Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Vatican City (Agenzia Fides) - On occasion of the 1st West African Mission Congress promoted by the Regional Bishops’ Conference of French-speaking West Africa. CERAO, which opens today in Ouagadougou (Burkina Faso) and will conclude on 19 November, Cardinal Ivan Dias, Prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelisation of Peoples (CEP) addressed a message to the organisers and participants of this “event of great ecclesial importance”. On behalf of the CEP the Cardinal greets fraternally Archbishop Théodore Adrien Sarr of Dakar, CERAO president; Bishop Philippe Ouédraogo, president of the Bishops’ Conference of Burkina Faso and Niger and president of the CERAO Commission for Missions and the Pontifical Mission Societies; Archbishop Jean-Marie Compaoré who is hosting the event.
The work of the Congress which has the theme “You will be my witnesses to the ends of the earth. To carry my Word and gather together the dispersed children of God”, will tackle the question of the missionary vocation of the Particular Churches in this region of Africa. “You wish to offer a generous contribution to the evangelisation of your continent and the whole world - Cardinal Dias writes -, starting from the rich experience of your Catholic communities, giving rise new concrete and fruitful commitment to mission ad gentes”.
The Message of Cardinal Dias stresses the importance of the Congress, which he greets “with joy and hope”, which takes place a few weeks before the Continental Mission Congress to be held in Dar-es-Salaam, in the wake of the great missionary endeavours of the 19th century and the Special Assembly of the Synod of Bishops for Africa in 1994. Moreover various diocesan and national Synods demonstrate “the missionary dynamism of the local Churches” represented at the Congress. “You have gathered not to invent pastoral programmes and plans, but rather to renew yourselves and renew your way of being, living and bearing witness to the Gospel ”.
Cardinal Dias quotes Pope Benedict XVI’s Message for World Mission Sunday this year “God's love for every person constitutes the heart of the experience and proclamation of the Gospel, and those who welcome it in turn become its witnesses,” and he affirms “to frail man, subjected to the power of death, suffering and sin, God, rich in mercy, offers eternal life that all men and women may be saved and know the fullness of truth” . In the Message he underlines the essential steps of Christian initiation and the life-long process of learning to “be” in Christ until Christ is formed in us (cfr Gal 4,19). Following the steps of the catechumenate the ecclesial communities of this region of Africa were born and formed.
The work of the Congress will take an overall view of the history of mission and consider certain important elements: personal and community prayer, missionary formation, missionary animation and cooperation. “For the Congregation for the Evangelisation of Peoples - writes Cardinal Dias - missionary formation of apostolic personnel is a priority among priorities. Missionary spirit cannot grow unless bishops, priests, religious and lay people become increasingly aware that announcing the Gospel message is profoundly inscribed in their vocation as consecrated persons”.
The priority of missionary animation stems from the conviction that the Church is born of the Gospel, lives of the Gospel and has the duty to announce the Gospel of Salvation, the Prefect of Congregation for the Evangelisation of Peoples affirms. Renewing his encouragement for every initiative to increase the missionary spirit and give rise to missionary vocations in the region, Cardinal Dias concludes by asking the Lord to bless the Congress which he entrusts to the maternal love of Mary Queen of the Apostles and Mother of the Church . (S.L.) (Agenzia Fides 15/11/2006 - Righe 46, Parole 599)
