by Paolo Affatato
Vatican City – “Today as yesterday, our mission in Asia consists of being present to respond to the needs of the young Churches,” said Father Vincent Sénéchal, Superior General of the Paris Foreign Missions Society in an interview with Fides, while the Society’s missionaries are gathered in Rome for the Jubilee pilgrimage. During the missionary month of October, the MEP also presented a documentary about their missions, entitled Adventurers of Christ . Since 1658, the Paris Foreign Missions have contributed to the evangelization of numerous Asian countries: Thailand, Vietnam, China, Cambodia, India, Laos, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Singapore, and Burma. In the 20th century, 23 missionaries offered their lives as martyrs and were canonized. Currently, the Society has about 150 priests in 14 countries and continues to be actively involved in proclaiming the Good News, sending missionary priests to Asia and the Indian Ocean, especially in the area of “first evangelization.”
Father Sénéchal, can you tell us about the origins of the Paris Foreign Missions Society and your current mission?
The Paris Foreign Missions Society was founded in 1658 at the initiative of the Jesuit Alexandre de Rhodes, a missionary in Vietnam. He understood that the waves of persecution and the problems encountered could have led to the expulsion of missionaries and the collapse of the Church. His idea, therefore, was to create a local clergy. So he approached the Pope, who entrusted him with the task of finding priests willing to undertake this mission, especially among the French clergy. After visiting various dioceses and parishes, he found volunteers willing to go to Asia—particularly Vietnam, Cochinchina, and Tonkin, with the goal of training local priests. It all began in response to a call and a specific need of the Church: that of having a local clergy. These first priests received a mission from the Vatican Congregation for the Propagation of the Faith. They were ordained in Rome or France and then sent by the Dicastery of Propaganda Fide to serve in Asia. Thus, the first seminary was established as a training institute for missions abroad. These were the beginnings of the MEP. Today, our mission is still the proclamation of the Gospel in Asia. We are still mainly French priests; 75% of our members are French, and we work in 14 countries in Asia and Madagascar. Legally, we are a Society of Apostolic Life, dependent on the Dicastery for Evangelization. It should be noted that, following the example of the priests of the Paris Foreign Missions, other societies of missionary priests have been established in other countries: for example, the Pontifical Institute for Foreign Missions in Italy, the Maryknoll Missionaries and the Mill Hill Missionaries in America, the Quebec Foreign Missions in Canada, and other societies in Korea and Thailand. Each of these societies follows its own path and, in a certain sense, has a national profile and culture that places it at the service of the Church’s universal mission.
How do you contribute to the Church’s mission today?
In short, as Paris Foreign Missions Society, we have been called to dedicate ourselves essentially to the first evangelization, in coordination with the local Churches that invite us. Our goal and our task are always to be at the side of the local Churches, to accompany them, and to respond to their fundamental needs. A bishop may request missionaries from the MEP; A visit is then organized and, after discernment, a decision is made on whether to send missionaries, who can be involved in various fields: in works of first evangelization, in parishes, or in social services, but above all in places where the Church is taking its first steps. This has happened, for example, in Madagascar, where our missionaries have settled in areas without a Catholic presence, or in Cambodia, where Catholics barely represent 2% of the population and where the local community experienced a very difficult period at the end of the 20th century and had to start almost from scratch. In other cases, we have sent priests dedicated to formation, who teach in seminaries, as is the case in Japan, Thailand, Laos, and Myanmar.
Missionaries are also often involved in social services. From what perspective?
Social works, development work, educational and solidarity initiatives have always represented a first step in doing good for the local population and in being present as witnesses of God’s love for all people. For example, in Thailand, on the border with Myanmar, we have accompanied Karen refugees, caring for them and sharing their difficult situation. In India, we have a priest in Calcutta who works in the slums: his life is a living testimony of faith and humanity. Another important field of action is assistance to migrants and refugees, such as in Korea, where we support North Korean refugees. We also promote interreligious dialogue, especially in countries like Cambodia and India, where a missionary resides in Benares, a sacred place for Hinduism, and leads the international diocesan center for interreligious dialogue. Every missionary who arrives in a new land is called to build relationships, to come into contact with people of different cultures or religions, to immerse themselves in that reality, and to spread the Gospel. The missionary does not take himself, but Christ, as Saint Paul says: “a treasure in earthen vessels.”
Some missions take place in particularly difficult or delicate contexts: what can you tell us about Myanmar?
