42 The council Fathers together with the Roman Pontiff, feeling deeply their duty to spread everywhere the Kingdom of God, lovingly salute all heralds of the Gospel, and especially those who suffer persecution for the name of Christ, being made partakers of their sufferings. They are afire with that same love with which Christ burned toward men. But aware that it is God who brings it about that His Kingdom should come on earth, they pour forth their prayers together with all the Christian faithful, that through the intercession of the Virgin Mary, Queen of the Apostles, the nations may soon be led to the knowledge of the truth (1 Tim. 2:4) and the glory of God which shines on the face of Jesus Christ may shine upon all men through the Holy Spirit (2 Cor. 4:6). PREFACE 1. Dogmatic Constitution "Lumen Gentium," 48. 2. St. Augustine, "Exposition on Psalm 44," 23 (PL 36, 508; CChr 38, 510). CHAPTER 1 1. Cf. Dogmatic constitution, "Lumen Gentium," 1. 2. Cf. St. Irenaeus, "Against Heretics," III, 18, 1: "The word existing in the presence of God, through whom all things were made, and who always is present to the human race..." (PG 7 932)- id. IV, 6, 7: "From the beginning even the Son, assisting at His own creation, reveals the Father to all to whom He wills, and when He wills, and insofar as the Father wills it." (ib. 990); cf. IV, 20, 6 and 7 (ib. 1037); Demonstration No. 34 (Eastern Fathers, XII, 773, "Sources Chretiennes," 62, Paris, 1958, p. 87)Clement of Alexandria, "Protrept." 112, 1 (GCS Clement I, 79), "Strom.' VI, 6, 44, 1 (GCS Clement II, 453); 13, 106, 3 and 4 (ib. 485). For the doctrine itself, cf. Pius XII, radio messages, Dec. 31, 1952; Dogmatic constitution, "Lumen Gentium," 16. 3. Cf.Hebrews1:2;John1:3 and 10,1 Cor. 8:6;Col. 1:16. 4. Cf. St. Athanasius, "Letter to Epictetus," 7 (PG 26, 1060); St. Cyril of Jerusalem, "Catech." 4, 9 (PG 33, 465); Marius Victorinus, "Against Arius," 3, 3 (PL 8, 1101); St. Basil, Letter 26], 2 (PG 32, 969); St. Gregory Nazianzen, Letter 101 (PG 37, 181); St. Gregory of Nyssa, "Antirrheticus, Against Apollin.," 17 (PG 45, 1156); St. Ambrose Letter 48, 5 (PL 16, 1153); St. Augustine, "On John's Gospel" tract XXIII, 6 (PL 35, 1585; CChr 36, 236); above all in this way it is evident that the Holy Spirit has not redeemed us, since He has not become flesh: "On the Agony of Christ," 22, 24 (PL 40, 302); St. Cyril of Alexandria, "Against Nestorian," I, 1 (PG 76, 20); St. Fulgentius, Letter 17, 3, 5 (PL 65, 454); "Ad Trasimundum," III, 21 (PL 65, 284: on sorrow and fear). 5. It is the Spirit who has spoken through the Prophets; Creed of Constantinople (Denzinger-Shoenmetzer, 150); St. Leo the Great, Sermon 76 (PL 54, 405-406). "When on the day of Pentecost the Holy Spirit filled the disciples of the Lord, it was not so much the beginning of a gift as it was the completion of one already bountifully possessed: because the patriarchs, the prophets, the priests and all the holy men who preceded them were already quickened by the life of the same Spirit. . . although they did not possess his gifts to the same degree." Also Sermon 77, 1, (PL 54 412)- Leo XIII, encyclical, "Divinum Illud" (AAS 1897, 650-651). Also St. John Chrysostom, where he insists on the newness of the Holy Spirit's mission on Pentecost; "On Eph." c. 4, Homily 10, 1 (PG 62, 75). 