On June 22nd, 400 years ago! Pope Gregory XV, by means of the bull Inscrutabili DivinaeThe Congregation is constituted by Propaganda Fide. With this Congregation, the Pope intended to put an end to the fact that the task of evangelization is entrusted to the European crowns. The Church, which has received the Lord's mandate to bring the Gospel to the whole world, must also be the one to organize the entire missionary task according to evangelical criteria. Paul VI, in 1967, changed its name to Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples.
And the Holy Father, Francis, last March 19, published the new structure of the Vatican Curia with the Constitution Praedicate EvangeliumThe Holy See's aim is to ensure that all its activities are imbued with the spirit of evangelization.
If, at the beginning of his pontificate, Francis dreamed of "with a missionary option capable of transforming everything, so that customs, styles, schedules, language and every ecclesial structure may become a suitable channel for the evangelization of today's world rather than for self-preservation." (EG 27), with this Constitution he wants to achieve it.
Yes, with all these proposals the Popes wanted to emphasize that the task of Evangelization is the fundamental requirement of the Church and that they, as successors of Peter, are the first to be responsible for ensuring that this attitude is lived.
Francis has affirmed this several times. In fact, there are two things that are truly significant: the new Dicastery for Evangelization is the first proposed of all the departments that make up the Curia, and... the Holy Father assumes its presidency! These are two clear and concrete signs of the missionary spirit of Pope Francis and of his desire that everything should have the imprint of the mission, and from here... we are grateful for it!
