Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Vatican City (Agenzia Fides) - On the occasion of World Mission Day, Father Timothy Lehane Barrett, SVD, Secretary General of the Society for the Propagation of the Faith, went into depth with regards to the link between the first message sent to World Mission Day, 85 years ago, by Pope Pius XI called "the missionary Pope", and Pope Benedict XVIs message for Mission Day 2011. In an interview to Fides, Father Lehane Barrett answered the following questions.
Fr. Timothy, what motivated you to undertake this work? And what are the results?
Pope Pius XI in 1926, in the Encyclical Rerum Ecclesiae states: "The Church has no other reason for existence than, by developing the Kingdom of Chriat on earth, to make mankind participate in the effects of His saving Redemption". Today Pope Benedict XVI, in the Message for World Mission Sunday 2011, says: "The universal mission involves all, everything and always. The Gospel is not an exclusive good of the one who has received it, but it is a gift to be shared, good news to communicate". Here we see the line of continuity which the Holy Spirit makes present through the Popes: participation, the local community’s responsibility which becomes missionary, to live the mission Ad Gentes.
There is a first level, the personal or local level where the Gospel message has to mature. Jesus’ missionary words about himself are important ("But he said to them: "to other towns also I must proclaim the good news of the Kingdom of God, because for this purpose I have been sent", Lk. 4.43), then sends the disciples to do the same ("As the Father has sent me, so I send you" John 20:21) and they, like Jesus, begin to live the spirit of the mission. We understand that it is the local community that will have to become responsible for the mission ad Gentes, which must open up to the universal mission of the Church by sending missionaries. And here, according to the message of the two Popes, everyone has to participate with their possibilities: in praying, in order to join the Pope’s prayer for missions, but also collaborating materially, offering what one can, giving a financial contribution to maintain the missionary work all over the world. All this has become a very special experience in the communities of mission territories (and I knowbecause I have been there): the community that has missionaries knows very well that they must maintain them, and the community that does not have any must pray to have them, therefore it has to be formed and has to mature at a Christian level to get missionaries for other communities that need them.
Does this latter aspect correspond to what you call the "holy generosity" of the different communities?
Yes, but you have to understand one important thing: the next level is Ecclesial. This means that it is the same community that must renew its missionary committment, because the missionary participation offers new enthusiasm and new incentive for a more vivid and meaningful participation. This means to fully understand that the Church's missionary dimension is essential, as the universal sacrament of salvation. So we can understand the sense of the urgent needs of the Missio ad Gentes, and thus respond with "holy generosity".
We can say even more, always drawing from the message of the two Popes. We become more of a Church, when we go out of our chapels, our parishes, the local church in our community, and plan to go on missions, doing good and becoming diligent and honest in our workplace, treating everyone with love, by sharing our resources with the needy, committing ourselves first of all for social justice, etc..
The Society for the Propagation of the Faith (PSPF) annually receives thousands of projects from the entire missionary world and requests of funds, which mainly concern the maintenance and formation of catechists, construction and maintenance of churches, chapels and monasteries, the activities of diocesan organizations, aid for the pastoral work of religious congregations ... During the last General Assembly of the Pontifical Mission Societies, held in Rome in May 2011, taking into consideration the requests received, the PSPF has assigned funds for a total of $ 73,590,870 divided by continent as follows:
in Africa $ 43,656,026.70 were allocated between ordinary and extraordinary subsidies, and approved 2,556 special projects. Among the special subsidies: $ 6,641,550 for the construction of churches and chapels; $ 7,331,400 for diocesan structures; $ 6,852,480 for the formation of catechists; $ 3,618,960 for the religious communities.
In America $ 3,717,750 were allocated, between ordinary and extraordinary subsidies, and 201 special projects approved. Among the special subsidies: $ 434,000 for churches and chapels; $ 433,000 for diocesan structures; $ 626,000 for the formation of catechists.
In Asia $ 23,601,000 were allocated between ordinary and extraordinary subsidies, and 1,398 special projects approved. Among the special subsidies: $ 3,461,500 for churches and chapels; $ 2,724,000 for the diocesan structures, $ 4,058,900 for the formation of catechists, $ 1,671,000 for the religious communities.
In Oceania, $ 2,482,500 were allocated between ordinary and extraordinary subsidies, and 129 special projects approved. Among the special subsidies: $ 120,000 for churches and chapels; $ 213,000 for the diocesan structures, $ 381,000 for the formation of catechists, $ 92,000 for the religious communities.
In Europe $ 133,800, between ordinary and extraordinary subsidies, and 10 special projects approved. Among the special subsidies: $ 4,000 for the formation of catechists, $ 63,500 for diocesan structures, $ 7,000 for apostolic and social works.
Among the special subsidies PSPF also assigned $ 1,732,386 to SIGNIS for 263 multimedia communication projects in Africa, Asia, America and Oceania. (CE/SL) (Agenzia Fides 18/10/2011)
