VATICAN - Pontifical Society of St. Peter the Apostle: the mission needs the support of all the people of God

Saturday, 5 June 2021 pontifical mission societies  

Vatican City (Agenzia Fides) - With the closure of churches and the blocking of pastoral activities due to the health emergency, the National Directions of the Pontifical Mission Societies (PMS) have had to resort to other methods and new forms of activities to ensure animation and missionary formation, "sometimes with extraordinary results" said the Secretary General of the Pontifical Society of St. Peter the Apostle (POSPA), Fr. Guy Bognon, PSS, in his report to the PMS General Assembly. "It is clear to everyone - he added - that this pandemic condition has had repercussions on the International Solidarity Fund, which is used to respond to various requests for subsidies".
"Due to the health situation, most of the Seminaries had to close for several months, some of the Seminaries have organized distance training courses as an alternative, but without being able to achieve the planned training objectives, since priestly training it is not limited only to the intellectual dimension", underlined the General Secretary of POSPA. "Where it was not possible to use the internet connection, the seminarians stayed at home with their families, especially since the parishes were closed and the parish pastoral activities were almost non-existent. In other places, after a more or less long period of confinement, the Seminaries have reopened their doors, in compliance with safety regulations, in order to try to save the year and carry out the necessary evaluations to validate the training stage".
With the decrease in the funds made available already in the previous year, and given the impossibility of responding positively to all the requests for subsidies received by the General Secretariat, priority was given to the Ordinary Subsidies, essential for the maintenance of seminaries and the development of formation that is implemented there, noted Fr. Bognon. For the 2019-2020 academic year, POSPA sent Ordinary Subsidies to 745 Seminaries, where 75,365 candidates for the priesthood are formed.
In 2020, POSPA supported 403 Minor Seminaries, with 46,280 seminarians, with a total sum of USD 3,372,436.00.
To the 118 Preparatory Seminaries, where 5,146 candidates are trained, POSPA sent a total of USD 1,414,018.00. Also in 2020, POSPA supported 225 Major Seminaries for a total of 25,115 future priests, with a total of USD 11,239,667.00.
"Although priority is given first and above all to the formation of future priests in seminaries - continued the Secretary General -POSPA also looks to the formation of future men and women religious, who are indispensable agents of the evangelizing mission of the Church. The number of novitiates or houses of formation increases from year to year in the young Churches. In 2020, despite the difficulties due to the global health context, most of the communities of novitiates or houses of religious formation remained in their respective places in strict compliance with hygiene measures. POSPA sent subsidies to 1,200 female and male novitiates, contributing to the formation of 7,259 candidates of whom 4,794 female novices and 2,465 male novices. The sum made available to them was 1,244,366.00 USD". It should be noted that seminarians and novices actively and joyfully continue to carry out financial self-management initiatives.
Due to the decrease in available funds, last year POSPA was unable to meet the numerous requests for Extraordinary Subsidies received for the restructuring or construction of new Seminaries. The requests had been approved by the Assembly but they did not have the financial resources to pay them. Only in November, with the complete reception of the collections received in a second moment, it was possible to send some extraordinary subsidies. The total of Extraordinary Subsidies paid between November 2020 and March 2021 amounts to USD 2,108,224.61. Last year's projects remaining to be paid this year amount to a total of USD 1,534,900.00.
Following the pandemic, this year it was not possible to organize formation sessions for formators, while the scholarship program for future formators was carried out normally. A total amount of USD 542,050.00 has been allocated for this program. Catholic universities in Africa were supported as usual by POSPA, as well as the Episcopal Conferences and Ecclesiastical Provinces that have sent their request for diocesan priests. To the religious congregations of diocesan right that have applied for scholarships for their members who are preparing to become formators, POSPA has given 200,000 USD.
After noting that the financial consequences of the pandemic will take their toll with the decrease in resources also in the immediate future, the Secretary General of POSPA concluded by saying: "We give thanks to the Divine Providence that accompanies the mission and we congratulate the National Directions for the work carried out with courage in this year of pandemic keeping always high the flame of the mission of the Church in the world. This mission needs the spiritual and material support of all the people of God". (SL) (Agenzia Fides, 5/6/2021)


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