One Mission, Many Voices: SVDs gather in Rome
By Kasmir Nema, SVD*
In the heart of Rome, more than 200 missionary scholars, theologians, and practitioners from across the globe gathered from March 27 to 29 at the Pontifical Gregorian University for an International Mission Conference marking 150 years of the Society of the Divine Word (SVD).
With the theme “Missio Dei in Today’s World: Healing Wounds, Challenged by Postmodernity, Learning from Cultures, Inspired by Religions,” the conference offered theological insights and pastoral reflections for the Church’s mission in an increasingly fragmented and wounded world.
Healing Through the Wounds of Christ
Opening the conference, Fr. Stephen Bevans, SVD, Professor Emeritus at the Catholic Theological Union in Chicago, reflected on the very heart of mission as an outpouring of the “fountain-like love” of the Triune God.
From creation to incarnation, he traced the divine impulse to heal, gather, and renew—calling on participants to become “faithful partners in the divine dream.”
“We are not called to possess the truth,” Fr. Bevans reminded the assembly, “but to witness to the Light—from everywhere, for everyone.”
His message set a tone of humility, hope, and universality that would echo throughout the days to follow.
That same missionary spirit was echoed in the inaugural address by Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, Pro-Prefect of the Dicastery for Evangelization, who recalled the Gospel scene of the Risen Lord appearing to the disciples.
“He comes not with reproach, but with peace,” Cardinal Tagle said. “It is the Lord. Let us listen, follow, and be sent again into the world’s wounded spaces.”
Responding to the Post-Truth Era
On the second day, attention turned to the Church’s mission in a world shaped by postmodern uncertainty and digital disorientation.
In his keynote, Dr. Pavol Bargár of Charles University in Prague explored how the Gospel can be proclaimed amid the erosion of absolute truths and the rise of radical individualism. “Mission,” he said, “must move beyond proclamation to become relational and responsive to a society longing for meaning.”
This call for authenticity was reinforced by Prof. Mika Vähäkangas of Åbo Akademi University, who stressed the need for a Gospel rooted not in doctrinal rigidity but in ethical integrity and lived witness.
Meanwhile, Fr. Estêvão Raschietti, SX, called for a decolonized mission—one marked by humble presence, prophetic listening, and solidarity with the marginalized. “Mission is no longer conquest,” he emphasized. “It is encounter.”
Workshops throughout the day contextualized these themes with practical applications— addressing topics such as ecological healing, the ethics of emerging technologies, the experience of migration, and shifting missionary paradigms in secular Europe.
Embracing Dialogue, Diversity, and Synodality
On the final day, the focus turned to intercultural engagement and interreligious dialogue. In a visionary keynote, Professor Catherine Cornille of Boston College challenged participants to reimagine Christian mission as a shared pilgrimage with people of other faiths—rooted in mutual transformation, peacebuilding, and theological humility.
“True interreligious mission,” she said, “is not about conversion, but about co-witnessing to divine truth in a broken world.”
Drawing from experiences in Asia, she affirmed that genuine encounters with other religious traditions can deepen rather than dilute Christian identity.
Fr. Antonio Pernia, SVD, echoed this call by presenting interculturality as the future of mission. He urged the Church to move beyond inculturation toward a reciprocal transformation of cultures in light of the Gospel. “In today’s world marked by migration and diversity,” he said, “interculturality is not optional— it is essential.”
Meanwhile, Fr. Agbonkhianmeghe Orobator, SJ, Dean of the Jesuit School of Theology at Santa Clara University, highlighted synodality as a cultural and spiritual journey. Drawing on African communal practices such as Ubuntu, he envisioned the Church as a “symphonic community” where all voices are heard, engaged, and at times challenged.
Among the many powerful moments was the testimony of former Philippine senator Leila de Lima, who spoke of the Church’s prophetic witness during the Duterte administration’s war on drugs. From her nearly seven years of unjust imprisonment, she expressed deep gratitude for the Church’s role as a sanctuary of truth, justice, and hope.
A Prophetic Witness of Hope
More than a commemoration, the SVD International Mission Conference became a sacred space of discernment—a moment of collective soul-searching for the Church in a time of global uncertainty.
Through theology, testimony, and dialogue—including workshops, panel discussions, and moving personal witness—the conference reaffirmed that the Church’s mission today is not to dominate or dictate, but to heal, accompany, and serve with compassion.
It is a mission that must be collaborative, contextual, and deeply rooted in the wounds of the world and the hope of the Resurrection.
As Fr. Anselmo Ribeiro, SVD, Superior General, said in his welcome: “We are sent not to conquer, but to accompany. Not to dominate, but to heal.”
In an age marked by division, longing, and cultural complexity, the conference reminded us that mission is not merely something the Church does—but something the Church is: a sacrament of God’s healing love, sent from all nations to all nations, witnessing always to the light of Christ.
* General Communications Coordinator for the Society of the Divine Word
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