Studying the Decree on the Mission Activity of the Church Ad Gentes

History of the evolvement of the text for Ad Gentes

The history of The Decree on the Mission Activity of the Church Ad Gentes mirrors the emancipation process of the so-called mission territories in the European colonies from the central Roman power of The Congregation for the Propagation of the Faith or Propaganda Fide. The missionary bishops fought at the Second Vatican Council for the recognition of these territories as local Churches with an indigenous local bishop who possesses jurisdiction over an indigenous clergy. Propaganda Fide is a foundation of Pope Gregory XV in 1622 (Holy See 2020). For 500 years, Propaganda Fide and the mission activity of the Catholic Church are inextricably linked with the brutal establishment of European colonial empires (Hünermann, Peter. 2005. “Theologischer Kommentar zum Dekret über die Missionstätigkeit der Kirche Ad Gentes.” In Herders Theologischer Kommentar zum Zweiten Vatikanischen Konzil, vol. 2, edited by Peter Hünermann and Bernd Jochen Hilberath, 219–336. 227. Freiburg im Breidgau: Herder). The Vatican claims that in 1622, Gregory XV established The Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples; well, Gregory XV established the Congregation Propaganda Fide, which had acquired a bad image over the centuries. Only in 1982, the name changed to The Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples (Holy See 2020). In 2020, this Congregation insists that its mission has not changed. As always, the Congregation “coordinates and guides” the missionary activities of the Roman Catholic Church that is the Congregation organizes and controls the mission activity of the Church.

“The task of the Congregation has always been the transmission and dissemination of the faith throughout the whole world. It was given the specific responsibility of coordinating and guiding all the Church’s diverse missionary efforts and initiatives. These include: the promotion and the formation of the clergy and of local hierarchies, encouraging new missionary institutes, and providing material assistance for the missionary activity of the Church. Thus, the newly established Congregation became the ordinary and exclusive instrument of the Holy Father and of the Holy See in its exercise of jurisdiction over all of the Church’s missions and over missionary cooperation” (Holy See 2020).

In 2020, The Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples makes clear the two pillars of the mission activity of the Church that are a theology of the mission and the organization of the mission activity of the Church. Again, we have to consider together the theology of the Christian faith that is the people of Go’d that gives testimony to her faith and the institutional aspect of the Church as a hierarchical society that holds the power of jurisdiction. We have to watch the development of both aspects, the aspect of the Church as a communion and the aspect of the Church as a hierarchical society, in the history of the Decree on the Mission Activity of the Church at the Second Vatican Council (Hünermann, Peter. 2001. “Le ultime settimane del concilio.” In Concilio di transizione settembre – dicembre 1965. Vol. 5 of Storia del concilio Vaticano II, directed by Giuseppe Alberigo, 371–492. 438. Bologna: Società editrice il Mulino). 

In 1960, the Armenian Cardinal Agagianian (1895–1971) was appointed prefect of Propaganda Fide. In 1960, he was also named president of the Vatican commission that prepared the Decree on the Mission Activity of the Church (Hünermann 2005, 243). The commission counted 23 European members and three non-Europeans. Most of the 32 advisers worked and lived in Rome and the few members from the mission countries were not able to influence the work of the commission in Rome effectively (ibid). In November 1962, the Council Fathers rejected most of the schemes that the Roman Curia had prepared. The Council Fathers successfully demanded the election of the commission members for the work on better and new texts. They elected 16 new members for the Commission for the Mission Activity of the Church Activity of the Church. Paul VI appointed nine additional members and the Cardinal President of the commission Agagianian. Europeans no more have the majority in that commission, and almost all members have personal experiences as missionaries in Africa and Asia or other mission countries. Agagianian kept control over the commission’s work with the help of trusted confidants at the key positions of the secretariat of the commission (ibid. 244). Yet, Father Saverio Paventi, secretary of the commission, was not able to convoke the commission during the Council’s session in 1962. The attacks of the Council Fathers in the aula of Saint Peters against the Roman Curia and against the congregation Propaganda Fide had been heavy and emotions needed time to calm down (Grootaers, Jan. 1996. “Il concilio si gioca nell’intervallo. La seconda preparazione e i suoi avversari.” In La formazione della coscienza conciliare. Il primo period e la prima intersessione ottobre 1962 – settembre 1963. Vol. 2 of Storia del concilio Vaticano II, directed by Giuseppe Alberigo, 385–558.553.  Bologna: Società editrice il Mulino). A group of African bishops had published a manifesto, protesting the omnipotence of Propaganda Fide in their countries. The bishops demanded the ending of the colonialist discrimination by Rome and the reduction or even better, the dissolution of the Congregation Propaganda Fide. The bishops wanted to refer directly to the Roman Congregations and not depend any more on Propaganda Fide for any affair concerning their territories (ibid). Agagianian was deeply hurt that his scheme had been rejected and he never adjusted to the reform ideas of the Council Fathers concerning Propaganda Fide in the following years.

The new commission on the mission of the Church starts working in March 1963 and prepares a new text (Hünermann 2005, 244). The Coordinating Commission asks to rework the text under consideration of the mission treated in the documents on the Church and the education of the clergy. The reworked text has an introduction, a first chapter on the principles of mission, a second chapter on the apostolate for the mission, a third chapter on education for the mission activity, and a fourth chapter on collaboration for the mission in the Church (ibid. 245). The Coordinating Commission allowed for this text to be sent to the Council Fathers who should send their comments until March 1964. Surprisingly, the Coordinating Commission did not wait that the work of the Commission for the Mission Activity of the Church Activity of the Church deals with the comments of the bishops. On April 23, 1964, the secretary general of the Council, bishops Felici, instructed the Commission for the Mission Activity of the Church Activity of the Church to present a short text of a few pages with consideration for the comments of the bishops (ibid). The new text counted six pages and proposed thirteen short theses on the mission of the Church. The first thesis concerns the necessity of the mission of the Church, the second concerns the preaching of the Gospel, the third missionary work. The fourth is titled the principle of the missions, the fifth the duty of the bishops concerning the mission of the Church, the sixth the duty of the priests, the seventh the duty of the religious orders, and the eighth the duty of the laity. The ninth thesis concerns ecumenism and the collaboration with non-Christians, the tenth the education of the Christians, the eleventh the scientific education for the mission, the twelfth the catechists, and the thirteenth the foundation of academic institutions dealing with the mission of the Church (Brechter, Suso. 1968. “Dekret über die Missionstätigkeit der Kirche. Einleitung und Kommentar.” In Das Zweite Vatikanische Konzil. Vol. 3 of Lexikon für Theologie und Kirche, edited by Herbert Vorgrimler, 10–126.13.  Freiburg im Breisgau: Herder). The Council Fathers received the text in July 1964 (ibid).

From November 6 to November 9, 1964, the scheme on the mission activity of the church was debated. To the surprise of all, Paul VI was present in the aula at the beginning of the debate on November 6, 1964. From the table of the presidency, he gave a short speech on the importance of the scheme on the mission of the Church and affirmed that salvation of the world is dependent on the realization of the missionary command of Jesus Christ (ibid. 14). The pope suggested that the Council Fathers approve the scheme and make the corrections they feel necessary. Then Paul VI left the aula of Saint Peter (ibid). John XXIII never assisted at a session of the Council, and it was the first time since the Middle Ages that a pope was present at a conciliar debate (Hünermann 2001, 360). Paul VI was conscious of the deep rift within the Commission for the Mission Activity of the Church, he was conscious of the opposition of the bishops of the mission territories, whose young churches wanted to be churches like all the other local churches within the Roman Catholic Church, and the pope wanted to give support to Cardinal Agagianian (Hünermann 2005, 246). Paul VI defended the scheme on the mission of the Church; he wanted to overcome Eurocentrism and open the Roman Catholic Church to the whole world; on October 18, 1964, he canonized 22 Ugandan martyrs and announced during his homily that he would assist the Eucharistic Congress in Mumbai, India (Hünermann 2001, 361).  During this final phase of the Second Vatican Council, Paul VI attentively followed the activities of the commissions. He watched carefully over the work of the commissions and intervened to assure the Church’s orthodoxy, but he also empowered the commissions with authority concerning the edition of the documents they were preparing (ibid. 380). Without the insistence of Paul VI, some conciliar documents would not have been realized (ibid. 381). The Council Fathers were very hostile as regards the document on the mission activity of the Church. The intervention of Paul VI in the aula of the Council and his insistence on a comprehensive document on the mission activity of the Church were decisive for the organization of a new sub-commission with new experts who realized a comprehensive document during the first months of 1965 (ibid). 

