Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Dhaka (Agenzia Fides) - "I would like to invite all priests, religious brothers and sisters and the faithful, on behalf of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Bangladesh (CBCB) to live the October 2019 extraordinary missionary Month announced by Pope Francis to commemorate the centenary of the Maximum Illud of Pope Benedict XV": is the appeal released by Archbishop Moses M. Costa, at the head of the archdiocese of Chittagong and general Secretary of the Bishops' Conference. As Fides learns, the Catholic communities in all the dioceses of Bangladesh are preparing to solemnly celebrate the October 2019 extraordinary missionary Month.
In a statement released in all the dioceses and sent to Agenzia Fides, the Archbishop explains: "October 2019 is different because this year we celebrate the 100th anniversary of Benedict XV’s document. On the other hand, as baptized in Christ, we are all sent on mission. Therefore, we should give importance in our life of faith, to witness, to apostolic formation and to apostolic work".
The letter stresses that in order "to accomplish missionary work, it is necessary to receive important biblical, catechetical, theological and spiritual teachings for apostolic formation". With regards to the apostolic work - the text continues - "we should reach those who need help to build justice and peace according to the exhortations of the Holy Father".
Archbishop Moses M. Costa asks priests, religious and the faithful to follow the guidelines that "invite them to pray personally and in family for missionary work and for missionaries; to increase their knowledge by reading the Holy Bible, meditating the life of Christ, to follow catechesis appropriately and to provide adequate catechesis for children, to study the lives of saints and to meditate on their lives, to increase devotion to Mary, reciting the Rosary every day, personally and with members of the family, to share the Bible in villages, with a group or a small community and to talk about the missionary work". The dioceses are then urged to also form seminarians to make them aware of missionary work and to organize a special prayer in October during the extraordinary missionary Month.
Finally, the Prelate quotes Jesus, who urges the disciples to go all over the world to preach the Gospel and baptize, confirming the call to every Christian to "live their baptism in a missionary sense". (FC) (Agenzia Fides, 17/9/2019)
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