This paper aims to demonstrate the particularity of “Missio ad gentes” within the Church Integral Evangelization Mission. By putting the Trinity as the central and solid ground for mission ad gentes, this reflection revisits the Church’s understanding of God's universal salvific will. It also borrows some elements of theology courses to strengthen the conviction for spreading the Good News among those who do not know the Lord yet. Lastly, the presence of sin is portrayed as rejection of and departure from God’s salvific plan, but the persecuted church in China, taken as an example, gives hope to missionary activities even in contexts where the message of the Gospel is not welcomed.
- Trinitarian God as Source and Finality of Missio Ad Gentes
The Holy Trinity, the central mystery of the Christian faith and life,[1] is foundational to Church’s evangelizing “missio ad gentes” since the mission starts from God and leads people back to him. According to the Second Vatican Council’s Ad Gentes, the Church’s mission is rooted in the mission of the Son and the Holy Spirit, which flow from the loving will of the Father (AD 2). The concept of “Missio Dei” emphasizes that the mission is God’s activity, with the Father sending the Son and the Spirit for humanity's salvation. [2] On the one hand, Jesus, through His incarnation, death, and resurrection, fulfills God’s plan of salvation. The Church's mission centers on Christ’s love, as Pope Francis highlights, with evangelization driven by love for Jesus and His people. On the other hand, the Holy Spirit, sent by both the Father and the Son, is essential to the Church’s missionary work as He empowers and unifies the Church, making evangelization possible.
- God’s Universal Salvific Will as Motivation for Missio Ad Gentes
The Church teaches that God desires the salvation of all peoples, a plan that is found in Sacred Scriptures. In the Old Testament, the book of Genesis symbolizes “the unity of humankind and God’s concern for all human beings.”[3] Similarly, some stories of the patriarchs show God’s benevolence and care for everyone. While God's focus seemed on Israel, His intention for universal salvation is clear, especially in the words of the prophet Isaiah (Is. 45:22). Israel was chosen to be a channel for the salvation of all nations. In the New Testament, Jesus further broke down barriers, including those between Jews and Gentiles, as seen in His healing of the Canaanite woman’s daughter (Mt. 15:28). The early disciples, guided by the Holy Spirit, spread the message of faith to the Gentiles. The conversion of Cornelius and the Council of Jerusalem affirmed that God's salvific will extends to all peoples, allowing them to follow Christ without the need to adhere to Mosaic laws (Acts 10:45; Acts 15).
III. The Church as Universal Sacrament of Salvation in Missio ad Gentes
God, in His desire to save all of creation, provided the Church as a means to carry out His plan of salvation. Jesus established the Church, that is, all the baptized people, to continue his work of redemption on earth. The evangelization of the Church towards those who do not know Christ emerges from her duty to proclaim to everyone the Kingdom of God, inviting them to experience communion with God. Thus, the Church becomes the sign and instrument of communion with God and unity among all men who long for God’s universal salvation.