Twenty-eight Council Fathers took the word during the debate in November 1964. The reaction to the scheme was extremely negative, because the Council Fathers wanted an elaborate scheme and not a simple series of short propositions (ibid. 366). The Council was ready to reject the whole scheme. Cardinal Agagianian mastered this moment of crisis with tactical cleverness (Brechter 1968, 15). He made his relator of the scheme, bishop Lo Kuang, the first bishop of the dioceses of Tainan, Taiwan, announce that the commission is pleased with the great importance that the Council attributes to the mission of the Church and therefore suggests that the scheme be worked over fundamentally and would incorporate the suggestions of the Council Fathers. The aula responded with enthusiastic applause. The following vote was not on accepting or rejecting the scheme, but on the question if the Council Fathers would approve a revision of the scheme on the mission of the Church by the competent commission. The vote received an overwhelming majority (ibid).

Already on November 16, 1964, the Commission for the Mission Activity of the Church of the Church elected five of its members for the redaction of a new scheme. Father Johannes Schütte, General Superior of the Society of the Divine Word, was elected president of the sub-commission (Hünermann 2001, 372). Agagianian stuck to the traditional description of mission as expansion of the Christian territory under the jurisdiction of Propaganda Fide into regions that are not yet Christianized. He accepted Neuner and Ratzinger as new experts for the new sub-commission; he resisted the French bishops who proposed Congar as an expert until the second meeting of the sub-commission on November 20, 1964 (Burigana, Riccardo, and Giovanni Turbanti. 1999. “L’intersessione prepara la conclusion del concilio.” In La chiesa come comunione. Il terzo periodo e la terza intersessione settembre 1964 – settembre 1965. Vol. 4 of Storia del concilio Vaticano II, directed by Giuseppe Alberigo, 483–648. 607-8. Bologna: Società editrice il Mulino). The French Dominican Yves Congar and the young German theologian Ratzinger were to work on the theological foundation of the scheme in relation with important schemes of the Second Vatican Council, like Lumen Gentium. The sub-commission then concentrated on elaborating an adequate description of the concept mission (ibid. 610). Congar worked on a Trinitarian theology of the mission and his idea helped with the practical difficulties of the mission bishops concerning the parallel existence of territories under the jurisdiction of Propaganda Fide and of independent dioceses within the same countries. The sub-commission was not able to agree on a text by March 1965 and Felici was impatient. Paul VI intervened and observed that the text so far did not sufficiently speak of the people of Go’d and the mission of the Church but still concentrated on the bishops as successors of the Apostles and administrators of the mission in their jurisdiction (ibid. 613). In the beginning of April 1965, the commission accepted an inclusive definition of mission that was based on theology and did not exclude the territorial aspect of the question. The new scheme passed by the Coordinating Commission and Felici sent the scheme on the mission activity of the Church to the Council Fathers on June 12, 1965 (ibid. 616).

The preface of the scheme conceives with Lumen Gentium 48 “the Church as the universal sacrament of salvation” (Hünermann 2001, 438). Lumen Gentium 48 indeed affirms, the risen Lord Jesus Christ “sent His life-giving Spirit upon His disciples and through Him has established His Body which is the Church as the universal sacrament of salvation”. However, scheme Ad Gentes attributes the mission to proclaim the Gospel not to the people of Go’d and the disciples of Jesus Christ, but to the successors of the Apostles, that is the hierarchical Church (ibid). The laity is encouraged to collaborate with that mission, not more.

The first chapter affirms the mission of the Son and of the Holy Spirit as realization of Go’d’s salvific will for all of humanity in Jesus Christ, who sent the Holy Spirit on his Apostles. The scheme does not mention the disciples of Jesus Christ as receivers of the Holy Spirit (ibid. 439). The predication of the Church and the sacraments of salvation give rise to the faith that causes salvation according to the will of Go’d. At the same time the scheme affirms, that Go’d is causing faith in people according to Her own design (ibid. 440). The problem of dialoguing with the people of other religions, and the status of these religions within the history of salvation is not clear (ibid. 441).

The second chapter of the scheme is on the works of the mission. First there is a pre-evangelization that prepares confidence by living with the people, sharing their culture and by listening to them with a spirit of love. Then follows the direct testimony to the Gospel of Christ and the celebration of the reunion of the people of Go’d (ibid). Both catechesis and liturgical service need religious freedom. At last, the scheme assesses the reality of many new dioceses and autonomous local churches in the so-called mission countries or territories (ibid. 442).

The third chapter deals with the vocation of missionaries within the Christianized countries, with the spiritual and moral education of the missionary priests, their theological studies and missionary academic institutions (ibid). There is no word of lay women, men and queer catechists, missionary schools and their lay teachers, as missionary hospitals and their doctors and nurses (ibid).

The fourth chapter deals with the necessary Church discipline for the lay Christians who are called to collaborate in the missionary work. The announcement of the Gospel is the duty of the college of the bishops, and the pope gives the central guidance of the missionary activities (ibid). At the local level of the dioceses, the bishop moderates and governs the missionary activity and the episcopal conferences coordinate the missionary activities of the bishops (ibid. 443). The missionary institutions of religious orders are called to cooperate with the local bishops and the episcopal conferences, and the Holy See authorizes contracts of cooperation between the religious and diocesan authority (ibid).

The fifth chapter speaks of the collaboration of the whole people of Go’d with the mission work of the Church (ibid). The local bishops are called to send missionary priests to the missions to help the new autonomous dioceses in the newly Christianized countries. The scheme prudently speaks of the reform of the institution of Propaganda Fide but does not describe new structures for the institution (ibid. 444).

On October 7, 1965, the discussion on the scheme started in the aula; on October 12, the first votes on parts of the scheme began (ibid. 451). There was no description of the actual situation in the mission countries in the scheme and some Council Fathers characterized the situation of the new churches in the discussion. Cardinal König from Vienna, Austria, spoke of the pluralism of religions in the modern world (ibid. 445). Archbishop Basil Salvadore D’Souza from Mangalore, India, told the aula that the Church did not develop like an enculturated seed of the Gospel of Jesus Christ in Asia; the mission activity of the Roman Catholic Church in Asia operated as a transplantation of the prefabricated European model of the Church (ibid. 446). The Dutch primate Cardinal Bernard Alfrink referred in his speech to the scheme on the apostolate of the laity, that considers the work of evangelization a fundamental duty of the whole people of Go’d (ibid. 447). Many Council Fathers spoke of the importance of the testimony of the lay Christians and their families for the mission. Bishop Mark McGrath from Panama spoke of the necessary development of the responsibility for the mission activity of the Church by the collegiality of all bishops and the pope (ibid). The economic dependence of the new churches in the mission countries on the rich churches in Europe and North America was not discussed openly but was present in the aula. Bishop Joseph Martin, who had been promoted from Apostolic Vicar of Ngozi, Burundi, to bishop of the diocese of Ngozi in 1961, claimed the full rights for a bishop of a new diocese in a mission country and the jurisdictional equality within the college of bishops (ibid. 450). He wanted representatives of the bishops in the mission countries to become members of a fundamentally reformed Congregation for the propagation of the Faith (ibid). Ecumenism and the collaboration of all the Churches in the mission countries was an important theme in the discussions. Already in 1965, Council Fathers from the mission countries pointed at the growing number of remarkably successful missions by the Free Churches (ibid. 451). The small Christian communities that Catholic liberation theologians founded in the 1990s in South America, Africa and India, soon suffered the exodus of Christians to the Free Churches whose preachers were laymen with a blue-collar background who spoke the simple language of the uneducated people to whom they were proclaiming the Gospel. On October 15, 1965, the sub-commission of Father Schütte started the work on the 500 pages of the 190 modifications for the scheme that the Council Fathers brought forward in the discussion (ibid. 452). Many modifications concerned the description of the reform for Propaganda Fide and the wish of the new dioceses in the mission countries to be treated equally with all the other dioceses of the Roman Catholic Church and to be considered as subjects of the mission activity of the Church and not as objects (ibid). From November 10 to November 12, 1965, there were 20 votes on parts of the text of the scheme (ibid. 453). The Council Fathers wanted to make sure that the bishops from the mission countries were actively taking part in the government of the reformed Propaganda Fide. Propaganda Fide had rejected that the missionary bishops become ordinary members of the congregation, and a compromise had to be found. On December 7, 1965, the scheme passed the vote with an overwhelming majority (ibid. 454).

