The Beginning
In 1916 Father Paolo Manna, a PIME missionary serving in Myanmar (then called Burma), formed the Missionary Union of Priests and Religious, an organisation that would help him to share the spiritual graces he had received through his work in bringing the Good News of Christ to others. He wanted to encourage those already engaged in the work of the Church to support the work of Missions — and perhaps to become missionaries themselves.
The Society Today
Nowadays this spiritual apostolate, started by this Italian missionary, continues to address itself to those called to bring Catholics to a better understanding of their baptismal responsibility for the church’s missionary work — priests, religious, seminarians, pastoral leaders and those engaged in catechesis and religious education.
In many countries, the success of the three other missionary societies is linked to the vitality of the Missionary Union. It is through this work that the missionary spirit of prayer and generous sacrifice is developed and nurtured. The baptismal mandate, promoted by the PMU, to ‘go to all nations and proclaim the Good News’ is what inspires so many men and women, Religious and lay to witness and share their faith with so many more.
Papal recognition
The Union was recognised by Pope Benedict XV on 31 October 1916. In his Apostolic Letter Graves et Increscentes, on the 50th anniversary of the Foundation of the PMU, Pope Paul VI declared that «just as Christ should be called the First Missionary, so all priests, in virtue of the Sacred Order they have received, should be considered as missionaries». This statement is also found in numerous Church documents: Evangelii Nuntiandi 68; Postquam Apostoli 5; Redemptoris Missio 67. In the same Letter Paul VI defined the Pontifical Missionary Union (PMU) as «the soul of the other Mission Aid Societies.