1.
St. Teresa’s missionaries
Fr. Juan Vicente saw and understood the
Teresian Carmelite vocation in this way:
“The sons of Saint Teresa are truly the
fruit of the cries and tears of our
Mother, grieving and concerned for the
salvation of millions of infidel souls
who in far off countries are lost for
want of preaching and missionaries. So,
here is what the discalced carmelites
are ‘de ventre matris meae’, from the
same womb as our mother. Saint Teresa
conceived us in the hermitage in the
garden of her first convent, which means
that we are essentially hermits, like
the ancient Fathers on Mt. Carmel,
hermits like the best of them. But she
conceived us amidst anxieties and tears
for the salvation of the infidel, which
means that we are essentially
missionaries. In the intimate connection
between these two ways of life, the
eremitical and apostolic, both of them
leading to the highest perfection,
consists the core, the
characteristic, and the peculiar
naturalness of the children of that
Mother who, like no one else, caught
within herself, for her sisters, the
sublime contemplative life of Mary, with
the activity and care of Martha” (Sermon,
30 May 1918, in Obras del P. Juan
Vincente… Original in “La Obra Máxima”,
San Sebastian).
“The sons of St. Teresa have understood
and professed always, that a discalced
carmelite must, before all else, be
profoundly contemplative, but must be
decidedly active. That is to say, he
must try, in all sincerity, to burn with
the fire of contemplation with that love
of God which is as strong as death, and
from there proceed to love his neighbour
for God, until he makes himself all
things for all men, in order to win them
all for ever. This is what makes the
true carmelite missionary. Action
without contemplation would not be
carmelite; contemplation without action,
would not be teresian” (The St. Joaquin
of Navare Province in its Paris
exposition, Monte Carmelo, n. 426, 1918,
367).
These clear and vigorous statements of
the author (Fr.Juan Vincente) strike us
even today. We can hardly express more
energetically, or more beautifully, the
thought contained in the first sentence
above: The sons of Saint Teresa are
truly the fruit of the cries and tears
of our Mother, grieving and concerned
for the salvation of millions of souls.
We are the children of St. Teresa, the
fruit of her apostolic cries and tears.
The sentences already quoted can be
studied in different ways: for example,
how did Fr. Juan Vicente arrive at such
robust certainty, how did he understand
the unity of the two aspects of
contemplative and apostolic life in a
way that it seemed for him that all
doubts disappeared, not to mention the
conflict, present in others, including
the entire tradition of our Order. How
did he live this unity himself, in such
a way that his very life is an exegesis
of his doctrinal understanding. Without
doubt there is a history, a process,
which led to his perception of the
charism; he did not encounter this
formulation in the legal expressions of
the Order. In fact, he began from his
own direct knowledge of St. Teresa. It
is there he finds his criterion and
proof. In any case, it is at the height
of his maturity that we encounter this
result.
I believe that today we would change
some terms. For example, that the
carmelites are “hermits”, alluding to
our primitive history, and also other
expressions that St. Teresa used
herself. What I want to say is that the
apostolic life, lived and conceived so
intensely by Fr. Juan Vicente, strictly
speaking, cannot be reconciled with the
eremitical life. It is clear that, deep
down, the eremitical life refers more to
a life of prayer, of contemplation. The
eremitical life is a specific way of
life, which is different from an active
way of life. Juan Vicente also felt
called to an eremitical vocation; none
the less, being parish priest of
Chattiath and director of St. Albert’s
college, and travelling throughout the
cities of Spain to make others aware of
the missions, dedicating himself to this
through the “Obra Maxima” and other
initiatives, it cannot be said, strictly
speaking, that he lived any kind of
eremitical life.
On the other hand, in the context of
today’s theology, and the way we see in
faith the Church today, we have to
understand and explain mission in a
different way, as we shall see briefly
in the second part of this conference.
Presupposing this, the most decisive of
Fr. Juan Vicente’s statements refers to
the essentially carmelite missionary
vocation. For this reason I would like
to focus primarily on the carmelite
missionary vocation “de ventre matris
meae”; in other words, from the
beginning, essentially from conception;
with that totality and spiritual
strength of “those cries and tears”.
With regard to the carmelite missionary
vocation, an author, who witnesses to
the missionary spirit of our Mother, St.
Teresa, writes correctly: “About St.
