The missionary fervor of young Pauline Jaricot, soon to be BlessedMissionary childhood: "Jenet, Michelle and Íscar represent all the children of the world".In this interview with Omnes, Sister Roberta Tremarelli, SSMC, Secretary General of the Work of Holy Childhood in Rome, tells of the past and present of an organization whose missions are centered on children, a warning for all baptized people.
Sister Roberta, in the great group of missionary works of the Church there is one that is perhaps not very well known but which has very interesting roots that go back to the evangelization of China in the middle of the 19th century, the Work of the Holy Childhood. How did this great evangelization project come about?
- The propitious time for the foundation of the Work of Holy Childhood was that of Pope Gregory XVI, former Prefect of the Congregation of Propaganda Fide, during whose papacy many priestly congregations and women's missionary congregations ad gentes were born, as well as numerous lay associations, among them the Work for the Propagation of the Faith of the Holy Childhood. Pauline Jaricot.
The Work of the Holy Childhood was born in France on May 19, 1843, after a long period of reflection during which the founder, Charles de Forbin-Janson, was concerned and interested in the salvation of Chinese children destined, because of poverty and ignorance, to die without being baptized.
The Founder's desire was to go as a missionary to China, but he never had the opportunity. And so he continued to nourish his missionary passion through the testimonies and letters that reached him from French missionaries who had gone to China.
What news was coming in?
- Thanks to them, he learned about the conditions of children from poor or difficult families. The babies, as soon as they were born, were eliminated, especially if they were girls and if they had any defects. The missionaries asked for help to save them, to welcome them in the missions where they were baptized and educated in a Christian way. The bishop took the problem seriously and began to sensitize the population.
We can imagine that it was not an easy thing to do....
- From the beginning, Forbin-Janson had many difficulties in getting the idea of creating a new Missionary Work accepted, because there were numerous foundations of Missionary Institutes underway in France, and Forbin-Janson's could appear to be in competition.
The members of the Work for the Propagation of the Faith themselves seriously opposed the bishop's proposal. But the novelty of the institution going directly to the children for the children overcame all perplexity. Since China seemed to be too far away for adults, the bishop called the children's attention to the plight of Chinese children and asked them for their willingness to help the Church save the little ones who die without receiving baptism with two simple commitments: a Hail Mary a day and a penny a month. The children agreed and, through prayer, sacrifice and gestures of solidarity, began a race of universal brotherhood that continues to this day to save children on every continent.
With what objectives was this Work born?
- The objectives of the Work were immediately clear to both the Founder and his collaborators: to rescue a multitude of children from death and to open heaven to as many children as possible through Baptism; to make these children an instrument of salvation as teachers, catechists, doctors, priests, missionaries. The missionary work of the children was not a one-way street; the prayers, sacrifices and will of the European children were reciprocated by the prayers, sacrifices, joy and sometimes the witness of martyrdom of the Chinese children.
And what is the characteristic element?
- The characteristic element is the active participation of children and young people in the evangelizing work of the Church. The Founder gives children the role of missionary protagonists in the history of salvation.
For the first time, the little ones acted in the Church as pastoral actors and soon became part of the current of universal solidarity: a true spiritual and material cooperation between the Churches, carried out by the children, for sanctification and salvation, was set in motion.
How does it spread in today's world?
- Today the Work of the Holy Childhood or Missionary Childhood is spread in more than 120 countries around the world and the initial motto "children helping children" has been enriched "children evangelizing children, children praying for children, children helping children all over the world".
Faithful to the initial charism and the desire of the Founder, it continues to aim to help children develop a missionary spirit and protagonism, encourages them to share their faith and material means, and promotes, encourages and supports missionary vocations ad gentes. It is an instrument of growth in faith, also in a vocational perspective. It is organized differently according to the local context. Prayer, offering and sacrifice are the three key words of every Pontifical Missionary Work and also of the Holy Childhood, to which is added witness, essential for the Christian faith.
