First of all, these visits would serve to encourage the beneficiaries to grow in missionary discipleship, in prayer and in charity for missions. Secondly, it would be an opportunity to observe the progress of the projects and be able to offer a brief reflection in this regard to the Secretary General. It would be very appropriate for such visits to be made at random, always having the pastoral objective as a priority".
"Despite the significant decrease in the number of offers registered last year in Europe and in some parts of America and Asia - concluded Fr. Nowak - we are comforted and full of hope that the celebration of the Extraordinary Missionary Month will bring about a fruitful reversal of trend". (SL) (Agenzia Fides, 31/5/2019)