The theology of human
development
in the Missions
-
M. Zachary
Igirukwayo,
ocd,
The title
describes
the method
and traces
the fundamental
lines.
The adjective
“human”
together
with the
noun “development”
indicates
that
we are
not
dealing
with
development
understood
solely
from
an
economical
perspective,
but
rather
we are
dealing
with the
entire
human
person.
Before
the genitive, “human
development”,
there
is the
noun “theology”.
The present
reflection
will
not
be
from a
horizontal
persective,
as
it
would
be
for the
human
sciences,
such
as
economy
or sociology,
but
rather
it’s
starting
point
will
be the
way God
looks
upon
his
works
and his
Word, fulfilled
once and for
all in
Christ,
who
lives
always
in those
who come
together
in the Church,
through which
He
continues
His
Mission
given
to
Him
by the
Father,
in the power of the
Holy
Spirit (AG
2-6).
The first part
of this
talk will
present
four
basic questions
for the
Missions:
1) God
made
us
to
know,
love and
announce “one
but
not
only”
God (Trinity
of Persons),
fulfilled
in the
revelation
to
humanity
at a specific
time in the
history of
revelation,
salvation
and covenant.
Our
Christian
knowledge
of this
world’s
realities
– creation,
the dignity
of the human
person,
their
mission
in the world, etc. –
derives
from
our
response
to
that
first
theological
question.
2) The Person
of Christ
is the
only
universal
figure,
criterion of
knowledge
of the union
between the
divinity
and humanity,
by
means of
his
specific
messianic
aspect,
spendour
of his
full revelation
through the
paschal mystery
whose
work of
salvation
goes
forth
to
every
age and
for
all
time, and
which
tends
towards
escatalogical
fulfness
(AG 9). 3) The
Christian
vision of the
human
person and of the
unity of
humanity:
created
and called
to
be
God’s
adopted
children,
“Word made
flesh”;
universal
fraternity
based on
the ontological
communion
of all
human
beings,
who
participate
in the same
life of God,
in Christ.
From
these
two
aspects
there
derives
the defence
of moral
values:
human
rights,
justice,
peace,
solidarity,
“responsibility”
before
God and
humanity.
4) The vision of the
Kingdom
of God
which
we
must
announce
in its
double
aspect,
real and
eschatalogical,
which
was the
goal of
Christ’s
mission and the
members
of the
evangelizing
Church (EN
6-16), leads
us
to
announce
the universal
salvation
of the human
race (PP 6, 14)
founded
on the
principle
that the
earthly
and heavenly
cities
penetrate each
other (GS
40; PP 12-13),
which
guides the
presence
of the Church
and its
activity
in the light of the
Kingdom
(Mt
5-7), from
the precept
of the two
commandments
of love of God
and of
neighbour (Mt
22:34-40); cf.
RM 15),
which
lead
to the
imperatives
of justice
(cf.
RM 37) and the
moral
implications
of the final
judgement (Mt
25: 31-46).
The second
part
will
be
an
allusion
to the
four
principles
which
guide the
theology of
human
development
on the Missions
and the way to
do this
as
indicated
by
Vatican
II. 1) Jesus
Christ
is the
stable
principle
and permanent
centre
of Mission
which
God
Himself
confides
to
us (RH
11). 2) ”With
the Incarnation
of the Son
of God
he
is
united
in a certain
way to
everyone”
(GS 22). 3) “Man in the
full truth
of his
existence,
of his
personal being
and also
of his
community and social
being….is
the primary
route that
the Church
must
travel
in fulfilling
her
mission”
(RH 14). 4) “Between
evangelization
and the promotion of the
human
person –
development,
liberation
– there
is a
profound
link” (EN
31). The way to
develop
is:
to
read the
signs of
the times
and interpret
them in
the light of the
Gospel (GS
4).
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