by Olivier Schmitthaeusler

The homily of Msgr. Olivier Schmitthaeusler at Mass for the 25 years of mission in Cambodia. The prelate recalls that priests are "the many branches of the great tree that the Lord has planted in our land" and that "each of us is called to fulfill the mission of life that the Lord has entrusted to his disciples to go around the world to proclaim the Gospel". In the Church in Cambodia, still not fully formed, missionary institutes are "essential is planting deep roots".

Phnom Penh (AsiaNews) - On 3 December, PIME (Pontifical Institute for Foreign Missions) celebrated together with the Sisters Missionaries of Charity, the first 25 years of its presence in the country. The missionaries, together with the faithful and the authorities of the Church, celebrated a Mass of thanksgiving in the capital. After the liturgy, Fr. Ferruccio Brambillasca, PIME Superior General, delivered a message, which we published a few days ago.

During the celebration Msgr. Olivier Schmitthaeusler, apostolic vicar of Phnom Penh, said that missionaries are "the many branches of the great tree that the Lord has planted in our land" and that "each of us is called to fulfill the mission of life that the Lord has entrusted to his disciples: Go forth into the whole world to proclaim the Gospel. " He also stressed that in order to help the small Church in Cambodia, which is still at an early stage, grow, missionaries who dedicate themselves in all, for life, are vital.

Below we publish the text of Msgr. Schmitthaeusler’s homily.

Dear Superior General,

Dear Sister Provincial,

Dear fathers, dear sisters,

Dear brothers,

Today, the feast of St. Francis Xavier is a special occasion and one to thank for these 25 years of missionary presence of PIME fathers and sisters of the Missionaries of Charity here in Cambodia. Fr. Toni Vendramin came to be chaplain for the Sisters and at the same time began the activities of New Humanity Cambodia. It was a period of instability before the peace agreement in Paris in 1991, and they were responding to the call of the Lord: "Go forth into all the world to proclaim the Good News." With the zeal for which they are known, the Missionaries of Charity began immediately set up a home for abandoned children and the sick in the large building on Monivong Boulevard which was offered to Mother Teresa by Prime Minister Hun Sen. Then they moved to Cham Chaov and later to Siem Reap, where they care for children affected by AIDS and tuberculosis, and all who were in need of warmth and affection. Thank you, my dear sisters, from the depths of our hearts.

Working through New Humanity, PIME has supported programs in philosophy and sociology at the Royal University of Phnom Penh and has enthusiastically developed other programs, in particular for people with disabilities, offering hospitality and loving help. It has also conducted activities in kindergartens in remote areas of Cambodia (Mondulkiri) and it has begun to send some priests to work in communities in developing countries.

The missionary priests included Fr. Franco, Fr. Mario, Gianluca, Gustavo, Charles at the Vicariate of Phnom Penh, Luca at Kompong Cham and Alberto and Enrico, in Italy for now and thank God we have the youngest missionaries John and Christopher. My prayers also go to Fr. Mariano. This collaboration with the local church is so precious! We are sincerely grateful for the zeal in proclaiming the Gospel. Like its brothers from the MEP [Paris Foreign Missions Society, ed], PIME was founded with the spirit of proclaiming the Gospel, healing hearts and the bodies and founding and supporting new Christian communities. My MEP vocation was born in Japan, following in the steps of Father de Rotz, who was a pioneer of the 19th century, for 30 years in Nagasaki where we found hundreds of descendants of the first Christians baptized by Francis Xavier himself. Fr. de Rotz managed to combine evangelization and development in an outstanding way. His parish has produced 300 nuns and 30 priests, including 5 bishops and a cardinal! But, if I had read the story of Blessed Fr. Mario Vergara in Myanmar, I would certainly become one of the PIME! He served 29 Catholic villages scattered throughout the forest. Priest, educator and doctor, he built schools, churches, orphanages, clinics ... despite his fragile health and malaria! These great missionaries, martyrs and saints, officially recognized or not, mark the history of our society and of our missionary religious congregations. Just think of the Jesuits today, who are a tremendous source of strength for us missionaries of the 21st century.

