INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF
CATHOLIC MISSIOLOGISTS (IACM)
First Plenary Assembly of IACM
(Rome, October 21, 2000)
REPORT
1. Introduction
The
new International Association of Catholic Missiologists, which together with
Pontifical Urban University, sponsored the International Missiological Congress
held in Rome (from October 17 to 20, 2000), had its Constitutive Assembly on
Saturday October 21, at the Aula Magna of the Urban University. After
the presentation of the Statutes, their amendment and approval, the Assembly
considered priorities for its future operations to guide its leadership. In the
afternoon the Assembly proceeded to elect its officers. About 50 members and
delegates from all the six continents were present at the Assembly. Also
present at the Assembly was Dr. Birger Nygaard, General Secretary of
International Association for Mission Studies (IAMS), who was IAMS's observer
at the Assembly.
The
International Association of Catholic Missiologists exists for the purpose of
promoting and encouraging effective collaboration in missiological research,
formation and publication on the part of Catholic Missiologists of all
continents. About 300 Missiologists are members of the Association, with over
100 from Latin America, close to 100 from Europe, and the rest from other
continents, principally Africa and Asia (and there are only a few from North
America and Oceania). The great objective of the Association is to place
Missiology at the service of the evangelizing mission of the local Churches.
2. Welcome speech by Msgr
Ambrogio Spreafico (Rector, Urban University)
In
his welcome speech, Rev. Msgr Ambrogio Spreafico, Rector Magnifico of the
Pontifical Urban University, Rome, thanked the members of IACM for
participating actively in the International Missiological Congress, and for
their collaboration in the planning of the said Congress. He spoke of
Pontifical Urban University as a missiological University. Though, in the words
of Cardinal Joseph Tomko, this is not a position of pride or honor but of
responsibility. Msgr Spreafico noted that since his appointment as Rector, he
has special interest in promoting mission theology. The recent restructuring of
the University's Faculty of Missiology is an excellent example. Finally, the
Rector invited members of IACM to the proposed Symposium of the 10th
Anniversary of the encyclical letter, Redemptoris Missio.
3. Provisional President and
Executive Secretary
In
his introductory speech, Fr. Sebastian Karotemprel, the provisional President,
gave a brief history of IACM. The idea about an Association of Catholic
Missiologists was first ventilated about five years ago at a meeting of the
professors of Missiology from the two Faculties of Missiology of the Pontifical
Gregorian University (PUG) and the Pontifical Urban University (PUU), both in
Rome. In their subsequent meetings, a Core Group was formed with the task to
draft a set of Statutes to guide the International Association of Catholic
Missiologists. Some members from each continent were invited to join the Core
Group for a wider representation. A joint meeting of the new Core Group was
held in February 1998. Since then, the Core Group had organized some activities
to start off the existence of IACM. In February 1999, it held a Colloquium with
Missiological Institutes (MI). The theme of the Colloquium was on The Role
of IACM and Missiological Institutes. Missiological Institutes in every
continent, and their directors were invited. Fr. Karotemprel took the time to
present to the Assembly the new volume containing the Acts of the
Colloquium,entitled: Promoting Mission Studies: The Role of Missiological
Institutes (ed. Sebastian Karotemprel, Joseph Puthenpurakal, Francis
Fernandez, and published by Vendrame Institute, Shillong).
The
Core Group also offered its collaboration to the PUU towards the planning of
the just concluded International Missiological Congress. The collaboration of
IACM was at the level of missiology, that is to say, in the planning of the
major themes of the Congress and the sub-themes, and the allotment of themes to
be handled by competent persons.
At
the end of Fr. Karotemprel's speech, Fr. Paolo Giglioni suggested that it is
time for the Association to change its Seat from Urban University to another
place. He also asked that he be relieved of his duties as Executive Secretary
due to personal reasons.
4. Presentation of the Statutes
The
main work done at the morning session by the Assembly was to discuss the
Statutes, their amnendments and approval. Fr. John Gorski who prepared the
final draft, read out the Statutes. Few amendments were made, and members
present unanimously approved the Statutes.
5. Financial contribution
As
stated in the Statutes, the Assembly agreed that members shall contribute to
the continuing operations of the Association through the payment of an annual
membership fee of $30 (thirty US Dollars for members living in Europe, North
America and other of such areas with high and strong economy) and $10 (ten US
Dollars for members living in the so called Third World countries).