About 10 per cent of the Council Fathers were bishops coming from missionary countries. These bishops wanted to be treated equally to all ordinary bishops of the Roman Catholic Church. They demanded from the pope the jurisdictional powers to govern their dioceses with the powers that a monarch enjoys in her or his kingdom. They demanded the powers to teach the Christian faith and control teaching, and the power to sanctify the Christians living in their dioceses by guiding the liturgy. Even as Apostolic administrators under the authority of Propaganda Fide, the missionary bishops already occupied a privileged status within the hierarchy of the Roman Catholic Church. Equality of jurisdictional powers as members of the world episcopate gives the missionary bishops still more authority for the unchallenged governing, teaching and liturgical powers within their dioceses. The Decree on the Mission Activity of the Church Ad Gentes does not speak unilaterally of the divine aspect of the Church as the people of God living in a communion of love with each other. Ad Gentes repeatedly and insistently affirms the social aspect of the Roman Catholic Church as a hierarchical society of bishops who are the successors of the Apostles and who are therefore responsible for the mission activity of the Church. The laity participates in this mission activity, but the effective and real agents of the proclamation of the Gospel are the bishops. It is important to recognize that the missionary bishops wanted their place within the episcopal college, within the world episcopate; they wanted equal privileges with the other episcopal members of the hierarchy, they did not fight for equal rights, freedoms and dignity of all Catholic women, men and queer.

The Second Vatican Council completed the institution of the hierarchy of bishops all over the world. The national bishops’ conferences constitute smaller organizations of the world episcopate. It is important to recognize that the Second Vatican Council does not organize the world episcopate under the government of the pope as a supranational society. The divine aspect of the Church as the people of Go’d would allow for such a supranational organization. The societal aspect of the Roman Catholic Church as an absolute monarchy does not allow for a supranational organization. Pope John XXIII proposed in his Encyclical Pacem in Terris such a supranational government for all nation states of the world that is the United Nations for the sake of realizing peace and justice in the world. The Second Vatican Council does not imagine the political community of the world as a supranational community but understands the nation state as the political community.

The pope assures his absolute power and founds the relationship of the Roman Catholic Church on treaties of the Holy See with individual nation states. No political world authority holds the pope of the Roman Catholic Church accountable for realizing the rule of Human Rights law. Discrimination of women, men and queer continuous within the Roman Catholic Church. The pope and the male celibate hierarchy of the Roman Catholic Church has no interest in joining the United Nations and working for the realization of the rule of Human Rights law within the Roman Catholic Church, although the faith in Jesus Christ recognizes the equal dignity, freedom and rights of all women, men and queer. Not recognizing and not proclaiming the equal dignity, freedom and rights of all women, men and queer Catholics falls short of the proclamation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ who healed and through healing taught the end of all discrimination and healed by teaching peace, justice and the threefold commandment of love. Since the Decree on the Mission Activity of the Church does not comply with the rule of Human Rights law, the decree does not comply with the Gospel. The Holy Spirit gives the baptized Christians the understanding of the Gospel, and the Gospel does not know discrimination of the equal dignity, freedom and rights of the faithful.

Commentary on Ad Gentes during the COVID-19 pandemic of 2020 CE

For 500 years, the mission activity of the Roman Catholic Church accompanied and often justified the brutal establishment of European colonial empires (Hünermann 2005, 227). Proclaiming the Gospel also served the proper economic interests of the kings, the popes, and of powerful religious orders. The results of the physical, psychic, social, and economic exploitation of the colonized peoples, and the consequences of the destruction of the cultural, political and spiritual integrity of the communities in the suppressed continents did not vanish with the end of this kind of colonialism in the days of the Second Vatican Council. The liberation from colonialism was not the restitution of the status before the suppression. Colonialism left broken societies, arbitrary boundaries of autocratically erected nation states by strategically separating ethnicities and peoples. Even in 2020 CE, Africa does not get paid fair prices for its mineral resources and does not get conditions for a fair trade. Europe and the United States are not interested that Africa develops industries, services and information technologies. Subsidized European food exports ruin agriculture and food markets in African countries with dumping prices.

In the time of the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in the spring of 2020 CE, I want to remember the influence of epidemics in the history of the European colonization and Christianization of South and North America and the Caribbean. The colonizers brought not only the Gospel, suppression and misery, but also sicknesses and epidemics “in the Americas, the arrival of Europeans brought disease, war, and slavery to many indigenous peoples” (Pringle 2015). It is impossible to give an exact count of the population of the empires in the Americas at the arrival of the Europeans in 1492 CE because of the lack of records. Estimates speak of 60 million people living in North, Central and South America at that time, Europe’s population at the time was about 75 million spread over less than half the area (Koch, Alexander, Chris Brierley, Mark Maslin, and Simon Lewis. 2019. “European colonization of the Americas killed 10 percent of world population and caused global cooling.” The Conversation. The World, January 13).

When Europeans first set foot on the island of Hispaniola – now Haiti and the Dominican Republic – in 1497 CE and the mainland in 1517, they brought measles, smallpox, influenza and the bubonic plague across the Atlantic (ibid). Those who did not die from the consecutive waves of epidemics, suffered death from warfare, famine and colonial atrocities. Is it a realistic estimate that the “Great Dying” took the lives of 90 per cent of the pre-Colombian Indigenous population? In World War II, 80 million people died. The “Great Dying” would have resulted in the second largest mortality of modern history (ibid). In 1513 CE, Bartolomé de Las Casas (1493 – 1566) landed in Santo Domingo for the second time and lived as an agricultural colonist on the Hispaniola, the first Spanish colony in the New World. Eventually Las Casas was appalled by the suppression of the Indians and in 1515 he went to Spain to fight for the rights of the Indians (Huerga, Álvaro. 1998. “Vida y Obras.” In Fray Bartolomé de Las Casas. Obras Completas Vol 1. 75-95. Madrid: Alianza Editorial). In 1522, Las Casas took the habit of the Dominicans and became famous as the defender of the Indians. In order to stop the extinction of the Indians, Las Casas, Pedro de Cordoba and his Dominican brothers already in 1516 and 1518 proposed and asked the Spanish King to substitute the Indian with African slaves (Clayton, Lawrence. 2009. “Bartolomé de Las Casas and the African Slave Trade”. History Compass 7 (6): 1526–1541. 1529. doi:10.1111/j.1478-0542.2009. 00639.x). We cannot talk about the genocide of the Indian population in the New World without also remembering the crime of the establishment of African slavery in Latin America in the sixteenth Century. The colonization of America with the forced labor of African slaves marks the beginning of modern slavery as a system of global organization (ibid). Back in Spain in the early 1550ies, Las Casas repented and judged himself culpable because he had suggested substituting the Indians with Africans. He had thought that the Africans would not die of sickness if they were treated well; but he had to realize that many of them died because of the inhumane conditions of slavery (Pérez Luño, Antonio-Enrique. 1990. “Estudio preliminar al Tratado de Regia Potestate.” In Fray Bartolomé de Las Casas. Obras Completas Vol 12. De Regia Potestate, edited by Antonio Larios Ramos and Antonio García del Moral y Garrido, i–xxxix. Madrid: Alianza Editorial).