Teresa’s missionary spirit and her love
for the salvation of the souls of
infidels and heretics, we do not need to
make conjectures ‘a posteriori’, or the
necessary effects which would create in
her great heart such a great love for
God. She herself, with that transparency
which so characterized her writings,
makes us see and read this
apostolic-missionary spirit in the book
of her heart,” (Severino of St. Teresa,
Santa Teresa de Jesús por las
Misiones, Vitoria 1959, 14).
There are writings about St.Teresa’s
vision, opinion and words on the
ecclesial and apostolic spirit of her
Carmel, and consequently on the
apostolic and missionary life of the
carmelites in keeping with the general
apostolic spiritual ardour of the new
carmel. They are well known, have been
frequently quoted and have also been the
subject of studies.
“At that time news reached me of the
harm being done in France and of the
havoc the Lutherans had caused (…). The
news distressed me greatly, and, as
though I could do something or were
something, I cried to the Lord and
begged Him that I might remedy so much
evil. It seemed to me that I would have
given a thousand lives to save one soul
out of the many that were being lost
there …. O my Sisters in Christ, help me
beg these things of the Lord. This is
why he has gathered you together here.
This is your vocation. These must be the
business matters you’re engaged in.
These must be the things you desire, the
things you weep about; these must be the
objects of your petitions” (Way of
Perfection 1).
“I beg you to strive to be such that we
might merit from God two things: First,
that among the numerous learned men and
religious there be many who will meet
these requirements I mentioned that are
necessary for this battle, and that the
Lord may prepare those who do not meet
them; one who is perfect will do much
more than many who are not. Second, that
after being placed in this combat,
which, as I say, is not easy, they may
receive protection from the Lord so as
to remain free of the many perils there
are in the world, and stop their ears in
order not to hear the siren’s song on
this dangerous sea” (Way of Perfection,
3.5).
“Four years later, or, I think, a little
more than that, a Franciscan friar
happened to come to see me, whose name
was Fray Alonso Maldonado, a great
servant of God, who had the same desires
for the good of souls as I, but he was
able to transfer them into deeds for
which I envied him greatly. He had
recently come back from the Indies. He
began to tell me about the many millions
of souls that were being lost there for
want of Christian instruction, and
before leaving he gave us a sermon, or
conference, encouraging us to do
pencance. I was so grief stricken over
the loss of so many souls that I
couldn’t contain myself. I went to a
hermitage with many tears. I cried out
to the Lord, begging Him that He give me
the means to be able to do something to
win some souls to His service, since the
devil was carrying away so many, and
that my prayer would do some good since
I wasn’t able to do anything else. I was
envious of those who for love of our
Lord were able to be engaged in winning
souls, though they might suffer a
thousand deaths. And thus it happens to
me that when we read in the lives of the
saints that they converted souls, I feel
much greater devotion, tenderness, and
envy than over all the martyrdoms they
suffered. This is the inclination the
Lord has given me, for it seems to me
that He prizes a soul that through
diligence and prayer we gain for Him,
through His mercy, more than all the
services we can render Him.”
(Foundations 1.7).
In the description of her visit to the
house in Duruelo she write that together
with a life of prayer, penitence and
poverty “they used to go to preach in
many of the neighboring towns where the
people were left without any
instructions in Christian doctrine. On
this account also I rejoiced that the
house had been founded there. For I had
been told that there was no monastery
nearby nor any place from which the
people could get instructions, which was
a great pity” (F 14.8). The final words
are revealing: “May it please His
Majesty, in His goodness, that I be able
to serve somehow for the very many
things I owe Him, amen. For, indeed, I
understood that this foundation was a
much greater grace than the favour He
granted me to found houses of nuns” (F
14.12).
The first witnesses in the tradition of
Teresa’s missionary spirit are Fr.
Gracián and Fr. John of Jesus and Mary.
The first, according to our records, was
aware of being identified with the
teresian spirit, which he also expressly
confirms regarding the missions; the
second with his explicit defense of the
maternity of the charism of St. Teresa,
as well as the vital importance he gave
to the teresian carmelite mission. These
two witnesses were above all,
objectively, in line with all that is
authentic in our missionary tradition.
In fact accepted as a teacher John of
Jesus & Mary, was absent in great part
from the history of Fr. Gracian. The two
had collaborated in the preparation of
the beatification of St. Teresa,
proclaiming together her missionary
spirit.
