Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Rome (Agenzia Fides) - Cardinal Ivan Dias Prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelisation of Peoples and Archbishop Henryk Hoser, CEP secretary adjunct and president of the Pontifical Mission Societies, were both present at the opening session of the Annual General Assembly of the Pontifical Mission Societies on 3 - 8 May being held at Fraterna Domus in Sacrofano, just outside Rome. The assembly will conclude on 8 May, the opening day of an International Conference 'All the Churches for all the World' promoted by the Pontifical Missionary Union to mark the 50th anniversary of Pope Pius XII's Fidei Donum encyclical', (see Fides 21/4/2007).
The National Directors of the Pontifical Mission Societies gathered in Rome from all over the world will listen to reports on the past year's activity from the four PMS, secretaries general of Propagation of the Faith, St Peter Apostle, Holy Childhood and the Missionary Union and then examine subsidies requests from missionary territories and decide fair and equal distribution of the available funds.
In his opening address the president of the PMS Archbishop Hoser explained that his mission and activity as President is determined by two complementary elements: the PMS Statutes and regulations on the one hand and the events and situations of daily life, and the activity of the PMS and the CEP on the other. He recalled that one of his tasks is to administer the Domus Missionalis Foundation created recently by Pope Benedict XVI for the organisation and running of Pontifical Colleges belonging to the CEP, “in view of formative and economic optimisation suited to the needs of missionary activity”. Archbishop Hoser said the colleges offer valuable missionary formation particularly from three aspects: The Colleges reflect the universality of the Church with students coming from 50 different countries in a multicultural and multilingual environment. Student priests frequent Pontifical Universities in Rome which offer a vast choice of faculties, specialisation courses and opportunities for higher studies. He also recalled that each college represents an environment of community, life, prayer, work, a family where priests from different countries build bonds of friendship.
The Archbishop also spoke of the Universal Solidarity Fund its financial utility but most important its value as mark of the unity of faith, love and justice of members of the whole Church with all the local Churches in the communion of the universal Church, since the fund receives offerings from Catholics in every local Church in all the different countries of the world. Hence the principal value of the Fund is spiritual and ecclesial, since through the generosity of donors it builds up the universal Church.
In his address to those present Cardinal Ivan Dias Prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelisation of Peoples said he was extremely happy to take part in a general annual assembly of the Pontifical Mission Societies for the first time as Prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelisation of Peoples and he thanked the national directors for their hard work and told them that in his many travels around the world the people he meets always express deep gratitude for assistance received from the PMS. “We are here to serve the missionary Church” the Cardinal said reminding the national directors that their first task is not so much to collect offerings as to promote missionary animation: “Your hearts must be large enough to reach out to all regardless of the effort involved”. He urged them to carry out their mission responsibility and transparency. Responsibility above all before the Lord: “We must all realise that we are only the administrators of goods received ”. (RG) (4/5/2007 righe 28 parole 289)
