(ANS – Roma) – Yesterday was published the Message of Benedict XVI for World Mission Day, which will be celebrated on 21 October 2012: “Called to Make the Word of Truth Shine”. The importance of the missionary proclamation and of sharing the faith are highlighted. The General Councillor for the Missions refers to the Salesian participation in the commitment of the Universal Church.

The  message of the Pope is set in the context of the 50th anniversary of the Decree of the Council “Ad gentes,” of the opening of the Year of Faith and the Synod of Bishops on the new evangelisation.

The Pope presents very clearly the basis, which is always valid, for the missionary efforts of the Church. In the first place the mission is at the heart of the Church herself: “Hence we are in need of taking up again the same apostolic impetus of the first Christian communities, which, small and vulnerable, with their proclamation and witness, were able to spread the Gospel in the whole then-known world”.

On the other hand  the Pope observes, in today’s world the mission field has become ever larger; both because “the number of those who still do not know Christ has grown.” and because, in countries of ancient Christian tradition people are often losing their connection with God. But there is “a good part of humanity, which nevertheless is hungry and thirsty for God and must be invited and led to the bread of life and the living water, as the Samaritan woman who went to Jacob's well and talked with Christ. As the Evangelist John recounts (…) At first the woman does not understand, she remains at the material level, but slowly she is led by the Lord to undertake a path of faith that leads her to recognize him as the Messiah.”.

In the face of this challenge the missionary effort needs to be renewed and the need by all members of the Church to share the faith has to be re-proposed: Bishops in the first place since they are “directly responsible for the evangelization of the world”, but also priests, deacons, religious men and women and lay people. And with the awareness of being recipients and, at the same time, missionaries of the Gospel. The main point of the proclamation is always the same: “the Kerygma of the dead and risen Christ for the salvation of the world; the Kerygma of the absolute and total love of God for every man and every women,”, from this also derive acts of  charity, justice, education, medical, assistance rehabilitation, emancipation...

“As Salesians we feel ourselves to be fully in harmony with what the Pope says, ”Fr Václav Klement, Councillor for the Salesian Missions observes. “The 26th  General Chapter held in 2008, took up again Don Bosco’s motto: ‘da mihi animas’. From then, as Salesians we have begun a process of renewed commitment  to evangelisation, identifying some of the ideas the Pope mentions in his message: being surprised by the faith, letting ourselves be evangelised and then in our turn evangelising”.

“For this year 2012 the Salesian Congregation has returned again to the subject of evangelisation focusing on our experience in Asia and emphasising the idea of telling the story of Jesus to people living in pluri-religious contexts.”

Published 26/01/2012