Maximum illud

''Maximum illud'' is an apostolic letter issued by Pope Benedict XV on 30 November 1919. As is traditional with such documents, it takes its title from the opening words of the original Latin text, meaning "that momentous". Benedict begins by recalling "''that momentous'' and holy charge" found in Mark 16:15: "Go into the whole world and preach the gospel to all creation."

It identified the principles and priorities of the Catholic missions. It represented a break with Eurocentric and colonialist thought. It proposed instead an appreciation for cultural differences, a separation of the Church's work from political alliances, and the need to develop the resources of local churches to thrive independently once the missionaries withdraw in favor of an indigenous priesthood and episcopacy. It established, according to Cardinal Fernando Filoni, that "the Church could no longer be linked to the reality of that moment where there were so many nationalisms and the desire to promote a certain colonialism through religion: a union that had to be broken. The Catholic missionary, Pope Benedict XV said, presents himself as an ambassador of Christ, not as a messenger of his own nation."

Though not an encyclical, it is sometimes identified as the first of five papal encyclicals issued between 1919 and 1959 that redefined the Church’s missionary role.

Background

In the second half of the 19th century, the Vatican recognized the need to overhaul the administration and spirit of missionary activities. Pope Leo XIII and Pope Pius X both tried to curb the authority of the French-dominated Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.

The Belgian missionary to China Frédéric-Vincent Lebbe campaigned for the appointment of indigenous bishops to replace French missionary bishops. He immersed himself in Chinese culture from the time of his arrival and ordination in 1901, learning the language and adopting native attire. He criticized various foreign religious organizations for the practice of controlling Chinese Catholicism to the benefit of their home countries, proposing the slogan "Return China to the Chinese and the Chinese will go to Christ". He angered his superiors in the Lazarist