Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Sacrofano (Agenzia Fides) - Today, May 24, the Annual General Assembly of the Pontifical Mission Societies (PMS) begins, whose work will continue until May 31st. The meeting is attended by the National Directors of the PMS from all continents, around 120, as well as the President, the General Secretaries of the four Pontifical Mission Societies (PMS) and the person in charge of the Administration.
The meeting will take place at the "Fraterna Domus" house in Sacrofano, near Rome, and will be inaugurated this afternoon, Friday, May 24, with a welcome greeting and address by Archbishop Emilio Nappa, Adjunct Secretary of the Dicastery for Evangelization and President of the Pontifical Mission Societies. This is followed by the report of the Economic Council. Tomorrow, Saturday, May 25, the participants in the Assembly will be received in audience by Pope Francis, and immediately afterward there will be the Eucharistic celebration presided over by Cardinal Luis Antonio G. Tagle, Pro-Prefect of the Section for the First Evangelization and New Particular Churches of the Dicastery for Evangelization, in the Chapel of Domus Sanctae Marthae.
On Sunday, the Assembly will continue with the continental meetings and the first two sessions of "best practices" contributions presented by Brazil and Paraguay. On Monday it will be the turn of South Africa and Nigeria, on Tuesday of Uganda and Italy, on Wednesday of Portugal and Pakistan, and on Thursday of Laos, Cambodia and the Pacific Islands.
On Monday, May 27, Father Tadeusz Nowak, OMI, General Secretary of the Pontifical Society for the Propagation of the Faith, and Sister Roberta Tremarelli, AMSS, General Secretary of the Pontifical Society for Missionary Childhood, will present their annual reports. In these two spaces dedicated to the activities of the International Secretariats, as well as in the other two scheduled for Tuesday morning, the report for the past year and the budget forecast of the respective Societies will be illustrated. Each report will be followed by moments of debate and clarification on the contents presented.
On Monday afternoon Cardinal Luis Antonio G. Tagle will address the participants with a greeting. This is followed by the report of the person in charge of the Administration, the approval of the 2023 budget and the budget forecast for the current year.
On Tuesday, 28th, in the morning, Father Guy Bognon, PSS, General Secretary of the Pontifical Society of Saint Peter the Apostle and Father Din Anh Nhue Nguyen OFM Conv, General Secretary of the Pontifical Missionary Union and Director of the International Center for Missionary Animation will present their annual reports. In the afternoon, Gianni Valente, Director of Fides Agency will address the participants, followed by an exchange on the identity and mission of the Pontifical Mission Societies at national and diocesan levels.
A plenary session on the statutes of the PMS is planned for Wednesday and Thursday, with group work, definition of the next steps and dialogue between the National Directors of the PMS and the Executive Committee. On Friday, May 31, the last day of the Assembly, the various closing events of the Assembly and the closing address by the President of the PMS, Archbishop Emilio Nappa, will be held. (EG) (Agenzia Fides, 24/5/2024)
ASIA/LAOS - The missionary spirit of the small Catholic faith community
EUROPE/ROMANIA - Blessing of the chapel of the the Pontifical Mission Societies in Romania, dedicated to Blessed Pauline Jaricot
ASIA/MALAYSIA - Cardinal Francis: “In an ‘Asian microcosm’ we experience the interaction of differences”
ASIA/CHINA - Belgian delegation led by Cardinal Jozef De Kesel visits mainland China