Aparecida 378-379: National Organization and Missionaries Abroad

Some tasks for the future. First, some national organization for formation in the missionary spirit:

378. We want to urge local churches to support and organize national missionary centers and to act in close collaboration with the Pontifical Missionary Societies and other church aid ventures, whose importance and dynamism for inspiring and aiding mission we acknowledge and for which we give heartfelt thanks. As we mark the fiftieth anniversary of the encyclical Fidei Donum, we thank God for the men and women missionaries who came to our continent and are today present in it, giving testimony to the missionary spirit of their local churches as they are sent by them.

Second, discernment for disciples heading to other nations and regions to spread the faith and give it away:

379. It is our desire that this Fifth Conference will prompt many disciples in our churches to go out and evangelize on the “other shore.” Faith is strengthened by giving it away, and in our continent we must enter into a new springtime of mission ad gentes. We are poor churches, but “we must give from our poverty and from the joy of our faith,”(Puebla 368) and do so without discharging to only a few of those sent out the commitment that belongs to the whole Christian community. Our capacity to share our spiritual, human, and material gifts with other churches, will confirm the authenticity of our new opening to mission. Hence we encourage participation in holding missionary conferences.

Remember, you can reference an English translation of the 2007 document from the Aparecida Conference here.

About catholicsensibility

Todd lives in Minnesota, serving a Catholic parish as a lay minister.
This entry was posted in 2007 Aparecida document, bishops, evangelization and tagged . Bookmark the permalink.

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