Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Vatican City (Agenzia Fides) - An international congress on Fidei Donum with the title “All the Churches for all the World” will be opened on May 9 by Cardinal Ivan Dias, Prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelisation of Peoples. An illustration of the work method by Fr Vito del Prete, PIME, secretary general of the Pontifical Missionary Union which organised the congress will be followed by reports on “Fidei Donum revisited in the light of Vatican II and post-conciliar missionary Magisterium ” (Prof. José Ramon Villar); “Urgency and necessity of Missio Ad Gentes ad extra, in the model of communion among the Churches” (Card. Gaudencio B. Rosales, Archbishop of Manila-Filippine); “ Fidei Donum Fifty years of history ” (Fr. Michel Dujarier, SMA); “Fidei Donum in Latin America ” (Fr. Luigi Sartorel).
On the second day May 10 in the morning there will be two conferences: “Elements to reconfigure the identity of Fidei Donum personnel and formative paths” (Bishop Hubert Bucher of Bethlehem-South Africa) and “Necessity for national co-ordination of Fidei Donum personnel for common mission planning among sending Churches and hosting Churches ” (Bishop Giuseppe Betori, Secretary general of the Italian Bishops' Conference). In the afternoon there will be study groups and assembly discussion.
Friday 11 May Archbishop Henryk Hoser, President of the Pontifical Mission Societies will speak on “Scarcity of structures in young Churches for formation, sending and support for local Fidei Donum personnel: what can be done?”. To follow there will be study groups, assembly discussion, a summary of the meeting and a closing concelebration of the Eucharist presided by the new President of the Italian Bishops' Conference, Archbishop Angelo Bagnasco. Pope Benedict XVI who will be on a pastoral visit to Brazil while the conference is taking place will receive the national directors of the Pontifical Mission Societies and Italian Fidei Donum personnel in an audience on 5 May. (S.L.) (Agenzia Fides 21/4/2007; righe 23, parole 302)
