be prophetic hope for all cultures

The participants in the 19th General Chapter of the great congregation present in 79 countries and more than half of which is currently made up of missionaries of Asian origin were received at the Vatican. And to a delegation from the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople, the pontiff confirmed his desire to travel to Nicaea next year with Bartholomew to commemorate together the 1700th anniversary of the Creed.

Vatican City () – “Evangelization requires familiarity with the Word of God.” Pope Francis recalled this today by receiving in audience at the Vatican the congregation of the Verbites, missionaries also present in many Asian countries, gathered in Rome for their 19th general chapter marked by the evangelical phrase “This is how it should shine before the eyes of men the light that is in you” (Mt 5:16).

According to data on the congregation’s website updated as of January 1, 2024, today there are 5,754 sisters in the world, of which 255 are novices. Of them, 2,974 (i.e. 51.7%) minister in the Asia-Pacific region, in 22 different countries. Among the 76 countries of origin of the SVD missionaries, the first three are Asian: Indonesia with 1,687 brothers, India with 974, and the Philippines with 457. Vietnam occupies fifth place (just after Poland), with 386 missionaries from this country .

“Thank you for what you are and for what you do,” Francis told the friars, inviting them to be reborn every day “as faithful disciples and creative missionaries.” “You act in 79 countries,” he commented, “you are there to announce the Gospel and make the Kingdom of God present in the world. But this is done by sharing joy and not imposing obligations. Creative missionary activities are born from love for the Word of God; creativity is born from contemplation and discernment. And although personal creative action is good, community creative action is better for the unity and strength of the Church.”

To the missionaries, the Pontiff indicated three “current urgencies” for those who proclaim the Gospel. The first: to be builders of peace. “The world is wounded by conflicts, wars, destruction of the environment, violence against life and human dignity, fundamentalist ideologies and other plagues,” he recalled. “Let us bring the peace of Christ to everyone, especially to the poor, to migrants, to discriminated women, to children, to the excluded. God heard the cry of the enslaved people; let us not close our ears to the cry of today’s slaves, and let us be creative in building peace.”

Secondly, to be a prophetic hope for all cultures. “You are experts in interculturality,” the Pope observed, “over the years you have learned to live the mission respecting every culture and every people. But discernment is needed. Today, through the internet and social networks, there is a risk of accepting everything indiscriminately, influencing people’s lifestyles and values.” In contrast, St. John Paul II said that the purpose of inculturation is to give rise to a new culture of love and hope inspired by the truth that makes us free in Christ Jesus.

And then promote synodality in every aspect of your life. “Let each community grow,” he urged, “and enjoy a synodal style in which everyone feels heard and welcomed. Finally, do what the Spirit says, but the process in which the Spirit moves gently, among simple people and in the most remote places, is important.”

Finally, Pope Francis recalled that next year will mark the 150th anniversary of the birth of this religious congregation, founded in 1875 in Holland by the German priest Arnold Janssen, who was proclaimed a saint by John Paul II in 2003. “In your hearts – said the Pontiff – vibrates with gratitude to God for his immense love, which has driven you to go to all parts of the world to preach the Word and spread the love of God, to form communities, to serve the poor, to seek justice for people, education and emancipation, to care for the environment. With this grateful spirit, reflect on how to share today in a creative way the joy of the resurrection of Jesus.”

The Pontiff also looked to the horizon of 2025 today in another important audience at the Vatican: when he received the delegation of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople, which came to Rome on the occasion of the feast of Saints Peter and Paul as every year, Francis has reiterated his desire to travel next year to Nicaea, in Türkiye, for the celebrations of the 1700th anniversary of the Council that formulated here the Creed that summarizes the main truths of the Christian faith. “I am glad,” Francis told the Orthodox delegation, “that the Ecumenical Patriarchate and the Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity have begun to reflect on how to commemorate this anniversary together; and I thank His Holiness Bartholomew for inviting me to to celebrate it near the place where the Council met. It is a trip that I wish to make, with all my heart.