Canon 781. Because the whole Church is of its nature missionary and the work of evangelisation is to be considered a fundamental duty of the people of God, all
Christ’s faithful must be conscious of the responsibility to play their part in missionary activity.

Cum tota Ecclesia natura sua sit missionaria et opus evangelizationis habendum sit fundamentale officium populi Dei, christifideles omnes, propriae responsabilitatis conscii, partem suam in opere missionali assumant.

Canon 782. §1 The Roman Pontiff and the College of Bishops have the responsibility for the overall direction and coordination of the initiatives and activities which concern missionary work and cooperation.

§2 As the sponsors of the universal Church and of all the Churches, all Bishops are to have a special solicitude for missionary activity, especially by arousing, fostering and sustaining missionary initiatives in their own particular Churches.

§1. Suprema directio et coordinatio inceptorum et actionum quae ad opus missionale atque ad cooperationem missionariam pertinent, competit Romano Pontifici et Collegio Episcoporum.

§2. Singuli Episcopi, utpote Ecclesiae universae atque omnium Ecclesiarum sponsores, operis missionalis peculiarem sollicitudinem habeant, praesertim incepta missionalia in propria Ecclesia particulari suscitando, fovendo ac sustinendo.

Canon 783. Members of institutes of consecrated life, because of the dedication to the service of the Church deriving from their very consecration, have an obligation to play a zealous and special part in missionary activity, in a manner appropriate to their institute.

Sodales institutorum vitae consecratae, cum vi ipsius consecrationis sese servitio Ecclesiae dedicent, obligatione tenentur ad operam, ratione suo instituto propria, speciali modo in actione missionali navandam.

Canon 784. Missionaries, that is, those who have been sent by the competent ecclesiastical authority to engage in missionary activity, may be chosen from the indigenous population or from others, be they secular clergy, or members of institutes of consecrated life or of a society of apostolic life, or other lay members of Christ’s faithful.

Missionarii, qui scilicet a competenti auctoritate ecclesiastica ad opus missionale explendum mittuntur, eligi possunt autochthoni vel non, sive clerici saeculares, sive institutorum vitae consecratae vel societatis vitae apostolicae sodales, sive alii christifideles laici.

Canon 785. §1 Catechists are to be given a role in missionary work. These are lay members of Christ’s faithful who have received proper formation and are outstanding in their living of the christian life. Under the direction of missionaries, they are to present the Gospel teaching and engage in liturgical worship and in works of charity.

§2 Catechists are to receive their formation in schools founded for this purpose. If there are no such schools, they are to be formed under the direction of the missionaries.

§1. In opere missionali peragendo assumantur catechistae, christifideles nempe laici debite instructi et vita christiana praestantes, qui, sub moderamine missionarii, doctrinae evangelicae proponendae et liturgicis exercitiis caritatisque operibus ordinandis sese impendant.

§2. Catechistae efformentur in scholis ad hoc destinatis vel, ubi desint, sub moderamine missionariorum.

Canon 786. Missionary activity properly so called, whereby the Church is founded amongst peoples or groups where it has not taken root before, is performed principally by the Church sending heralds of the Gospel, until such time as the new
Churches are fully constituted, that is, have their own resources and sufficient means, so that they themselves can carry on the work of evangelisation.

Actio proprie missionalis, qua Ecclesia implantatur in populis vel coetibus ubi nondum radicata est, ab Ecclesia absolvitur praesertim mittendo Evangelii praecones donec novellae Ecclesiae plene constituantur, cum scilicet instructae sint propriis viribus et sufficientibus mediis, quibus opus evangelizandi per se ipsae peragere valeant.

Canon 787. §1 By the testimony of their words and of their lives, missionaries are to establish a sincere dialogue with those who do not believe in Christ, so that, taking their native character and culture into account, ways may be opened up by which they can be led to know the good news of the Gospel.

§2 Missionaries are to ensure that they teach the truths of the faith to those whom they judge to be ready to receive the good news of the Gospel, so that, if they freely request it, they may be admitted to the reception of baptism.

