Analysis of the Pontifical Missionary Societies' Activities in the Czech Republic

The aim of the thesis "Analysis of the Pontifical Missionary Societies' (PMS) Activities in the Czech Republic" is to determine to what extent the activities of Czech PMS are truly missionary. First, basic terms are defined: mission, charity, humanitarian aid, and development assistance (Chapter 1). What they all have in common is caring for others; charity and mission have religious motivation and are carried out by the Church, whereas humanitarian aid and development assistance are matters of a secular state (though in everyday use the terms are often confused). Charity, i. e. selfless help to those in need, does not have a religious goal, it is not an instrument of evangelization unlike mission, whose aim it is to proclaim the Gospel (Chapter 2). Mission lies at the heart of the PMS on a worldwide scale and for this purpose they were established: Society for the Propagation of the Faith 1822, Society of the Holy Childhood 1843, Society of St. Peter the Apostle 1889, and Missionary Union 1916 (Chapter 3). Since their renewal in the CR in 1993 the Societies have developed a wide range of membership forms and activities, and collection yields have grown tenfold (Chapter 4). What the money is spent on determines the basic character of the institution. Exact data of the National Office for 2011 and 2012 show..