by Roseberry Dulla
Press Coordinator, CBCP Mission - National Mission Congress 2022
The International Mission Symposium ends on the April 19, the day 3 of the 2nd National Mission Congress streamed online.
On the second day of the symposium, two (2) world-renowned missiologists gave time to share their knowledge on the different aspects and developments of mission in international perspective.
The 2nd speaker for the International Mission Symposium is Fr. John Christian Young gave the session on “Missionary Discipleship in the local church”. Fr. John Young is the President of the Father Saturnino Urios University, a missiologist and he received his doctorate degree in Missiology from the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome. In his session, he shared his reflection on the 500 Years of Christianity acknowledging that we have developed and matured in our faith. He reminded us of our call to missionary discipleship emphasizing that it is in our local church that we can better discern and respond to the challenges of mission. He also enumerated the needed characteristics of Missionary Discipleship such as resilience and flexibility, creativity, and continuous learning to cope up to the changing topography of mission.
After the conference 2, the City of Naga Dance Company entertained everyone through an artistic rendition of God’s Time in Philippine Liturgical seasons through dance entitled “Chronos et Kairos”.
The final conference of the International Mission Symposium entitled “Rethinking Missio Ad Gentes in the context of the church in Asia today” is given by FR. DANNY HUANG, SJ who is a professor for the Faculty of Missiology at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome and a member of the Georgetown University Board of Directors. During his session, he shared a summary of the missiologists discussion of the proper preposition suited for the mission of the church whether it be missio ad gentes (mission to the people), missio inter gentes (mission among the people) or mission cum gentibus (mission with the people). He also mentioned Pope Francis’ Vision of the church and the challenges to the Asian Church such as the rapid prosperity of the Asia as a continent, pluralism of options and the growth of identity-assertive tribalisms. He ended by reiterating that the priority mission for Asia must be “mission to, among and with the young people”
Rev. Fr. Antonio Pernia who is the Dean of Studies of the Divine Word Institute of Missions Studies and the Former Superior General of the SVDs in Rome from 2000 – 2012, gave an in-depth summary and synthesis of all 3 sessions to close the International Mission Congress.
As the 1st part of the NMC ends, the 2nd part which is the National Mission Forum will start on April 20, 2022 livestreamed via CBCP Episcopal Commission on Mission Facebook Fan Page and Youtube channel.