In the large assembly of committed religious men and women and lay people who attended, special mention should be made of the President of the Pontifical Missionary Works, Card. Giorgio Marengo, and the Apostolic Prefect of Ulan Bator, Card. Peter Kodwo Appiah Turkson. On the Salesian side, the Mother General of the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians, Mother Chiara Cazzuola, and the President of the NGO "Volontariato Internazionale per lo Sviluppo" (VIS), Michela Vallarino, were also present in the conference.
After the message of greeting from the Pontiff, who praised the initiative, wishing for "a renewed institutional collaboration, marked by respect and confrontation on certain challenges, in order to foster those healthy religious and ethical principles that are the common roots of every people and culture", the Secretary for Relations with States of the Holy See, Monsignor Paul R. Gallagher, and Minister Tajani spoke.
The former, quoting the conference motto, explained that 'putting the person at the centre means "understanding how insufficient it is to establish the indicators of progress and human development on the sole parameter of per capita income and how it is necessary, instead, to enter into a broad and articulated consideration of the factors that determine people's concrete lives. It means," he emphasized, "making oneself close, in the hope that from today's small gestures something greater can be born".
Tajani, for his part, noted that 'Italian missionaries and missionaries in the world represent part of our foreign policy of peace in the world, implementing a diplomacy of the spirit in function of the person. Each person you help is not a number, but is like saving a world. You are the diplomacy of the Spirit'. And speaking repeatedly and with true participation throughout the day's activities, he also added that 'religious commitment must continue to be a public, not just a private matter'.
The day was followed by reports and round tables on different facets of missionary work: the right to food, agriculture and development; the centrality of education. Vocational training and promotion of the Italian language; health and childhood.
At the opening of the second session, the moderator, Dr Dionisi, gave the floor to Salesian Fr Harris Pakkam, Director of the Agenzia iNfo Salesiana (ANS), introducing the presentation with a reference to ANS's peculiarity: to provide news that is often little known to the mainstream media, but which tells the reality of life of so many missionaries and their situation.
In his intervention, Fr Pakkam spoke of the birth of the ANS in 1950 as the 'AMS - Salesian Missionary Agency' and reported, how right from the early years, the first editions of that time it reported information about missionaries from more than 50 countries on all continents, and on the current role of the news agency in conveying missionary information.
Widening his gaze to the whole Congregation, he then emphasized the charismatic dimension of the mission for the Sons of Don Bosco and cited: the 154 missionary expeditions sent from 1875 to the present day; the more than 10,600 missionaries sent throughout Salesian history (several thousand of whom were Italian); the 374 missionaries sent around the world in 1929 alone; and the current spread of the Congregation in more than 135 countries around the world.
He also illustrated the focus on missionary training that the Congregation has had for over 50 years, thanks to special courses for missionaries. And he spoke of the development role played by the Salesian Missionary Procures and the Italian Salesian NGO VIS, as well as their service and support to the missionaries in the territory. He then traced out a path for the future in the development of Salesian Missionary Volunteering, which today engages and involves many young people and lay people to an important extent in support activities for the Salesian missions.
And after emphasizing how missionary news from various parts of the world is still one of the fundamental contributions offered by ANS, as well as one of its most interesting and specific features, Fr Pakkam concluded by pointing out three characteristics of ANS communication- it’s being a platform 'that gives a voice to the voiceless'; its focus on responsible communication, such that care is always taken of sources and their contexts when communicating about crisis situations; and genuine communication, which seeks to be a faithful mirror of Salesian missionary activities - ranging from care of creation to activities with indigenous people and social promotion.
"It was a real asset to participate in this event, which highlighted the reality of missionary life and the attention of the Italian authorities towards missionaries," commented Fr. Luca Barone, present at the conference in his capacity as VIS Executive Committee Advisor. "I was touched to see the interest and participation of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, as well as the testimonies and speeches heard.
"I really hope," he concluded, "that, as was said in the institutional conclusions, the conference can become an annual event, to become a platform for listening and dialogue where visions and proposals can be shared and synergies and collaborations fostered.
https://www.infoans.org/en/sections/news/item/19726-italy-conference-of-italian-missionaries-the-person-at-the-centre#sigProId68dec15aa7
