VATICAN CITY, JUN 12, 2001 (VIS) - The Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples today published its "Instruction on the Sending Abroad and Sojourn of Diocesan Priests from Mission Territories." The 14-page document, approved by Pope John Paul, is dated April 25, 2001 and is signed by former prefect, Cardinal Jozef Tomko, and by the congregation's adjunct secretary, Archbishop Charles Schleck. It was published in English, French, Spanish and Italian.
A note from Cardinal Tomko, entitled "Reasons for the Instruction," accompanied the document.
The cardinal opens the commentary by underscoring the missionary nature of the Church, and states that the Church "is growing in the so-called mission territories and its numerical weight is moving towards the southern hemisphere of our planet."
He also refers to the "innate missionary vocation of the priesthood," noting that many priests in mission countries are sent abroad to further their studies and that many remain abroad, especially in Europe and North America. "This phenomenon," he writes, "has taken on such dimensions that it calls for an attentive evaluation in the context of the ecclesial situation as well as a regulation asked for by various parties so that such mobility does not damage, but rather helps the growth of the Church in mission territories. This is the scope of the "Instruction on the Sending Abroad and Sojourn of Diocesan Priests from Mission Territories."
Cardinal Tomko states that "the Instruction has two parts, one which explains (the problem) and another which lays out the norms. The positive intention to favor the genuine missionary spirit of all diocesan priests and to help the young Churches in their orderly maturation is very clear in the sober but compact first part, which fully justifies the basic norms which are laid out in the second part."
He explains that "the missionary dimension of the priest is not cancelled with his assignment to a diocese. In fact, this 'innate' missionary vocation of priests is at the basis of a precious service, even temporary, that they offer to young Churches and has motivated the rise of the precious form of missionary collaboration of diocesan priests called 'fidei donum' according to Pius XII's famous encyclical (of the same name)."
The former prefect then cites examples of young missionary Churches that are, in turn, sending their priests to other young missionary Churches, mentioning examples in Africa in particular. This can on occasion deprive the donor Church of the priests it needs to continue its evangelizing work.
He mentions the reasons why young Churches may send their priests abroad: 1. to further their studies; 2. to help pastors in local Churches, especially Europe and North America, where there is a shortage of vocations, and 3. to assist their fellow countrymen who reside abroad. One reason for "the permanent stay of diocesan priests in mission territory abroad is constituted by the state of persecution, wars or similar serious circumstances."
Cardinal Tomko then writes "of the other side of the coin. In young Churches there are many vocations. Their number has tripled in the past 20 years. The Pontifical Missionary Works today help nearly 30,000 major seminarians and 50,000 minor seminarians." He said that normally their seminary formation is in their home country but added that "many aspire to go to the West and they stay there for long periods, or definitively, guided by motives they are not properly in the missionary spirit, for example, aspiring to better living conditions or a better economic situation."
"There are dioceses in Africa and Asia," says the former prefect, "that have a third, or even half, of their diocesan priests abroad, for economic motives; I know one where there are 83 (priests abroad) and internal evangelization is stagnating."
"The Instruction," he concludes, "is a tacit invitation to reflection for both types of Churches; young and old. A community which cannot succeed in creating in its own midst the ministers it needs must ask itself about the causes of such a situation and about the just remedies, such as the pastoral ministries for the family and for vocations."
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