Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Bogotà (Agenzia Fides) – “Grateful to God for our vocation to mission ad gentes - 52 diocesan priests, based in our dioceses in Italy, France, Germany, Belgium, Poland and Spain - we attended the 'First Continental Meeting in Latin America of European Fidei Donum missionary priests', held in Bogotà from 7 to 11 February 2011, representing all the Fidei Donum missionaries working in every American country at the service of Christian communities”: so begins the final document of this meeting which which was promoted by European Bishops' Conferences for Latin America, under the guidance of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America and the Latin American Episcopal Council, with the collaboration of the Theological Institute for Latin America.
The participants at the meeting worked to meet three goals: to recognize and share the missionary experience of European diocesan priests, to confirm the identity of the missionary vocation of the priesthood, to open new horizons to other diocesan priests in Latin America.
The final document, after pointing out the scope and goal for the meeting, sets out the five different areas of the mission: the formation of pastoral care workers; displaced persons; rural pastoral care and the indigenous world; new religious groups; pastoral care in large cities; pastoral care for the new generations.
The document finishes with these words: “Even in the knowledge of the worldliness of the experience of Fidei Donum missionary priests, we work to enliven our Churches of origin so that the fire of the mission as a source of spiritual and pastoral renewal may never be extinguished, and at the same time, we urge the Churches in Latin America to encourage us on this path, indicating always the new emergencies, the challenges and frontiers for our possible missionary cooperation.” (CE) (Agenzia Fides, 16/02/2011)
