Pontifical Missionary Union. This is the society that focuses particularly on activities of animation and formation of missionary spirit in all the People of God, especially in the religious and clergy. It unites therefore the religious and clergy in their diversity for the common mission of evangelization of the Church.
It was born on 31st October 1916 by Blessed Paulo Manna (Missionary of PIME) with the approval of Pope Benedict XV with the aim of animating and forming the faithful baptized in their missionary responsibility through the Pastoral service of Bishops Priest, Brothers and Sisters according to the motto “All the church for all the world”. The society was granted the title Pontifical by Pius XII with the decree dated 28th October 1956.
In 1966 with the Apostolic Letter Graves et Increscentes by Saint Paul VI it was given its original identity of service to the faith and the mission of all the baptized. It followed a new way of working that is a tool for missionary formation of the entire people of God. Therefore, Saint Paul VI in this apostolic letter called Pontifical Missionary Union the soul of the other three societies of PMS.
In Malawi this society being the soul of other societies is celebrated by all the Religious and Clergy on 2nd February each and every year. This day is commonly known as a day of Consecrated Life. Consecrated people are Souls of missionary work promoted by the Pope through Pontifical Mission societies.
This year this Celebration will be celebrated on 8th February 2025 in the following Dioceses and Archdiocese: Dedza, Lilongwe, Blantyre, Chikwawa and Zomba, on 31st January 2025 in Karonga Diocese and on 3rd February 2024 in the Diocese of Mzuzu. All these celebrations will be led by the bishops of the dioceses. It will be celebrated under the theme for World Mission Sunday (WMS) 2025: Missionaries of Hope Among the Peoples. The reflections of this theme by both the religious and the clergy will help them to offer hope to the people they will be animating and forming throughout the whole of this year of the Jubilee. This theme will call all the religious and clergy to journey together in faith amid the challenges they are facing in today's world. This unity of being together in our challenges will also help the Religious and Clergy to walk together with their Christians in their different Pastoral activities.
The Celebration of this year's Pontifical Missionary Union should help us to think of our role of animation and formation so that we can offer Hope to the people of God. Without animation and formation to the people of God Hope cannot be restored. Without Hope in our midst unity cannot be achieved. Therefore, as we are reflecting on this year's World Mission Sunday theme of Missionaries of Hope among the peoples let us also take this chance to reflect on our unity as we are doing our animation and formation to the people of God.