6. The Holy Fathers often speak of Babel and Pentecost; Origen, "On Genesis," c. 1 (PG 12, 112); St. Gregory Naz., Oration 41, 16 (PG 36, 449); St. John Chrysostom, Homily 2 on Pentecost, 2 (PG 50, 467); "On the Acts of the Apostles" (PG, 44); St. Augustine, "Narration on Psalm 54," 11 (PL 36, 636; CChr 39, 664 ff.); Sermon 271 (PL 38, 1245); St. Cyril of Alexandria, Glaphyra on Genesis II (PG 69, 79); St. Gregory the Great, "Homily on the Gospels," Book 2, Homily 30, 4 (PL 76, 1222); St. Bede, "On Hexaeum," Book 3 (PL 91, 125). See above all the images in St. Mark's basilica in Venice. The Church speaks all languages, and thus gathers all in the catholicity of the faith: St. Augustine, Sermons 267, 268, 269 (PL 38, 1225,1237)- Sermon 175, 3 (PL 38 946); St. John Chrysostom, "On the First Epistle to the Corinthians," Homily 35 (PG 61, 296); St. Cyril of Alexandria, fragment on the Acts (PG 74, 758); St. Fulgentius, Sermon 8, 2-3 (PL 65, 743-744). Concerning Pentecost as the consecration of the Apostles to their mission, cf. J.A. Cramer, "Catena on the Acts of the Apostles," Oxford, 1838, p. 24 ff. 7. Cf.Luke3:22; 4:1; Acts 10:38. 8. Cf. John c. 14-17; Paul VI, allocution during the council, Sept. 14, 1964 (AAS 1964, 807). 9. Cf. Dogmatic constitution "Lumen Gentium," 4. 10. St. Augustine, Sermo 267, 4 (PL 38, 1231): "The Holy Spirit does in the whole Church what the soul does in all the members of one body." Cf. Const. Dogm.Lumen Gentium, 7 (together with note 8). 11. Cf. Acts 10:44-47; 11:15; 15:8. 12. Cf. Acts 4:8; 5:32; 8:26, 29, 39; 9:31; 10; 11:24-28; 13:2, 4, 9; 16:6-7; 20:22-23; 21:11; etc. 13. Tertullian, "Apologeticum," 50, 13 (PL 1, 534; CChr. 1, 171. 14. Already St. Thomas Aquinas speaks of the apostolic duty of "planting" the Church; cf. "Sent." Book I, Dist. 16, q. 1, 2 ad 2 and ad 4 a. 3 sol., "Summa Theol." 1.q.43, a. 7 ad 6, I, II q. 106 A. 4 AD 4. Cf. Benedict XV, "Maximum Illud" Nov. 30, 1919 (AAS 1919, 445 and 453); Pius XI, "Rerum Ecclesiae," Feb. 28, 1926 (AAS 1926, 74); Pius XII, April 30, 1939, to the directors of the Pontifical Missionary Societies; id., June 24, 1944, to the directors of the Pontifical Missionary Societies (AAS 1944, 210, again in AAS 1950, 727, and 1951 508), id., June 29, 1948, to the native clergy (AAS 1948, 374); id., "Evangelii Praecones," June 2, 1951 (AAS 1951, 507); id., "Fidei Donum," Jan. 15, 1957 (AAS 1957, 236); John XXIII, "Princeps Pastorum," Nov. 28, 1959 (AAS, 1959, 835), Paul VI, homily Oct. 18, 1964 (AAS 1964, 911). Both the supreme pontiffs and the Fathers and scholastics have spoken of the expansion of the Church: St. Thomas Aquinas, commentary on Matt. 16:28; Leo XIII, encyclical "Sancta Dei Civitas" (AAS, 1880, 241); Benedict XV, encyclical, "Maximum Illud" (AAS 1919, 442); Pius XI, encyclical, "Rerum Ecclesiae" (AAS, 1926, 65). 15. In this notion of missionary activity, as is evident, according to the circumstances, even those parts of Latin America are included in which there is neither a hierarchy proper to the region, nor maturity of Christian life, nor sufficient preaching of the Gospel. Whether or not such territory de facto is recognized as missionary by the Holy See does not depend on this council. Therefore, regarding the connection between the notion of missionary activity and a certain territory, it is wise to say that this activity "in the majority of cases" is exercised in certain territories recognized by the Holy See. 16. Decree "Unitates Redintegratio" 1. 17. Cf. Dogmatic constitution, "Lumen Gentium" 14. 18. Cf. John 7:18; 8:30 and 44; 8:50; 17:1. 19. On this synthetic idea, see the teaching of St. Irenaeus de Recaptiulatione. Cf. also Hippolytus, De Antichristo, 3: "Wishing all, and desiring to save all, wishing all the excellence of God's children and calling all the saints in one perfect man. . . " (PG 10, 732; GCS Hippolyt I 2 p. 6); Benedictiones Iacob, 7 (T.U., 38-1 p. 18, 1 in 4 ss.), Origen, In Ioann. Tom. I, n. 16: "Then there will be one action of knowing God on the part of all those who have attained to God, under the leadership of the Word who is with God, that thus all sons may be correctly instructed in the knowledge