OCEANIA/AUSTRALIA - The Pontifical Mission Societies: "The proclamation of joy of the Gospel is the mission of the Church in the world"

Saturday, 13 June 2020 missionary animation   pontifical mission societies   pope francis   evangelization   missio ad gentes   mission  

Sydney (Agenzia Fides) - "The Holy Father’s message is a message of great encouragement, because it invites us to welcome and share the joy of the Gospel. Its message of salvation and the gift of faith bring us the gift of the Spirit which includes the gift of joy which is the fruit of attractiveness: Jesus reveals himself to us by attractiveness, and brings us closer to understanding the promise of the kingdom of God". With these words, Father Brian Lucas, Director of "Catholic Mission", National Direction of the Pontifical Mission Societies (PMS) in Australia, commented to Fides the message that Pope Francis sent to the Pontifical Mission Societies on May 21, the solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord.
"Among the points that most struck me - Father Brian says - there is the way we share the Gospel through attractiveness: we are not involved in proselytization, rather we bring people to the Mystery of Christ and the understanding of the promising of the Kingdom of God by the attractiveness of that message that come from the relationship we form and the way we share our faith".
On how the Pope's message can help renew the PMS mission in Australia, Father Lucas says: "I think that in the context of the Australian society, the challenge that awaits us is to avoid bureaucracy, avoid putting burdens on people: the Holy Father specifically says this when he says that we should not have formation programs so burdensome that people do not find interesting, but rather give the opportunity to share their faith by establishing relationships among people around us".
On the future of the PMS in the Church at a universal level, Father Brian argues that the way in which "we can build the Kingdom of God, the way in which we can bring about an awareness of attractiveness of the Gospel is the personal relationship with the faithful, to the people we meet. Mission - he concludes - is not something super sophisticated or for the elite, but rather the involvement of everyone in the life of the Church and the world". (ES) (Agenzia Fides, 13/6/2020)


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