Pope Benedict XVI today issued his Message for World Mission Sunday, to be celebrated
in October of this year. The theme of this year’s Message is taken from the Motu proprio,
Porta fidei with which Pope Benedict XVI proclaimed the Year of Faith: “called to
radiate the word of truth that the Lord Jesus has left us.”
The Pope’s Message
is divided into four parts, preceded by an introduction that places this year’s World
Mission Sunday in the context of the 50th anniversary of the II Vatican
Council, the Conciliar declaration Ad gentes, the Year of Faith and the Synod assembly
on the New Evangelization.
Separated by headings, the four parts of the message
are dedicated to: missionary ecclesiology; the priority of evangelizing; faith and
proclamation; proclamation that becomes charity. Concluding his Message, Pope Benedict
XVI invokes the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the work of evangelization ad gentes,
and particularly on those who dedicate their labour to its cause, so that – by the
grace of God – the work of evangelization ad gentes might ever more decisively make
its way in the world and in human history.
In the words of Blessed John Henry
Newman, Pope Benedict prays, “Accompany us, O Lord, your missionaries to evangelize
in the land, put the right words on their lips, make their efforts fruitful,” and
implores the intercession of Mary, Mother of the Church and Star of Evangelization,
that she might accompany all the missionaries of the Gospel. Listen