The Second International Seminar for Pauline Publishers was held at Ariccia (Rome), Italy from 16-21 October 2017. About 60 members of the SSP from various parts of the world took part in the encounter, including all the Institute’s General Directors and Publishing Directors. To enrich the event and reflect on the Pauline mission in depth, several members of other Institutes of the Pauline Family with links to the publishing sphere were also invited to participate in it. Almost thirty years have gone by since the first Seminar was held in 1988 and in this time the world has undergone many radical changes that offer the Pauline apostolate ever-new challenges.
Fr. Valdir José De Castro, Superior General of the SSP, underscored this in his opening address. In these years, he said, the Institute has taken many steps forward but some fundamental questions remain to be answered, such as: “Who is the Pauline publisher in a society in perennial transformation, primarily through the emergence of today’s new digital technologies? How does the Pauline publishing enterprise compare to other publishing houses, both religious and secular, in a situation that is always more complex, plural and dynamic? Who are we striving to reach? How can we accomplish this goal? How are we organizing ourselves to carry out our mission?” We must always keep in mind, Fr. Valdir continued, that “the world may change, but the challenge for us continues to be that of giving Jesus Master, Way, Truth and Life (dogma, morality and worship) to people today through all the languages of communication as little by little these emerge.”
The conferences and activities on the Seminar’s agenda were aimed at answering these questions and pinpointing new challenges confronting the Pauline mission in today’s ever-changing context.
