Missionary animation – Piero Gheddo, PIME –La missione continua, St.Paolo 2003, 370 p.
Missionaries are not oriented towards the reflection about their missionary work! They don’t think about their methods, own experience, initiatives for development, and impact on the Christian communities also in the socio-economical field. The only economical development is not enough for the people, they need the soul…
MISSIONARY ANIMATION
Deep conviction – the missionary ideal, the life of the young Churches, the examples of martyrs in the missions and the witness of missionaries are able to raise/ produce FAITH sentiments, LOVE – CHARITY inspirations, to give him/herself to others: to be able to re-evangelize own people!
19th century Church movements: Missionary – Social-charity movement – Devotional-spirituality movement (Eucharist, Mary, Sacred heart, Saints, Pilgrimages to the Sanctuaries)
20th century: growth of Italian missionaries in numbers: In 1934 – 4000, 1954 – 10.500, 2004-16.000! (Other countries in past 50 years – France: 22.000 – 11.000; Holand: 6000 – 2000; Germany 14.000 – 6.000; USA 15.000 – 7.000; statist - 1990)
Church is the universal sacrament of salvation (LG 1) – this should be supported by the fire of Love for Christ that announces Him to all the nations. Even the missionaries can easy loos their catholic – universal drive! (PCI case)
Not only the ‘collections for the mission work!” (Given to missions, is given to the Lord!)
Even in the Catholic press the missionaries are forgotten (RM – “Missionaries had written the best pages of the Congregation history!” But now the missionaries are seen more as social workers, working for the development of the people.
The roots of the ‘missionary spirit’ is the faith and love of Jesus Christ (CEI, 1998)
The most urgent activity and concern of the Church is the mission/ the missions!
Suggestions:
to make mature the missionary awareness – need to study (Ad Gentes, EN, RMi) – all the documents of pastoral formation, as the ‘missionary catechism’, especially the II and III Chapter of the RMi
to open the book of the missions (look at the life of many ad gentes missionaries)
make fruits of many available aids – missionary magazines, meetings with the missionaries, study – research centers etc.
Mother Theresa: “The greatest disgrace of the Indian people is that they don’t’ know Jesus Christ!”
Africa Synod: stated the main priority of the Church in Africa is to proclaim Jesus to the non Christians; BUT after the Synod this disappear from the Seminars on the EiA..
There is a schizophrenia between the MISSIONS and the THEOLOGICAL REFLECTION about the mission! There is a lack of mutual influence – the reflection does not reach the life of the missionaries and their voice is not considered by the theologians, thinkers. Also in the Missionary conventions the MISSIONARIES are not given the opportunity to talk, and only the intellectuals are speaking! For example the late Marcel Candia was never invited to talk! RMi 79 states: “the first objective of the missionary animation are the missionary vocations!” The narrative of the missionaries generate another missionary vocations! We can’t expect anything great in the Christian life, if there is not only lack of faith BUT also a lack of faith enthusiasm, the passion for the faith!
Some suggestions for the renewed missionary animation
To narrate the facts and lives of the missionaries – not only some episodes but really the long stories, how the missionary becomes inserted into the culture, the joys and difficulties of them. We should make them talk for a longer time, unless they are free to express their life experience, make them tell their stories
The joys of the missionaries: to make them talk WHY they can find deeper joy amidst so many difficulties in the missions! Especially the youth need to hear, to read the WITNESS of many called by the Lord to consecrate themselves for the sake of the missions – and how they remain faithful to this call – consecration, how they find their happiness.
Witness of the youngsters about the missionary vocation – need to launch the appeals, to remind, to provoke the youth on behalf of the vocation!
The value of the prayer for missions! It’s not taken for granted!
To be free from the idea, that the mission needs first money and then ant rest! It’s wrong – first the mission does need vocations, prayers, than all the rest – and also money!
To present some stories of the newly converted people to Christianity – what was their motivation, inspiration to become Catholic? What did they find new in the Church compared to their previous religious experience? – Unfortunately the majority of the Italians (=and not only!) still thinks in terms of rich – poor ONLY!
The negative influence of the animism on the life
Why the Gospel does foster the human development and the nations development? Why the non Christian religions does not contribute to the human development?
About the catechumen period in the missions: method and process of faith growth, maturation of faith and Christian life, education to the mission drive even before the baptism at the integral part of the Christian life.
Concrete examples of the Christian life and pastoral in the young Churches (creativity)
The missionary drive of the young Churches – to show why, and how the young Catholics are becoming straight after the baptism the missionaries in their own environment (part of the Legion of Mary in Korea,,, other ecclesial groups)
The missionary animation should become more propositive – less against something campaing, less advocacy against. Now the sense of life is at the center of attention, the culture of ‘accuse – critique’ is low…. We need the pedagogy of ‘sentiments – affection FOR’ (like the New age). We need to relaunch the cult of the martyrs and saint missionaries….
THE faith is strengthen when is given to others (RMi n.2)
Our Church is too much introvert – about 90% of all activities is towards the already practicing Catholics (in the parishes). These people are over-fat – over-nourished, but very poor missionaries – nothing for the non believers or not practicing catholics.
