Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Vatican City (Fides Service) - On Sunday 5 September 188 newly appointed Bishops in missionary territories in Africa, Asia, America and Oceania entrusted to the care of the Congregation for the Evangelisation of Peoples, will start a Study Seminar organised for them by the Congregation. This year the course, held at the College of San Paolo Apostolo, is for Bishops in French-speaking, Spanish speaking and Portuguese speaking countries. The same seminary organised last year for Bishops in English speaking mission countries was attended by 169 prelates.
The Seminar will be opened by Cardinal Crescenzio Sepe, Prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelisation of Peoples, who will illustrate the origin, development and duties of the Missionary Congregation and the Church’s missionary activity. After the Cardinal’s intervention there will be talks by Archbishop Robert Sarah, CEP Secretary who will focus on the Universities and Colleges dependent on the CEP and Father Fernando Galbiati PIME, Secretary General of the Pontifical Missionary Union and the Pontifical Mission Society for the Propagation of the Faith, who will illustrate the structures and competencies of the Pontifical Mission Societies.
The daily programme of the Seminar includes two conferences and discussion and debate in the morning and work groups in the afternoon. Speakers will include Cardinals Castrillon Hoyos, Lopez Trujillo, Pompedda, Ratzinger, Nicora, Mejia, Scola, Kasper, Arinze; Archbishops Eterovic, Foley, Braga, Sarr, Sandri, Rodé, Celata and two CEP officials Mgr Boarotto and Father Koonamparampil will illustrate the activity of the Congregation; the Bishops will be introduced to the Vatican Bank the IOR by Prof. Caloia.
In the light of the post-synodal apostolic exhortation Pastores gregis and the Magisterium, the Bishops will reflect on the three duties of the episcopal ministry “to teach, sanctify and ‘tend’ to the flock”, with particular reference to life in mission territories. The themes for reflection will include formation (seminaries, religious institutes, lay institutes), relations with the Curia and with Bishops’ Conference, Social Doctrine, ecumenism and interreligious dialogue, evangelisation, inculturation, liturgy, family, mass media.
On Sunday12 September the Bishops will make a pilgrimage to Assisi and on 16 September they are due to have an audience with Pope John Paul II at his Summer residence in Castel Gandolfo. The Seminar will close with a Concelebration of Mass at the tomb of St Peter on Saturday 18 September.
The bishops taking part come from four different continents: Africa (80 bishops from 23 countries); Asia (14 from 2 different countries); America (23 from 8 countries); Oceania (1 from French Polynesia). The countries with the highest number of Bishops taking part in the Seminar are: in Africa, Madagascar and Democratic Republic of Congo; in Asia, Vietnam; in America, Colombia. (S.L.) (Agenzia Fides 2/9/2004; Righe 34 - Parole 508)
