Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Rome (Fides Service) - “This was truly an international Congress with the participation of delegations from 50 Bishops' Conferences from all over the world which meant a broad sharing of experience. Great attention was given to missionary activity to make it more participated, more co-responsibility. The local Churches took the courage to assess, revise, reshape and re-launch their activity of evangelisation at home and abroad in a spirit of communion among the Churches. Therefore I think this Congress has been a communication of experience but above all it shed light on the urgent necessity to reconsider all the different aspects of the issue: on the one hand formation, ecclesiology, on the other Fidei Donum must be helped to acquire full authenticity in the context of the evangelisation of the world today. I think this Congress reached its purpose”: with these words Fr. Vito del Prete, Secretary General of the Pontifical Missionary Union summarised for Fides the conclusions of the International Congress held 9-11 May to mark the 50th anniversary Encyclical Fidei Donum.
In the final session of the Congress, in the afternoon of Friday 11 May there was the reading of a first draft of the principal conclusions and final message, prepared by Fr. José Ramón Villar, Dean of the theology faculty at Navarra University, Spain, who said among other things "that ‘prophetic intuition’ of Pius XII (cfr RM n. 68) was a seed which has grown strong in the Church. Fidei Donum priests and lay persons are truly the Lord's gift to his Church to gave new impulse to mission at the beginning of the 21st century". Moreover "local Church's sending Fidei Donum priests and lay persons is an operative sign of communion among Churches" said Fr Villar recalling that “the Fidei Donum experience is specifically an ecclesial sending of priests and lay personnel as co-operation among the Churches”. During the Congress it emerged that the Fidei Donum experience had brought much benefit “it has intensified fraternal, concrete and profound communion among the Churches, fostered a spirit of mission and evangelisation in local Churches, and a richer life more in keeping with the Gospel in the members of the People of God more aware of the missionary dimension of their vocation”. Therefore "Fidei Donum personnel are a necessary dimension to achieve mission ad gentes".
Since for a Christian mission ad gentes is not an option, it is necessary to intensify the missionary formation for the People of God, priests especially. "Although not all go on mission, all must live in a state of mission" we read in the conclusions. The experience of these five decades underlined the need to give more attention to certain essential aspects of the sending of Fidei Donum mission personnel, such as the motivation of the one sent, adequate discernment, in order to know and to live, a process to be facilitated by the local bishop and clergy. Also important fluid and continual contact between the sending and receiving bishops and Churches. The congress participants expressed the wish that a Synod of Bishops might be dedicated to the subject of missionary activity.
Archbishop Henryk Hoser, president of the Pontifical Mission Societies thanked those who organised the congress, and urged the participants “to share the results of the Congress, to carry with them the fruits of the Congress, to be witnesses of this powerful and enriching event". The Congress concluded with the celebration of Mass presided by Archbishop Hoser. (RG) (Agenzia Fides 12/5/2007; righe 45, parole 645)