I am writing on the colonial history of the Hispaniola, in order to remember that an epidemic was important for the success of the Haitian rebellion in 1793 (Chotiner 2020). Napoleon’s army was destroyed by yellow fever when he sent the great armada to restore slavery in Haiti. The slave rebellion succeeded because the slaves from Africa had immunity that white Europeans who were in Napoleon’s army didn’t have. Haiti became independent.  Epidemics have tremendous effects on social and political stability; they determine the outcomes of wars and are part of the start of wars sometimes (ibid.). In 1803, the yellow fever led Napoleon to agree to the Louisiana Purchase, which doubled the size of the United States of America and ended French power expansion in the New World (ibid). The historian affirms there is not a major area of human life that epidemic diseases have not touched profoundly (ibid.). Epidemic diseases are still a major scourge for African, Asian and South American populations at the time of the Second Vatican Council.

The Decree on the Mission Activity of the Church does not start with an assessment of the physical, psychic, social, economic, cultural, spiritual etc. situation of the women, men and queer of this world. The Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World Gaudium et Spes had realized first steps for an awareness of “The joys and the hopes, the griefs and the anxieties of the men of this age, especially those who are poor or in any way afflicted” in the Roman Catholic Church (Gaudium et Spes 1).

Ad Gentes 1, 1 affirms salvation is for the nations of the world “Divinely sent to the nations of the world to be unto them a universal sacrament of salvation”. Ad Gentes 1,1 borrows from Lumen Gentium 48 affirming Christ has established “the Church as the universal sacrament of salvation” but forgets about the eschatological context of the seventh chapter of Lumen Gentium 48 – 51. The mission activity of the Church does not bring about salvation to the nations of the world in our times. In the present faith and love help the Church to hope for the second coming of Christ. “The promised restoration which we are awaiting has already begun in Christ, is carried forward in the mission of the Holy Spirit and through Him continues in the Church” (Lumen Gentium 48). Christians hope that the world “will attain its full perfection only in the glory of heaven, when there will come the time of the restoration of all things” (Lumen Gentium 48).

Ad Gentes 1,2 assesses, “In the present state of affairs, out of which there is arising a new situation for mankind” the Church is called to bring all people to Christ, but Ad Gentes does not describe this “new situation for mankind”. “Mankind” is not perceived as a global society, but as a series of nation states. The United Nations is not mentioned. How is it possible to realize universal unity within the isolated particular? The sum of states does not make up a universal society.

Pope Francis is conscious of the need to include in the mission of the Church the healing example of Jesus Christ who realized the just world of Go’d by healing and healed by proclaiming the Gospel. On March 20, 2020, Pope Francis asked the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development (DPIHD) to create a Commission “to express the Church’s solicitude and care for the whole human family facing the COVID-19 pandemic, including analysis, reflection on the new socio-economic-cultural future, and the proposal of relevant approaches”[i]. Since the societal structure of the Roman Catholic Church is not established as a supranational level of cooperating episcopal conferences, but as an absolute monarchy that governs from Vatican State local churches, Pope Francis has no choice but to allow his commission to be “listening to and supporting local churches” (ibid).

The fact that Pope Francis must create a new commission to deal with a global pandemic proves that the governmental structure of the Holy See that governs with the help of Dicasteries or Congregations does not provide by itself the necessary cooperation on a global problem. The pope has to command the cooperation of his Dicasteries and Congregations (ibid). The new commission needs the cooperation of other Dicasteries and organizations of the Papal Curia, but these Dicasteries and Congregations are not willing to cede influence, independence and power to other Dicasteries and Congregations. Pope Francis had no choice but to make one Dicastery responsible for the organization of the commission. The Cardinal Prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples will hardly accept collaboration in a commission under the presidency of the Cardinal Prefect of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development. The intensity of his collaboration depends on his interest in ensuring the power of his own Congregation. Inter-congregational and interdicasterial communication and coordination is poor, drafts of documents usually do not circulate. Talking to anyone outside the office is normally restricted to the prefect, secretary or undersecretary. A lower official would usually check with his superiors before sharing information with an official from another office (Reese, Thomas J. 1996. Inside the Vatican. The politics and organization of the Catholic Church. 132. Cambridge: Harvard University Press). Working on a global problem needs organizational structures working from a global perspective. Competing interests that work against each other weaken the effectiveness of the Roman Curia. The structures of the Vatican do not realize the collegial character of the church (ibid. 172).

Ad Gentes Preface 

Ad Gentes does not start with an analysis of the historic context of the mission of the Church in the modern world as Gaudium et Spes had regularly tried to do. Instead, Ad Gentes 1,1 starts affirming that Go’d had sent the Church to the nations as a “universal sacrament of salvation” (Lumen Gentium 48). The Apostles and their successors realized the divine mission. The successors of the Apostles are the bishops. There is no word on the Christian women, men and queer proclaiming the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The Decree Ad Gentes is on the Mission Activity of the Church, this mission concerns all faithful women, men and queer, and not only the pope, the bishops, and clergy. Discrimination of laity we find also in the Decree on the Apostolate of the Laity Apostolicam Actuositatem. The exclusive right of the clergy for offices in the Church demonstrated the resistance of the male hierarchy of the Roman Catholic Church to realize the vocation and mission of Jesus Christ. Jesus did not discriminate anybody. All disciples and male and female followers are part of the one people of Go’d. Ad Gentes 1, 3 does not take up the official title of the Decree on the Mission Activity of the Church but speaks instead of mission of missionary, and the whole Decree speaks of missionary activity.

The official Latin version of Ad Gentes speaks coherently of mission activity – missionalis activitas - throughout the document. The official English translation of Ad Gentes uses the expression “mission activity of the Church” only for the title and then translates the expression “mission activity” misleadingly as “missionary activity” throughout the document. I continue using the translation “mission activity” in order to stay coherent with the title of Ad Gentes, because all faithful are called to realize the mission activity of the Church whereas the missionary activity of the Church is reserved for ordained priests and bishops.

Ad Gentes 1,2 affirms that the Church is “the salt of the earth and the light of the world (Matthew 5:13-14)”, although Jesus does not address the Church, least priests and bishops in the Sermon on the Mount. The Sermon on the Mount addresses all women, men and queer who listened to the teachings of Jesus Christ on the mount. From Matthew 7, 28, we learn that Jesus had proclaimed the Sermon on the Mount to the whole people and not only to his Apostles or disciples because “The result was that when Jesus had finished these words, the multitudes were amazed at His teaching” (Matthew 7, 28). Ad Gentes does not acknowledge the text of the Gospel but prefers to stick with the reinterpretation of the text by the 15th century Spanish theologian Alphonsus Tostatus, who pretends that the Sermon of the Mound addresses only a small group of disciples, and consequently exclusively a small elite of ordained Church officials (Luz, Ulrich. 1985. Das Evangelium nach Matthäus (Mt 1-7). 187. Evangelisch-Katholischer Kommentar zum Neuen Testament I/1. Zürich: Benziger/Neukirchener). Further, we do not know the original meaning of the metaphors “salt” and “light” in Matthew 5, 13–14. Luther interpreted the metaphor “light” with many Church Fathers as the proclamation of the Gospel (ibid. 143) and the Council follows this interpretation.

