The Conference of Italian Missionaries, being attended by priests and prelates from around the world kicked off in Rome on Thursday with opening addresses by Italy's foreign minister Antonio Tajani and the Vatican's secretary for relations with states, Paul Gallagher.
“The example of egalitarian and supportive partnership embodied by the missionaries constitutes a central reference for the commitment of the Italian government also in relaunching relations with Africa as it prepares to launch the 'Mattei Plan'", a foreign ministry statement cited Tajani as saying.
Named after Italian major Eni's founder Enrico Mattei, the Mattei Plan aims to turn Italy into a major energy hub distributing gas from Africa to Europe and lays the ground for wider cooperation. The plan is set to be unveiled at an Italy-Africa summit in Rome in late January.
Thursday's conference entitled 'The person at the centre' is being moderated by the Italian government's special envoy for religious freedom, Davide Dionisi and is organised under three sessions: professional education and training, health and childhood and the right to food.
During the conference sessions, missionaries from around the world will get the opportunity to make suggestions and put forward proposals, the statement noted.
"The emergence of global challenges and the multiplication of theaters of crisis and instability increasingly underlined the complementarity between the action of governments, international organizations and missionary orders in areas such as humanitarian response, mediation, education, health, the fight against poverty, the emancipation of women and youth, and interreligious dialogue," said the statement.
Conference participants include Domenico Pompili, Bishop of Verona, Emilio Nappa, President of the Pontifical Mission Societies, Giorgio Marengo, Apostolic Prefect of Ulaanbaatar, Peter Kodwo Appiah Turkson, Chancellor of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences, the priest, journalist and Comboni missionary Giulio Albanese, and Marco Impagliazzo, President of the Community of Sant'Egidio.
