This morning, the Holy See Press Centre published the content of a letter written by Pope Francis dated 11 February, addressed to His Excellency, Joseph Marino, President of the Pontifical Ecclesiastical Academy, in which the Holy Father asks His Excellency to integrate a year of missionary commitment to a diocese or a particular Church in the training curricula for priests who are candidates for the diplomatic service of the Holy See, in order to nourish within these candidates an apostolic zeal to go out to the territories on the peripheries, outside the candidates' home dioceses.
Dear brother,
At the conclusion of the working sessions of the recent Special Assembly of the Synod of Bishops for the Pan-Amazonian region, I expressed a desire that the priests who are preparing for the Holy See's Diplomatic Service might dedicate a year of their formation to missionary commitment within a Diocese.
I am convinced that such an experience can be useful to all young priests who are preparing for or who are at the beginning of their priesthood, but in a special way for those who in the future will be called to collaborate with the Pontifical Representations and, later, who may become in their turn the Ambassadors of the Holy See to Nations and to particular Churches.
In fact, as I have already had occasion to remind the community of this Pontifical Ecclesiastical Academy: The mission that one day you will be called to carry out will take you to all parts of the world. In Europe we need to wake up; in Africa, we are thirsty for reconciliation; in Latin America, we are hungry for nourishment and interiority; in North America, we are intent on rediscovering the roots of an identity that is not defined, beginning with exclusion; in Asia and Oceania, we are challenged by the ability to ferment dialogue in the diaspora with the vastness of ancestral cultures (June 25, 2015).
In order to positively face these growing challenges for the Church and for the world, future diplomats of the Holy See must acquire, in addition to solid priestly and pastoral formation, and the specific training offered by this Academy, also personal mission experience outside the candidates' own Dioceses of origin, sharing with the missionary Churches a period of journeying together with their community, participating in their daily evangelizing activity.
I therefore turn to you, dear Brother, who recently assumed the position of President of the Pontifical Ecclesiastical Academy, asking you to implement my desire to enrich the curriculum of academic formation with a year dedicated entirely to missionary service in the particular Churches scattered throughout the world. This new experience will come into force starting with the new pupils who will begin their training in the next academic year 2020/2021.
In order to elaborate this project in greater detail and to begin it well, we will first need to work closely with the Secretariat of State and, more precisely, with the Section for the Diplomatic Personnel of the Holy See, as well as with the Pontifical Representatives, who certainly will not fail to provide valuable help in identifying the particular Churches that are ready to welcome students and in following their experience closely.
I am sure that, having overcome the initial concerns, which could arise in the face of this new style of formation for future diplomats of the Holy See, the missionary experience that is to be promoted will be useful not only to young academics, but also to individual Churches within which they will collaborate and, I hope, will inspire in other priests of the universal Church the desire to make themselves available to carry out a period of missionary service outside their own Dioceses.
In conclusion, entrusting to the Virgin Mary, Mother of the Church, this new modality of the formation of future collaborators in the diplomatic service of the Holy See, I send with affection to you, dear Brother and to the entire community of the Pontifical Ecclesiastical Academy, a cordial greeting and my Apostolic Blessing, asking you please to remember me in your prayers.
From the Vatican
11 February 2020
Francis
Testo originale nella lingua italiana
Texto in español
Letter of His Holiness, Pope Francis
to the President of the Pontifical Ecclesial Academy
Dear brother,
At the conclusion of the working sessions of the recent Special Assembly of the Synod of Bishops for the Pan-Amazonian region, I expressed a desire that the priests who are preparing for the Holy See's Diplomatic Service might dedicate a year of their formation to missionary commitment within a Diocese.
I am convinced that such an experience can be useful to all young priests who are preparing for or who are at the beginning of their priesthood, but in a special way for those who in the future will be called to collaborate with the Pontifical Representations and, later, who may become in their turn the Ambassadors of the Holy See to Nations and to particular Churches.
In fact, as I have already had occasion to remind the community of this Pontifical Ecclesiastical Academy: The mission that one day you will be called to carry out will take you to all parts of the world. In Europe we need to wake up; in Africa, we are thirsty for reconciliation; in Latin America, we are hungry for nourishment and interiority; in North America, we are intent on rediscovering the roots of an identity that is not defined, beginning with exclusion; in Asia and Oceania, we are challenged by the ability to ferment dialogue in the diaspora with the vastness of ancestral cultures (June 25, 2015).
In order to positively face these growing challenges for the Church and for the world, future diplomats of the Holy See must acquire, in addition to solid priestly and pastoral formation, and the specific training offered by this Academy, also personal mission experience outside the candidates' own Dioceses of origin, sharing with the missionary Churches a period of journeying together with their community, participating in their daily evangelizing activity.
I therefore turn to you, dear Brother, who recently assumed the position of President of the Pontifical Ecclesiastical Academy, asking you to implement my desire to enrich the curriculum of academic formation with a year dedicated entirely to missionary service in the particular Churches scattered throughout the world. This new experience will come into force starting with the new pupils who will begin their training in the next academic year 2020/2021.
In order to elaborate this project in greater detail and to begin it well, we will first need to work closely with the Secretariat of State and, more precisely, with the Section for the Diplomatic Personnel of the Holy See, as well as with the Pontifical Representatives, who certainly will not fail to provide valuable help in identifying the particular Churches that are ready to welcome students and in following their experience closely.
I am sure that, having overcome the initial concerns, which could arise in the face of this new style of formation for future diplomats of the Holy See, the missionary experience that is to be promoted will be useful not only to young academics, but also to individual Churches within which they will collaborate and, I hope, will inspire in other priests of the universal Church the desire to make themselves available to carry out a period of missionary service outside their own Dioceses.
In conclusion, entrusting to the Virgin Mary, Mother of the Church, this new modality of the formation of future collaborators in the diplomatic service of the Holy See, I send with affection to you, dear Brother and to the entire community of the Pontifical Ecclesiastical Academy, a cordial greeting and my Apostolic Blessing, asking you please to remember me in your prayers.
From the Vatican
11 February 2020
Francis
Testo originale nella lingua italiana
Texto in español
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