of the Father, as now only the Son knows the Father." (PG 14, 49, GCS Orig. IV 20)- St. Augustine, De Sermone Domini in monte, I 41; "Let us love what can lead us to that kingdom where no one says, 'My Father,' but all say to the one God: 'Our Father'." (PL 34, 1250), St. Cyril Alex. In Joann. I: "For we are all in Christ, and the common person of humanity comes back to life in him. That is why he is also called the New Adam.... For he dwelt among us, who by nature is the Son of God; and therefore in his Spirit we cry out: Abba, Father But the Word dwells in all, in one temple, namely that which he assumed for us and from us, that having us, ail in himself, he might say, as Paul says, reconcile all in one body to the Father" (PG 73, 161-164). 20. Benedict XV,Maximum Illud(AAS 1919, 445): "For as the Church of God is Catholic and is foreign to no people or nation..." Cf. John XXIII, Mater et Magistra: "By divine right the Church belongs to all nations . . . since she has as it were transfused her energy into the veins of a people, she neither is nor considers herself an institution imposed on that people from without.... And hence whatever seems to her good and noble that they confirm and perfect" (namely those reborn in Christ) (AAS 1961, 444). 21. Cf. Iraeneus, "Against Heretics" III, 15, n. 3 (PG 7, 919): "They were preachers of truth and apostles of liberty." 22. Antiphon O for Dec. 23. 23. Cf. Matt. 24:31, Didache, 10, 5 (Funk I, p. 32). 24. Dogmatic constitution, "Lumen Gentium," 17. St. Augustine 7, "City of God," 1917 (PL 41, 646). Instr. S.C.P.F. (Collectanea I, n. 35, p. 42). 25. According to Origen, the Gospel must be preached before the end of this world: Homily on Luke XXI (GCS, Origen IX, 136, 21 ff.); "Comm. Ser. On Matthew" 39 (XI 75, 25 ff; 76, 4 ff.); Homily on Jeremiah III, 2 (VIII 308, 29 ff.), St. Thomas "Summa Theol." Ia, IIae q. 106, a.4, ad 4. 26. Hilary Pict. "On the Psalms" 14 (PL 9, 301); Eusebius of Caesarea, "On Isaiah" 54, 2-3 (PG 24, 462-463), Cyril of Alexandria, "On Isaiah V," chapter 54 1-3 (PG 70, 1193). CHAPTER II 1. Cf. Allocution of Paul VI of Nov. 21, 1964 in council (AAS 1964, 1013). 2. Cf. Declaration on "Religious Liberty" 2, 4, 10; constitution, "The Church in the Modern World." 3. Cf. Dogmatic constitution, "Lumen Gentium," 17. 4. Cf. Constitution, "On Sacred Liturgy," 64-65. 5. Concerning this liberation from demons and the powers of darkness, in the Gospel, cf. Matt. 12:28; John 8:44; 12:31 (Cf. I John 3:8; Eph. 2:1-2). In Liturgy of Baptism cf. Roman Ritual. 6. Cf. Dogmatic constitution, "Lumen Gentium," 14. 7. Cf. St. Augustine, "Tract on John" 11, 4 (PL 35, 1476). 8. Cf. Dogmatic constitution, "Lumen Gentium," 9. 9. Cf. Dogmatic constitution, "Lumen Gentium," 10, 11, 34. 10 Cf. Dogmatic constitution, "On Divine Revelation," 21. 11 Cf. Dogmatic constitution, "Lumen Gentium," 12, 35. 12. Cf. Ib., 23, 3ff. 13. Cf. Ib., 11, 35, 41. 14 Cf. decree, "On Oriental Churches" 30. 15 Epistle to Diognetus, 5 (PG 2, 1173); Cf. Dogmatic constitution, "Lumen Gentium," 38. 16. Cf. Dogmatic constitution, "Lumen Gentium," 32; Decree "On Lay Apostolate." 17. Cf. Decree "On Priestly Training," 4, 8, 9. 18. Cf. Constitution, "On Sacred Liturgy," 17. 19. Cf. Decree, "On Priestly Training," 1. 20. Cf. John XXIII, "Princeps Pastorum" (AAS 1959, 843-844). 21 Cf Decree, "On Ecumenism," 4. 22 Cf John XXIII, "Princeps Pastorum" (AAS 1959, 842). 23. Cf. Dogmatic constitution, "Lumen Gentium," 29. 24. Cf. John XXIII"Princeps Pastorum" (AAS 1959, 855). 25. The reference is to expressions of this kind: "catechistes a plein temps,n "full time catechists." 26. Cf. Dogmatic constitution, "Lumen Gentium," 31, 44. CHAPTER III 1. Cf. John XXIII, "Princeps Pastorum" (AAS 1959, 838). 