We can highlight a difference in
approach: Gracian, in responding to a
circular letter from the Consulta
in 1589, reasoned: “To this we reply
that it does not have the same sense,
because the same carmelite rule states:
‘if not engaged in other activities’;
and the experience and history of our
saints and the entire Order has shown
that our vocation is not to go out much
nor to busy ourselves with external work
like other Orders, but we are not to be
as enclosed as the carthusians; and
thus, there is no need for anything new”
(MHCT 3, p. 477-478). In the polemic it
seems that Gracian makes a concession
here. In his patent to the first
missionaries to the Congo he had
written, being provincial, during the
lifetime of St. Teresa: “Regarding the
Orders’s rules for clothing and food and
other things which our Constitutions lay
down let them be conformed to the time
and place where they find themselves,
attending principally to the conversion
of souls” (MHCT 3, doc 260). Within his
own lifetime he showed this openness and
freedom when it was a question of the
apostolate.
John of Jesus & Mary, commissioned by
the 1605 chapter, to edit the
Instructions for missions, wrote: “The
religious who are destined for the
salvation of the infidels should
exercise their minstry in remaining in
fixed stations, without going from one
place to another, and procuring where
they can to found priories, with
permission from their superiors, to
where they can withdraw as in a fort to
recover their strength, in order to go
out again with greater determination to
conquer souls”(ch.9).
We, today, understand what these
reservations mean, but in any case they
should not be understood in a way that
diminishes the Order’s missionary
spirit. John of Jesus & Mary ends the
paragraph by explaining “in order to go
out again with greater determination to
conquer souls”.
In effect, the tradition of the “potior
pars” and the “pars posterior” seems to
have carried weight creating some doubts
or reservations and, in fact, restoring
the missionary spirit of the Order. For
this reason, we can emphasize that Fr.
Juan Vicente, who supported this
tradition, and personally also loved the
eremitical life, to the point where he
felt called, experienced and formulated
the Order’s missionary spirit in a
robust way and without any doubts
whatsoever: “A discalced carmelite must
be, above all, profoundly contemplative,
but must be decidedly active” (Monte
Carmelo, 426, 1918, p. 367). “Be
contemplative until you reach the very
heights, be apostolic until you can do
no more”, “the carmelite must be a
contemplative who is totally apostolic
and an apostle who is totally
contemplative” (Way of meditating as
taught by our Venerable Fr. St. John of
the Cross. “Mensajero de Santa Teresa”,
1924-1925). This double totality was
shown clearly by Juan Vicente . We have
to be totally contemplative, men of
prayer, and totally apostolic and
active. Not only did he have a great
appreciation of the missions, but also
his life and his writings on the Order’s
missionary spirit, clearly proved to be
original in the context of this
tradition.
I have not made any mention here of the
very important and thorough studies of
our missionary spirit, from its
beginning and throughout its history. I
am going to refer now to an offical
reception, approved by the church, as
moulded in our Constitutions and Norms.
Our renewed laws after Vatican II
recognize and transmit the missionary
spirit of the teresian carmel: “The
evangelization of the world, so
intimately part of the very nature of
the Church, in as much as it is to be
accomplished primarly through love and
prayer, has always been a priority in
our Order’s apostolic work. Our Holy
Mother St Teresa passed on to the Order
the ardent missionary zeal that burned
within her heart, and it was her wish
that her friars should also undertake
missionary activity. This missionary
zeal should be faithfully fostered, all
should have the missions very much at
heart, and vocations to the missions
should be encouraged throughout the
Order.
All our communities and provinces should
sustain our missionaries by their
brotherly concern, by their prayers and
also with financial aid; and all should
contribute to the best of their ability
to promoting the growth and expansion of
our Order in mission lands as well” (C
94).
This is what the Constitutions stated.
In the Norms some basic means are
prescribed:
“That our family may fulfil its
missionary task as it should, suitable
projects should be thought of in every
province and followed up. The result
will be that the missionary vocation
will flourish and grow among us” (N 58).
A zelator for the missions is to be
appointed in every province and
semi-province, who, “under the direction
of the provincial, will foster union
between the province and the missions,
he will promote the missionary spirit
and will obtain personnel and material
resources for our missions” (N 65).
Mission is confirmed as a favorite work
of the Order. The charismatic reason is
established in St. Teresa no less, who
spread the flame of the Order’s
missionary zeal within her family, the
entire family, and said explicitly that
she “wants the friars to work also in
missionary activity”. The “also” should
not be understood as a kind of
dimuition. Within the entire carmelite
family, all are to be apostolic and
missionari; the friars are active
missionaries.