6. Planning for the future
Prior
to the election, Fr. James Kroeger, MM, directed the Assembly on what could be
considered priorities for its future operations to guide its leadership. Those
who spoke at this session offered useful suggestions on how the IACM could
direct its leadership. The following is a sampling of these suggestions.
i)
In planning for future congress, the leadership is to take into account those
areas where mission is still active, for example: Africa, Asia, Latin America,
etc. It was observed that the papers presented at this year's Missiological
Congress, were more theoretical and dogmatic. The speakers forgot the sub-title
of the main theme of the Congress: "Who do you I am?" (Mt. 16:15):
Missiological and Missionary Responses in the context of Religions and
Cultures.
ii)
The focus could be on Ad gentes in Africa, Asia, Latin America, and
Oceania. This does not mean overlooking the missionary nature of the Church in
Europe. Where there is Church, there is mission. Again, theology was born out
of mission. So, theology is to be missionary focused, because a true theology
is missiological. Mission is the mother of theology.
iii)
The issue of mission in Europe and North America is still not over. With the
increasing number of moslems in Europe, the continent also needs to be
encouraged in its missionary efforts. The rapid growth of secularism is another
call for new evangelization in Europe and North America. It was reported that
another body of missiologists from Europe, are planning colloquium on
"Mission in Europe".
iv)
It was noted that in St Augustin, Germany and in other parts of Europe, there
are many activities for mission concerns in that continent. So, if Europe does
not send out many missionaries today as before, that does not mean that
missionary spirit is no longer active in the continent. Perhaps, the missionary
situation in Europe is at present undergoing transformation, yet, many
missionary activities and initiatives are on-going.
v)
The IACM is to stress the need (as it is in the Statutes), of placing
missiology at the service of the mission of the Church, especially, at the
service of the particular Churches. Particular Churches can benefit from our
mission studies when we engage in:
-
the animation of the priests about mission studies;
-
the animation of mission studies in our seminaries;
- and accompany the development of contextual
theologies of the Third World.
vi)
The IACM, through its activities will be able to assist the local Churches to
be missionary:
-
promote studies and missionary animation that could assist the local bishops to
be first missionaries of their dioceses and not just administrators;
-
offer missiological help to the local clergy that could help them develop
authentic missionary spirit. At present in some places, the local clergy is
only concerned on climbing the social ladder;
-
animate the people of God at local level for mission works;
-
assist the local Churches in the issues of dialogue, ecumenism, and
socialization.
vii)
Missiology has to stress its link with the life and missionary experience of
the Church. One way of doing this will be through the teaching of missiology in
theological faculties and by encouraging specialized studies in the discipline.
viii)
The special aids in personnel and finance from Europe and North America for
works of mission in the Third World countries, is praise-worthy. This is an
essential part of missionary activity that need to be rediscovered in all its
dimensions.
ix)
In promoting the study of missiology, emphasis is to be put on the study of
culture, especially, on cultural diversities as found in many countries today.
It is noted that we focus not only on Ad gentes, but also on the new
situations that demand the same urgent attention as in mission ad gentes.
How can missiology serve the changing society of our contemporary world?
x) The part of the function of IACM can include
further studies and research for clarification of some missiological
expressions, such as mission ad extra and ad intra, and the
conception of the term "mission", especially for those countries and
places, where mission is still seen only as going to a distance land. The
Vatican II teaching that the Church is missionary (local Churches included) has
to be promoted in our local Churches.
xi)
The issue in contextual theologies should focus on how to serve the local
Churches.
xi)
Two tendencies are now clear: the role of missiology to the academic world and
to the missionary activity. A more challenging reality is how are we to
elaborate theology from missionary perspectives, from local theology, and from
women? Again, how do we as missiologists participate in raising the dignity of
the human person. We can only do this by developing our theology of mission
from that perspective.
xii)
IACM will see that the missiological responses and methodologies being used in
mission studies in each continent are well channelled. It will be a great value
to facilitate in the dialogue between contexts of mission studies and responses
in that regard.
xiii)
On missionary out-put, experience has shown that the result of giving mission
studies to students (in particular to University students), is very useful form
of education. In some countries this has produced tremendous result. IACM is
therefore to emphasize the fact that the whole Church is missionary. Emphasize
animation of the laity, and raise priests whose spirituality and identity is
for the missionary animation of the lay faithful.
7. Concrete activities
In
addition to the missiological challenges many expressed a variety of additional
concerns and activities for the new Association. Some are listed below.
i)
Foster the fellowship of the members. This can be done by having a chart list
of members and their addresses in the internet.
ii)
IACM needs to establish its own Review.
iii)
Have branch associations of IACM, at national, regional, and continental
levels.
iv)
Foster collaboration and meeting with similar associations, and with Episcopal
Conferences.
v)
Promote fund-raising activities for the financial up-keep of the Association.
vi)
Use the facilities of institutions, as it had always being done.
vii)
Choose definite themes, develop them, hold symposium on them, and eventually
get them published in the IACM Review. Elect officers who have the capacity and
charism to carry on the work of the Association.
