1st Nov. 2013: The Pope’s Missionary Prayer intention for the month of November
is that as fruit of the Continental mission, Latin American churches may send
missionaries to other churches. Although Latin America is the most Catholic area
in the world, it has more often been the recipient, rather than the source of missionaries.
One of the signs of a healthy church is its missionary zeal and commitment. The continental
mission mentioned in this intention, refers to the evangelising mission to which the
Latin American bishops committed themselves, when they met in Brazil in 2007. At
World Youth Day this year Pope Francis affirmed that commitment. He encouraged bishops,
priests and Religious, who had gathered to celebrate Mass with him “ to kindle within
the hearts of young people the desire to be the missionary disciples of Jesus”. The
Pope said “We cannot keep ourselves shut up in parishes and in our communities,
when so many people are waiting for the Gospel. It is not enough simply to open the
door in welcome, we must go out through that door to seek and meet the people. The
Pope invited the faithful to pray that many more missionaries may come from Latin
America to bring the Gospel to people all over the world