AMERICA/ARGENTINA - " Pastoral ministry should always be missionary," Pope Francis’ message to his brother Argentinian bishops

Thursday, 18 April 2013

Buenos Aires (Agenzia Fides) - "Mission is key to ministry. We have to go out into the deep outskirsts of existence". This is what Pope Francis said in his letter to the Bishops of Argentina who are gathered in their Plenary Assembly.
After apologizing for his absence due to "recent commitments," Pope Francis recalls the missionary efforts in the light of the Gospel: "A Church that does not go out of itself, sooner or later, sickens from the stale air of closed rooms. Pope Francis went on to concede that at times, like anyone else, in going out the Church risks running into accidents. But he added “I prefer a thousand times over a Church of accidents than a sick Church”. Pope Francis said that the Church typically suffers from being self-referential, of only looking to and relying on itself. He spoke of a “narcissism that leads to a routine spirituality and convoluted clericalism” and prevents people from experiencing the sweet and comforting joy of evangelization."
The letter, sent to Fides by the Episcopal Conference, is written in a very fraternal manner because at the end he asks: to pray "so that I do not grow proud and always know how to listen to what God wants and not what I want ". (CE) (Agenzia Fides 18/04/2013)


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