Agenzia Fides REPORT -“Necessary and urgent” need for commitment to ad gentes mission in younger Churches, e.g. Africa: SECAM/CCEE Seminar begins
"Not only ourselves as bishops, but also priests, religious, and laity are all disciples that the Lord sends out today to go beyond their world to bring Jesus Christ to all people. Everyone has their own vocation, but we are all responsible for the mission of the Church." This is what was pointed out by Cardinal Josip Bozanic, Archbishop of Zagreb and Vice-President of the CCEE (Council of European Bishops' Conferences), in his address at the opening of the Seminar on the theme: “New Situation of the Ad Gentes Mission. Exchanges of Priests and Pastoral Agents and Training Vocations” in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, from November 10 -14, 2010. The event is organized by the Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar (SECAM/SCEAM) and the CCEE (see Fides 5/11/2010).Having traced the history of the seminar, after the First Symposium CCEE/SECAM in 2004, Cardinal Bozanic illustrated the theme of this third symposium, recalling that "in times of great mobility of people, even Christians become migrants and often need to have priests with them who speak their language and are in their midst." Another aspect of the exchange of persons engaged in the mission of the Church is the theme of vocations: "Europe is losing, in so many places, the strength of its faith that once took thousands of missionaries around the world,” said the Cardinal. “Then we come knocking on the door of the most vibrant diocese in Africa for help. There are many African priests who live as missionaries in Europe. In addition to those living in Europe for studies." In this sense, he emphasized the need to "be careful that theology, as the study of faith, does not become an ideology and is always faithful to the doctrine of the Church, capable of interpreting the Word of God for people today." Thus, even Europeans go to Africa for various reasons, and "it would be good that they have a living faith, so as to share it with their African brothers in such a way that they return to Europe, as often happens, with a deeper faith and firmer and, therefore, more powerful hope."Cardinal Theodore Adrien Sarr, Archbishop of Dakar, First Vice-President of SECAM, in his Introduction, first expressed the joy "of offering African and Christian hospitality to participants in this third SECAM/CCEE seminar," and, referring to the theme of the seminar, which takes into consideration the people called "apostolic workers", "pastoral agents," he said, "We are aware that the mission, by divine will, cannot be achieved without the assistance of human beings. We especially want to consider their training and their vocation, this divine calling that is at the heart of their commitment to fulfilling the mission." The Second Vatican Council clearly affirmed the Church's missionary nature, and the work of this seminar will provide reasons for reflection. However, continued Cardinal Sarr, we reiterate now, "that the Church was, is, and will be missionary anytime, anywhere." “So too, even the younger churches, such as those in Africa, should cultivate a sense of mission and commitment,” reaffirmed the Cardinal. “The missionary activity that made their foundation possible, should continue in them for their growth in quantity and quality, for the maturing of the faith, and for the Christian life of their members. At the same time they must themselves become protagonists of the announcement of Jesus Christ and his Gospel to men and women who do not yet know him, in their own land and in other lands and foreign countries." Cardinal Sarr then mentioned the “necessary and urgent” need for commitment to the mission ad gentes and ad extra of the younger Churches, such as those of Africa, considering the situation of the older churches, such as those in Europe, who are facing the serious challenge of secularization and post-modernity.In a message sent to participants at the seminar, Cardinal Ivan Dias, Prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples, which was to be represented by its Secretary, Archbishop Robert Sarah, recently appointed President of the Pontifical Council Cor Unum, said that "the new situation of the Mission Ad Gentes is now a real priority and a true pastoral urgency. The question of exchange among apostolic workers, the problems of training and vocations, show an important necessity." The Cardinal also expressed the concern of the Missionary Congregation for the situation of several African priests who perform their ministry or are in Europe without the consent of their bishop, in the hope that concrete proposals emerge from the seminar to regulate this situation, as "the unity of the Church, the communion of the Church, is the condition for achieving the Mission." Insisting that "the Church cannot excuse herself from missionary activity...whose main task is to proclaim Christ," Cardinal Dias said that "human development, although an integral part of evangelization, cannot and should not in any way take priority over the primary mission of the Church or make her lose her essential meaning." http://www.fides.org/aree/news/newsdet.php?idnews=27784&lan=eng