Ad Gentes 1, 3 speaks of the “missionary activity” of the Church that prepares the “second coming” of Jesus Christ. We hear of the great results of the Church’s mission in history and pretend to rally “the forces of all the faithful” to prepare the “second coming” of Jesus Christ.

Ad Gentes Chapter I Principles of Doctrine

Ad Gentes 2, 1 affirms the origin of the mission activity for the “pilgrim Church” from Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit as commandment of Go’d.

Ad Gentes 2, 2 continues with faith-sentences about the Trinitarian economy of salvation that sound very abstract and empty for Christian women, men and queer.

Ad Gentes 3,1 speaks about Jesus Christ and his mission for salvation from sin and for reconciliation and the preparation of this saving message within religions. Ad Gentes forgets about Israel’s part in the history of salvation, about the Muslims and other religions and the realization of the divine vocation by women, men and queer who follow their conscience, seek to realize the good and do not know Go’d’s Gospel. Lumen Gentium 16 spoke about all this and Nostra Aetate affirmed salvation for those who do not know Jesus Christ (Hünermann 2005, 257). 

Ad Gentes 3, 2 presents a Christological catechesis on an abstract level of eurocentrism that attracts theologians of the Western tradition but forgets about women, men and queer believers who meditate on Jesus Christ and the threefold commandment of love to empower their lives with grace according to their cultures.

Ad Gentes 3, 3 exhorts the Christians to proclaim the Gospel of Christ but does not care about how Africa, Asian, or Latin American Christians would receive, meditate and interpret Christ’s message for the just world of Go’d.

Ad Gentes 4, 1 affirms, “The Holy Spirit was at work in the world before Jesus Christ was glorified” and refers to the Creed of Constantinople (Symbolum Constantinopolitanum 381 CE) and Pope Leo the Great (391 – 461 CE) who assess that the prophets spoke of the Holy Spirit. Ad Gentes 4, 2 affirms with Lumen Gentium 4 that the Holy Spirit equips the Church “with various gifts of a hierarchical and charismatic nature”. Neither Ephesians, nor the First Letter to the Corinthians, nor Galatians speak of a hierarchical church or of any Church institution that the Holy Spirit vivifies as claims Lumen Gentium 4. Ad Gentes 4, 2 does not even any more bother referring to the Scripture to legitimize the societal aspect of the Roman Catholic Church as a hierarchical monarchy of male celibates. Ad Gentes does not speak about what the gifts of the Holy Spirit realize within the world. There is no word on realizing world peace, justice, dialogue of cultures and respect of other peoples (Hünermann 2005, 260).

Ad Gentes 5,1 affirms again that the Apostles were “the beginning of the sacred hierarchy” and that Jesus Christ “sent His Apostles into all the world” referring to Matthew 28, 19–20 and to John 20, 21. From Matthew 28, 16 follows that Jesus speaks in Matthew 28, 19–20 to the elven disciples. In John 20, 21 Jesus speaks to all disciples who were present in the room and not only to the Apostles. Nevertheless, Ad Gentes 5, 1 affirms “the order of bishops, assisted by the priests, together with the successor of Peter and supreme shepherd of the Church” inherited from the Apostles the mission from Christ but the text does not present any reference to the Gospel to justify this claim to absolute power by the hierarchy. The text mentions the people of Go’d with a reference to Ephesians 4, 16 remembering the life of the Holy Spirit that flows from Jesus Christ to “members of his body” that is all women, men and queer faithful. Ad Gentes 5, 1 praises the testimony of the Apostles to the service of Jesus Christ. Congar is the main author of this text, and he was convinced that only the hierarchical Church was empowered to preach the Gospel (Hünermann 2005, 262). Only after the Second Vatican Council Congar affirmed that the whole Church, the mystical body of Christ, the communion of the faithful is subject of the mission activity of the Church (ibid).

Ad Gentes 6,1 affirms that the mission activity is a duty, ”to be fulfilled by the order of bishops, under the successor of Peter and with the prayers and help of the whole Church”.

Ad Gentes 6, 2 explains that the circumstances of the mission activity of the Church are responsible for the quality of the mission activity. There are happy beginnings, setbacks, and insufficiencies until all peoples reach Catholicity.

Ad Gentes 6, 3 affirms that the mission activity of preaching evangelizes people who are not yet in contact with the Gospel and empowers the building of autochthonous hierarchies and churches. Ad Gentes 6, 3 reflects the conflicts in the commission for the scheme concerning the jurisdiction over mission territories that assures the powers of the Congregation Propaganda Fide and the interests of the young churches and their hierarchies to receive the recognition of independent churches with independent jurisdiction for their autochthone bishops (Hünermann 2005, 265).

Ad Gentes 6, 4 tries to express a compromise about the conflicting interests and speaks of development stages of new churches.

Ad Gentes 6, 5 speaks of “charity and works of mercy” as mission activity where preaching is not possible.

Ad Gentes 6, 6 assesses the ordained hierarchy as primary agent of any mission activity; the hierarchy exercises the mission activity. Ad Gentes forgets that Lumen Gentium affirms the mission activity for the whole people of Go’d (ibid. 267). Ad Gentes 6, 6 also assures the interests of Propaganda Fide claiming that mission activity is directed at nations that do not know the Gospel. The distinction of mission activity and pastoral work reflects the ignorance of the Council Fathers who do not recognize that mission activity always includes the care and the service for the perseverance of the faithful and that pastoral work always includes the openness and care for those who do not believe in Jesus Christ (ibid). The last sentences of Ad Gentes 6, 6 recognize splits and divisions among Christian Churches that “block the way to the faith for many” and call for the ecumenical effort of the mission activity since “all baptized are called to give testimony to Jesus Christ before the nations” in unity or at least “by mutual love and esteem”.

Ad Gentes 7, 1 affirms that mission activity “derives its reason from the will of Go’d” and that there is no salvation from another than Jesus Christ and men knowing Jesus Christ and the Gospel and rejecting both cannot be saved although “Go’d in ways known to Himself” can lead people who are ignorant of Jesus Christ to faith.

Ad Gentes 7, 2 speaks of the necessity of “all members of the Church” to join in the mission activity.

Ad Gentes 7, 3 affirms that mission activity fully glorifies Go’d. There is no word any more on Go’d’s universal will for salvation of all women, men and queer as the commission for the scheme had proposed referring to Lumen Gentium 16 and Nostra Aetate 2–4 (Hünermann 2005, 268–269).

Ad Gentes 8 claims that mission activity corresponds with “the nature of man”, overcoming particularities of nations, races and cultures, contributes to liberty and to progress in human history, to unity and peace. The Council Fathers are not conscious of the necessary respect and social realization of the dignity of cultures, identities of peoples and dialogue on the basis of equal freedom and rights in a world that had overcome European colonialism (ibid. 270).

Ad Gentes 9, 1 affirms that mission activity extends between the first and the second coming of Christ.

Ad Gentes 9, 2 affirms “missionary activity works out the history of salvation” and heals “whatever good is found to be sown in the hearts and minds of men, or in the rites and cultures peculiar to various peoples”. In 2020 CE, these affirmations sound prepotent and disrespectful of Go’d’s creation and Her way with the women, men and queer on this earth. There is no word on the need of conversion and healing within the Roman Catholic Church and their sinning members (ibid. 271).

Ad Gentes Chapter II Mission work itself

Ad Gentes 10 justifies the mission activity of the Church as “a gigantic missionary task” because “two billion human beings” have not yet or hardly heard of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. At the beginning of the 21st century, there are about four billion non-Christians on earth and about one third of humanity is Christian (ibid. 272). The Council Fathers turn their attention to Asia and Africa, but do not really take notice of the plurality of cultures, peoples, traditions and religions (ibid. 273). There is no analysis of the social, economic and political conditions of the people of Asia and Africa. Ad Gentes simply speaks of “groups” and the use of the term group for a billion of Hindus and a billion of Muslims really misses the point that Hinduism and Islam constitute world religions.

