by Cardinal Giorgio Marengo IMC*
We publish the address given by Cardinal Giorgio Marengo, Apostolic Prefect of Ulaanbaatar, on the occasion of the International Missionary Meeting “The Missio ad Gentes Today: Towards New Horizons.” Promoted by the Dicastery for Evangelization and the Pontifical Mission Societies, the Meeting was held on the afternoon of Saturday, October 4, in the Aula Magna of the Pontifical Urbaniana University.
Rome – I thank the organizers of this valuable International Missionary Meeting for inviting me and for offering me the opportunity to share some reflections on a topic of great importance in the current life of the Church. “Whispering the Gospel” expresses the depth, complexity, and beauty of the mission, especially that of the first proclamation. I therefore propose starting from this expression to develop a brief missionary reflection with you. It was 1998: during the work of the Special Synod for Asia, the Archbishop of Guwahati, Msgr. Thomas Menamparampil, SDB, shared this expression with the Synod Fathers. Wishing to summarize the mission of the Church in Asia, the Indian prelate spoke of “Whispering the Gospel to the Soul of Asia.” After his speech, in the hall and in the corridors, many approached him to congratulate him on this definition. As an Indian and an expert on mission in Asia, Msgr. Menamparampil was able to synthesize the essence of mission and its multifaceted nature in a highly evocative image.
The heart of mission is certainly the Gospel. It goes without saying, but it is better to repeat it than to omit it: the mission of the Church is always and everywhere to offer every person the possibility of knowing Christ and his Gospel. This treasure is destined for the heart, for the deepest and most mysterious part of the person. That is why it is whispered: it is a delicate action, it requires trust, and it presupposes a relationship of sincere friendship. The words of Saint Paul VI come back to mind, who in no. 20 of the Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii Nuntiandi recalled: “What matters is to evangelize man’s culture and cultures , in the wide and rich sense which these terms have in Gaudium et spes,[50] always taking the person as one’s starting-point and always coming back to the relationships of people among themselves and with God.”
Whispering the Gospel is born from the heart and speaks to the heart. Mary Magdalene runs to inform the disciples of the empty tomb and of the encounter with the Risen Lord; the burning hearts of the disciples at Emmaus long to share the joy of the Wayfarer who dispelled the darkness of their disappointment. There is, therefore, a proclamation ad intra that animates the first believing community and continues to sustain it in every time and place until today; but a proclamation ad extra is also born from the beginning, just as the Risen Lord asked the Eleven: “Go into all the world and proclaim the Gospel to every creature” . Saint Paul cannot hide the “mystery hidden for centuries” and proclaims it to the community of Colossae, composed mostly of Gentiles.
In the context of the Jubilee of the Missionary World, it is important to return to the gift of grace and the responsibility that comes with proclaiming the Gospel to those who do not yet know it. This is the specific core of the so-called missio ad gentes, which remains fully valid and necessary today. It is beautiful that we can say this here, at the Pontifical Urbaniana University, heir to the ancient Urban College founded in 1627 precisely to give substance to that commitment to formation and scientific research that the mission demands. It is worth remembering that the Sacred Congregation for the Propagation of the Faith was born to restore to the heart of the Church the noble task of proclaiming the Gospel where it was not yet known, after it had been taken over—with merit, but also with inevitable limitations—by the colonial powers of the time. If at that time it was necessary to “purify” the missionary commitment, placing it under the guidance of the Apostolic See, today it seems necessary to reconfirm the validity of this same specific commitment, which has sometimes been called into question, as if it no longer had a reason to exist in a globalized and interconnected world. This subtle ambiguity had already been pointed out by Saint John Paul II, who in 1990 felt the need to reaffirm the “permanent validity of the missionary mandate” in the Encyclical Letter Redemptoris Missio. Thus, a magisterial line is glimpsed that starts from the conciliar constitution Ad Gentes, passes through the already mentioned Evangelii Nuntiandi of Saint Paul VI, is confirmed in Redemptoris Missio of Saint John Paul II; and is later specified in documents of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, such as the Declaration Dominus Iesus and the Doctrinal Note on Some aspects of Evangelization ; Benedict XVI’s post-synodal Apostolic Exhortation Verbum Domini also clearly encourages the importance of the missio ad gentes; finally, Pope Francis’ Evangelii Gaudium confirms and relaunches the Church’s unwavering dedication to the joyful proclamation of the Gospel, placed at the center of the Church’s life and mission, including in its central organization, as reaffirmed by the Apostolic Constitution Praedicate Evangelium .
