1.4 In the field of the Church

There is a change from mission status to the local Church. The number of local diocesan clergy is increasing. There is also an increase in the number of local Bishops taking charge of the churches. The erection of the local diocese means that the religious Institutes are no longer responsible juridically for the territories but they continue their service on the basis of arrangements between the two parties. The mandate has ceased but often a contract is not signed. The foreign religious are becoming a minority.

The sources of missionary economic help from abroad have dried up. This help which came mainly from the families and benefactors of the individual missionaries has ceased or has been considerably reduced with the decrease in Western missionaries from abroad. There is an increase in help provided by national missionary organizations (e.g. MISSIO) but these subsidize special projects and do not provide for the ordinary expenses of the mission. Consequently, many dioceses are feeling the economic pinch and this is aggravated by the increase in apostolic personnel. The local communities cannot and have not been educated to support their pastors whose lifestyle is often all too different from that of the common people. The religious Institutes are often regarded with a degree of suspicion, as though they were reluctant to share their economic wealth with the dioceses.

The new recruits to the apostolate coming from the local seminaries in some cases have disappointed the missionaries by their lifestyle and their lack of apostolic spirit. Formation is increasingly becoming one of the great challenges to be faced.

On the level of missionary activity directed by the new pastors, there are new tendencies resulting from a number of factors such as the new challenges to be faced, the new people involved, the increase in Christian communities. The challenges become a cause for concern if they are not met with enlightenment and courage. To state things simply we may note:

the change from the spreading of evangelization to the organization of the existing Christian communities which results in a diminishing zeal for first evangelization and greater importance being given to formation of the community. This tendency is painful for some of the missionaries who find themselves obliged to undertake the role of pastors. the change from conflict with or ignorance of other religions to dialogue with their members, which in some cases enables Christians to get out of their isolation. Initiatives in this field are still limited, mainly because the personnel is unprepared. the taking over of mission works (schools, development, hospitals) to state management. The Church tries to work towards integral evangelization, integrating the different aspects of the mission. Independent states have in many instances nationalized the schools. the change from adaptation to inculturation, for which no easy way has been found. Some of the improvisations have caused divisions.

Overall, the local Churches have grown. There is an increase in the number of priestly and religious vocations, there is a programming of pastoral approach, greater inculturation , and in some cases there are missionary initiatives.