8. Election of the first
constitutive Executive Board
Before
a recess for the lunch the Nomination Committee Chairman, Fr. Eugen
Nunnenmacher asked for a non-binding straw vote to surface candidates. In this
vote revealed after lunch, the Assembly proceeded to elect its officers,
observing the modalities as contained in the Statutes. Elected to the Executive
Board are the following persons (all with a Doctorate in Missiology, Theology
or Biblical Studies):
President: Fr. John Gorski (a Maryknoll missionary from New
Jersey, USA), Professor of Missiology at the Bolivian Catholic University,
Cochabamba, Bolivia.
The
non-binding straw vote showed that Father Gorski himself, Eugen Nunnenmacher
(Germany) and James Kroeger (Philippines) received the greatest number of votes
for President. In the official ballot, Fr. Gorski was elected President by an
aboslute majority of 27 out of 49 valid votes cast. Votes received by the other
two candidates are as follows: Eugen Nunnenmacher, 12; James Kroeger, 7.
Executive Secretary: Fr. Francis A. Oborji (of the Archdiocese of
Onitsha, Nigeria), Professor of Missiology, Pontifical Urban University,
Rome.
It
took the Assembly three ballots to elect Executive Secretary with an absolute
majority of votes cast. The non-binding straw vote surfaced eight names, of
which Frs James Kroeger, Francis Oborji and Sr. Teresa Okure received the
greatest number of votes for Executive Secretary. In the first ballot, out of
49 votes cast, the candidates faired as follows: James Kroeger, 15 votes; Francis
Oborji, 12 votes; and Teresa Okure, 10 votes. Since none of the candidates
received an absolute majority from the valid votes cast, the Assembly proceeded
to a second ballot which revealed the following result: Francis Oborji, 19
votes; James Kroeger, 18 votes; and Teresa Okure, 12 votes. On the third
ballot, Fr. Oborji was elected Executive Secretary by an absolute majority of
27 out of 49 valid votes cast. Fr. James Kroeger and Sr. Teresa Okure received
16 and 12 votes respectively.
Treasurer: Sr. Madge Karecki (a Franciscan from Chicago, USA),
Professor of Missiology, University of South Africa, Unisa.
Among
the 15 persons the non-binding straw vote surfaced, Sr. Madge Karecki was
unanimously elected the Treasurer. Since the Statutes stated that the Financial
Administrator may come from where the seat of the IACM is, the Treasurer was to
choose her Assistant.
Vice President: Sr. Teresa Okure, SHCJ, Professor of New Testament,
Catholic Higher Institute of West Africa, Port Harcourt, Nigeria.
It
was after the elections of the President, the Executive Secretary, and the
Treasurer, that the Assembly proceeded to elect the Vice-President. From the
non-binding straw vote, Sr. Teresa Okure, Frs Eugen Nunnenmacher, Betrand Roy
(Canada), and Adam Wolanin (Poland) received the greatest number of votes for
Vice-President. Sr. Teresa Okure was elected by popular vote of simple
majority.
Regional Representatives
The
regional representatives were chosen by the members of their continental areas:
i) Africa: Fr. Silvester
Arinaitwe Rwomokubwe (a missiologist), Superior General of the Apostles of
Jesus, Nairobi, Kenya.
ii) Asia/Oceania: Fr. Lazar
Thanuzraj, SVD, Professor of Missiology, Ishvani Kendra Missiology Institute,
Pune, India.
iii) Europe: Fr. Eugen
Nunnenmacher, SVD, Professor of Missiology, Phil-Theol. Hochschule, St.
Augustin, Germany.
iv) Latin America: Fr. Joao
Pannazolo, former National Director of the Pontifical Mission Societies,
Brazil.
v) North America: Fr. Bertrand
Roy, Professor of Missiology, St. Paul University, School of Mission Studies,
Ottawa, Canada.
9. Acceptance speech by the new
President
Fr.
John Gorski, the new president, began his acceptance speech with a quotation
from the life of St. Francis of Assisi: "Preach the Gospel always, always
evangelize, and whenever necessary, use words".
The
new president, thanked the out-going executive led by Frs Sebastian Karotemprel
and Paolo Giglioni. He thanked also all the members of the former Core Group
for their initiative and leadership in the formation of IACM. Reflecting on the
election, Fr. Gorski thanked the Assembly for the confidence reposed on the new
Executive. The new Executive, according to him, represents the life and
vitality of the Church in different continents. There may be difficulties, but
we have the hope of bringing our missionary vitalities to various continents.
The ecclesial missionary vitality of our various continents lies on us now.
Moreover, the Church's renewed efforts in the areas of evangelization, inculturation,
ecumenism and interreligious dialogue is our response to why we must have
missiology in theological faculties and seminaries.
The
new president promised that the new Executive Board will do all possible, by
working together to contribute effectively for the growth of our young
Association. He proposed for the Association a News Bulletin and asked the
members to contribute articles on mission to be published occasionally for
animation and information about IACM.