As in the Constitutions generally, when
they approach the fundamental aspects of
the life and mission of the Order, the
part relating to the missions is well
formulated and moderate. We can ask
ourselves if this admission of the
missionary spirit in the Constitutions
is assumed effectively in the
sociological and spiritual reality of
the Order today. In an overall
assessment we would have to say that
there are differences. In some pastoral
visits I have asked in interviews and
discussions with religious about their
understanding of this matter. We can say
that in general the missionary spirit is
not present sufficiently in the Order.
It seems to me that many of those whom I
spoke to in different provinces would
agree that with respect to their
regions, that they know them better.
First of all, and in general, and also
refering to our carmelite nuns, for what
ecclesial and missionary reasons of a
St. Therese of Lisieux, or an Elizabeth
of the Trinity would young people
approach carmel? And for what same
reasons, at the very source, in the
charismatic proclamation of the Way of
Perfection? Accordingly, what image or
inspiration of family do masculine
vocations respond to? Do they see
already from the beginning the
missionary spirit of the teresian
carmel, together with a life of prayer
and fraternity?
In formation, above all in the
novitiate, there is a correct insistence
on personal and community prayer, on
fraternal life, and on certain
activities that serve the house. Is the
whole of St. Teresa’s charism truthfully
developed in the novitiate, are those
cries and tears converted into acts and
dedication? How much is taught of the
history of our missions, and the present
day situation of our missions? And,
above all, how is carmel communicated,
what is the charismatic criterion, is it
St. Teresa or is it the previous
tradition, is it the mediaeval Rule
which began being eremitical then
transformed into being mendicant,
preserving its rather eremitical
structure and mentality?
We certainly do not need to enter into
arguments about more or less apostolate,
as was often done in the past. But the
Order’s vocations and formation have to
assimilate the ecclesial character of
the Order as it is to be found in the
Constitutions, in a balanced way and
with a force that should inspire.
The missionary awareness which our laws
speak of cannot only refer to the
faithful. They should be directed, no
less than for prayer and evangelical
denial, to ourselves.
It is true that today many provinces
have a direct relationship with a
mission, or have some missionary
presence, sometimes with a small number
of religious. We consider this to be a
very positive sign in each case for the
provinces. Not only because mission in
itself is important, but also because
the presence of a mission in a province
can transform the awareness of the
province. First of all, to open it up to
the dimensions of mission, to something
beyond itself. Never the less, the
simple fact of having a mission is good,
and always positive, but, that alone
does not transform the awareness of the
province. There are missionaries who
feel more or less left to themselves,
with the impression that the mission is
something only for them; it is something
that they like, it is their vocation,
but without the province, as such, being
involved. Something changes in this
feeling when there is a vocations
animator who helps with material
resources in the province. This rather
ambiguous situation can happen in our
provinces.
II. Sense and actuality of mission
The expressions which we have heard, for
example, from Saint Teresa about the
many souls which are being lost, reveal,
as is known, the theology and the piety
which are at the basis of our missionary
and apostolic charity, and are generally
the basis of the missionary activity of
the church. This theology necessarily
generates a special urgency in people,
such as in the case of St. Francio
Xavier, or our missionaires who in the
Congo in the space of a few years
baptized 40,000 people. Not only this,
within this theology it is surprising
and even incomprehensible that religious
who are aware of it do not feel called
to a missionary awareness, in the way
that Gracian and John of Jesus & Mary
did.
For our object here, I want to try to
indicate analytically the position of
mission in our ecclesial awareness today.
Vatican II stated “those who, through no
fault of their own, do not know the
Gospel of Christ or his Church, but who
nevertheless seek God with a sincere
heart, and, moved by grace, try in their
actions to do his will as they know it
through the dictates of their
conscience-those too may achieve eternal
salvation” (LG 16, cf. AG 7).
This is a sign of the optimism of the
Second Vatican Council, which redeemed
misson from a hopeless darkness that had
dominated for centuries, and opened us
to new horizons of revelation and
evangelization.
Among these new horizons I would like to
mention two in particular: the
relationship between evangelization and
mission, and moreover with the
historical and earthly reality of man,
and the relationship between christian
faith and other religions.
6. The soteriological principle
The princple which moved the missions
throughout our history was that of the
salvation of souls, which is to say,
their transcendental and eternal
salvation. The missionaries certainly
had in mind the needs of the individual
and the people as a whole, and promoted
good works, above all the promotion of
education, but the salvation which was
most pressing was that of the soul.
Charitable works always pertain to
christian activity.
