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IN THIS ISSUE This issue contains the texts of coordinate and stimulate missionary the two papers delivered at the SEDOS efforts of the Latin American Seminar on the MISSIONARY OUTREACH OF Churches on a continental level. THE LATIN AMWICAN CWRCH. FR. MERTEN, SVD has lived his BISHOP IVO LORSCHEITER asked the entire active life as a missionary in question "Church of Latin America. Ghana yet he entitles his piece THE how is your missionary awareness and MISSIONARY DILEHMA. He sees the con- practice today?" Five reasons made tinued "European-ness" of the Church this a particularly important in Africa as the greatest obstacle to question: The 500th Anniversary of its growth and wonders whether mis- the arrival of the Spanish; the mis- sionaries will be seen as the "grave- sionary commitment of so many diggers of the Church" if they do not Europeans since that event; the fact make radical changes in their ap- that by the year 2000 approximately proach to the African mind and heart. 50% of the world's catholics will be in Latin America; the 25th Anniver- Missionaries increasingly draw sary of Vatican 11; and the Fourth attention to the importance of General Assembly of the Latin respect for the environment as a American Bishops which will be held specifically missionary concern. An in Santo Domingo in 1992. Dom Ivo important manifestation of this con- commented on these and then outlined cern was the first Awards Ceremony of some missionary initiatives of the the INTERNATIONAL ST. FRANCIS PRIZE Latin American Churches in situations FOR THE ENVIRONMENT: CANTICLE OF CAN- of mission within Latin America. TICLES. This was held in October in the Franciscan Basilica at Assisi in He gave priority to the serious the presence of an influential challenge of evangelization among the gathering of people dedicated to the Indios - the indigenous people, still environment. We give here the State- strangely the most neglected of ment from the Seminar held on that peoples, and the Afro Brazilians. The occasion; the members of the pres- main effort overseas is being tigious Awards Jury; the names of directed to Mozambique in Africa be- those who received awards and finally cause the pastoral policies of the the Canticle of Canticles. Church there are close to those of Dom Ivo's diocese. (see also News. We draw your attention to the Page 314) SEASONS OF MOTHERHOOD, a classic ex- ample of contextual theology. We FR. ROMEO BALLAN, MCCJ who is propose it as an Advent and Christmas coordinator of the preparatory com- meditation for all missionaries. It mittee for COMLA 4 brought us up to comes from a laywoman JUNE JOHNSTON a date with the preparations for that mother who also works outside her meeting which will be held in Lima, family. Peru, in February 1991. He did this in the wider historical context of There are important items of the COMLA meetings which aim to news and coming events. MISSIONARY OUTREACH OF THE LATIN AMERICAN CHURCH SEDOS Rome, October 9th- 1990 Dom Ivo Lorscheiter "You will be my witnesses not only in Jerusalem, but throughout Judea and Samaria, and indeed to the ends of the earth." (Acts. 1.8). The Lord promises the strength of the Holy Spirit for this work. This is what is important, what sustains us in our effort. We worship this Spirit and we call on the Spirit at this very moment as we meet here and consider with trepidation the missionary responsibilities of Latin America. The Lord tells us that the Father has determined by his own authority the times, the moments, the ways of this task. Who knows? We in Latin America could even say that the Lord, of his own authority, has fixed the time, the steps, the ways of this task so that we, too, in Latin America may take upon ourselves this universal missionary responsibility. As we worship this Spirit and prepare ourselves to know "the signs of the times" that the Father has determined, we call his presence upon us today. TBE RELIGIOUS CEAlUSU hierarchy has its own charism of coordination. You have the gift of I would like to greet the mem- being the first, the pioneers, the bers of SEDOS whom I have the honor spearheads. This is your joy and your of meeting for the first time, with specific responsibility. its leaders, staff, and all the mis- sionary and religious institutes that I recall reading a biblical are part of this service. It is my meditation by the famous Fr. Bernard wish that here at SEDOS it may be Haring, who was comnenting on what possible to produce a growing steady happened on the morning of the resur- flow of comnon activities on behalf rection of the Lord Jesus when the of the missionary cause. two apostles, John and Peter, ran to the tomb. The Bible tells us, (in an Since we are dealing here with acute way, I might add) that John was religious families allow me to tell running faster than Peter. Haring you with all my heart: never be says that it is a symbol of what must afraid to be what your religious also happen in the Church. John rep- charism calls you to be within the resents the religious charism, and Lord's Church. Your religious charism must be faster than the hierarchy. - and we must say this with great joy But Peter, representing the hierar- - calls you to be the spearheads. chy, must gather up also those who Religious must be the pioneers in lag behind and so he must not be too discovering the pastoral and mission- far ahead! ary needs of the Church. This is your gift. And you must not even wait for It would have been a false the hierarchy to call you. The respect on the part of John, if he had slowed down. It would have yourselves. I think it is important damaged Peter himself. In fact, to keep this talk in the form of a seeing John so far ahead, even made question, so that we may appreciate Peter make a greater effort not to the stimulating challenge it con- arrive too late! The hierarchy is tains. I would like to consider some stimulated by the charism of special circumstances and motivations religious. that prompt the question. But then John himself tells us in his gospel that, when he reached 1) 500th Anniversary the empty tomb, he waited for Peter. He did not wait out of fear. He did First, in October 1992 we will not enter the tomb; not because he celebrate the 500th anniversary of was afraid of angels or the dead but the history of the Americas. We all because he wanted to recognize the know that there is a lot of con- charism, the responsibility of Peter. troversy around this 500th anniver- Peter arrived, surveyed the scene and sary. Today, even among us bishops then John, having followed protocol, there are ever stronger opinions. On later described the scene in the most the one side we have a "gloomy minute details. reading" that sees in the history of these 500 years only mistakes, So please! All religious, mem- crimes, grave errors, violations of bers of SEDOS or not, must live with human rights and of traditional cul- joy this pastoral and missionary tures. Everything is gloomy. Every- gift. This is written also in the thing was a sin. On the other side Mutuae Relationes of 1968, issued by there is the "rosy reading" of his- the two Roman Congregations, for tory which sees everything as beauti- Religious and, of Bishops, that the ful, clear, bright and sees only the charism of religious is to be agents advantages, the merits, the great of renewal and of creativity. Because realizations of missionary evan- of this, the charism will often be gelization. uncomfortable - this is exactly what the document says. We Bishops are not The history of tQese 500 years, afraid. The Church will get along not unlike the rest of human history, well in the measure that you must always be looked at "with the religious will live this missionary humility of truth" - the words of charism. Pope John Paul I1 in this context. We should avoid unilateral triumphalisms Having made this important point on the one side, and false scruples I would like now to try to express on the other. For this reason we try the theme of this morning's talk in to ensure, and we pray to the Lord. the shape of a question: that this historic event may lead to Church of Latin America, how is serious studies that make us recog- your missionary awareness and prac- nize the mistakes which are many and tice today? serious, but also remember, even with joy and gratitude, the undeniable ex- amples of heroism of the missionaries who did so much. Hay it be an objec- tive history without being I believe that we in Latin unilateral. It is in the context of America must ask this question of this 500th anniversary celebrations ourselves: How do we live this mis- that we find the first and strongest sionary consciousness? How do we reason for asking the question: translate it into a missionary Church of Latin Aperica, how is your practice? You too, in SEDOS from many missionary awareness and practice Churches, and Congregations, will today? want to ask this same question of 2) Thn Hissioaary History position to other religions. But a Presbyterian priest in Brazil, a Cal- There is a second historical vinist, has challenged us. Compared reason.

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