Leo XIV calls PIME missionaries to be "a light in the darkness of evil”

The pontiff received the institute gathered for its General Assembly at Castel Gandolfo, together with other female congregations holding their chapters. In a specific message to PIME, he invited them to be “instruments of peace in troubled contexts and evangelisers through fraternal dialogue with other religions”. “Take to heart the little ones and the marginalised, in charity, in the search for justice and in the defence of the dignity of every person”.

Castel Gandolfo (AsiaNews) - “Think big, as unique pieces of a design that surpasses you and involves you beyond your own expectations: the plan of salvation with which God wants to lead all humanity to himself, as one big family," reflected Pope Leo XIV welcoming missionaries of the Pontifical Institute for Foreign Missions and to some other religious congregations to Castel Gandolfo on the occasion of their chapter assemblies.

Together with PIME - which renewed its General Administration during its Assembly held from 22 June at the CIAM in Rome - seven female religious institutes were also present at the meeting held in the courtyard of the papal residence in Castel Gandolfo: the Maestre Pie Filippini, the Maestre Pie Venerini, the Figlie della Chiesa, the Salesian Oblates of the Sacred Heart, the Franciscan Angeline Sisters, the Oblates of Jesus and Mary, and the Daughters of Mary of the Pius School (Scolopie).

Looking at the charisms of these religious experiences as a whole, the Pope observed that they ‘embody complementary aspects of the life and action of the entire People of God: the offering of oneself in union with the Sacrifice of Christ, the mission ad gentes, love for the Church, preserved and transmitted, and the education and formation of young people.’

He invited everyone to renew ‘the awareness and joy of being Church,’ which is ‘the horizon in which to place every effort, so that it may contribute, through small lights, to spreading throughout the earth the light of Christ, which never fails.’

A few days ago, at the beginning of their Assembly, Leo XIV sent a message specifically dedicated to the charism of the institute to the PIME missionaries. In this text, the pontiff recalls how Jesus' mandate (‘Go into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature’ Mk 16:15) "resonated in the soul of the founder, Monsignor Angelo Ramazzotti (1800-1861), inspiring him to found a purely missionary institute that would form future priests willing to devote themselves entirely to proclaiming the Gospel and promoting human development among peoples and traditions of different countries, giving priority to those existential “peripheries” to the ends of the earth."

Quoting the words of Pope Francis in Evangelii Gaudium, Leone XIV adds how important it is to remember today that "in this “go” of Jesus, the ever new scenarios and challenges of the Church's evangelising mission are present, and we are all called to this new missionary “going forth”.

‘In the times we are living in, marked by numerous conflicts and many forms of material and spiritual poverty,’ commented the Pope, "your charism offers itself as a light in the darkness of evil that obscures the beauty of eternal truth, to which every man and woman must aspire. Therefore, in the name of Christ, be instruments of peace in contexts troubled by suffering; continue to evangelise through fraternal dialogue with other religions, promoting a culture of solidarity and welcome. Take especially to heart the “little ones” and the marginalised; may your witness be rooted above all in active charity, in the search for justice and in the defence of the dignity of every person."

‘As spiritual heirs of the venerable Monsignor Ramazzotti,’ Leo XIV continues, "you too carry the newness of Christ to the ends of the earth (cf. Acts 1:8) and commit yourselves to building the Kingdom of God with the joy of the Spirit and love for your brothers and sisters entrusted to you. for, as Pope Francis reminded us, “to be authentic evangelisers, we must also develop a spiritual taste for remaining close to the lives of the people, to the point of discovering that this becomes a source of greater joy. Mission is a passion for Jesus, but at the same time it is a passion for his people” (Evangelii Gaudium, n. 268).

With these sentiments, Leo XIV entrusts everyone to the intercession of St. Thérèse of Lisieux and imparts his apostolic blessing on the PIME family.