Meeting of CEME: Executive Council for Missions and Evangelisation

The Executive Council for Missions and Evangelisation (CEME) met at the General Curia in Rome on 20-24 May 2019. Participants included:

• Br. James BOK (Province of St. John the Baptist - USA)
• Br. Abdel Masih FAHIM (Holy Land Custody)
• Br. Napoly PASSION (Province of St. Peter Baptist - Philippines)
• Br. Ivan MATIÇ (Province of Sts. Cyril and Methodius - Croatia)
• Br. Russel Murray - Animator of Evangelisation
• Br. Alonso Morales – Secretary General for Missions and Evangelisation

  The first part was dedicated to a reflection that included the following topics:

• Evangelising mission in light of the plan of the Kingdom of God proclaimed by Jesus (Br. Duván A. Tangarife, Province of St. Paul Apostle in Colombia)
• Present and future of the Kingdom of God and its consequences for evangelisation (Br. Michael Perry, Minister General OFM)
• Evangelising mission in the light of the Kingdom of God in initial and ongoing formation(Br. Cesare Vaiani, Secretariat for Formation and Studies)
• JPIC and solidarity as one of the dimensions of evangelising mission (Br. Rufino Lim, JPIC office)
• Ecumenical and interreligious dialogue as evangelisation (Br. Russel Murray, Animator of Evangelisation)

  The proposed topics were followed by an intense dialogue between speakers and participants. This led us to conclude that our evangelising mission consists in following the practice of Jesus, proclaiming the Kingdom, making it present through proclamation, solidarity, dialogue, and celebration. Later the CEME spoke about what the Order has been suggesting since 2009, and then in 2015, in the sense that, from all the documents that have been produced in the Order on Evangelising Mission in a Franciscan key we can think of a RATIO EVANGELIZATIONIS. This does not ignore the effort that many provinces are already making in this regard. It is obvious that neither time nor circumstances are available to face this urgent task, but it was thought helpful to leave the next general chapter of 2021 with some general guidelines. These would build on those that emerged in the meeting of the 2018 CEME, which would be worked on in advance between the members of the CEME and the CIME (International Council for Missions and Evangelisation) and the conferences. Finally, by way of evaluation, the participants saw the different interventions that led to the reflection as very positive, as well as the time dedicated to discussion and exchange of ideas between the members of the CEME. The participants asked that the role of CEME be clarified better and that they might know the programme well in advance.