The missionary encyclicals are more and
more concerned with the themes of
poverty, justice, development… Even the
decree Ad Gentes does not
dedicate much attention to this theme.
The Second Vatican Council, with
Gaudium et Spes, dedicated an entire
document to earthly realities, and with
this led to an official appraisal of
salvation history. Especially since
Evangelii nuntiandi, we accept as
natural and obvious that evangelization
is something total that affects the
individual and society, and that
missionary activity must understand the
situation of the the poor and their
dignity, in spite of the different
theological explanations of this general
conviction.
Salvation is for us something historical
and integral. It is the Kingdom of God,
as in the Gospels. Such as Christ
himself experienced, first of all in his
relationship with the Father, which
constituted a transcendent relationship
and therefore transcendent salvation. At
the same time, and for this same reason,
the Father’s relationship with man, such
as, for example, with the Blessed, and
the good samaritan or those in chapter
25 of Matthew’s gospel; all this being
part of the healing work of Jesus, who,
annointed by the Spirit, went around
doing good. The Kingdom of God is this
dual and unique relationship between the
Father and humankind.
Therefore, charitable works, which are
always necessary, the development of
humankind and society, and the making
aware of indivudals and societies
acquire a special importance. It is the
historical and eternal dignity of the
children of God. This present and
eternal love manifest and fulfils itself
as revelation and as something needed
and appealing in Jesus Christ.
Regarding the fact of the spread of
globalization in today’s world, we can
underline different characterisitics. 1.
First there is the economic factor, with
its obvious profit and competitiveness.
How does “political charity” develop as
a missionary service of economic
intercession? How does the economical
aspect of development promote the
dignity of individuals and societies?
Globalization, though it has its
ambiguities and dangers, also offers the
chance to know and transfer progress to
serve people in distant regions.
Particularly the ability to comunicate
opens up new paths which allow people to
encounter one another, and which could,
in time, dissolve the dangers of
conflict between religions and cultures.
Globalization and wellbeing form a new
kind of person, who, thanks to technical
facilities, can enjoy the goods of the
earth, but with a real danger that a
religious sense and a sense of
solidarity will disappear.
7. The value of other religions
Another factor which has changed the
theology of mission is the Church’s
present understanding of the value of
other religions. It is an understanding
that has gradually progressed since
Vatican II: other religions are to be
seen as a cultural enrichment, as an
expression of the people and as a
natural religious aspiration. Other
religions as places of salvation. And
finally, as vehicles of saving grace.
Whatever the concrete understanding and
explanation of the relationship between
different religions and grace and
salvation, today we see the need to
dialogue with other religions in order
to announce the gospel of Jesus Christ.
“The catholic church rejects nothing
that is true and holy in these
religions. She has a high regard for the
manner of life and conduct, the precepts
and doctrines which, although differing
in many ways from her own teaching,
nevertheless often reflect a ray of that
truth which enlightens all men. Yet she
proclaims and is in duty bound to
proclaim without fail, Chirst who is the
way, the truth an the life (Jn 6:6). In
him, in whom God reconciled all things
to himself (2 Cor. 5:18-19), men find
the fulness of their religious life.
The Church, therefore, “ urges her sons
to enter with prudence and charity into
discussion and collaboration with
members of other religions. Let
Christians, while witnessing to their
own faith and way of life, acknowledge,
preserve and encourage the spiritual and
moral truths found among non-Christians,
also their social life and culture” (NA
2).
The missionary urge of past centuries
arose from eternal salvation, or,
negatively, from eternal damnation, as
we have already mentioned. For ourselves,
with all the tradition of the gospels,
our sense of mission has remained firm.
However, without the “despair” of
eternal damnation which missionaries in
the past used, now, on the other hand,
they speak of the salvation of the
entire person, with a new importance for
the history of salvation of the children
of God. But this does not diminish the
urgency and the decisive importance of
the proclamation of Jesus Christ: to
know and love Jesus Christ and the
Father in the Spirit is another way of
expressing and understanding salvation.
This double and unique reality: the
loving knowledge of the gift of Jesus
Christ and the realization of the
historical, present and earthly dignity
of the children of God is the meaning of
mission. Therefore, it has lost nothing
of its present importance and urgency.
If people say that the knowledge of
Jesus Christ is not important it means
to say that Jesus Christ is not
important after all …To know Jesus
Christ is in itself salvation. Not to
know him is an immense loss,
independentally of personal
responsibility and of eternal salvation.
Whoever believes in Jesus Christ (the
Church) cannot but proclaim him as the
greatest good news for humankind.
