AFRICA/TOGO - Father Luigi Maccalli: authentic missionary, hero of faith

Friday, 20 September 2019

SMA

Kara (Agenzia Fides) - "There is no missionary activity without sacrifice and the ultimate gift of oneself. A missionary who does not give a free gift of his life for the fundamental cause of the Gospel cannot be called such. Father Luigi Maccalli, of the Society for African Missions, kidnapped in Niger on September 17th 2018, and many other missionaries in the world are the very principle of missionary activity". This is how Fr. Donald Zagore, Fr. Maccalli’s confrere, sees and lives the missionary spirit, recalling the abduction of Father Maccalli, who has been in the hands of kidnappers for a year.
"When a missionary offers his life and also dies to make the good news of the Gospel triumph, he becomes a hero of faith and mission. Fr. Luigi Maccalli is a hero of the mission", continues Zagore.
"The strongest and most difficult experiences, like the one currently being experienced by Fr. Gigi, far from creating fear and doubt, must open the spirit of the young generations to the fundamental truth of missionary commitment. Today - explains the Togolese missionary - the dynamics of sacrifice that fundamentally nourishes missionary activity is increasingly relegated to the background. Many are missionaries in name only, while in the concrete of daily life they remain confined to their comfort. Missionary life is not embraced to seek honor, power, glory. Missionary life means witnessing the Gospel and above all Christ who died and rose for the salvation of all, even at the risk of life. The sacrifice that Fr. Maccalli is offering is worthy of an authentic missionary. Our commitment is to continue praying so that his faith may become the instrument of conversion and repentance of his kidnappers. God also writes straight on the crooked lines of life", he concludes. (DZ/AP) (Agenzia Fides, 20/9/2019)


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