Ad Gentes 11 and 12 are titled “Christian witness” and deal with the mission activity of all Christians; the hierarchy is not mentioned at all. Christians give witness “wherever they live” (Ad Gentes 11, 1).

Ad Gentes 11, 2 affirms the Christians have to join those groups “by esteem and love” and “let them acknowledge themselves to be members of the group of men among whom they live; let them share in cultural and social life by the various undertakings and enterprises of human living; let them be familiar with their national and religious traditions; let them gladly and reverently lay bare the seeds of the Word which lie hidden among their fellows”. The Christians should tell those “groups” about the changes of the modern world and ultimately “bring them under the dominion of God their Savior” (Ad Gentes 11, 2).

Ad Gentes 12, 1 motivates the Christians that their presence in “those groups” is inspired by charity, “charity truly extends to all, without distinction of race, creed, or social condition: it looks for neither gain nor gratitude. For as God loved us with an unselfish love, so also the faithful should in their charity care for the human person himself, loving him with the same affection with which God sought out man” and charity follows the example of Jesus Christ.

Ad Gentes 12, 2 affirms “Let Christians labor and collaborate with others in rightly regulating the affairs of social and economic life” and calls for collaboration for education “especially in the developing nations, working toward the uplifting of human dignity, and toward better living conditions”.

Ad Gentes 12, 3 affirms the principle of separation of state and church (ibid. 276).

Ad Gentes 12, 4 affirms that Christians, who give witness “where they are not able to announce Christ fully”, work for “the salvation of man by love for God and neighbor” and not for “mere material progress and prosperity”.

Ad Gentes 13 and 14 are titled “Preaching the Gospel and Gathering together the People of God”.

Ad Gentes 13, 1 affirms the living Go’d is announced “Wherever God opens a door of speech for proclaiming the mystery of Christ” and remembers the starting mission activity of the Apostles with a multitude of references to Acts, to the Gospels and to the letters of Paul.

Ad Gentes 13, 2 speaks of the process of conversion, starting with the catechumenate and continuing throughout the new life as existential spiritual journey under the grace of Go’d. 

Ad Gentes 13, 3 affirms religious liberty and free choice as validity-conditions for conversion.

Ad Gentes 13, 4 insists on the necessity to examine the legitimate motivation for conversion.

Ad Gentes 14, 1 refers to Sacrosanctum Concilium 64–65 and insists on the admission rite to the catechumenate and the education of the convert “catechumens should be properly instructed in the mystery of salvation and in the practice of Gospel morality, and by sacred rites which are to be held at successive intervals, they should be introduced into the life of faith, of liturgy, and of love, which is led by the People of God”.

Ad Gentes 14, 2 and 14, 3 remember the fruits of baptism with biblical references and propose Easter for baptizing converts and celebrating the first Eucharist with the people of Go’d.

Ad Gentes 14, 4 makes it clear that the responsibility for the preparation of the converts during catechumenate concerns the whole community and not only the catechists and the priests.

Ad Gentes 14, 5 call for a juridical appreciation of the status of the catechumenate in the new Code of Canon Law, the catechumens “are already of the household of Christ”.

Ad Gentes 15 – 18 are titled “Forming a Christian Community”.

Ad Gentes 15, 1 affirms the Holy Spirit gathers the baptized “into the one People of God”.

Ad Gentes 15, 2 calls “the missionaries, God’s coworkers” to form congregations of faithful, so “they may exercise the priestly, prophetic, and royal office which God has entrusted to them”. I do not believe my eyes reading of the threefold office of the lay women, men and queer faithful, when this threefold office of teaching, governing and liturgy, by Canon Law is a privilege of exclusively male celibates.

A short sentence in Ad Gentes 15, 3 is of great importance for the real independence of the young Churches “The Christian community should from the very start be so formed that it can provide for its necessities insofar as this is possible”.  Without financial, cultural and spiritual independence from Europe there is no real independence of the young Churches in the mission countries (ibid. 281). Only in the second decade of the third millennium CE, I observed a growing interest of African priests doing doctoral studies at Innsbruck for the necessary legal and economic conditions of African dioceses to assure their financial autonomy.

Ad Gentes 15, 3 turns to the cultural and spiritual independence and encourages the formations of associations and organized groups so that the lay apostolate “will be able to permeate the whole of society with the spirit of the Gospel”. Catholics of different rites should work together with charity according to the Decree on the Catholic Eastern Churches Orientalium Ecclesiarum, and ecumenical activities should be furthered in “a brotherly spirit”.

Ad Gentes 15, 4 affirms the Christian faithful “should foster a universal love for man” and be good citizens and patriots abstaining from “racism” and “hypernationalism”. Unfortunately, the Council Fathers did not remember and express their regret for the unholy alliance of the missionaries with the colonial powers and their striving for cultural and political domination and exploitation of the colonies (ibid. 283).

Ad Gentes 15, 5 starts praising “the Christian laity” and refers to Lumen Gentium 32 and Apostolicam actuositatem 5–7, “For it is up to them, imbued with the spirit of Christ, to be a leaven working on the temporal order from within, to dispose it always in accordance with Christ”. At this point I have the impression that I am reading a different document because of the perspective on the laity and the reception of their fundamental importance for the Church.

Ad Gentes 15, 6 encourages the laity to announce Christ to the “non-Christian fellow citizens”.

Ad Gentes 15, 7 sets the record straight again by assessing the necessity of ordained offices and offices by divine will, “the offices of priests, of deacons, and of catechists, and Catholic action” and the importance of religious men and women.

Ad Gentes 16, 1 cheers the priestly vocations in the mission countries “so that the young churches gradually acquire a diocesan structure with their own clergy”.

Ad Gentes 16, 2 says the priestly formation in the recently converted nations has to follow the Decree on the training of Priests Optatam Totius and Ad Gentes 16, 3 demands that their liturgical training should help realize in their liturgical service and live the mystery of Christ according to Sacrosanctum Concilium 17.

Ad Gentes 16, 4 assesses the importance of Optatam Totius 1 for the pastoral training of the priests, the study of the philosophy and religious traditions of their native cultures and refers to Unitatis redintegratio 4 to point at the necessity of ecumenical dialogue and spirit.

Ad Gentes 16, 5 proposes for some students higher studies of theology, especially in Rome, and Ad Gentes 16, 6 affirms that according to Lumen Gentium 29 “the order of the diaconate should be restored as a permanent state of life”.

Ad Gentes 17, 1 praise “the ranks of men and women catechists”.

Ad Gentes 17, 2 justifies this praise not by the worth of the catechists’ work per se, but because of the lack of priestly vocations.

Ad Gentes 17, 3 speaks of the necessity of schools for catechists, Ad Gentes 17, 4 asks Propaganda Fide to finance such schools.

Ad Gentes 17, 5 speaks of the auxiliary catechists who “preside over the prayers in their communities and teach sacred doctrine” and need adequate training. Ad Gentes 17, 5 additionally affirms “Trained [catechists] should receive a ‘missio canonica’ in a publicly celebrated liturgical ceremony,” without realizing that such an official liturgical act equals an ordination to the office of catechist and thus makes the women and men catechists part of the hierarchy of the Church. All of a sudden, women and married men receive some official status that formerly had been reserved to male celibates only.

Ad Gentes 18, 1 turns to religious vocations and refers to Lumen Gentium 31 and 44.