As is known, a conflict is underway in Myanmar and many people are suffering: more than 3.5 million have been internally displaced, and others have had to flee the country. In a context marked by precariousness and pain, we have maintained a constant presence with four missionaries: some in the Chin region and two others in Mandalay. The local Catholic community shares the suffering of all the Burmese people due to the civil war. One of our missionaries is in a parish in Mandalay that has become a refugee camp. I have visited it in recent months: there are many displaced people who have fled burned-down villages and have found there a place of welcome, humanitarian aid, and comfort. I have also seen great faith and people who, amidst difficulties and tribulations, have not ceased to hope and pray intensely.
What relationship do you have with the Chinese world?
We carry China in our hearts. We have a presence in Hong Kong and Taiwan. In our relationship with China, we try to maintain fidelity. Centuries ago, we already had missionaries on the continent. In 1949, there were about 200 of us, but we were expelled during the Cultural Revolution. From then on, our missionaries moved to the West and opened a mission in Madagascar, which is still active today. It is an example of God’s Providence. It is worth remembering that several dioceses in southern China, and also in Manchuria, were founded by priests of the Paris Foreign Missions. Now we continue to hope and pray that the Church in China remains united, in faith and in its relationship with the Holy See. Among our fathers, we count the experience and legacy of missionary Jean Charbonnier , who gave so much to the mission in China. We believe and trust that the good relationship between China and the Holy See will bear fruit. This is our prayer.
Your Society remembers and celebrates many martyrs. Are they a source of inspiration for you today?
Remembering our martyrs is not only looking back, but keeping alive a memory that continues to be present today. I believe many of us have received a legacy from our martyrs. We have 23 canonized saints and five beatified, and there are another 12 causes for beatification promoted by local Churches. Among them is Barthélemy Bruguière, the first Apostolic Vicar of Korea, and also in Vietnam, Henry Denis, known as Benedict Thuan, a MEP priest who founded a Cistercian monastery and became a Benedictine monk. I myself was born in a village where MEP priest, Siméon-François Berneux , a martyr and saint, was originally from. He was sent to Vietnam, where he was tortured and asked to renounce his faith, but he refused and was sentenced to death. Due to certain circumstances, he was released and expelled, and sent to Manchuria, where he opened a printing press to print Bibles. He later arrived in Korea, where he was appointed Apostolic Vicar of Seoul. There, he lived and worked underground, also until his martyrdom. His figure had an influence on my vocation. These martyrs were people of faith. Like the Good Shepherd, they gave their lives for their flock. I am convinced that their stories continue to be a source of inspiration and strength for many today. In our museum in Paris we keep their memory alive in the Crypt of the Martyrs, and every year, together with the entire universal Church, we celebrate the feast of the martyrs of all nations: Vietnamese, Chinese, Korean, Laotian, and many others.
You are French priests, You are well acquainted with the secularized European context and societies in crisis of faith: do you live the mission here too?
We see that in Europe the churches are often quite empty, and with our presence, we have tried to contribute to evangelization. In France, for example, we work with young people to help them strengthen their faith and give themselves to others, offering them experiences in missionary places. When they travel to another country to live a missionary experience, they return transformed. We also have a school in a cultural center called “France-Asia”, created to welcome Asians living in Paris. It is frequented by immigrants from various countries who study French to integrate into the workforce. Ninety percent of them are not Christian, and all the teachers are volunteers. Many people have been trained at this center, which constitutes a true work of pre-evangelization. We continue to invite those who come into contact with us to participate in cultural initiatives, such as concerts and conferences. We involve volunteers and families who wish to become closer and actively participate in our missionary family. Some have even founded associations linked to our Society. In addition, we have a research institute, the France-Asia Research Institute , open to researchers and academics. We place our presence at the service of the Church’s mission in France, seeking to maintain a ties with the local Church and bring our specific missionary vision.
Do you feel called today to be “missionaries of hope among peoples”? How?
Pope Leo XIV, who was also a missionary, encouraged us to be “missionaries of hope among all peoples.” This invitation has resonated deeply with our original spirit: to go beyond borders to bear witness to the Good News of salvation that brings hope. Being missionaries of hope today means believing, against all despair, that God continues to act in history, often in hidden, fragile, and mysterious ways. Hope is not naive optimism, but the fruit of faith in the Resurrection. We MEP missionaries have experienced this hope especially by being with the peoples we serve, both in moments of joy and in times of sorrow. Hope is manifested in fidelity: remaining where the Lord sends us, even when the fruits are slow to appear. We try to live this hope with simplicity, through prayer, fraternity, and service. In this sense, being “missionaries of hope” is not so much a matter of words as of remaining, day after day, a humble sign of God’s presence wherever the Lord has called us to be.
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