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Pope Francis has titled his message for World Mission Sunday 2016 as “Missionary Church, Witness of Mercy.” Francis centers his reflections on “Mission and Mercy” since, this year, the Church is celebrating the Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy. This presentation simply highlights seven pivotal themes emerging from the thought of Pope Francis.
A retired dentist’s commitment to do volunteer work for the poorest of society has brought him to some of the neediest countries. His latest journey took him to India, where he served in a clinic and met a boy whom he called the “Little Gandhi.”
Four hundred years after the introduction of Christianity, the Church in Vietnam continues to thrive. Despite the cultural, social, and political challenges, as well as the trials and persecutions, the Church continues to take steps, albeit small, to flourish and make the Gospel known.
Archbishop Thomas Menamparampil, SDB, was born on October 22, 1936, in Palai, India. He retired in January 2012 after serving as Bishop of Dibrugarh for 11 years, and 20 years as Archbishop of Guwahati. In February 2014, however, Pope Francis called him out of retirement and appointed him the apostolic administrator of the Diocese of Jowai. Ever the zealous missionary that he is, he took on the responsibility to continue to serve. Archbishop Thomas, in a nutshell, is a true “bridge builder” who emphasizes the need for dialogue in reaching out to lukewarm Catholics, nonbelievers, or even those hostile to the Church.
For someone who was born to a wealthy family and rose to fame as an award-winning actor
and filmmaker, Kyaw Thu has a comfortable life anyone in Myanmar would envy. However,
despite his stature, Kyaw Thu lives simply, even using his fortune and popularity to help
poverty-stricken Burmese – whether they’re living or dead.
“Unity in diversity” is a trite and often overused concept that describes how coalitions are able to exist and work towards achieving a common goal. However, this same hackneyed phrase is perhaps the best expression to illustrate how Tunisia’s National Dialogue Quartet was able to negotiate a peaceful settlement of the country’s political crisis from 2013 to 2014, making it the Nobel Committee’s choice for the 2015 Peace Prize.
As the Church celebrates the fiftieth anniversary (1965-2015) of Ad Gentes, the Vatican II document on mission, it is enlightening to recall the evolution and content of this pivotal document within the Council; one discovers an interesting and dramatic story! The material presented here unfolds in three areas: (1) key moments of the Ad Gentes journey during the Council; (2) brief synopsis of Ad Gentes itself; and (3) recent reflections by Pope Benedict, a member of the “Missions Commission” that drafted Ad Gentes.
Mapuordit Hospital has been a life-saving institution through the generous dedication of missionaries and lay people prepared to serve, to heal and to rekindle hope in the distressed hearts of many South Sudanese people. Bro. Rosario, a Comboni Missionary Brother, is the key not only in running the Hospital but also in creating human resources to meet the basic medical needs of a people still striving to build their lives after the cruel war.
With further advances in treatment techniques and counseling and rethinking of theological premises, hospitals’ pastoral care becomes even more critical in the lives of patients and families. Is pastoral care relevant in the contemporary scene? Absolutely!
The family has always been regarded as the nucleus of society, the “domestic Church” in the Catholic manner of speaking. Values, education, and how children eventually turn out in life depend on how solid a family is. These days, however, a new and evolving concept of the family is emerging, founded on the pretext of gender equality and human rights, and compounded by “new winds of doctrine”
or simply the erosion of traditional values. Recognizing the need to address the changing tide as well as the needs of Catholics who, although they may be in a situation deemed sinful, sincerely want to participate in the life of the Church, Pope Francis has convened the bishops of the world to find out how best to resolve these challenges – through the standpoint of doctrine and the eyes of mercy.