2. Cf. Decree, "On Priestly Ministry and Life," 11; Decree, "On Priestly Training," 2. 3. Cf. Dogmatic constitution, "Lumen Gentium," 25. 4. Cf. Decree, "On Priestly Ministry and Life," 10, where in order to render particular pastoral labors easier for various social groups, provision is made for the establishment of personal prelacies, insofar as needs of the apostolate demand it. 5. Cf. Dogmatic constitution, "Lumen Gentium," 13. 6. Cf. Allocution of Paul VI at the canonization of the Uganda Martyrs (AAS 1964, 908). 7. Cf. Dogmatic constitution, "Lumen Gentium," 13. CHAPTER IV 1. Dogmatic constitution, "Lumen Gentium," 17. 2. "Institutes" refer to orders, congregations, institutions and associations which work in the missions. 3. Cf. Pius XI, "Rerum Ecclesiae" (AAS 1926, 69-7); Pius XII, "Saeculo Exeunte" (AAS 1940, 256); "Evangelii Praecones" (AAS 1951, 506). 4 Cf Benedict XV, "Maximum Illud" (AAS 1919, 449-450). 5 Cf Benedict XV, "Maximum Illud" (AAS 1919, 448-449); Pius XII, "Evangelii Praecones," (AAS 1951, 507). In the formation of priests to be missionaries consideration is to be given to those things established by statute in the decree "On Priestly Training" of the Second Vatican Council. 6. Dogmatic constitution, "Lumen Gentium," 41. 7. Cf. Benedict XV, "Maximum Illud" (AAS 1919 440); Pius XII, "Evangelii Praecones" (AAS 1951, 507). 8. Benedict XV, "Maximum Illud" (AAS 1919, 448); Decree S.C.P.F., May 20, 1923 (AAS 1923, 369-370); Pius XII "Saeculo Exeunte" (AAS 1940, 256), "Evangelii Praecones" (AAS 1951, 507)- John XXIII, "Princeps Pastorum" (AAS 1959, 843-844). 9. Decree "On Priestly Training," 19-21; Apostolic constitution "Sedes Sapientiae," with general statutes. 10. Pius XII, "Evangelii Praecones" (AAS 1951, 523-524). 11. Benedict XV, "Maximum Illud" (AAS 1919, 448); Pius XII, "Evangelii Praecones" (AAS 1951, 507). 12. Cf. Pius XII, "Fidei Donum" (AAS 1957, 234). 13. Cf. "On Priestly Ministry and Life," 10, refers to dioceses and personal prelatures and the like. CHAPTER V 1. Cf. Dogmatic constitution, "Lumen Gentium," 18. 2. Cf. Dogmatic constitution, "Lumen Gentium," 23. 3. Cf. Motu proprio, "Apostolica Sollicitudo," Sept. 15, 1965. 4. Cf. Paul VI, allocution Nov. 21, 1964, in council (AAS 1964). 5. Cf. Benedict XV, "Maximum Illud" (AAS 1019, 39-40). 6. If these missions for special reasons are made subject to other ecclesiastical jurisdictions for a time, it is fitting that this ecclesiastic jurisdiction establish relations with the Sacred Congregation for the Propagation of the Faith so that in ordering and directing all these missions, a regular and uniform pattern can be realized. 7. Cf. Decree, "Pastoral Duties of Bishops in the Church," 35, 4. 8. Cf. Decree "Pastoral Duties of Bishops in the Church," 36-38. 9. Cf. Decree "Pastoral Duties of Bishops in the Church" 35, 5-6. CHAPTER VI 1. Cf. Decree, "On Ecumenism," 12. 2. Cf. Dogmatic constitution, "Lumen Gentium," 23-24. 3. Cf. Benedict XV, "Maximum Illud" (AAS 1919, 453-454); Pius XI, "Rerum Ecclesiae" (AAS 1926, 71-73); Pius XII, "Evangelii Praecones" (AAS 1951, 525-526); Id. "Fidei Donum" (AAS 1957, 241.) 4. Cf. Pius XII, "Fidei Donum" (AAS 1957, 245-246). 5. Decree "Pastoral Duties of Bishops," 6. 6. Cf . Pius XII, "Fidei Donum" (AAS 1957, 245) . 7. Cf. Dogmatic constitution, "Lumen Gentium," 28. 8. Cf. Pius XI, "Rerum Ecclesiae" (AAS 1926, 72). 9. Cf. Dogmatic constitution "Lumen Gentium," 44. 10. Cf. Ibid. 33, 35. 11. Cf. Pius XII, "Evangelii Praecones" (AAS 1951, 510, 514)John XXIII, "Princeps Pastorum" (AAS 1959, 851-852). 12. Cf. Dogmatic constitution, "Lumen Gentium," 46. 13. Cf. Pius XII, "Evangelii Praecones" (AAS 1951, 527)John XXIII, "Princeps Pastorum" ( AAS 1959, 864 ).
Source: Ad Gentes (Vatican.va)