"Ad Gentes," at 40; Turin's Other Games
Mar 22, 2006
A mix of enthusiasm, experience and realism led the Rome conference which marked 40 years since the Second Vatican Council promulgated its decree on missionary activity, "Ad Gentes."
ROME, MARCH 16, 2006 (Zenit.org).- The event at the Urbanian University was presented by the Pontifical Congregation for Evangelization of the Peoples. Its apostolic visitor for Oceania, Cardinal George Pell of Sydney, told me how important the anniversary of the document is.
"It's possibly more significant today than it was 40 years ago," the Australian prelate told me, "because some people, especially in our modern Western world, wonder just how important it is to tell other people about Christ and hand on the message. It's central to Catholic life -- we've got something beautiful and true and it's part of the Catholic tradition to want to spread that. This, of course, is central to this document on the missions."
At the convention, some positive convictions along with concerns for missionary work became clear.
First, the universality of missionary activity has a new twist. Once upon a time it was the Europeans who went out to Africa, the Americas and Oceania. Now, those lands are returning the favor.
"About one century ago, practically all the men and women ministering in Africa came from other continents," said Archbishop Antoine Ntalou of Garoua, Cameroon.
Today, the situation is quite different.
"New missionaries from abroad," he said, "are fewer and fewer and, in fact, more and more foreign missionaries who've been in Africa for a long time are returning back to their dioceses or institutes for different reasons."
"The hour of truth has indeed come for the Church in Africa," said Archbishop Ntalou, 65. "It's now in a position to provide for its local needs and to take part in assisting in the evangelization of other continents."
Australia is facing the opposite situation. Once, it was Australians who went on mission to the islands and countries in the Pacific. Now, priests from these other places are increasingly going on mission to the island continent.
"Today an increasing number of those also come from Asia," Cardinal Pell reported. "For example, from Asia, Sri Lanka, India -- quite a number of them have relatives in Australia. Increasingly we have very strong groups of Catholics from the Philippines and at the moment we have three Australian Koreans studying for the priesthood in Sydney."
Vigorous growth in the once primary-mission lands comes at a price. Prelates from places such as Africa voiced concerns about a lack of solid formation for candidates to the priesthood.
"Of course, thorough training is vital, especially since the present generation is demanding holier priests," said Archbishop Ntalou, who along with his fellow bishops in Cameroon, is also making his five-yearly visit to Rome.
"We are still a young Church in Africa," he explained. "There is a lot of enthusiasm but we feel that we still lack some roots in our faith. So the need to deepen the faith with good catechesis is very urgent."
One way to remedy this, is to construct formation centers locally, or, according to Cardinal Pell, to send priests and religious away for higher study. "For example, there are three Papua New Guineans who are currently studying here at the Urban," he said.
Growing Churches in places such as Africa or Asia also face the problem of poverty. Many of the Churches aren't self-sufficient and many of their resources go toward the basic education and health needs of the people.
Yet, the conferees signaled that they have much hope in young people and their missionary endeavors -- even to one another.
Cardinal Joachim Meisner of Cologne, for instance, pointed out how last year's World Youth Day inspired the youth of Germany. And the "faith of the diverse group" that gathered in Cologne "continues to challenge and reinforce every pilgrim," he said.
Cardinal Pell hopes this "unity and overall transmission of Christ's love" will continue having that effect at World Youth Day 2008 in Sydney.
"I've been visiting a few European youth groups and inviting them over for the event," he told me. "We've also got a big contingent coming to Rome from Sydney for the handing over of the WYD cross on Palm Sunday."
The cross will then begin its missionary journey through Africa, then Asia, helping to set ignite the missionary spirit called for by "Ad Gentes."
"Ad Gentes," at 40; Turin's Other Games