The 3rd National Days for the Pastoral Care of Tourism were recently held in Fatima. Theme of this year’s event: “The pastoral care of culture: priorities and practical actions”. Father Tolentino Mendonça, director of the National Secretariat, summed up the conclusions of the meeting by explaining that “place, progression and surprise are the three key concepts that should guide evangelization in the cultural field”. An effective pastoral ministry should – he said – “create a place different from the traditional ones, a place that demands another type of language and presence, and that enables a real experience of elevation and service to be shared: a new context able to open itself to the proclamation of the Gospel”. What’s fundamental, he said, in a cultural sphere that needs presence and dialogue, is “a patient and progressive intervention”. In Father Mendonça’s view, “we must believe in the logic of the seed that is planted and in the mechanisms of irradiation, so that people feel gradually involved in our proposals and our action becomes really fruitful”. To achieve this objective, however, surprise is equally central: “The pastoral care of culture must place the emphasis on the encounter with Jesus Christ, because it’s this event that surprises and creates wonder”, he concluded. During the meeting, the “Father Manuel Antunes” Prize was presented to the veteran film director, Manoel de Oliveira, dean of Portuguese cinematography, now 98 years old: “One of the most extraordinary Portuguese creators – recalled Father Mendonça -, his filmography constitutes a profound and continuous meditation on the human condition”.
