From April 30 to May 4, 2024, the General Committee for Mission (CGM) met at the Collegio CICM in Rome. All five members of the Committee - Márcio Flávio Martins, Constantin Konyi, John Mallare, Ghislain Toussé, and Charitable Dérisseau - actively participated in the session.
During the meeting, the Committee analyzed nine missionary projects (8 provinces and Malawi) that were aligned with the universal church and communion with all the CICM provinces. The session commenced with a speech by Father General Charles Phukuta, followed by contributions from four speakers.
Father General emphasized the importance of being consistent missionaries and encouraged a new dynamic of creativity and missionary daring to revitalize the pioneering spirit of the Institute. Other speakers shed light on the new paradigm and recent developments in missiology, emphasizing the need for openness and conversion in the way the mission is conceived and carried out.
Antonio Pernia and Stanislaus Lazar, both SVD missionaries, spoke about the current state of mission and interculturality. Father Gerard Nzazi Liufa presented his reflection on "Being a missionary at the service of the Kingdom of God: Pilgrim of reconciliation towards the fullness of the Kingdom in the DRC." Mr. Roberto Catalano elaborated on the theme of "mission and inter-religious dialogue."
The focus of the meeting, the first of its kind after the 16th General Chapter, was to consider the Chapter's recommendations on mission and analyze the missionary projects in light of the guidelines set out in Vade-Mecum B. The Commission provided valuable observations and suggestions to help the Provinces better develop their missionary projects to respond to the challenges of our time.
The analysis of mission projects was based on the spirit of the directives for the mission, following the decree of the 14th General Chapter creating the General Committee for Mission and the 15th General Chapter recommending the practice of six-year strategic planning for monitoring and evaluation of the realization of mission projects at all levels.
Today, the mission is multidirectional in a polycentric Church, where local Churches are increasingly becoming the first subjects in the dynamic of "giving and receiving." First and foremost, "Missio Dei" is carried out in dialogue with peoples and cultures to foster true disciples of Jesus.
This common orientation needs to be adopted by all the provinces following the 16th General Chapter. The feedback from the Committee aims to raise awareness of the new missionary paradigm (Missio inter gentes), a significant step in this time of synodality, to better serve the Churches in whose midst we live and share today's mission.
- General Committee on Mission
