International Association for Mission Studies

With disappointment and great regret, I want to inform you that after eighty-three  years of activity the publication of the Bibliographia Missionaria comes to an end. Despite having the right staff and editor, the Rector of the Pontifical Urban University has taken the decision to conclude this important work for missiology. One of the few missiological journals published for so long, appreciated by many specialists, thus ends. As one of the publishers, I feel to remember the story of this publication.

78 Volumes of the Bibliographia Missionaria

Johannes Rommerskirchen, OMI, belongs to the history of Catholic Missiology mainly in connection with the Bibliografia Missionaria, which he founded and edited for forty years. He was born in 1899 in the diocese of Aachen, and after entering the Oblates, he continued his studies in Missiology at the University of Münster. After the death of R. Streit, he was named assistant to J. Dindinger at the Pontifical Missionary Library and helped with the editing of the Bibliotheca Missionum. He helped edit vols. 6 to 30, but the main editor of vols. 6-12 and 15-21 was J. Dindinger. After his death in 1958, Fr. Rommerskirchen became the main editor. He had as his helpers Frs. N. Kowalsky (vols.13-14) and J. Metzler (vols. 22-30). It could no longer be claimed, as had R. Streit seventy years earlier, that Catholic Missiology did not have rich sources for research. Besides this monumental work, there arose another important work for the development of Missiology, i.e. the Bibliografia Missionaria. In 1935, Fr. Johannes Rommerskirchen, OMI, published the first volume of this new series. The Bibliotheca Missionum had presented bibliographies in historical perspective. The new series, continuing the great work of Fr. Streit, now provided a regular annual overview of all the new publications in the area of the Missions. From the beginning, the Bibliografia was open to listing all Christian groups active in the work of evangelization in every corner of the world.

It should be noted that this publication, one of its kind in the world, included and still includes publications from all the largest Christian Churches. The books and articles shown in the Bibliografia Missionaria were and are cited in the original languages: English, French, German, Dutch, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Polish, Swedish, and Norwegian, and lately, also Chinese.

The Bibliografia Missionaria, in the eighty-three years of its existence, has undergone a long evolution: from the first small volume of eighty pages to the last one of 534 pages.

During the eighty-three year history of the Bibliografia Missionaria, we can detect an evolution in the  subject categories of the different volumes. In fact, their number has almost doubled: from nineteen in the first volume to thirty-seven in the last one. Some categories were replaced by others, and some were simply eliminated (e.g. missionary medicine, or missions to the East and to Moslems). New ones were gradually introduced (e.g. Interreligious Dialogue, Missions and Social Development) to answer the needs of a developing Missiology. At present, the first part of every volume has the following categories concerning doctrine and missionary practice: Theology of Mission; Mission Canon Law; Human Rights; History of Missions; the Actual Situation of Missions; Pastoral Practice; Ecumenical Dialogue and Missions; Missions and Social Development; Inculturation; Anthropology and Sociology; Missionaries and Missionary Congregations; Missionary Spirituality; and Missionary Cooperation. To the second part belong: interreligious dialogue, especially dialogue with the Jews, Islam, Hinduism and Buddhism; religions of China; traditional African religions; and new religious movements. The third part gives the criteria for the geographical divisions in the different continents and countries.

I would like to call to mind all the authors and participants who in the space of eighty-three years have lent their active and profitable services in the spreading of the missionary branches of learning. From the first volume, this work has always been carried out by the directors of the Pontifical Missionary Library and later also by the Library of the Pontifical Urbaniana University, who belong to the order of Missionari Oblati of Maria Immacolata, OMI.

 

Johannes Battista Rommerskirchen, OMI, (1899-1978), founder of the Bibliografia Missionaria, editor of the first thirty-six volumes and co-editor of the four subsequent ones.

 

Johannes Battista Dindinger, OMI, (1881-1958),  successor to the first librarian of the Pontifical Missionary Library, Father Robert Streit, aide in the publishing of the first twenty-one volumes of Bibliografia Missionaria.

 

Nikolaus Kowalsky, OMI, (1911-1966), aide to Father Rommerskirchen in the preparation of the thirteen volumes XVII-XXIX.

 

Josef Metzler, OMI, (1921-2012), aide to Fathers Rommerskirchen and Henkel in the preparation of the thirty-five volumes XXII-LIII.

 

Willi Henkel, OMI, (1930- ), assistant in the seven volumes XXX-XXXVI and LXIV and editor of the twenty-eight volumes XXXVII-LXIII.

