Pope: missionary work renews the Church, restores the faith
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis says it is not the Church that carries out a mission, but the mission itself that makes the Church pointing out that: “the mission is not the tool but the starting point and the end”.
The Pope was addressing participants of the XIX Plenary Assembly of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples in the Vatican on Thursday morning.
The theme of the Plenary is “Missionary awareness and young Churches 50 years after the Ad Gentes Decree” and it marks the 50th anniversary of the “Ad Gentes” conciliar Decree on the Missionary activity of the Church.
Receiving participants of the Plenary on the feast day of St. Francis Xavier, Patron of the Missions, Pope Francis, recalled his just concluded apostolic trip to Africa where – he said – he had first hand witness of the “spiritual and pastoral dynamism of many young Churches of the Continent, as well as the serious difficulties in which most of the population lives”.
“I have seen that where there are needs, there is almost always a presence of the Church ready to heal the wounds of the most needy, in whom they recognize the wounded and crucified body of the Lord Jesus. How many works of charity, of promoting human dignity! How many anonymous good Samaritans work every day in the missions!” he said.
The Pope then spoke of the “evangelizing nature of the Church which always begins by evangelizing herself” by listening to the Word of the Lord which never disappoints because it is founded on the grace of the Holy Spirit.
And quoting from the “Ad Gentes” Conciliar Decree the Pope said: “it is the mission of the Son and the mission of the Holy Spirit that the Church, according to the plan of God the Father, derives its origin”.
And he explained that the Church is servant of the mission, and that “the mission is not the tool, but the starting point and the end”.
Pope Francis also mentioned the fact that the Council has recently carried out a survey on the vitality of the young Churches in order to make its work more effective.
He spoke of the ambiguity faced by some today in the experience of the faith pointing out that the secular world, even when it is warm to the gospel values of love, justice, peace and sobriety, does not show the same openness to the person of Jesus, does not consider Him the Messiah or the Son of God, but an enlightened man, separating therefore “the message from the messenger, the gift from the Giver”.
In this situation of detachment – he said – , “missio ad gentes” serves as engine and horizon of faith.
And he encouraged the Church “to come out to proclaim the Gospel to all, in all places, in all occasions, without delay, without repulsion and without fear”.
The Pope said mission is a force capable of transforming the Church within itself even before the life of peoples and cultures.
He urged each parish to embrace the style of “missio ad gentes” so that the Holy Spirit may transform habitual believers into disciples, disaffected disciples into missionaries” drawing them away from their fears and closures, projecting them in all directions, to the ends of the world”.
The Pope recalled that four centuries ago, Pope Gregory XV instituted “Propaganda Fide” which took the name of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples in 1967 and said that just as the Church renews itself so must the congregation.
He encouraged all present to continue to be committed to the spirit of mission and always “listen to the cry of the poor and distant, meet everyone and proclaim the joy of the gospel”.
Pope Francis concluded his address thanking those present for their work of missionary animation and cooperation, with which they remind all churches of the danger of atrophy if they close their horizons.
He encouraged communities to continue to be generous even in moments of vocational crisis and to allow their priests in sister churches to serve churches in need in other parts of the world.
“Let us be inspired by the power of the Gospel and the Holy Spirit; to emerge from our enclosures, emigrate from territories where sometimes we are tempted to close ourselves, so we will be able to walk and sow further and further” he said.