VATICAN - Annual General Meeting of the Pontifical Mission Societies opens tomorrow in Rome

Vatican City (Fides Service) - Tomorrow 4 May Cardinal Crescenzio Sepe, prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelisation of Peoples and president of the Supreme Committee of the Pontifical Mission Societies Crescenzio Sepe, will open the annual general assembly of the Pontifical Mission Societies at the Pala Cavicchi in Ciampino (Rome). This annual May meeting brings together 114 national directors of the Pontifical Mission Societies from all over the world. According to the Statutes of the Pontifical Mission Societies (art.37), the Assembly “has two parts, one pastoral and the other administrative. The first consists in the study of missiological, pastoral and organisation aspects indicated and approved earlier by the general assembly. The second is dedicated to assessment of proposals made by the General Secretariats for the assignment of subsidies”.
This year the first part of the assembly 4 to 6 May will consist of “Pastoral Days” focusing this year on ‘Intercultural Inculturisation’. From 8 to 12 May the Assembly will listen to reports by the four General Secretaries of the four Pontifical Mission Societies on activity in the past twelve months and then discuss the financial situation of the Societies and requests for assistance received. The work of this session will be opened by the President of the Pontifical Mission Societies Archbishop Henryk Hoser. At some point during the Assembly the participants will have an audience with Pope Benedict XVI. (S.L.) (Agenzia Fides 3/5/2006 - Righe 18; Parole 217)