ADATTAMENTO MISSIONARIO

MISSIONARY ADAPTATION. — By this term (Ger. *Akkomodation* or *Anpassung*; Fr. *Adaptation*) missiology understands that part of missionary methodology which studies in particular 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. The missionary, that is, must strive to present the Gospel with the greatest possible understanding of these conditions, so as to respect, and if possible utilize, all the healthy and non-perishable elements of every civilization that reflect the common patrimony of humanity.

There remain, without doubt, in non-Christian civilizations points of contact which the apostolate is obliged to know and of which it must avail itself in pursuit of its ends. Indeed, missionary adaptation has had a history marked by periods of vacillation but also by fortunate eras and significant examples. Nevertheless, the Church has never lacked clear guidance and straight directives, from Gregory the Great to Pius XII. And when, in modern times, a twofold current manifested itself especially in the missions of India and the Far East, there arose in the apostolate regrettable disputes that deeply affected its fortunes. It must be acknowledged, moreover, that the problem presented itself with a particularly grave complexity. Today the path has been resumed along traditional lines, so much so that even in the most backward civilizations, such as those of much of Africa, it has been possible to recognize, preserve, and protect not a few indigenous values, not only social but also moral.

A complete formulation of the theory of missionary adaptation according to papal documents, from the *Instruction* of Propaganda to the first apostolic vicars of 1859 (v. MISSIONS) to the norms contained in the latest missionary encyclicals of Benedict XV and Pius XI, reiterated also in *Summi Pontificatus* of Pius XII, can be expressed in the following points:

1) **External adaptation** by the missionary to the situation of the country he evangelizes: language, dress, food, customs, and social proprieties.
2) **Spiritual or moral adaptation** of far greater importance, which the missionary must achieve: a) negatively, by avoiding any unfavorable judgment of local ideas, practices, and institutions solely 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 praise for whatever in them is worthy of respect.
3) **Practical adaptation**, which must extend to the extreme of concessions and indulgence, refraining from any criticism, change, or substitution of customs and institutions that are not “manifestly” contrary to religion and moral law. In particular, the Holy See recommends, on the political plane, loyalty toward constituted governments and abstention from any interference in the sphere of political interests, even when advantages for religion might be seen or hoped for.

Missionary adaptation, in substance, resolves itself entirely into respect for and the valorization of indigenous culture. This respect and valorization have, in recent decades, seen more than a beginning—a promising development in realization in the following areas: the creation of an indigenous hierarchy (v. INDIGENOUS CLERGY); the elimination of every residue of European nationalism (v. Missions); the utilization of elements of indigenous art (v. Missions); the authorization of Chinese and Japanese Catholics to perform or participate in ceremonies or acts once considered superstitious but now reduced to mere civil acts (v. CHINESE RITES).

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