Mission has changed with the development of the countries where we proclaim the Gospel. Our resources are larger and more "sophisticated". But surely the heart of the mission remains the same:

• proclaim the Good News to the poor
• be close to those who ignored by society
• go where no one else goes
• form new evangelizers

This is what the Missionaries of Charity continue to do in the Apostolic Vicariate of Phnom Penh and Siem Reap. This is what PIME continues to do with joy in Kampot, Takmau and Phnom Penh ... in addition to other responsibilities that some have assumed: Fr. Mario as vicar general, Fr. Gustavo as coordinator of youth ministry throughout Asia, Fr. Gianluca as regional superior of PIME.

With joy the Vicariate of Phnom Penh supports young people with disabilities in Kandal, continuing the work of New Humanity, as Msgr. Kike will continue its important mission in Battambang.

Dear Father Superior General, dear sister Provincial superior, dear friends,

This evening I would like to recall some essential points of our mission here in Cambodia, in the service of the Church and society. We are the people of God who proclaim the Good News. The proclamation of the Gospel is the mission we have received from Jesus: "Go forth into all the world, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, and I will be with you until the end of the world".

In our Cambodia, where land and water come together in harmony, we are called to proclaim the Good News:

• because we believe that Jesus is the only Savior and through his death and resurrection, he opens a path of life and hope,

• because we believe that Jesus transforms our lives and that the gospel is the good news that breaks the chains of injustice and anguish,
• because we believe that God created man and woman in his image and likeness and loves each one with a unique dignity and true: because we are sons and daughters of God,
• because we believe that the Holy Spirit is already present and at work in each heart,
• because we believe in the merciful love of God who raises up and liberates us from sin to give us a new life.

For all these reasons, love moves us to preach the Good News to our brothers and sisters. Really, we have no other mission than that of the Gospel: " The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring glad tidings to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free"(Luke 4:18). We are the many branches of the beautiful tree that the Lord has planted in our land and each of us is called to fulfill the mission of life that the Lord has entrusted to his disciples.

Our martyr Church was reborn in 1990, and you are witnesses of its renewal. We live in one of the few countries in the vast Asian continent where the Church is not fully constituted and so I have to say that we, the religious congregations and missionary institutes are an important part of the local Church. The presence of missionaries Ad Vitam is essential for the Church to take root in depth, and this is my desire, I say humbly but with conviction. Our communities are so young that they need zealous pastors to become stable mature and responsible for their own evangelization!

Our society is fast developing as one of the Asian "tigers", but unfortunately the development of hearts is more difficult. A lot of moral and spiritual poverty occurs when everyday life gets easier. Since 2014, the Vicariate of Phnom Penh launched a large movement of love, which will culminate with the Jubilee of Mercy. We defined six priority areas to be more responsive to the words of Jesus: "You feed them." These six areas are: education, health, disabled persons, workers, protection of creation, inclusion of the poor in society.

I invite you, I invite all of us to be at the heart of the Churches’ action, so that with her capabilities, she can be a sign of God's tenderness for everyone!

Let us listen to the words of Blessed Clemente Vismara, PIME: "If we keep life only for ourselves, it will wither. Life is radiant in that moment we gift it to others". And we listen to our dear Blessed Mother Teresa: "Give your hands to serve and your heart to love." We understand better how we can be true witnesses in our mission by following the words of Jesus: "I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly."

Dear Superior General, dear Sister Provincial superior, dear brothers and sisters, dear friends,

thank you for everything you have done and for what you continue to do!

Long live the Church in Cambodia!

May Our Lady protect you and keep you always!

May the Lord bless and strengthen you in your mission of love!

 

+ Olivier Schmitthaeusler, apostolic vicar of Phnom Penh and President of the Episcopal Conference of Laos and Cambodia

 

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