THE ROLE OF THE CHURCH AS MISSIONARY IN THE LIGHT OF VATICAN COUNCIL II
The Church has a misionary mandate to the world as alludated to by Ad Gentes n.1 a document published after the Vatican Council II which states “the Chuch divinely sent to the nations of the world to be unto them a universal sacrament of salvation, is driven by the inner necessity of their own catholicity, and obeying the mandate of her Founder, strives ever to proclaim the Gospel to all people. The apostles themselves on whom the Church was founded, following in the footsteps of Christ, preached the word of truth and established Churches.”
Insipred by the same authentic intentions and not just in preparation for the forth coming Vocation Sunday to be celebrated on 22 of April this year but also for the sake of reinstating the dying spirit of common missionary discipleship, the national office of the Pontifical Missionary Societies (PMS) in Malawi has organised sessions with all clerics in all the 8 dioceses in Malawi. The core intent is to remind and teach on the need to carry on with the mission spirit that Christ imparted to his disciples of which the Church today takes full mandate from. The mission is to preach by use of all available resources right from investing time in prayer, offering for the mission to be carried, supporting those on a mission in kind and finding improved means to safeguard all that is intently offered for missionary goals. ‘God himself is the first missionary for He offered his only Son and even allowed Him to come amongst us,’ Fr. Chinkhanda retorted.
On 17th of April 2018, the national PMS team led by Rev. Fr. Vincent Mankhwawa who is the National PMS director was in Diocese of Mangochi. A responsive session patronised by priests, sisters discussed Missionary Discipleship today.