The Church recognizes herself as an instrument necessary for salvation but at the same time, acknowledges the possibility of salvation for those who do not belong to the Church, by means only known to God.[4] Here, it is important to underline that ‘in God’s plan of salvation in Jesus Christ, there is no outside but only inside.’[5] The Church understands herself not identified as the Kingdom of God but as ‘the seed and beginning of the kingdom.’[6] Therefore, the goal of the Church’s mission to non-Christians is no longer merely the expansion of the visible Church but the realization of God’s universal plan of salvation.[7]
- Faith as response to Revelation in Missio Ad Gentes
God’s offer of salvation requires human cooperation through faith, which is the solid ground for engaging in mission to non-Christians. Throughout history, God has revealed Himself through prophets, creation (Acts 4:15-17), or the inner voice of conscience, but the full revelation was made through Jesus Christ, the Word made flesh. This revelation allows all people to share in God’s divine nature through the Holy Spirit. Faith is humanity’s free response to this revelation, and the Church’s mission is to invite others to respond in faith. Consequently, the Church’s evangelizing mission to those who do not know Christ becomes a duty entrusted to its members, calling them to share God’s salvific plan with all of humanity. Drawing from his direct contact with peoples who do not know Christ, Pope Saint John Paul II was convinced that the “missionary activity renews the Church, revitalizes faith and Christian identity, and offers fresh enthusiasm and new incentive. Faith is strengthened when it is given to others!”[8]
- Liturgical and Sacramental life as the source and summit of Missio Ad Gentes
The liturgy and sacramental life are central to the Church’s mission “ad gentes” (to the nations), as they are both the source and summit of its evangelizing work. Missionaries must be rooted in prayer, contemplation, and the sacramental life to encounter Christ and the Holy Spirit, recognizing that contemplation is integral to mission[9]. The Church’s mission seeks to help individuals encounter Jesus and be guided toward discipleship and worship. Missionary activity reveals God’s plan through the proclamation of the Word and the celebration of the sacraments, with the Eucharist being the heart and summit. The sacramental life, especially through the Eucharist, connects humanity with God and sends Christians to serve and love, transforming them into a new creation, where “Christ is all and in all” (Col. 3:11).
- Sin as Rejection of God’s Love and obstacle to Missio Ad Gentes
The Church, which is “missionary by her very nature,”[10] exists in being sent and in building up for the sake of her Mission,[11] and labors continually to hand on the grace of salvation to every creature. However, sin, which is seen as a rejection of God’s love and a turning away from truth and right conscience, hinders the mission. Sin can manifest as atheism or other intellectual movements like scientism and nihilism, and it creates a lack of interest in the missionary task among non-Christians and even within the Church itself. Mentioning widespread “indifferentism,” Pope John Paul II deplored that missionaries were refused entry in certain countries. In others, evangelization, conversion, and even Christian worship are prohibited.[12]. In Chinese society, unregistered clerics in the government are considered illegal or “underground,” and more regulations are imposed on the Catholic church, such as minors cannot participate in the Mass in some areas. This reality shows that evangelizing works may entail some threats and consequences of persecution, particularly to the missionaries.
Despite these obstacles, the Holy Spirit continues to work mysteriously through Christians, who witness to their faith with perseverance. The courageous and active faith of Christians in places like China, where the faithful manage to celebrate the Eucharist in a household as the church is closed, illustrates hope and inspiration to the Universal Church, whose fidelity to Christ’s missionary mandate will always imply a great availability to reach out to believers of other living faiths and atheists.
[1] Catechism of the Catholic Church, Definitive edition based on the Latin “Editio Typica” (Manila: ECCE and World and Life Publications, 1994), no. 261. Henceforth CCC.
[2] Guiseppe Alberigo and Joseph A. Komonchak, (Eds.,) History of Vatican II, Vol. V (Orbis Books, Maryknoll: 2006), 428.
[3] Gerald O’Collins S.J., Salvation for all: God’s other peoples (Oxford University Press, 2008), 1.
[4] LG. no. 16.
[5] AD. no. 1.
[6] CCC. no. 567.
[7] Antonio M. Pernia, ‘Mission: Sharing a Gift of the Spirit,’ Missio Inter Gentes, Vol 4 No 1/ January 2018, 4.
[8] John Paul II, On the permanent validity of the Church's missionary mandate (Redemptoris Missio). December 7, 1990. http://www.vatican.va/content/john-paul-ii/en/encyclicals/documents/hf_jp-ii_enc_07121990_redemptoris-missio.html(Accessed January 15, 2025), no. 2. Henceforth, RM.
[9] Antonio M. Pernia, ‘Mission: Sharing a Gift of the Spirit,’ Missio Inter Gentes, Vol 4 No 1/ January 2018, 12.
[10] AD. no. 2.
[11] David J. Bosch, Transforming Mission. Paradigm shifts in Theology of Mission (Maryknoll, New York: Orbis Books, 1996), 372.
[12] RM, no. 35.