Mission to all six continents

Having focussed largely on Christian mission “to the ends of the earth”, the West is now turning inwards, to its own culture, to revive its flagging faith.

Already in 1943, a book suggested that France was a mission field, that its people were largely non-believers and superstitious, and that this could also be applied to other Western nations, who traditionally sent missionaries to “mission” territories (France: pays de mission? Daniel and Goldin, 1943, in Saayman 2010:7).

Certainly, in the 1965 Vatican II missionary encyclical (Ad Gentes, = AG), the recipients of mission were people who have not yet been brought the Gospel. Mission areas were, and still are, defined by the Vatican. The document does note that missionary work differs from pastoral care of the faithful (AG:6).
The next major missionary document from Rome was Evangelii Nuntiandi (EN, 1975), affirming that the Gospel is still of major benefit to all of humanity (:1), but also notes that the Church too needs to be continuously evangelized and renewed (EN:15). It observes the major rift between the Gospel and culture, suggesting a more serious concern with the loss of faith in the West.

EN (52) affirmed that proclamation is also needed for those who are baptised but are “entirely divorced from Christianity”, reflecting the growing realization of the substantial dechristianization in the face of secularism and atheistic forces. Christians need support, especially catechetical instruction, in a style adapted to the existing culture. In the still present but receding Enlightenment era and the emerging Postmodern world, there is a “conception of the world according to which it is entirely explanatory without reference to God” (EN 1975:55). The document engages in a limited cultural analysis of the West, in an effort to understand what is happening.

The most convincing sign of the Catholic Church’s serious effort to understand and evangelise the Western culture, was the formation of the Vatican Pontifical Council For Culture (“PCC”) in 1982, to study the wide rift between the Gospel and culture, and features such as unbelief, indifferentism and relativism. It was not formed to study non-Western cultures as such, but the Postmodern world as in Europe. In 1992, the Pontifical Council For Dialogue With Non-Believers (sic), was merged with the PCC. The complex, fragmented Postmodern culture of the West now ranks alongside the cultures of Africa, South America, Asia and Oceania as a mission field. It is also clear that Europe has effectively domesticated the Gospel (Saayman 2010:11), and needs to be re-evangelised in a manner which is relevant to the culture of Postmodernity. Saayman (:11) argues that a completely new approach is needed to bring Gospel-inspired change to the West and the North Atlantic.

The next Vatican missionary encyclical, Redemptoris Missio (“RM”), was issued in 1990, 25 years after Ad Gentes. It notes more clearly the dechristianization of countries with ancient Christian tradition (RM:32). Apart from traditional mission and pastoral care of the faithful, it identifies the intermediate situation, to deal with “entire groups of baptised (who) have lost a living sense of faith” (RM:33). It refers to new evangelization or re-evangelization. It admits that the Church cannot be missionary to members of other religious traditions unless it is seriously concerned with the faith at home. RM (52) argues for inculturation, which must also mean that the Western Culture needs to be well understood and once more penetrated and dialogued with the Gospel.

The PCC is also aware of the effects of the Postmodern world on Africa. In July 2008 it organised a meeting in to ascertain pastoral prospects for new evangelization in the context of globalization and its effects on African culture. In February 2010 the PCC invited atheists and agnostics, who were willing to dialogue, to join a foundation which will focus on religion, society, peace, nature. One intention is also to show that theology has a scientific basis and a founding in nature.

Again, of major significance, the Vatican established a Pontifical Council For New Evangelization in October 2010. This announcement sees Pope Benedict XVI acknowledging the late Pope John Paul II as recognizing the need for new evangelization. The Council will coordinate “plans to renew vigor (sic) of the faith in regions where it was once dominant, but lost ground to the forces of secularization- notably Europe and North America”. (http://www.catholicculture.org/news/headline/indexcfm?story=7897)

With a world population of some 7 billion, and with some 4.8 billion belonging to members of other religious traditions, “traditional” mission is still of major importance. The missionary encyclical Redemptoris Missio (1990), carries the fuller title of “On the Permanent Validity Of The Church’s Missionary Mandate”, which speaks for itself. An article by Hunermann (Schreiter, 2001:57-80), analyzes the extent of loss of faith in Europe, and concludes that 5% to 10% of Catholics are practicing their faith. If we assume that 10% of all Christians (2,2 billion) are serious about their faith, there is a target of almost 2 billion needing to be re-evangelised.

The Protestant churches are also keenly aware of this situation. Saayman (2010:11) quotes Guder (1998:2-3) to the effect that “It is now a truism to speak of North America as a mission field”. I most certainly believe that the same applies to Europe. Thus the Protestant churches and the Catholic Church no longer debate as to whether North America and Europe are mission fields, needing a thoroughly contextual mission theology. The West has focussed on mission to the “ends of the earth” as opposed to the “Jerusalem” Church (the home Church), and is now starting to remedy the imbalance.

It is important to realise that the influence of Postmodernity is pervasive in a globalized world, and needs to be included in the study of traditional cultures, which are increasingly open to powerful forces of change. Many scholars have bemoaned the lack of consideration of indigenous cultures by missionaries, who (largely unknowingly) imparted a Eurocentric brand of Christianity to the mission fields, and suppressed local cultures. Also, goodwill and zeal are seen as inadequate when approaching new cultures. Effort must be made to research the culture. The same must then apply to our Postmodern world. We have to step back and examine our own cultural dynamics, including parts of culture such as sport. After all, more people attend soccer matches than church services. If those 80% of Catholics in the Archdiocese of Cape Town (South Africa) who are not attending the Sunday Mass were to be brought back, we would need the new soccer stadium to accommodate them. Now there’s a thought…!

References

Guder, D. 1998. Missional church: a vision for the sending church. Grand Rapids:Eerdmans.

Saayman, W. 2010. Missionary or missional? A study in terminology. Missionalia, vol. 38 No. 1, April 2010, pages 5-16.

Hunermann, P. 2001. Evangelization of Europe? Observations of a church in peril. (pages 57 to 80); in: Mission in the third millennium, Schreiter, RJ (editor); Orbis Books, New York.