Taking
continent by continent, the president noted that in this First Pleanary
Assembly of the Association, no one from Francophone Africa is present. He
promised to do something about it in future. Fr. Bikaki Nzuzi, SJ, from
Democratic Republic of Congo (a professor at the Missiology Institute of
Kinshasa), who attended the Core-Group meeting last year, could not attend this
year because of the political situation in that country.
Asia
and Oceania, the president noted, present the missionary and missiological
challenge of first order. For Latin America, he is optmistic that the identity
already established among the missiologists in that continent will be
maintained. For North America, it is hoped that members from St. Paul's
University, Ottawa, Canada will help in the animation for promotion of mission
studies in that continent. It was noted that no Catholic University in the
United States of America has a Faculty of Missiology. The president said that
we are to promote the efforts in various continents and nations for study of
missiology at graduate and post-graduate levels.
Concluding
his speech, the president emphasized that we must have the audacious to go
ahead about missiology. Each one of us has a good missionary experience. We
have something to offer the Church. The president asked all present to try to
share the experience of this event (both the Missiological Congress and the
Plenary Assembly itself) with those we represent at home. Finally, he entrusted
the young Association to the maternal care and intercession of the Blessed
Virgin Mary, the Queen of the Apostles.
10. Conclusion
It
seems fitting to conclude this brief summary with a quotation from the prayer
leaflet used at the opening session of the Assembly, animated by Sr. Ortrud
Stegmaier, SSpS.
Lord,
mold us as your messengers, your missionaries,
grant
us the gifts of grace to become people
who
can listen;
people,
who
are makers of peace;
people,
who
create solidarity and fellowship,
people,
who
reconcile and mediate,
who
give witness and speak the truth of love.
People,
in
whom your Spirit is alive - who radiate hope
and
work untiringly and unselfishly for your Kingdom.
Lord,
mold us into your people
who
have ability to convince others, who pray and put their prayer into action.
Lord,
transform us into prophetic missiological association,
worthy
to be called your collaborators in the service of this world's salvation. AMEN.
Rome, October 28, 2000.
Fr.
Francis A. Oborji
Executive
Secretary, IACM
IACM
Executive Board
President:
GORSKI John, m.m.,
Universidad Catòlica Boliviana
Casilla Postal 2118
COCHABAMBA BOLIVIA
Tel. only +591-4.25-7153 (int.129)
Telefax central UCB +591-4.25-7086
Telefax directo Inst.Mis. +591-4.52-2670
e-mail office: gorski@ucbcba.edu.bo
e-mail home: pmar@albatros.cnb.net
Vice-President:
OKURE Teresa, shcj
Catholic Institute of West Africa (CIWA),
P.O. Box 499
PORT HARCOURT - NIGERIA
Tel. +234-84.610 865; 610 931
Fax: +234-84.612 690
e-mail: ciwa@phca.linkserve.com
e-mail: shcjokure@aol.com
Executive Secretary:
OBORJI Francis A.
Via di Torre Rossa, 68
00165 ROMA ITALIA
Tel. +39-6.66 048 335
Fax (home):+39-6.66.048.321
Fax (PUU):+39-6.698.81871
e-mail: foborji @hotmail com
e-mail: francis.oborji@libero.it
Treasurer:
KARECKI Madge, ssj-tosf
P.O. Box 33045 UNISA
Jeppestown Gauteng 2043
SOUTH AFRICA
Tel/Fax: +27-11.614 7854
e-mail: karecm@unisa.ac.za
Regional Representatives:
Africa:
RWOMOKUBWE ARINAITWE,
Silvester, aj
527 Langata Road
P.O. Box 24946 Karen NAIROBI - KENYA
Tel. +254-2.88 64 68; Fax +254-2.88 22 21
e-mail: arina@insightkenya.com
e-mail: ajgeneralate@insightkenya.com
Asia/Oceania:
THANUZRAJI
Lazar, svd
Ishvani Kendra P.B. 3003
PUNE 411014 INDIA
Tel. +91-20.7033 820
Fax: +91-20.732 375
e-mail: ishvani@pn2.vsnl.net.in
Europe:
NUNNENMACHER
Eugen, svd
Arnold-Janssen Str. 24
D - 53754 SANKT AUGUSTIN - GERMANY
Tel. +49-2241.237 364; Fax +49.2241 27097
e-mail: missionswiss.augustin@t.online.de
Latin America:
PANAZZOLO João
Caixa Postal 59
95001 970 Caixas do Sul RS BRASIL
Tel/Fax: +54-214.5388
North America:
ROY Betrand, p.m.é.,
Saint Paul University (Institute of Mission Studies)
223 Main Street
Ottawa Ontario K1S 1C3 CANADA
Tel. +1-613.236 1393; Fax 1.613.782.3005
e-mail: broy@ustpaul.uottawa.ca