§1. Missionarii, vitae ac verbi testimonio, dialogum sincerum cum non credentibus in Christum instituant, ut ipsis, ratione eorundem ingenio et culturae aptata, aperiantur viae quibus ad evangelicum nuntium cognoscendum adduci valeant.

§2. Curent ut quos ad evangelicum nuntium recipiendum aestiment paratos, veritates fidei edoceant, ita quidem ut ipsi ad baptismum recipiendum, libere id petentes, admitti possint.

Canon 788. §1 Those who have expressed the wish to embrace faith in Christ, and who have completed the period of their preliminary catechumenate, are to be admitted to the catechumenate proper in a liturgical ceremony; and their names are to be inscribed in the book which is kept for this purpose.

§2 By formation and their first steps in christian living, catechumens are to be initiated into the mysteries of salvation, and introduced into the life of faith, liturgy and charity of the people of God, as well as into the apostolate.

§3 It is the responsibility of the Episcopal Conference to establish norms concerning the arrangement of the catechumenate, determining what should be done by catechumens and what should be their prerogatives.

§1. Qui voluntatem amplectendi fidem in Christum manifestaverint, expleto tempore praecatechumenatus, liturgicis caerimoniis admittantur ad catechumenatum, atque eorum nomina scribantur in libro ad hoc destinato.

§2. Catechumeni, per vitae christianae institutionem et tirocinium, apte initientur mysterio salutis atque introducantur in vitam fidei, liturgiae et caritatis populi Dei atque apostolatus.

§3. Conferentiae Episcoporum est statuta edere quibus catechumenatus ordinetur, determinando quaenam a catechumenis sint praestanda, atque definiendo quaenam eis agnoscantur praerogativae.

Canon 789. By means of appropriate formation, neophytes are to be led to a deeper knowledge of the Gospel truths, and to the fulfilment of the duties undertaken in baptism. They are also to be imbued with a sincere love of Christ and his Church.

Neophyti, apta institutione ad veritatem evangelicam penitius cognoscendam et officia per baptismum suscepta implenda efformentur; sincero amore erga Christum eiusque Ecclesiam imbuantur.

Canon 790. §1 In mission territories, it is the responsibility of the diocesan Bishop:

1° to promote, regulate and coordinate both new initiatives and established works concerning missionary activity;

2° to ensure that there are proper agreements with the Moderators of those institutes which dedicate themselves to missionary activities, and that relationships with them are for the good of the mission.

§2 The provisions made by the diocesan Bishop in accordance with §1, n. 1 are binding on all missionaries, including religious and their helpers residing in his territory.

§1. Episcopi dioecesani in territoriis missionis est:

1° promovere, moderari et coordinare incepta et opera, quae ad actionem missionalem spectant;

2° curare ut debitae ineantur conventiones cum Moderatoribus institutorum quae operi missionali se dedicant, utque relationes cum iisdem in bonum cedant missionis.

§2. Praescriptis ab Episcopo dioecesano de quibus in §1, n. 1° editis, subsunt omnes missionarii, etiam religiosi eorumque auxiliares in eius dicione degentes.

Canon 791. In order to foster missionary cooperation, in each diocese:

1° vocations to the mission are to be promoted;

2° a priest is to be appointed to promote missionary initiatives, especially the
‘Pontifical Missionary Works’;

3° a day for the missions is to be celebrated annually;

4° each year an appropriate financial contribution for the missions is to be sent to the
Holy See.

In singulis dioecesibus ad cooperationem missionalem fovendam:

1° promoveantur vocationes missionales;

2° sacerdos deputetur ad incepta pro missionibus efficaciter promovenda, praesertim Pontificia Opera Missionalia;

3° celebretur dies annualis pro missionibus;

4° solvatur quotannis congrua pro missionibus stips, Sanctae Sedi transmittenda.

Canon 792. The Episcopal Conference is to establish and promote means by which those who come to their territory from the missions, for the purpose of work or study, are to be given a fraternal welcome and helped with suitable pastoral care.

Episcoporum conferentiae opera instituant ac promoveant, quibus ii qui e terris missionum laboris aut studii causa ad earundem territorium accedant, fraterne recipiantur et congruenti pastorali cura adiuventur.