Lumen Gentium 31 claims, the laity “are by baptism made one body with Christ and are constituted among the People of God; they are in their own way made sharers in the priestly, prophetical, and kingly functions of Christ; and they carry out for their own part the mission of the whole Christian people in the Church and in the world”. In one and the same sentence, the inclusive use of the priestly, prophetical, and kingly functions of Christ are exclusively subordinated to the hierarchy that determinate the “way” of realizing the functions by the laity. Lumen Gentium 44 speak of the evangelical counsels of the religious in the Church which help them to be free for the perfection of divine worship. We must not forget that all faithful are called to perfection, and the religious are not more perfect than the lay.

Ad Gentes 18, 2 speaks of religious institutions that work in the mission territories, Ad Gentes 18, 3 admonishes the bishops to see that there are not too many religious institutions in their territory and Ad Gentes 18, 4 encourages the implantation of contemplative monastic life by “looking for a genuine adaptation to local conditions”.

Ad Gentes Chapter III Particular Churches

Ad Gentes 19, 1 confirms the realization of a first development goal for a new young Church if “it is already equipped with its own supply (perhaps still insufficient) of local priests, Religious, and lay men, and is endowed with” institutions and ministries which allow the bishop to guide the people of God.

Ad Gentes 19, 2 demands from these young Churches to reform community life according to the norms of the Second Vatican Council that empower faith, liturgical service and love of the laity. The Council appreciates the growing civic and apostolic activity of the laity, the use of the means of social communication, and the families “as seedbeds of the lay apostolate and of vocations to the priesthood and the Religious life” (Ad Gentes 19, 2).

Ad Gentes 19, 3 encourages the bishops of the young Churches “to feel and live along with the universal Church”.

Ad Gentes 19, 4 calls for continuing support for these Churches “very often located in the poorer portions of the globe”.

Ad Gentes 19, 5 wants the young Churches to care for their priestly vocations and for their training institutions.

Ad Gentes 20, 1 affirms, “The particular church is bound to represent the universal Church”. Ad Gentes 20, 2 demands from the bishops to care for the ministry of the word in order to reach those who suffer from “urbanization, migrations, and religious indifferentism”.

Ad Gentes 20, 3 calls for the cooperation of ”local priests” and “foreign missionaries” and encourages “religious men and women, and the laity” to care for their countrymen, especially for the poor.

Ad Gentes 20, 4 insists that the priests regularly refresh their training.

Ad Gentes 20, 5 points at the importance of the Decree on the Training of Priests Optatam Totius.

Ad Gentes 20, 6 encourages the episcopal conferences of the young Churches to accept missionaries from the Holy See and to adapt the training of priests according to local necessities.

Ad Gentes 20, 7 calls the young Churches to participate in the mission activity of the universal Church.

After having assured the establishment of a functioning hierarchy and Church institutions, Ad Gentes 21, 1 turns to the importance of the laity for the foundation of a new Church. Organically, I would expect that the mission activity addresses women, men and queer and forms a new community with these lay people. Yet, the Council starts with the hierarchy, second comes “a laity worthy of the name working along with the hierarchy”. Ad Gentes 21, 2 says the laity belongs at the same time to Christ and to civil society. Do the priests and bishops not belong to Christ and the civil society at the same time? The hierarchy lives in the same world as the women, men and queer of this world, but the Council does not acknowledge this fact. Ad Gentes 21, 3 encourages the laity to give witness to Christ with their life and to spread the faith in Christ adapting their activity to their particular culture. Ad Gentes 21, 4 calls the clergy to esteem and train the laity. Ad Gentes 21, 5 affirms the witness to Christ is realized by the clergy and by the laity.

Ad Gentes 22, 1 deal with the respect for the different cultures, the Christians in the new Churches “borrow from the customs and traditions of their people, from their wisdom and their learning, from their arts and disciplines, all those things which can contribute to the glory of their Creator”.

Ad Gentes 22, 2 demands from the theologians to harmonize the theological tradition of the Church with the social and cultural realities in the young Churches. In 2020 CE, theologians in Europe receive a very superficial training in Latin, mastering of Greek and Hebrew is no longer a condition for a Catholic theological academic degree, and these languages concern primarily the specialists for Biblical studies. Doctoral students from Africa and Asia come to Europe if Latin, Greek or Hebrew does not bother them. English is the universal language of the Roman Catholic Church and students of theology from Asia and Africa prefer English-speaking countries for specialized studies.

Ad Gentes 22, 3 continues describing this enrichment of the understanding of the Christian faith “with due regard for the philosophy and wisdom of these peoples; it will be seen in what ways their customs, views on life, and social order, can be reconciled with the manner of living taught by divine revelation”. In the end, the new Churches are autonomous local Churches having their own place “in the ecclesiastical communion, saving always the primacy of Peter’s See”. There is no word any more on the juridical dependence of the young Churches from. The Holy See presides also over the episcopal conferences in the young Propaganda Fide Churches and their way of living and organizing the people of Go’d (Ad Gentes 22, 4). The Episcopal Conference of Latin America pioneered the elaboration of pastoral programs and documents based on the needs of the local Churches, on the preferential option for the poor, justice and peace; the Federation of Asian Bishop Conferences also produces documents that express the Christian response to local and regional social, economic, cultural and political problems (Hünermann 2005, 299).

Ad Gentes Chapter IV Missionaries

Ad Gentes 23, 1 affirms that the Holy Spirit “inspires the missionary vocation in the hearts of individuals”.

Ad Gentes 23, 2 describes missionaries as “priests, Religious, or laymen, sent by legitimate authority” and having the necessary qualities.

Ad Gentes 24, 1 determines the missionary “must be ready to stay at his vocation for an entire lifetime”.

Ad Gentes 24, 2 tells of the many burdens the missionary bears following his master Jesus Christ.

Ad Gentes 24, 3 encourages the bishops and superiors to assemble the missionaries from time to time to strengthen them and “regenerate their ministry”.

Ad Gentes 25, 1 speaks of the necessary preparation and training for the future missionary. Ad Gentes 25, 2 describes an abstract, idealistic and superhuman training-aim for the missionary, “Let him learn to be self-sufficing in whatever circumstances (Philippians 4:11); always bearing about in himself the dying of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may work in those to whom he is sent (2 Corinthians 4:10ff.), out of zeal of souls, let him gladly spend all and be spent himself for souls (cf. 2 Corinthians 12:15ff.), so that ‘by the daily practice of his duty he may grow in the love of God and neighbor.’ (Philippians 4:11)”.

Ad Gentes 26, 1 tells that the missionaries have to study the Sacred Scriptures.

Ad Gentes 26, 2 demands from the missionaries to study the doctrine and to have a great esteem for the patrimony, the language and the customs of the people to whom they are sent and to master the methods of the missionary activity. An apostolic training practice is needed (Ad Gentes 26, 3), also a training in the catechetical art (Ad Gentes 26, 5) and the training should be completed “in the land to which they are sent”.

Ad Gentes 26, 7 proposes that some missionaries should “be more thoroughly prepared in missiological institutes or in other faculties or universities”.

Ad Gentes 27 insists that the individual missionary is not capable of fulfilling all the necessary tasks of the mission activity. The individual needs the “fraternal cooperation” and the common call into institutes. There “they are properly trained and might carry out this work in the name of the Church and under the direction of the hierarchy” (Ad Gentes 27).

Ad Gentes Chapter V Planning Missionary Activity

The official Latin title speaks of mission activity (missionalis activitas) and not of missionary activity, as we read in the official English translation. Speaking of missionary activity immediately leads to the association missionary. In the understanding of the Roman Catholic Church, the missionary is usually a male celibate Catholic priest who preaches the Gospel to people who have not yet heard of Jesus Christ in order to convert them to the faith in Jesus Christ.  In Ad Gentes there is rarely a mentioning of female missionary activity, and the laity takes part in this activity but is not really an agent of preaching the Gospel and celebrating the sacraments with the new Christian community. Ad Gentes 6, 3 demands autochthonous priests and the building of an autochthonous hierarchy but the whole chapter four is on missionaries coming from abroad and points at the necessity of foreign missionaries coming to the mission countries. I have the impression that Ad Gentes documents the transition from missionary activities by foreign missionaries, to autochthonous priests, religious and lay catechists who engage in mission activity as natural Christian activity.

