On the occasion of the fiftieth anniversary of its foundation, Pope Francis received in audience the members of the Conference of Missionary Institutes in Italy (Cimi), which also includes PIME: «I encourage you to go forward with minds and hearts eager to sow Word and bring everyone the joy of the Risen One”
Below is Pope Francis’ speech to the representatives of missionary institutes he received in audience this morning:
Dear brothers and sisters, good morning!
I am happy to welcome you on your 50th anniversary of foundation. For half a century you have been dedicated to promoting the mission to nations in Italy, making the voice of thousands of men and women missionaries who, devoting themselves to the proclamation of Christ, in reality speak to everyone of a dimension of Christian life, the missionary one, proper to every baptized person by virtue of Baptism.
The Second Vatican Council says it clearly: «The whole Church is missionary, and the work of evangelization is a fundamental duty of the People of God» (To nations, 35). For this in the Apostolic Exhortation the gospel of joy I invited Christians to constitute themselves “in all regions of the earth in a ‘permanent state of mission'” (n. 25). The announcement for the Church is not a optional or a marginal aspect, but a vital dimension, inasmuch as it was born apostolic and missionary, shaped by the Holy Spirit as an “outgoing” community (cf. Catechesis, March 15, 2023). The mission is oxygen for the Christian life, which without it becomes sick and withers (cf ibid.) and it gets ugly, ugly.
It is precisely from this point of view that you operate, through the sharing of experiences, the missionary animation of local communities, the sensitization of young people in seminaries, vocational animation, your contribution to the drafting of missionary documents at various levels, the synergy with other ecclesial realities such as Caritas, Mission e migrants for the promotion of acceptance between peoples and cultures and for the dignity of the person in every part of the world.
I encourage you to go forward with courage, so that the strength of the Spirit always finds in the Church and in the world minds and hearts eager to sow the Word and to bring the joy of the Risen One to all, breaking down barriers and encouraging the construction of a society founded on evangelical principles of charity, justice and peace.
Precisely in the years of your foundation, Saint Paul VI, speaking of mission, recalled some fundamental dimensions: the witness of life, the preaching of the Word, catechesis and the celebration of the sacraments (cf. proclaiming the Gospel, 40-48). Founded on these pillars and animated by the Holy Spirit, the first Christian community drew inspiration and vigor from them for proclaiming the Gospel (cf. At 2,42-47).
Let this be your style too. It is not a question of proselytizing, this is not Christian, no, the style is this: to proclaim Christ above all with the testimony of one’s life. For this reason I recommend that you cultivate charity first of all in and between your communities, within and between your Institutes, harmonizing the differences of culture, age, mentality, so that in communion each charism is at the service of all (cf. 1 Cor 12,4-7; Catechesis, October 1, 2014). And have at heart the welcoming of the poor and the little ones, among yourselves and towards the people you serve in your ministry, in a spirit of inclusion and service. May this be your first joyful Easter announcement.
To this end, like the first disciples, do not fail to nourish your life and your apostolate with the Word of God, the Eucharist and prayer. In fact, mission, like communion, is above all a mystery of grace. It is not our work, but God’s; we do not do it alone, but moved by the Spirit and docile to his action. Mission and communion spring from prayer, are shaped day by day by listening to the Word of God – listening done in prayer – and have as their ultimate goal the salvation of the brothers and sisters whom the Lord entrusts to us. Without these foundations they become empty and end up being reduced to a mere sociological or welfare dimension. And the Church is not interested in providing assistance… Helping yes, but first of all evangelising, bearing witness: if you provide assistance, let it come from testimony, not from proselytizing methods.
Therefore, may not only your life and your missionary work, but also your planning, meetings and decisions always be marked by listening to the Word, by the Eucharistic celebration and by prayer. Together and individually, entrust everything to God, purifying your hearts and the institutions in which you work of everything that can hinder the free and creative action of the Spirit.
I would like to conclude by recalling another passage of the gospel of joy, where it is reminded that mission is not a business or a corporate project, nor a humanitarian organization or proselytizing. It is “something much deeper, which escapes all measure” (cf. n. 279). This is an invitation to spend with commitment, creativity and generosity, but without getting discouraged if the results do not correspond to expectations; to give the best of oneself, without sparing oneself, but then entrusting everything with trust to the hands of the Father; to give it our all, but leaving it to him to make our efforts fruitful as he wishes (cf ibid.).
This, dear friends, I wish you for your work. Thank you for your service to mission and communion. Our Lady accompany you. I bless you from my heart and please ask you to pray for me.