Abuja, 20 October, 2023 / 9:20 pm (ACI Africa).
Ahead of this year’s World Mission Sunday to be marked on October 22, the leadership of Pontifical Mission Society (PMS) in Nigeria has translated the Message of Pope Francis that was published on January 6, the Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord, into local languages to enhance its understanding.
In a Thursday, October 19 interview with ACI Africa, the National Director of PMS in Nigeria, Fr. Solomon Patrick Zaku, said, “We have been able to translate Pope Francis' Message for the Mission Sunday into three major Nigerian Languages of Hausa, Igbo, and Yoruba so that people can read and assimilate.”
Fr. Zaku made reference to the theme of this year’s celebration, “Hearts on Fire, Feet on the Move,” and said, “The Pope used the story of the two Disciples on the way to Emmaus to encourage us that when we receive the word of God, let it set our hearts on fire and when our hearts are on fire, we should be on our way to proclaim the good news.”
The member of the Clergy of Maiduguri Diocese went on to reflect on the importance of mission in the Church, saying that the people of God in Africa and Nigeria in particular have come of age and the time is right for them to also contribute to the work of evangelization.
“When the foreign missionaries came to Africa, they evangelized us and today some of us became Priests and Religious,” he said, and continued, “The Church in Nigeria, even though still in mission territory, has also sent missionaries to other parts of the world in dire need of evangelization.”