Chapter five of Ad Gentes deals with the order and the government of the mission institutes and the new dioceses and their collaboration.

Ad Gentes 28, 1 invites all Christians to cooperate in the Gospel “in a free and orderly fashion cooperating toward the same end (Lumen Gentium 18)”.

Ad Gentes 28, 2 again insists on the hierarchical order “in all fields of missionary activity and cooperation”.

Consequently, Ad Gentes 29, 1 stresses the primary responsibility of the bishops for the mission activity of the Church.

Ad Gentes 29, 2 makes it clear that “missionary work itself and missionary cooperation” have one “competent office, namely that of the Propagation of the Faith”, Propaganda Fide. The Oriental Churches are not touched by the power of Propaganda Fide. The distribution of powers between bishops (Ad Gentes 29, 1) and Propaganda Fide (Ad Gentes 29, 2) never becomes clear.

Ad Gentes 29, 3 stresses again the competence of Propaganda Fide for the mission activity. Ad Gentes 29, 4 demands from Propaganda Fide the collaboration with the Secretariat for Promoting Christian Unity.

Ad Gentes 29, 5 attributes administrative and directive agency to Propaganda Fide and Ad Gentes 29, 6 speaks of the formation of a special counsel for Propaganda Fide that consists of bishops, moderators of pontifical institutes and experts.

Ad Gentes 29, 7 additionally calls for lay representatives and for the presence of women religious in that counsel.

Ad Gentes 30, 1 admonishes all missionary workers to work with one heart and one soul.

Ad Gentes 30, 2 affirms again the “bishop’s role, as the ruler and center of unity in the diocesan apostolate, to promote missionary activity”.

Ad Gentes 31 advice episcopal conferences to concentrate on the infrastructure for all, such as “seminaries; technical schools and schools of higher learning; pastoral, catechetical, and liturgical centers; as well as the means of social communication”.

Ad Gentes 32, 1 gives again power and jurisdiction over the collaboration of all missionary institutes and associations to the local bishop.

Ad Gentes 32, 2 demands from all missionary institutes that govern over mission territories to eventually turn over authority to the local ordinary bishops and clergy.

Ad Gentes 32, 3 clearly says that the commission of a local institute for a local territory may expire and power then turns to the local bishop.

Ad Gentes 32, 4 encourages missionary institutes to stay in the dioceses when the local bishops and clergy had taken power and prepare for special services under the bishop.

Ad Gentes 33, 1 proposes that “conferences of Religious men and unions of Religious women, in which institutes of the same country or region should take part” in order to coordinate cooperation.

Ad Gentes 33, 2 tells the same missionary institutes to cooperate with the missionary institutes in the homelands.

Ad Gentes 34 initiates the foundation “of scientific institutes which specialize in missiology and in other arts and disciplines useful for the missions, such as ethnology and linguistics, the history and science of religions, sociology, pastoral skills and the like” so that the missionaries are scientifically prepared and capacitated “for dialogue with non-Christian religions and cultures”.

Ad Gentes Chapter VI Cooperation. Conclusion 

Ad Gentes 35 points at the “responsibility for spreading the Gospel” for the whole people of Go’d.

Ad Gentes 36, 1 restricts this responsibility for mission activity for all the faithful to a collaboration with the hierarchy.

Ad Gentes 36, 2 describes this collaboration as testimony “to lead a profoundly Christian life”, to evoke priestly missionary vocations and procure “material subsidies” for the missionary work.

Ad Gentes 36, 3 affirms “social communication should be used to furnish such mission information” to the faithful that their collaboration with the missionary work is motivated.

Ad Gentes 36, 4 speaks of the necessity to “coordinate the information, and to cooperate with national and international agencies”.

Ad Gentes 37 tells the local communities in the Christian countries “to keep in contact with missionaries who are from one's own community”.

Ad Gentes 38, 1 concentrate on the societal aspect of the Roman Catholic Church as a hierarchy claiming the cooperation of the bishops for mission activity “since the extension of the Body of Christ is the duty of the whole College of Bishops (Lumen Gentium 23–24)”. Nobody thinks of the mission activity of all Christians.

In Ad Gentes 38, 2 the faithful, the people of Go’d disappears because the bishops represent them and their presence is not any more mentioned. Ad Gentes 38, 3 calls for the bishop to ask the faithful to pray for the mission activity, to raise priestly vocations in their families for the missions, and to promote mission institutes.

Ad Gentes 38, 4–5 exhort the episcopal conferences to coordinate all the necessary mission activity among the dioceses of the region.

Ad Gentes 38, 6 gives an answer to the needs of modern migration demanding from the episcopal conferences “works for the brotherly reception and due pastoral care of those who immigrate from mission lands for the sake of studying or finding work”. I wonder if any episcopal conference in any of the immigration crisis of the last fifty years ever remembered or cited Ad Gentes 38, 6. I never heard a word from the Austrian episcopal conference on the necessary support for immigrants who ended up in the miserable conditions of refugee camps at the borders of the European Union.

Ad Gentes 39, 1 affirms that priests have to collaborate with their bishop in the mission activity of the Church.

Ad Gentes 39, 2 assesses that the priests have to teach their faithful about the importance of mission activity as part of their pastoral work, that they have to encourage the faithful to pray for the missions and that they ask the faithful for “alms” for the missions.

Ad Gentes 39, 3 insists “Professors in seminaries and universities will teach young people the true state of the world and of the Church” in order that the future priests become aware of the necessity of missionary work.

Ad Gentes 40, 1 acknowledges, “Religious institutes of the contemplative and of the active life have so far played, and still do play, the main role in the evangelization of the world”.

Ad Gentes 40, 2 assesses “Institutes of the contemplative life, by their prayers, sufferings, and works of penance have a very great importance in the conversion of souls” and asks them “to found houses in mission areas”.

Ad Gentes 40, 3 asks the institutes of active life to “leave certain ministries to others so that they themselves could expend their forces for the missions”.

Ad Gentes 40, 4 assesses that secular institutes “could be fruitful in the missions” if realized “under the authority of the bishop”.

Ad Gentes 41, 1 finally turns to the contribution of the laity to the mission activity if they “have been accepted by the bishop for this work”.

Ad Gentes 41, 2 timidly describes their assistance in the mission activity as “stimulating vocations in their own family, in Catholic associations, and in the schools; and by offering subsidies of every kind”.

Ad Gentes 41, 3 assesses with a kind of recognition of the lay apostolate “But in mission lands, let laymen, whether foreigners or autochthonous, teach in schools, administer temporal goods cooperate in parish and diocesan activities, and organize and promote various forms of the lay apostolate”.

According to Ad Gentes 41, 4 laymen “gladly offer socio-economic cooperation to peoples on the way of development”, and Ad Gentes 41, 5 praises the “historical and scientific religious research” of laymen “in universities or in scientific institutes”.

In Ad Gentes 41, 6 “laymen” should collaborate “with other Christians, with non-Christians, and with members of international organizations”. Ad Gentes 41, 7 speaks of “the necessary technical and spiritual preparation” of the “laymen” for their mission activity.

Ad Gentes 42 concludes the Decree on the Mission Activity of the Church. In Ad Gentes 42, 1 “The council Fathers together with the Roman Pontiff” greet all active in mission, and “especially those who suffer persecution for the name of Christ”. Ad Gentes 42, 2 affirms that all the Christian faithful in mission activity “are afire with that same love with which Christ burned toward men” and prays the intersession of the Virgin Mary for that the nations may soon glorify God in Jesus Christ.

[i] “Vatican COVID-19 Commission,” Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development, http://www.humandevelopment.va/en/vatican-covid-19.html (accessed May 20, 2020).