2010-11-11 12:02:30

Frontiers of Missiology...


In his Post Synodal Apostolic Exhortation "Verbum Domini" , published on Thursday November 11th Benedict XVI highlights the call to strengthen the missionary conscience in the Church. The Pope writes: "The Church must go out to meet each person in the strength of the Spirit and continue her prophetic defence of people's right and freedom to the word of God while constantly seeking out the most effective ways of proclaiming that word , even at the risk of persecution. The Church feels duty-bound to proclaim to every man and woman the word that saves ."
One person whose job it is to form new generations in the area of missiology is the Dean of this faculty at the Pontifical Gregorian University here in Rome, Jesuit Father Felix Körner.
In an interview with Veronica Scarisbrick he shines the spotlight on a statue representing Christ , which dominates the entrance of the premises of this Jesuit-run place of learning. Symbolic to him is the gesture of the Christ figure captured by the artist : the outstretched arm.
Many who come here, he claims , believe it refers to a gesture of teaching or blessing, but it's not : ".. it's Christ sending you out ..because the message of Ignatius is following the message of Christ , you have a job to do, not a career within this cosy house, but to bring your discovery ... of ... Salvation to others...". In this interview Father Körner also defines the word missiology as: "..Theology in context, in the contexts of today ". Highlighting among other things the European context where a new evangelization is needed, but also how the frontiers of the Church are no longer geographical but intellectual.
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