Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Vatican City (Agenzia Fides) - Development of peoples, solidarity, dignity of life, moral support, promotion of justice, knowledge of peoples and ethnic groups far away, respect for creation: are the fruits that the proclamation of the Gospel brings. This is what Archbishop Fernando Filoni, Prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples says during an interview with Fides, summarizing the contents of a large interview with L'Osservatore Romano, on the occasion of the beginning of the missionary month.
The Archbishop recalled the Pope's message for the next World Mission Day (October 23, 2011), entitled "As the Father has sent me so I send you", emphasizing "the commitment all Christians must carry out, because baptized, to the proclamation of the Gospel". "Evangelizing - he explains - is the most valuable service we can render to our faith, because for a Christian to proclaim the Gospel means to respond to Jesus’ will. Evangelizing is at the same time, service to the Church, but also service to every single person".
The proclamation of the Gospel, in fact, - adds the Prefect - "always favors the development of peoples, brings and creates solidarity. For this reason, although evangelization is our first goal, we always aim to promote solidarity towards people living in the mission territories, sharing and understanding their human, social and material needs". Taking place in a context of development, evangelization promotes the service in education and health care, and offers moral support to many people, "enables men to live with more dignity". In spreading the values of the Gospel, moreover " justice is promoted, which these territories need so much", notes Archbishop Filoni.
Missionary committment also "promotes the knowledge of ethnic groups and people far away, full of many values, it makes one appreciate the cultures, the different realities from our own civilization and develops solidarity". It "also promotes ecology, ensuring that the environment is known and respected both by local people, and by us".
The Prefect of the missionary Dicastery remarked, finally, that "the first proclamation" and "new evangelization" (that in the countries of ancient Christian tradition) walk hand in hand, stating that the Congregation of Propaganda Fide, which deals with areas of the first evangelization "looks at the dicastery for the new evangelization with attention: we walk together, helping one another in service to the Church and humanity". (PA) (Agenzia Fides 01/10/2011)
