THE CHALLENGES FOR THE UNIVERSALIZATION OF THE CONGREGATION OF THE MISSION IN SUPERIORATE OF FATHER JEAN-BAPTISTE ÉTIENNE (1843-1874)¹

ABSTRACT

This article presents some reflections that help deepen research on the transnational and universal aspects of the Mission Congregation, a Catholic religious institute of male apostolic life. We seek to reflect on the efforts of this congregation to overcome internal tensions of the institution and those regarding centralizing and expansionist tendencies between the local and the universal context. We analyzed how these priests worked in the process of Catholic evangelization through missions during the administration of Superior General Jean-Baptiste Étienne (1801-1874). In order to reach this goal, we divided the text in two parts. In the first, a brief introduction into the historical path taken by this Catholic institution, with its normative and formulation of a missionary model or culture. In the second part, some aspects of the reform carried out by Étienne are analyzed, special attention given to the expansion of the congregation around the world, to hierarchy, to discipline, and to the informative instruments. We concluded by analyzing two practical cases of the Lazarist missions in Ceará, province of the Empire of Brazil, in which we seek to understand the process of flexibilization of the central rules and guidelines, as well as the consequences of disobedience to them.

Keywords:
Mission’s congregation; universalization; missions