Consulta mondiale 2010-6

Contributo - Feedback on Consulta 2008

ING - Fr.Paul Vadakumpadan

1. DICASTERO PER LE MISSIONI

• The three dimensions of PG, Mis and CS are fundamentally related. However, mission ad gentes, as understood by Vatican II (AG 6) brings in an element that tends to be undervalued in our discussions. The purpose of missionary activity, teaches the Council, is the evangelization and the implanting of the church among peoples or groups in which it has not yet taken root. This understanding does not exhaust the concept of mission and has in fact, been further developed by documents like Evangelii Nuntiandi and Redemptoris Missio. Yet, it is certainly an aspect that is important and has its own exigencies. It should be possible for the Salesian mission to make these exigencies its own. The fact that Salesians have been remarkably successful as frontline missionaries of the church only proves the point. Our Constitutions, art. 30 is sufficiently clear and precise on this point.

• Specificity of mission ad gentes for Salesians: I feel it is the Salesian style or methodology of doing mission that we ought to emphasize while dealing with specificity. Our task is not to specify mission ad gentes for Salesians, but to specify Salesian identity at the service of mission ad gentes. Preference for the young and the poor, and Salesian loving kindness immediately stand out in this process.

• Given the fact of large scale de-Christianization even in traditionally Christian countries, mission ad gentes touches the ministry of every Salesian wherever he finds himself. At the same time Vatican II concept of missio ad gentes, traditionally considered as ad exteros and ad vitam, and therefore a special call addressed to some is legitimate and relevant. The two need not be seen in contrast. They are, in fact, complementary. Soon after the Council, the great missiologist, Fr. Joseph Masson had warned against the danger of everyone being missionary ending up as no one being missionary (Cf. La Missione Continua, p.69).

• Evangelisation is understood today in a much broader sense, following Evangelii Nuntiandi. It includes Christian witness, proclamation of Christ, sacramental celebration, liberation, gospel-culture encounter etc. Missio ad gentes in the restricted sense is one element in this broad understanding of evangelization.

• Courses conducted at the international level suffer from a language problem. Many confreres attending such courses have limited knowledge of Italian. Most Salesians in the world today speak either Spanish or English. Courses could be conducted in one of these two languages alternately. Salesian resource personnel are available across the globe in these languages. We do not need to depend only on professors in Rome. Moreover, as far as a contextualized missiology is concerned, persons coming from various parts of the world will have more relevant material to offer. I would be happy to help in courses conducted in English.

• Moreover, the Holy Land may be a better venue for such programmes than Rome. Secularism and liberalism have become such prominent traits of modern Rome that we need the microscope to see religious Rome. Perhaps, a short training programme in such a heavily secularized context is not really helpful. Secularism, relativism, liberalism are not the main problems for the rest of the world. As a matter of fact, at the moment I am dealing with what I call the problem of over-religiosity among the people whom I minister to.

• There is a need to constantly return to the basic teachings of the church on mission as contained in Ad Gentes, Evangelii Nuntiandi and Redemptoris Missio. We need to reflect on their doctrinal richness and the particular challenges they place before us in our Salesian context.

• Domisal has not picked up in our province. The idea itself has not found many takers.

• Given the size and universal presence of our congregation, qualified confreres are available to assist the dicastero, but this resource must be identified and better utilized.

• What would be the nature of the specific works that confreres could be called upon to do at the Dicastero for limited periods of time?

• Mission must characterize everything that the church does. At the same time mission ad gentes, understood as the first proclamation or the first evangelization in a context where Christ the Saviour is unknown (or known and rejected), has a particularity of its own. As such it is relevant and challenging. It calls for special gifts and appropriate preparation in methodology of mission, spirituality and culture.

• I have known several missionaries working among small ethnic groups. They seem to find a great sense of fulfilment in their ministry.

• The term missionary province may be dated, now that we speak of the whole world as mission territory.

2. VOCAZIONE MISSIONARIA

• Human maturity is an absolute requirement, not only in some missions, but everywhere. Grace builds on nature. Perhaps, in the past we emphasized too much the supernatural and under-emphasized the natural. A person who cannot live in peace with his confreres does not become a great missionary when left alone with people just because he does a lot of work for them. If he does certain works well, he is just a good functionary, not necessarily a good missionary.

• Unstable socio-political situations can contribute increasingly to frustration. Terrorism, violence, extortion etc. can demoralize even well meaning people. Merely glorifying it under the guise of martyrdom, sometimes not even that, but just taking confreres in such situations for granted and ignoring them, can add to demoralization. There are individual confreres who will not be easily defeated by such circumstances. But it is not a wise policy to expect heroism from everyone.

• On-line courses, correspondence courses etc. may be useful in acquiring a degree. What is more important for missionaries already in the field is to come together for shared reflection on their experience in the light of scripture and church teaching. The fact that some of our men have failed as missionaries need not be taken as failure of the congregation or province.

• I have published a textbook of Missiology, entitled Missionaries of Christ: A Basic Course in Missiology. I would be happy to make it available to those interested.

3. ANIMAZIONE MISSIONARIA

• In our province, missionary outreach has been traditionally seen as the reason for many, if not most of our works. In such a context, animation of the province is almost synonymous with missionary animation. Hence the role of DIAM may appear superfluous.

• In some places one confrere is fulfilling many different roles. He has no time, means or competence for all these works. Obviously, some of these appointments are just nominal.

• Cagliero 11 does not reach many of our communities, given the limited reach of internet. Even electricity is not available everywhere.

• Volontariato missionario may not be relevant/convenient everywhere.

4. SOLIDARIETA MISSIONARIA

• The Indian government is offering financial assistance in a big way to social service organisations especially for education and skills development. The project is known as Public Private Partnership (PPP). While dealing with the government poses many problems, we should still use these possibilities as far as possible.

Fr. Paul Vadakumpadan SDB

Sacred Heart College

Shillong.