MISSIONARY ADAPTATION. — By this name (Ger. Akkomodation or Anpassung; Fr. Adaptation) missiology understands that part of missionary methodology which studies more particularly the manner of presenting the Christian message to non-believers, taking into account the ethnological, linguistic, national, social, cultural, moral, psychological, and religious peculiarities of individual peoples; that is, the missionary must endeavor to present the Gospel with the fullest possible understanding of these conditions, so as to respect and, where possible, make use of all the sound and enduring elements in every civilization that reflect the common heritage of humanity.
There unquestionably remain in non-Christian civilizations points of contact which the apostolate has the duty to know and which it must appropriate, employing them for its purposes; indeed, m. a. has had an application in history which, although at times wavering, nevertheless experienced fortunate periods and significant examples; in any case, the Church never lacked a sure word or a straightforward directive, from Gregory the Great to Pius XII. And when, in the modern era, a twofold tendency manifested itself, especially in the missions of India and the Far East, distressing disputes arose within the apostolate, which profoundly affected its fortunes. It must, on the other hand, be acknowledged that the problem presented itself with an exceptionally serious complexity. Today the movement has resumed its course along the traditional line, to such an extent that even in the most backward civilizations, such as those of much of Africa, it is possible to recognize, preserve, and protect not a few indigenous values, not only social but also moral.
A complete formulation of the theory of m. a. according to the pontifical documents, beginning with the “Instruction” of Propaganda to the first apostolic vicars of 1859 (v. MISSIONOLOGIA) and extending to the norms contained in the latest missionary encyclicals of Benedict XV and Pius XI, also reaffirmed by Summi Pontificatus of Pius XII, may be expressed in the following points:
1) the missionary’s external a. to the situation of the country he evangelizes: language, dress, food, customs, and social conventions;
2) spiritual or moral a., of far greater importance, which the missionary will achieve: a) negatively, by avoiding any unfavorable judgment of local ideas, practices, or institutions merely because they differ from his own; b) positively, by winning the esteem and affection of the people to be evangelized, through a thorough study of their history and civilization, their traditions or customs, their family, social, and religious institutions, and by not stinting in praise of whatever in them is worthy of respect.
3) practical a., which must extend to the utmost limits of concession and indulgence, omitting every criticism, change, or replacement of customs and institutions that are not “manifestly” contrary to religion and the moral law. In particular, the Holy See recommends, on the political plane, loyalty toward established governments and abstention from all interference in the sphere of political interests, even when advantages for religion might be seen or hoped for as a result.
M. a., in essence, consists entirely in respect for and the enhancement of indigenism. In recent decades, this respect and enhancement have experienced not merely a beginning but a promising development in realization in the following areas: creation of the indigenous hierarchy (v. INDIGENO, (V. atto); elimination of every remnant of European nationalism (v. MISSIONI: nationalismo e missioni); use of elements of indigenous art (v. STAZIONI MISSIONARIE); authorization for Chinese and Japanese Catholics to perform or participate in ceremonies or acts once affected by superstition and now reduced to simple civil acts (v. CIANRESI).
BIBLI: A. Huonder, Der Europäismus im Missionsbetrieb, Aachen 1921; J. Schmidlin, Katholische Missionslehre im Grundriss, 2nd ed., Münster in Vestf. 1923, passim, esp. pp. 216–238; J. Thauer, Die Akkomodation im hath. Heidenapostolat, Münster, in Vestf. 1927; A. Väh, Das Bild der Kirche-Akkomodation Europäismus, Hannover 1931; J. Schmutzer - J. J. Ten Berge, Européenisme ou Catholicisme, Paris-Louvain, s. d.; G. B. Tragella, L'Impero di Cristo, Florence 1941, pp. 93–106. Giovanni B. Tragella