Wyzwania i zadania peruwiańskiej misji polskich franciszkanów w Peru. Refleksja historyczno-kerygmatyczna

Abstract

The history of the Church in Peru as well as in the whole of Latin America has been written with the martyrs’ blood and with the rape of rulers – both secular and ecclesiastical. For the first centuries the Church prohibited the ordination of converted Indians to the priesthood. The locals were ministered by priests from Europe: Franciscans, Jesuits, Dominican friars etc. Nevertheless, the Gospel was preached, especially in so called reductions, first in Franciscan and later in Jesuit ones, which were bloodily dissolved by Christian rulers of Europe. They form the picture of Jesus and His Gospel, unfortunately, often “in the European shape.” The Good News is for all nations, updated by the Holy Spirit should push the geographical, mental and cultural boundaries. The Gospel originated in particular historic– geographical context, but with the intention to be preached to people all times and cultures. Thus the practice of its updating, accommodation and inculturation is essential. St. Maximilian Kolbe put it successfully into mission practice and put emphasis on learning Japanese, direct conversations with the locals, learning their customs, habits, advantages and disadvantages in order to reach their minds and souls with the truth about Christ. Blessed Zbigniew Strzałkowski and Michał Tomaszko followed these examples. They worked in small village Pariacoto, the residence of parish involving over 70 villages situated on a difficult, mountainous area. They knew, that the best way to understand some cultural and mental dissimilarities is staying with parishioners and accompanying them. Modern missionaries working in Peru agree with the fact that the Catholicism has not sunk in the Indians living the high Andes. Old beliefs passed down for generations has been lasting to this day. Thus the first task of Peruvian mission is the revival of native vocations so that the locals could feel that the Christianity is not new, foreign religion brought from the Ocean, but it is their own faith and culture, which will not destroy old roots by taking the new ones.