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28. The Christian faithful, having different gifts (cf. Rom.
12:6), according to each one's opportunity, ability, charisms
and ministry (cf. 1 Cor. 3:10) must all cooperate in the
Gospel. Hence all alike, those who sow and those who reap (cf.
John 4:37), those who plant and those who irrigate, must be one
(cf. 1 Cor. 3:8), so that "in a free and orderly fashion
cooperating toward the same end," they may spend their forces
harmoniously for the building up of the Church.
Wherefore, the labors of the Gospel heralds and the help given by the
rest of the Christian faithful must be so directed and intertwined that
"all may be done in order" (1 Cor. 14:40) in all fields of
missionary activity and cooperation.
29. Since the charge of proclaiming the Gospel in the whole world
falls primarily on the body of bishops, the synod of bishops or
that "stable Council of bishops for the entire Church," among
the affairs of general concern, should give special consideration
to missionary activity, which is the greatest and holiest task of the
Church.
For all missions and for the whole of missionary activity there should
be only one competent office, namely that of the "Propagation of the
Faith," which should direct and coordinate, throughout the world,
both missionary work itself and missionary cooperation. However, the
law of the Oriental Churches is to remain untouched.
Although the Holy Spirit in diverse manners arouses the mission
spirit in the Church of God, and oft times anticipates the action of
those whose task it is to rule the life of the Church, yet for its
part, this office should promote missionary vocations and missionary
spirituality, zeal and prayer for the missions, and should put out
authentic and adequate reports about them. Let it raise up
missionaries and distribute them according to the more urgent needs of
various areas. Let it arrange for an orderly plan of action, issue
directives and principles adapted to evangelization, and give the
impetus. Let it take care of stimulating and coordinating an effective
collection of funds, which are to be distributed according to reasons
of necessity and usefulness, the extent of the territory in question,
the number of believers and non - believers, of undertakings and
institutes, of ministers and missionaries.
In coordination with the Secretariat for Promoting Christian
Unity, let it search out ways and means for bringing about and
directing fraternal cooperation as well as harmonious living with
missionary undertaking of other Christian communities, that as far as
possible the scandal of division may be removed.
Therefore, this office must be both an instrument of administration
and an organ of dynamic direction, which makes use of scientific
methods and means suited to the conditions of modern times, always
taking into consideration present - day research in matters of
theology, of methodology and missionary pastoral procedure.
In the direction of this office, an active role with a deliberative
vote should be had by selected representatives of all those who
cooperate in missionary work: that is, the bishops of the whole world
(the episcopal conferences should be heard from in this regard), as
well as the moderators of pontifical institutes and works, in ways and
under conditions to be fixed by the Roman Pontiff. All these, being
called together at stated times, will exercise supreme control of all
mission work under the authority of the Supreme Pontiff. This office
should have available a permanent group of expert consultors, of proven
knowledge and experience, whose duty it will be, among other things to
gather pertinent information about local conditions in various regions,
and about the thinking of various groups of men) as well as about the
means of evangelization to be used. They will then propose
scientifically based conclusions for mission work and cooperation.
Institutes of religious women, regional undertakings for the mission
cause, and organizations of laymen (especially international ones)
should be suitably represented.
30. In order that the proper goals and results may be obtained, all
missionary workers should have but "one heart and one soul" (Acts
4:32) in the actual carrying out of mission work itself.
It is the bishop's role, as the ruler and center of unity in the
diocesan apostolate, to promote missionary activity, to direct it and
to coordinate it but always in such a way that the zeal and spontaneity
of those who share in the work may be preserved and fostered. All
missionaries, even exempt Religious, are subject to his power in the
various works which refer to the exercise of the sacred
apostolate. To improve coordination, let the bishop set up,
insofar as possible, a pastoral council, in which clergy,
Religious, and laity may have a part, through the medium of selected
delegates. Moreover let them take care that apostolic activity be not
limited to those only who have already been converted. A fair
proportion of personnel and funds should be assigned to the
evangelization of non - Christians.
31. Episcopal conferences should take common counsel to deal with
weightier questions and urgent problems, without however neglecting
local differences. Lest the already insufficient supply of men
and means be further dissipated, or lest projects be multiplied without
necessity, it is recommended that they pool their resources to found
projects which will serve the good of all as for instance, seminaries;
technical schools and schools of higher learning; pastoral,
catechetical, and liturgical centers; as well as the means of social
communication.
Such cooperation, when indicated, should also be initiated between
several different episcopal conferences.
32. It would also be good to coordinate the activities which are
being carried on by ecclesiastical institutes and associations. All
these, of whatever kind, should defer to the local Ordinary in all
that concerns missionary activity itself. Therefore, it will be very
helpful to, draw up contracts to regulate relations between local
Ordinaries and the moderator of the institute.
When a territory has been committed to a certain institute, both the
ecclesiastical superior and the institute will be concerned to direct
everything to this end, that the new Christian community may grow into
a local church, which in due time will be governed by its own pastor
with his clergy.
When the commission of a certain territory expires, a new state of
affairs begins. Then the episcopal conference and the institutes in
joint deliberation should lay down norms governing the relations between
local Ordinaries and the institutes. It will be the role of
Holy See to outline the general principles according to which regional
and even particular contracts are to be drawn up.
Although the institutes will be prepared to continue the work which
they have begun, cooperating in the ordinary ministry of the care of
souls, yet when the local clergy grows numerous, it will be provided
that the institute, insofar as this is in agreement with its purpose,
should remain faithful to the diocese, generously taking over special
works or some area in it.
33. The institutes engaged in missionary activity in the same
territory should find ways and means of coordinating their work.
Therefore, it will be very useful to have conferences of Religious
men and unions of Religious women, in which institutes of the same
country or region should take part. These conferences should ask what
things can be done by combined efforts, and they should be in close
touch with the episcopal conferences.
All these things, with equal reason, should be extended to include
the cooperation of missionary institutes in the home lands, so that
questions and joint projects can be settled with less expense, as for
instance the formation of future missionaries, as well as courses for
missionaries, relations with public authorities and with international
or supranational organizations.
34. Since the right and methodical exercise of missionary activity
requires that those who labor for the Gospel should be scientifically
prepared for their task, and especially for dialogue with non -
Christian religions and cultures, and also that they should be
effectively assisted in the carrying out of this task, it is desired
that, for the sake of the missions, there should be fraternal and
generous collaboration on the part of scientific institutes which
specialize in missiology and in other arts and disciplines useful for
the missions, such as ethnology and linguistics, the history and
science of religions, sociology, pastoral skills and the like.
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