In other words, this has been the Church’s experience from her very beginnings. Saint Paul could not understand his vocation apart from proclamation: “Woe to me if I do not preach the Gospel!” . Thanks above all to him, the College of Apostles became more aware that the mandate received from the Risen One concerned not only the people of the Old Covenant, but also people from different religious traditions who represented the majority of the world at that time. If we were to place ourselves for a moment in the first Christian generations, just after Pentecost, we would find ourselves in a completely non-Christian world ; and it was precisely to that world that the first believers, guided by the Apostles, felt sent to share the joy of the Gospel. It was customary to establish relationships with those who had no knowledge of Jesus Christ, and from there the loving conviction of wanting to make him known was born and took root. Rethinking the missio ad gentes today means starting again from here, with love and tenderness, desiring to whisper the Gospel to the heart of every person and of every culture. This loving tension, oriented toward communicating the Gospel, ignites a sincere passion for cultures and a rigorous commitment to deciphering them, grasping their essential features. Over the centuries, we had become accustomed to a context of widespread knowledge of Christianity; two thousand years of mission is no small thing! And yet, albeit to a limited extent, there continue to be realities today where Christ and his Gospel are still unknown, and the concrete opportunities for encountering them are scarce, due to the lack of local witnesses. It is in these realities that the missio ad gentes is primarily experienced. This can be described, according to an ecclesiological criterion: being there where the visible Church is not yet present, or is present in an incomplete way. It is important to be aware of this and rediscover the beauty of that initial phase of the Gospel’s encounter with human groups and cultures that, for various reasons, had not yet encountered it. This helps maintain the freshness of the initial proclamation, capable of unleashing a chain reaction that enlivens the transmission of the faith throughout the Church, even where it is already established. The experiences of particular Churches still in the process of establishing themselves, characterized by a minority status compared to the human societies in which they exist, have this beauty: despite their obvious limitations, they remind the universal Church of the essence of its profound identity, that is, to exist to proclaim the Kingdom of God, not for itself.
The witness of believers from the first generations has something unique and contagious, as journalists and writers who report on their voices point out. In the case of Mongolia, the recent publishing success of Javier Cercas with his book “God’s Fool at the End of the World” is quite emblematic. An even more directly related reportage to the witness of the first Catholics in Mongolia is that by Marie-Lucile Kubacki De Guitaut, in her book “Jesus in Mongolia.”
Otgongerel Lucía is a shining example: born with a severe physical disability , after embracing the faith, she wanted to engage in charitable aid initiatives, first as a volunteer, then as a full-time employee. Today she runs the House of Mercy in Ulaanbaatar, inaugurated by Pope Francis in 2023 and intended for people in need, to whom she offers food, medical assistance, and support. To accompany the first steps of the Church’s establishment in a given territory, it is essential to perfect the tools that allow us to understand its cultural identity and engage in dialogue with it, in order to foster an inculturated growth of faith. In this area too, the role of the native people is essential. Selenge Ambrogio, businessman and orientalist expert, feels the vocation to “keep the door open so that the light may enter.” A cultured man and expert of intercultural dynamics, he is aware of the complexity of the Gospel proclamation and the lengthy timeframe it requires; yet, he does not shirk the delicate task of promoting the mission, placing his skills at the service of those in search and fostering the encounter of the Gospel with Mongolian culture. Enkhtuvshin Agostino is the only Mongolian Catholic artist. He holds a doctorate in sculpture from the Moscow Academy of Fine Arts. Upon his return to the country, he began collaborating with the first Catholic missionaries who have arrived in the meantime. In his university teaching and through his artistic production, he offers valuable keys to interpretation for the shared transmission of the faith.
Whispering the Gospel into the heart of a culture fosters a discreet evangelization attentive to detail, with the awareness that its dynamism is one of attraction rather than proselytism. In filigree, one glimpses depth as a central concept of the mission. An entire cultural world opening itself to the Gospel demands delicacy, patience, and, above all, depth: that which the prayerful and contemplative dimension is capable of safeguarding. Study, charity, and prayer are intertwined in a vital experience marked by discretion and perseverance. “The missionary must be a ‘contemplative in action.’ […] If he is not a contemplative, he cannot proclaim Christ credibly. He is a witness to the experience of God and must be able to say, like the apostles: ‘What we have seen, that is, the Word of life…, we proclaim to you’ .” This quote from Redemptoris Missio evokes the profound union between contemplative life and evangelizing mission on the paths of the world. Welcoming the vocation to the mission ad gentes—for that is what it is, a specific vocation—leads us to discover the inescapable need to conform ever more closely to the style chosen by Christ in revealing himself to the world. Pope Leo XIV summed it up in a recent catechesis: “The center of our faith and the heart of our hope are deeply rooted in the resurrection of Christ. Reading the Gospels carefully, we realize that this mystery is surprising not only because a man—the Son of God—rose from the dead, but also because of the way he chose to do so. In fact, Jesus’ resurrection is not a resounding triumph, it is not revenge or a retaliation against his enemies. It is the marvelous testimony of how love is capable of rising after a great defeat to continue its unstoppable journey. […] When he emerges from the depths of death, Jesus does not take any revenge. He does not return with powerful gestures, but rather meekly manifests the joy of a love greater than any wound and stronger than any betrayal. The Risen One does not feel the need to reiterate or affirm his own superiority. He appears to his friends—the disciples—and he does so with extreme discretion, without forcing the times of its capacity to welcome. His only desire is to be in communion with them again […].”
