Introduction:
The present
day changes
due to
globalization,
multiculturalism,
the movement
of migrants,
and the new
religious
frontiers
require us
to
reflect on
mission and
to
place
it
within a
broad
theological
framework.
1.
The need
to
place
mission
within a
broad
theological
framework
which
considers
mission
as
part of
God’s plan
of salvation;
those
responsible
for
mission;
Jesus
as
sent
by the
Father;
Easter
as
an
event
that
brings
us
together;
the church,
born at
Pentencost,
as
being
sent.
2.
What is understood
by
mission in
“ad gentes”?
Development
of the reality
and the concept.
The term
describes
the missionary
activity in
human
enviroments
which
have
not
yet
known
Christ and
which do
not
have a
mature christian
community. The
traditional
term “mission”
was
inadeguate because
it
did
not take
into account
the development
of the “missions”
into
dioceses
which
then
had
responsibility,
even
missionary;
and, also,
because the
concept
described
just a small
section of
the Church
as
missionary.
3.
Historical models of mission.
The church
is of
its
very nature
missionary,
and over the years
has
used
different
models
highlighting
different
images of
church.
Thus
we
encounter
mission
modelled on
the Church
as the
Easter-Pentecost
mystery, on the
church of
martyrs,
as
christianized,
as
mission
fulfilled,
the model of “contra
gentes” ,
and “ad gentes”,
a history of
salvation
model, and “inter
gentes”.
4.
Tensions due to change
in paradigm. Every model
refers
to a
specific
missionary
theology.
The modern
changes
require a
new style of
mission
based on the
centrality of
mission, the
widening of
social factors,
the soteriological
unprepared,
and openness
to the
spirit.
5.
Articulation of the new missionary
paradigm.
There are
many
dimensions
of mission.
We
shall
mention
four,
which,
viewed
together,
constitute
something
new. They
are: mission
as
communion
among the
churches,
mission
for the
enviroment,
mission
based on
poverty and
injustice
and the
proclamation of
inter-religious
dialogue.
6.
The transformation
of situations
and concepts.
The church’s
mission
is
to
be
understood
from the
starting
point of
God’s
mission,
which
it
is
called
to serve,
always
attentive
to the
signs of the
times, in
particular
to the
changes in
the way we
see the
world, to
religious
geography,
and to
missionary
institutues.
7.
The need
to
redraw the
church in
the light of
mission.
If
to the
changes
already
refered
to,
we
add the
needs of the
mission,
we
find
ourselves
having
to
redraw the
actual
image of the
church.
Here are a
few lines of
approach
which
change the
image of
church:
from
colonial
to
fraternal,
from
clerical
to
lay,
from
rural
to
urban,
from
catechumenal
to
adult,
from
dependent
to
self-sufficient,
from
dogmatic
to
dialogue and
encounter.
8.
The challenges
of the new
universality.
The entire
human race
is beginning
to live a
new universality
and is
establishing
a new structure
of religious
phenomenon.
Among the
challenges
there
emerges: the
phenomenon
of globalization
that
needs
to
be
evangelized,
the new religious
map of
humanity and
the gradual
de-christianization
of Europe.
The entire
People of God,
therefore,
must
become
responsible
for
mission.
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