Roman Committee

ROME REDISCOVERS ITS MISSIONARY SOUL

Angelo Zema

One million, two hundred thousand copies of the Gospel of Mark were distributed to families in Rome, 300,000 were requested by the Dioceses and parishes of various regions in Italy, 36,000 were printed in nine different languages for the Catholic immigrants who live in Rome. Twelve thousand five hundred "missionaries," mostly laity, who are committed to a road of formation meet eight times, once every month and discuss the figure of Jesus Christ. Fifteen thousand youths, receivers of the Gospel of Mark in the encounter of last March 20, with the Holy Father in the Paul VI Hall. Five appointments with high profile people (Cardinals Ratzinger, Biffi, Lustiger, Martini, O'Connor, journalists and writers Levi, Magris and Zavoli) on the Church-city dialogue, in the Basilica of Saint John Lateran, Cathedral of Rome. These are the most significant numbers for the first year of the path of the citizens Mission - an initiative wanted by the Pope for the preparation of the Dioceses of Rome to the Great Jubilee 2000 - officially inaugurated by the Holy Father during the Pentecostal Vigil of 1996, which ended last June with the ecclesial Diocesan Congress. That gathering saw all the components of the Church in Rome together (priests, religious and the laity) to verify the itinerary formulated up until now and the definition of the pastoral programme for 1997/98, the year of the celebration of the citizens Mission in the parishes.

The outcome of what has so far been achieved is positive, beginning with the evaluation of the more significant initiative: the distribution of the Gospel of Mark to families in Rome, which involved thousands of lay people, called on by parishes, associations, movements and ecclesial groups. More than 95% of the families received the "missionaries" and accepted the evangelical text, which were accompanied by an introductory letter by the Pope. The preparation of these "door to door " evangelizes was especially taken to heart: more than 12,000 people, for three hours, once a month for eight months, met each other to walk through the theological-catechetical formation, which is underscored in the Lenten celebration of the spiritual exercises in all the Roman parishes with the theme: "Jesus Christ, sole Savior of the world, yesterday, today and always." In the coming months, this itinerary will continue, focusing expressly on moral, social and family questions.

The family, in particular will be the privileged selection of the pastoral programme for the next year, especially because it has been shaken by a profound crisis which risks corroding its very identity. The visit to the families, during Lent 1998, will constitute the central moment for the Mission across the country: it will be focused on the announcement of Jesus Christ, on fraternal dialogue, on the use of the icon of the Crucifixion. The theme-slogan of the announcement: "Open the door to Christ the Savior". The visits to the families will then lead to centers of listening in the home, where the Gospel of Mark will be deepened. Parishes will be called to strengthen their commitment in the immediate and remote preparation of marriage, in the support to families already grounded, in the education of children, especially for preadolescents, who are very challenged today. All this implicates special attention even for young people: following their path in the 1996/97 pastoral year dedicated to them in particular, the "Youth Mission" foreseen for the next few months will incorporate an added bonus of quality since it has been enhanced by the search for new ways of dialogue to reach the new generation. A letter of the Holy Father intended for all of Rome's young people will precede the pastoral visit, which will have in the months of October to December all the auxiliary Bishops of the dioceses making the respective visits. During Lent there will also be other specific initiatives at the local level.

On the backdrop of this double commitment - focused on the pastoral of the family and on that of young people - the Church of Rome proposes the deepening of the theme of the Holy Spirit, indicated by the Pope for the second year of preparation of the Holy Year of 2000, and it will commit itself to value more the Sacrament of Confirmation, an issue which is directly tied to the double priority already mentioned above. The Holy Spirit was also at the center of a reflection during a Diocesan Congress held by Father Raniero Cantalamessa, the Preacher of the Pontifical House, who referred to it as «soul and protagonist of the citizen's Mission. A Mission without the Holy Spirit - he said - is like a mass without consecration. Therefore it is important that our Mission has its Pentecost».

It is an emphasis which recalls the fundamental objective of the pre-Jubilee initiative: to be the permanent school of missionaries. To guide hearts towards a missionary attitude, in the family, in the workplace, in personal and social contacts. In order to bring Christ to others.