Experienced as a whisper of the Gospel to the heart of a given culture, the mission ad gentes manifests itself in a multitude of external expressions, corresponding to the various spheres in which it takes shape. However, there is a deep root, not always visible, that sustains all external action and remains even in its absence. If we accept the definition of mission ad gentes proposed here, it can be said that the reason for the missionary’s presence in certain human contexts is “to proclaim the Gospel,” a typical expression of our intra-ecclesial language, but one that requires explanation. Already in the New Testament, this expression became a condensed formula to designate a complex and multifaceted reality. The very word “Gospel” is a synthesis, an attempt to express in a single word something immensely broad and beautiful. The central issue is: to bring people into contact with Christ, to make Him known and loved, especially where such possibilities are scarce. Therefore, the question we must ask ourselves is: how do we evaluate our daily missionary work? What is the quality of the proclamation we propose? Or, even more fundamentally: Is there really proclamation in our missionary work? Is there a Gospel? Certainly, one could answer: “Everything is the Gospel, everything serves the mission, everything contributes.” But are we really sure of this? Let’s be honest… It seems that, even in an authentically ad gentes situation, once we’re settled in, once we’ve found our place, our “desk” where we feel we belong, we end up entering into a dynamic that leads us to act like missionaries, fulfilling a whole series of “things to do,” but sometimes without that depth, that intentionality that makes the real difference. In reality, evangelizing is something much deeper and, even more, infinitely more beautiful. It is living our personal relationship with Christ at such a vital level that it spills over into our daily lives, whatever they may be. Therefore, our experiences can be very diverse, they can even change, as long as deep within us, there exists that living relationship with Christ, the only High Priest, the only true Shepherd, the universal Brother. If this dimension is lacking, we are truly worthy of compassion. What a miserable life without that fire! We glimpse, then, a dimension that we could define as “generative” of the mission. Consecrated persons are called to a spiritual fatherhood and motherhood. It is not enough for a father or mother to work, to strive to guarantee their children’s education, health, and opportunities; they must also bear their crises, accept rejections, opposition, protests, and failures. Only when a father or mother explores the mystery of their own children, delving into it and presenting it all to God in prayer, do they become truly generative and fruitful. In other words, authentically living the missionary vocation ad gentes implies an intimate participation in the mystery of Christ, sent by the Father for the salvation of all. This is its deepest and most necessary dimension, capable of giving fruitfulness to external works. Here too, the teacher is Saint Paul. This is how he describes his missionary ministry: “For as I see it, God has exhibited us apostles as the last of all, like people sentenced to death, since we have become a spectacle to the world, to angels and human beings alike.
We are fools on Christ’s account, but you are wise in Christ; we are weak, but you are strong; you are held in honor, but we in disrepute. To this very hour we go hungry and thirsty, we are poorly clad and roughly treated, we wander about homeless and we toil, working with our own hands. When ridiculed, we bless; when persecuted, we endure;
when slandered, we respond gently. We have become like the world’s rubbish, the scum of all, to this very moment. I am writing you this not to shame you, but to admonish you as my beloved children. Even if you should have countless guides to Christ, yet you do not have many fathers, for I became your father in Christ Jesus through the gospel. Therefore, I urge you, be imitators of me.” . Paul feels that he has begotten his disciples in Christ Jesus; his ministry has not been merely a work of persuasion nor a mere effort to improve the living conditions of the people to whom he was sent, but has been characterized by being a “begetting in faith,” with all the intimate interior participation that this entails.
Throughout the luminous history of evangelization, how many examples we find of men and women who have lived in this way, with such depth, and precisely for this reason have been fruitful! The world often did not even notice them until after their death; but their sacrifice contributed to silently and effectively growing the seed of the Gospel in many countries, even in the midst of struggles and persecutions. In such uncertain times, filled with dense clouds of hatred between peoples, it is worth remembering the example of Blessed Pierre Claverie, OP, Bishop of Oran , martyr. In an interview given not long before the attack that ended his life and that of his Muslim friend Mohamed, he used these words in a homily to describe the Church’s mission in Algeria: “Where is our home? We are there thanks to this crucified Messiah. For no other reason, for no other person! We have no interests to defend, no influence to maintain… We have no power, but we are there as at the bedside of a friend, a sick brother, in silence, holding his hand, wiping the sweat from his brow. For Jesus’ sake, because it is He who suffers, in that violence that spares no one, crucified anew in the flesh of thousands of innocents. […] Where should the Church of Jesus, which is itself the Body of Christ, be if not first and foremost there?” I believe it is dying precisely because it is not close enough to the cross of Jesus… The Church is mistaken, and deceives the world, when it presents itself as a power among others, as an organization, even a humanitarian one, or as a spectacular evangelical movement. It may shine, but it does not burn with the fire of God’s love.”
May the intercession of Blessed Claverie and of the countless witnesses of the Gospel on every continent confirm us in our missionary vocation ad gentes, and make that call flourish again also in our days.
*Apostolic Prefect of Ulaanbaatar
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