March 01, 1991 by

The Roman Catholic Pope has outdone himself. No utterance, no decision, no document that has ever come out of the Vatican City could possibly carry the potential significance of the new, lengthy, detailed, astonishingly Biblical papal encyclical entitled, "Mission of the Redeemer: On the Permanent Validity of the Church's Missionary Mandate." Except for its strained, predictable references to Mary, and some ambiguity about those who have never heard, it is truly impressive.It struggles effectively with the modern tendency to blur the uniqueness of Christ, blur the priorities of the peoples that have never heard--as compared to the priority of those groups that have need for "new evangelism" (meaning the need to be evangelized all over again), and the tendency to blur the distinctions between all religions. Nowhere have I seen so cogent a distinction between what we call mission frontiers and simply winning people who already have the Bible in their own language and have many opportunities to hear.

I feel sorry that so magnificent a document is marred by reference at the very end to the idea that the church "proceeds along the path already trodden by the Virgin Mary," and that the work of the church is done "together with Mary." These are the oddities. The rest is high quality. No mainline Protestant communion has produced a document of the same depth or quality on the central focus of the Bible, and, thus, on the central purpose of the church of Jesus Christ.

A key passage is found below under "Roman Catholics".

2. However, compare the Presbyterian (USA) denomination--the relatively recent merger of the major north and south denominations. Not until recently has it been thinking about Unreached Peoples. (Along with most overseas missions it has built a sizable international network of churches, which now consume virtually all of its energies.) But it too has now elaborated a new document on mission which has some superlative elements in it.

Roman Catholic missions have, since WWII been handicapped by the emergence of a diocesan system which formally covered virtually the whole earth, and by definition eliminated all "mission territories"-- defined geographically.

Presbyterian and other Protestant denominations have been handicapped by a somewhat similar limitation imposed artificially by their "partnership" agreements with the younger churches, which in turn have claimed jurisdiction over entire countries and all ethnic groups within, whatever the reality of the situation.

Both traditions are now talking in the Biblical terms of "peoples," a reality unrelated to geography, and have on paper, at least, surmounted the impasse which has bound them for 25-50 years.

Roman Catholics

"Looking at today's world from the viewpoint of evangelization, we can distinguish three situations.

First, there is the situation which the church's missionary activity addresses: peoples, groups and sociocultural contexts in which Christ and his Gospel are not known or which lack Christian communities sufficiently mature to be able to incarnate the faith in their own environment and proclaim it to other groups. This is mission agencies in the proper sense of the term.

Second, there are Christian communities with adequate and solid eclesial structures. They are fervent in their faith and in Christian living. They bear witness to the Gospel in their surroundings and have a sense of commitment to the universal mission. In these communities the church carries out her activity and pastoral care.

Third, there is an intermediate situation, particularly in countries with ancient Christian roots and occasionally in the younger churches as well, where entire groups of the baptized have lost a living sense of the faith or even no longer consider themselves members of the church and live a life far removed from Christ and his Gospel. In this case what is needed is a "new evangelization" or a "re- evangelization."--Origins, CNS Documentation Service, 3211 4th Street N.E., Washington DC, 20017-1100, p. 551, may be ordered, postpaid for $3.75 from above address or for $2.50 by using order page on page 47. Ask for Encyclical. (Lengthy, printed, 26 pp. 3 Col.)

Presbyterians

"The church has a special concern to share the good news among those peoples who are still without the gospel, who have no culturally indigenous church... The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) is claiming the evangelistic task afresh! The purpose of this document is to provide 'appropriate, positive and timely direction to the church as it engages in evangelism, particularly among unreached people groups, in the decade of the 1990's.'

"Over five billion person inhabit the earth. People in this world normally identify themselves as members of particular groups: cultures, languages, ethnic groups, nationalities, vocations, classes, or religions, to name a few. These 'people groups' number tens of thousands and are in constant flux as societies and world conditions change.

"Some of the larger people groups and many smaller sub-cultures still have no indigenous church, one which expresses their unique culture. While they may be found in isolated parts of the world, unevangelized people groups are increasingly likely to be found in the teeming cities of the world. 'Mission and Evangelism: An Ecumenical Affirmation' calls for the establishment of congregations in every human community and culture... 'unreached people group'... and... 'unevangelized peoples'... designate groups of people who have not known God's love and salvation in Jesus Christ."--Summary of "Turn to the Living God:A Call to Evangelism in Jesus Christ's Way," pp. 1, 8, 21. Available only from the Global Mission Unit, Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), 100 Witherspoon St., Louisville, KY 40202-9930 (This is a 29 page typescript.)