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Introduction | A-3
in need.” [
Propositio
,
67] For the particular
Churches of the American continent, this
is the source of a commitment to reciprocal
solidarity and the sharing of the spiritual
gifts and material goods with which God has
blessed them . . .
8
These elements of the Magisterium of St. John
Paul II help us to understand more deeply the ratio-
nale for receiving international pastoral ministers in
the United States. These ministers do not just repre-
sent a pragmatic response to a deficit of US-born clergy
and religious, although the initial invitation may begin
with an urgently felt need for more personnel. These
ministers embody what ought to be the ongoing and
ordinary “exchange of gifts” among the particular
Churches as a sure sign of solidarity and communion.
III. Grace and Challenge
Understanding the Graces and
Challenges in the Exchange of
International Pastoral Ministers
Both the receiving Churches and the international
pastoral ministers themselves experience graces and
challenges in the exchange of gifts of service, many
of which are related to culture. It may be helpful to
reflect briefly on the reality of faith in relationship to
culture and to the many cultures of humanity.
St. John Paul II observed: “Cultural context per-
meates the living of Christian faith, which contrib-
utes in turn little by little to shaping that context.
To every culture Christians bring the unchanging
truth of God which he reveals in the history and
culture of a people.”
9
Culture represents the ways
that people live and work together and are able to
communicate with each other, because they share
common symbols and common values. Recently,
Pope Francis linked the Church’s wide embrace
of cultures with her universality. He writes, “In
the diversity of peoples who experience the gift of
God, each in accordance with its own culture, the
Church expresses her genuine catholicity and shows
forth the ‘beauty of her varied face.’”
10
These understandings of the relationship of the
Church and culture have a direct bearing on those
who serve in multicultural milieus. St. John Paul
8
Ecclesia in America
, no. 52.
9
Fides et Ratio
, no. 71.
10
Evangelii Gaudium
, no. 116 with a citation from St. John Paul II’s
Novo Millennio Ineunte
, no. 40.
II underscores the particular responsibility of those
who serve in cultures other than their own, when he
states: “Missionaries, who come from other Churches
and countries, must immerse themselves in the cul-
tural milieu of those to whom they are sent, mov-
ing beyond their own cultural limitations. Hence
they must learn the language of the place in which
they work, become familiar with the most important
expressions of the local culture, and discover its val-
ues through direct experience. Only if they have this
kind of awareness will they be able to bring people to
the knowledge of the hidden mystery . . . in a credi-
ble and fruitful way.”
11
When pastoral ministers cross over cultures to
serve in a new context, as they do when they come
to the United States, their arrival signals many bless-
ings. Their arrival also means a set of challenges for
them and the communities that receive them. Both
graces and challenges need to be named. In this pro-
cess, the particular Churches and the ministers them-
selves must resist identifying challenges as problems.
A problem is something negative that needs to be
solved or, at least, contained. A challenge, on the
other hand, represents an invitation to change and
an opportunity for growth, which through grace may
lead to a positive outcome. While the exchange of
international pastoral ministers poses genuine chal-
lenges for the ministers themselves and for particular
Churches that receive them, in the end, these chal-
lenges can bring additional blessings to all.
Graces for the Receiving Churches
The graces for the receiving Churches are many.
Among others, they include the following:
• International pastoral ministers provide ministe-
rial and pastoral assistance in places and to com-
munities that are in need.
• Because of their experience in receiving interna-
tional pastoral ministers, the particular Churches
can claim a deeper sense of their identity in their
communion with other particular Churches, in
their own call to share their gifts with others,
and especially in their catholicity or universality.
• Receiving international pastoral ministers con-
tributes to the formation of more hospitable local
communities that learn the ways of welcome
and receptivity.
• The arrival of international pastoral ministers
gives local communities exposure to new and
11
Redemptoris Missio
, no. 53.