III. Means
8. In Novo Millennio Ineunte John
Paul II makes this admission and this
urgent invitation: “Even in countries
evangelized many centuries ago, the
reality of a "Christian society" which,
amid all the frailties which have always
marked human life, measured itself
explicitly on Gospel values, is now gone.
Today we must courageously face a
situation which is becoming increasingly
diversified and demanding, in the
context of "globalization" and of the
consequent new and uncertain mingling of
peoples and cultures” (n.40). As a
result the Pope calls for a new
missionary activity, in which four
aspects can be highlighted: a) it
requires a revival of the original
impulse, the ardour of Pentecost, b) it
cannot be the task of a few
“specialists” but rather the
responsibility of all the members of the
people of God: c) inculturation must
characterize the “multiform face” of the
Church; d) working for young people
becomes something of the utmost
importance, because they are going to be
the protagonists of the future.
In Redemptoris Missio, 1990, the
Pope called attention to this fact: “The
number of those who do not know Christ
and do not belong to the Church is
constantly on the increase. Indeed,
since the end of the Council it has
almost doubled” (n.3). But at the same
time he indicated other reasons for an
urgent and and new misssionary ardour:
the collapse of oppressive ideologies;
the opening of frontiers and the
formation of a more united world; the
affirmation among peoples of the gospel
values (peace, justice, brotherhood,
concern for the most needy); and a kind
of soulless economic and technical
development (n.3). After all this it can
be optimistically confirmed that: “God
is opening before the Church the
horizons of a humanity more fully
prepared for the sowing of the Gospel” (ib).
9. Human resources
Regarding the resources, we must
highlight the statement that missionary
activity cannot be the task of a few
specialists. This presents itself with
urgency to the Church’s conscience,
because of the missionary nature of the
Church, all the local churches and all
christians are called to be
evangelizers; and because of the
immensity of the task in itself, and
because of the knowledge and
opportunties which the means of
communication offer.
However, the missionary activity in
question has two aspects: to make all
christians aware from the beginning and
the activity aimed ad gentes.
The first resources are human, and
according to the idea rightly stressed
by the Pope, these human resources must
involve the whole church.
Evangelization, catechesis, theological
formation must be informed by the
missionary character of the church. The
value of information is underligned
through printing and audiovisual means.
In number 82 of the encyclical new ways
of missionary cooperation are
highlighted: international tourism has
now become a mass phenomenon. This is a
positive development if tourists
maintain an attitude of respect and a
desire for mutual cultural enrichment,
and seeking contact with other people.
The encyclical praises visits to the
missions, above all by young people, who
go there to serve and to gain an intense
experience of the Christian life.The
migration of christian workers to non
christian countries. These circumstances
are certainly an opportunity to live the
faith and to bear witness to it. More
numerous are the citizens of mission
countries and followers of non-Christian
religions who settle in other nations.
The presence of these brothers and
sisters in traditionally Christian
countries is a challenge for the
ecclesial communities, and a stimulus to
hospitality, dialogue, service, sharing,
witness and direct proclamation.
Missionary cooperation can also involve
leaders in politics, economics, culture
and journalism, as well as experts of
the various international bodies. In the
modern world it is becoming increasingly
difficult to determine geographical or
cultural boundaries. There is an
increasing interdependence between
peoples, and this constitutes a stimulus
for Christian witness and evangelization.
10. Material resources
Material resources which we can collect
in the ambit of the Church, will never
be enough, and will always be
insufficient to meet the needs. They
should be used above all for ecclesial
or religious goals, such as the building
of churches or chapels, religious houses;
or the formation of christian
communities, the formation of priestly
and religious vocations, and of
christian leaders… Moreover, today in
western countries we have at our
disposal economic opportunities which
from at least the colonial times we have
not had. Different civil entities and
public institutions have become aware of
the need and offer support in the form
of projects for the well being and
promotion of peoples. However these same
offers of support are but a drop in the
ocean of world poverty, which generally
coincide with the ad gentes
countries. I believe that we are not
making good use of these supports and
that we are only at the beginning of,
what, today, should be a well worked out
activity. I believe that this same
collaboration with these entities can
help us draw attention to public bodies
of the fundamental problems of the so
called world order.
For this
reason, this limited activity which
thanks to these resources we can fulfil,
does not weaken the perception of the
need to transform this world’s order
according to the spirit of the gospel
and the requirements of justice, which
alone will allow people to live together
in peace.
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