Golden Jubilee For Zimbabwe Catholic Bishops’ Conference Pontifical Mission Societies T he Vatican II in its document on the Missionary Activities of the Church Ad Gentes Divinitus, stressed the importance of the missionary mandate. It singles out the Pontifical Mission Societies (PMS) and stressed that: “…they should be given the first place because they are a means by which Catholics are imbued from infancy with a truly Universal and Missionary outlook and also a means of promoting an effective collection of funds for all the missions according to the needs of each” (AG.38). The immediate follow up came with the decree Ecclesiae Sanctate III of Pope Paul VI on 6 August 1966. This decree stipulates that the Pontifical Mission Societies is “to be promoted in all dioceses and its statutes faithfully observed”. The New Code of Canon Law which came into effect in 1983 stipulates that a priest should be appointed in each diocese to promote Fr. David Muguti missionary initiatives, especially the PMS that a PMS National Coordinator day for the Mission is to be celebrated annually and that each year an appropriate financial contribution for the missions is to be sent to the Holy See (CIC 791). Pope John Paul II describes the PMS as the Church's instrument of universal missionary awareness and cooperation for evangelization in the world. The PMS preaches, propagates and ensures the Catholicity and Solidarity of the Church. It emphasizes the Universality of the Church over and above its locality.What are the Pontifical Mission Societies? What are they? The Pontifical Mission Societies also known as missio (mission) are four societies under the Canonical Jurisdiction of the Pope namely; Propagation of the Faith, Holy Childhood, St Peter the Apostle and Missionary Union of Priests and religious. What do these organizations do? The Pontifical Mission Societies have as their primary purposes, the promotion of a universal missionary spirit- a spirit of prayer and sacrifice among all 75