On May 3, 1922, Pope Pius XI, aware of the great contribution that the Work had made to the missions in some eighty years, made it his own, recognizing it as Pontifical. On December 4, 1950, Pope Pius XII instituted World Children's Day, declaring the day of the Epiphany as the date of celebration, but giving each nation the freedom to adapt the date to local needs.
You are its Secretary General in 2017. How has the world of missions in general and childcare in particular changed in recent years characterized by not a few "emergencies"?
- I believe that today we are increasingly trying to promote missionary awareness and responsibility from an early age.
There are still those who, when speaking of mission and missionaries, think of the long-bearded priest who leaves his country and goes far away to proclaim the Gospel and help other peoples and never returns.
There are still many missionaries ad gentes, as I have reported, but there are also many missionary realities committed to missionary proclamation and cooperation in their local context, to encourage Christians to live according to the missionary nature that flows from Baptism.
Among other things, there are no longer countries that receive and others that give, not only economic aid but also a priority human presence. Today's missionary world, if we look at it well, shows us the universality of the Church, the openness and welcome, the circularity of solidarity in prayer and charity. Elements that we have not yet really internalized to live them in fullness and depth.
In addition, there are many priests and lay people fidei donum in mission, not only from the countries of Europe, but from all continents; dioceses that organize missionary experiences abroad for young people.
Each proposal should contribute to open our hearts, minds and eyes, helping us to get out of our limited enclosure. Let's hope so.
On May 22, Pauline Jaricot, foundress of the Work for the Propagation of the Faith, was beatified in Lyon. A faithful laywoman who put her entire life at the service of the missions, what teachings does the new Blessed transmit to today's laity?
- Pauline Jaricot was a woman passionate about Jesus and the missions, attentive to the needs of others, to the social reality of the world around her, and available to the Holy Spirit through faithful and persevering prayer. She lived with her feet on the ground and her heart turned towards God. Many describe her as a mystic in action. She desired to love God and to make him loved by all men and women. She nourished her passion and her missionary commitment in the Eucharist and with sacrifice.
His life is an invitation for all lay men and women to cultivate a relationship with the Lord to serve the Church and in the Church. Her creativity in supporting the missions urges us to take advantage of the tools we have, but also to go further by proposing the high values of the Gospel without fear of being left alone. Pauline died poor and alone, but in her heart she had the joy that only God can give.
This year also marks the 400th anniversary of the Congregation De Propaganda Fide, now the Dicastery for Evangelization. How can we make the "passion" and commitment for evangelization captivating in a world like ours, individualized and somewhat "boring"?
- I would say that the answer is already in the question: passion and missionary commitment help to get out of individualism and selfishness, to discover that we belong to a world.
So I invite all mission enthusiasts to reintroduce, with fervor, missionary animation and missionary information, well done and with respect for dignity. Passion is enlivened by these two, supported by the life witness of those who carry them out, using inclusive and welcoming language.
It is up to each one of us, consecrated women, priests and lay people, to go out, as Pope Francis says, not so much to make ourselves known and promote our limited initiatives, but to proclaim the salvation of Christ.
What projects are you currently involved in as a Missionary Childhood Work?
- The projects supported by the Universal Solidarity Fund (the big piggy bank fed by missionary children and young people around the world) of the Work of the Holy Childhood are various and in favor of particular churches in Africa, Asia, Oceania and some in Latin America, the so-called "mission territories". Last year, more than $15 million in grants were approved for children and young people up to the age of 14, divided among the following categories of projects:
- Ordinary Pastoral Care, 16%.
- Formation and missionary animation, 16%.
- School education, 45%.
- Protection of life, 23%.
Would you like to make an appeal to our readers?
-Of course! More than an appeal, an invitation to visit the website of the Pontifical Mission Societies, International Secretariats, www.ppoomm.va to discover and deepen the reality of the PMS that every Christian should know and promote, in order to nourish his or her missionary spirituality.
In addition, for those who work with children and young people to share the charism of the Work of the Holy Childhood and the various proposals, at national and international level, to make them participants in this worldwide network of prayer and charity at the service of the Pope.
