3. Third Period: The Post-Conciliar Period (1965-1980)

3.1. Theological Presuppositions

The dechristianization of Europe was already being felt at the time of the Council. It was also quite evident that after centuries of a systematic missionary activity, the Catholic Church would never be able to replace the other religions. Had the time not come to work out a new approach to mission? Vatican II underlined the christological and trinitarian dimensions of mission. Ad Gentes (AG) gave a new significance to the word itself: "The pilgrim Church is missionary by her very nature, since it is from the mission of the Son and the mission of the Holy Spirit, that she draws her origin in accordance with the decree of God the Father. This decree, however, flows from the 'fount-like love', or charity of God the Father" (AG 2). "Missionary activity is nothing else and nothing less than an epiphany, or a manifestation of God's decree, and its fulfillment in the world and in world history" (AG 9).

Hence, Vatican II abandons the concept of mission seen as a spiritual conquest and develops a new vision based on the Scriptures. The Church's mission is seen as the continuation of the mission of God himself in the world. Missionary activity builds God's Kingdom, that is nothing less but the fulfillment of God's design for the world. This identification of mission with God's design underlines once more its cosmic and its historical aspects. Indeed, it is all-embracing and includes every human being as well as the whole of creation. It is also a dynamic process the accomplishment of which is future-oriented.

The emphasis is no longer on the missions considered as a way to expand the Church's boundaries, but on the mission of all the members of God's people to be at the service of the mission of God himself in the world. Mission is rooted in the mystery of the Trinity, and it is also the very reason of the Church's existence. Hence the statement "the Church is mission" and the emphasis on the missionary responsibility of every baptized Christian.

This compels our missionary Congregations to re-examine their place in the Church. If the Church is mission, what is our specific contribution to the Church's mission? A study is undertaken to clarify our identity. The ad extra cannot be a determining missiological criterion, since missionary needs confront us everywhere, even in the so-called Christian countries.

After the Council, we started searching "the signs of the times". The analysis of the world and of society constitutes an important element in every study on our identity and commitments. Indeed, we believe that it is essential to our missionary vocation to respond to God's call manifested through the signs of the times. An attentive reading of the signs of the times at the 1974 CICM Chapter enabled us to discover two major challenges: the multitude of those who have not yet heard the Good News and the division of mankind in two groups: the rich and the poor, the oppressed and the oppressors. Hence, missionary activity has two priorities: concern for the poor and commitment to the non-believers. At the same time, the universal dimension of mission asserts itself more and more as a specific component of our missionary Congregations.