4. Fourth Period: after 1985

4.1. Theological Presuppositions

Most of our missionary Congregations finished the revision of their Constitutions started after the Council in which they integrated the theological explorations in the fields of mission and non-Christian religions.

This led to a reaffirmation of our identity. Today we understand much better that the orientation ad gentes constitutes the core of the missionary charisma of our Congregations. It determines our specificity, much more than the geographical change of place ad extra. According to our 1987 CICM Constitutions: "We are sent to the nations to announce the Good News where our missionary presence is most needed, especially where the Gospel is not known or lived" (Const. art. 2).

Missionary needs are everywhere, but they are not all equally urgent. We must be ready to go where the needs are most urgent, namely to frontier situations, such as: geographical areas where the Gospel is not known or lived; isolated regions where the people feel abandoned; large cities where the feeling of anonymity prevails, marginalized groups, refugees or displaced persons, people living in extreme poverty, youth who feel they have no future.

This entails the temporary character of our commitments. We help the Christian communities, constituted thanks to our proclamation, until they are sufficiently dynamic and missionary to announce the Good News in their turn. As soon as these communities, living in communion with the Universal Church, reach maturity and become local Churches assuming fully their responsibility in the universal mission, we must leave and go where our presence is most needed.