"Not only ourselves as bishops, but also priests, religious, and laity are all disciples that the Lord sends out today to go beyond their world to bring Jesus Christ to all people. Everyone has their own vocation, but we are all responsible for the mission of the Church." This is what was pointed out by Cardinal Josip Bozanic, Archbishop of Zagreb and Vice-President of the CCEE (Council of European Bishops' Conferences), in his address at the opening of the Seminar on the theme: “New Situation of the Ad Gentes Mission. Exchanges of Priests and Pastoral Agents and Training Vocations” in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, from November 10 -14, 2010. The event is organized by the Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar (SECAM/SCEAM) and the CCEE (see Fides 5/11/2010).Having traced the history of the seminar, after the First Symposium CCEE/SECAM in 2004, Cardinal Bozanic illustrated the theme of this third symposium, recalling that "in times of great mobility of people, even Christians become migrants and often need to have priests with them who speak their language and are in their midst." Another aspect of the exchange of persons engaged in the mission of the Church is the theme of vocations: "Europe is losing, in so many places, the strength of its faith that once took thousands of missionaries around the world,” said the Cardinal. “Then we come knocking on the door of the most vibrant diocese in Africa for help. There are many African priests who live as missionaries in Europe. In addition to those living in Europe for studies." In this sense, he emphasized the need to "be careful that theology, as the study of faith, does not become an ideology and is always faithful to the doctrine of the Church, capable of interpreting the Word of God for people today." Thus, even Europeans go to Africa for various reasons, and "it would be good that they have a living faith, so as to share it with their African brothers in such a way that they return to Europe, as often happens, with a deeper faith and firmer and, therefore, more powerful hope."Cardinal Theodore Adrien Sarr, Archbishop of Dakar, First Vice-President of SECAM, in his Introduction, first expressed the joy "of offering African and Christian hospitality to participants in this third SECAM/CCEE seminar," and, referring to the theme of the seminar, which takes into consideration the people called "apostolic workers", "pastoral agents," he said, "We are aware that the mission, by divine will, cannot be achieved without the assistance of human beings. We especially want to consider their training and their vocation, this divine calling that is at the heart of their commitment to fulfilling the mission." The Second Vatican Council clearly affirmed the Church's missionary nature, and the work of this seminar will provide reasons for reflection. However, continued Cardinal Sarr, we reiterate now, "that the Church was, is, and will be missionary anytime, anywhere." “So too, even the younger churches, such as those in Africa, should cultivate a sense of mission and commitment,” reaffirmed the Cardinal. “The missionary activity that made their foundation possible, should continue in them for their growth in quantity and quality, for the maturing of the faith, and for the Christian life of their members. At the same time they must themselves become protagonists of the announcement of Jesus Christ and his Gospel to men and women who do not yet know him, in their own land and in other lands and foreign countries." Cardinal Sarr then mentioned the “necessary and urgent” need for commitment to the mission ad gentes and ad extra of the younger Churches, such as those of Africa, considering the situation of the older churches, such as those in Europe, who are facing the serious challenge of secularization and post-modernity.In a message sent to participants at the seminar, Cardinal Ivan Dias, Prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples, which was to be represented by its Secretary, Archbishop Robert Sarah, recently appointed President of the Pontifical Council Cor Unum, said that "the new situation of the Mission Ad Gentes is now a real priority and a true pastoral urgency. The question of exchange among apostolic workers, the problems of training and vocations, show an important necessity." The Cardinal also expressed the concern of the Missionary Congregation for the situation of several African priests who perform their ministry or are in Europe without the consent of their bishop, in the hope that concrete proposals emerge from the seminar to regulate this situation, as "the unity of the Church, the communion of the Church, is the condition for achieving the Mission." Insisting that "the Church cannot excuse herself from missionary activity...whose main task is to proclaim Christ," Cardinal Dias said that "human development, although an integral part of evangelization, cannot and should not in any way take priority over the primary mission of the Church or make her lose her essential meaning." http://www.fides.org/aree/news/newsdet.php?idnews=27784&lan=eng
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