Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Roma (Agenzia Fides) - The National Office for the Pastoral Care of Italians abroad of the Fondazione Migrantes, in collaboration with National Coordinators of Italian Missionaries in emigration, promoted a Symposium on the theme “Missio ad migrantes. Prophecy in the local Churches?” to be held 25 to 28 June in Nice, France. The symposium is the culmination of articulated work by theologians and missionaries. In over a century of presence among Italians abroad three thousand chaplains, 536 in service today, have accompanied the human and spiritual experience of millions of Italian expatriates all over the world.
The preparatory stage of the Symposium in Nice involved ten experts on pastoral care of Italian emigrants abroad, coordinated by Rev Domenico Locateli, director of the National Migrantes Office, who considered from an ecclesiological and ethical viewpoint - the experience of communities of Italians in different parts of the world. Their contributions were made available to a group of theologians who took on the task of identifying theological difficulties and offer reflection on the matter. Prof. Tihon will speak on the ecclesiological-pastoral aspect (“Le comunità cristiane e la convivenza umana” Christian community and human co-existence), Prof. Lorizio on the fundamental theological aspect (“Il migrante come locus theologicus: identità credente e dinamismo della tradizione- the migrant as locus theologicus: believer identity and the dynamism of tradition ) and Prof. Krienke in a ethical-social key (“Staticità delle strutture e dinamica delle migrazioni” Static nature of structure and dynamics of migration). The Symposium in Nice will be an opportunity to discuss the material collected and the prospects for this field of pastoral. (S.L.) (Agenzia Fides 22/6/2007, righe 20, parole 263)