 

Olegario Dominguez, OMI, (1920- ), aide to Father Henkel in the preparation of five volumes of Bibliografia Missionaria (XXXIX-XLIII).

 

Marek Rostkowski, OMI, (1967- ), aide in the preparation of two volumes (LXII-LXIII) and editor of the last fifteen volumes of the Bibliographia Missionaria.

 

A brief look at statistics shows that, in seventy-eight volumes and in 21,701 pages, one can find 166,306 bibliographical citations and 3,918 abstracts and reviews of the books received in the Papal Missionary Library.

 

Vol. I (1.I.1933-30.VI.1934): [Rommerskirchen-Dindinger] 82 pages, 786 bibliographical citations.

Vol. II (1.VII.1934-31.XII.1935): [Rommerskirchen-Dindinger] 191 pages, 1,245 bibliographical citations; Il grande bibliografo delle missioni P. Roberto Streit, OMI; Appendix: Elenco delle riviste in lingue europee esistenti nella Pontificia Biblioteca Missionaria.

Vol. III (1936): [Rommerskirchen-Dindinger] 108 pages, 998 bibliographical citations; Appendix: Supplemento all’elenco delle riviste in lingue europee esistenti nella Pontificia Biblioteca Missionaria.

Vol. IV (1937): [Rommerskirchen-Dindinger] 179 pages, 1,214 bibliographical citations.

Vol. V (1938): [Rommerskirchen-Dindinger] 143 pages, 1,289 bibliographical citations.

Vol. VI (1939): [Rommerskirchen-Dindinger] 119 pages, 1,152 bibliographical citations.

Vol. VII (1940): [Rommerskirchen-Dindinger] 133 pages, 778 bibliographical citations; Appendix: G. Dindinger – G. Rommerskirchen, Bibliografia sull’adattamento dell’arte indigena agli usi liturgici.

Vol. VIII (1941): [Rommerskirchen-Dindinger] 65+58 pages, 618 bibliographical citations.

Vol. IX (1942): [Rommerskirchen-Dindinger] 164 pages, 464 bibliographical citations; Appendix: G. Rommerskirchen-S. M. Paventi, Elenco bibliografico dei sinodi e concili missionari.

Vol. X (1943-1946): [Rommerskirchen-Dindinger] 182 pages, 2,078 bibliographical citations.

Vol. XI (1947): [Rommerskirchen-Dindinger] 104 pages, 1,299 bibliographical citations.

Vol. XII (1948): [Rommerskirchen-Dindinger] 150 pages, 1,028 bibliographical citations.

Vol. XIII (1949): [Rommerskirchen-Dindinger] 95 pages, 1,195 bibliographical citations.

Vol. XIV (1950): [Rommerskirchen-Dindinger] 89 pages, 1,109 bibliographical citations.

Vol. XV (1951): [Rommerskirchen-Dindinger] 118 pages, 1,152 bibliographical citations, 76 abstracts.

Vol. XVI (1952): [Rommerskirchen-Dindinger] 189 pages, 1,189 bibliographical citations, 96 abstracts.

Vol. XVII (1953): [Rommerskirchen-Dindinger-Kowalsky] 133 pages, 1,341 bibliographical citations, 108 abstracts.

Vol. XVIII (1954): [Rommerskirchen-Dindinger-Kowalsky] 130 pages, 1,126 bibliographical citations, 118 abstracts.

Vol. XIX (1955): [Rommerskirchen-Dindinger-Kowalsky] 124 pages, 1,046 bibliographical citations, 135 abstracts.

Vol. XX (1956): [Rommerskirchen-Dindinger-Kowalsky] 195 pages, 1,085 bibliographical citations, 103 abstracts.

Vol. XXI (1957): [Rommerskirchen-Dindinger-Kowalsky] 110 pages, 1,067 bibliographical citations, 91 abstracts.

Vol. XXII (1958): [Rommerskirchen-Kowalsky-Metzler] 123 pages, 1,168 bibliographical citations, 85 abstracts; In memoriam: P. Giovanni Dindinger, OMI.

Vol. XXIII (1959): [Rommerskirchen-Kowalsky-Metzler] 114 pages, 1,211 bibliographical citations, 47 abstracts.

Vol. XXIV (1960): [Rommerskirchen-Kowalsky-Metzler] 189 pages, 1,166 bibliographical citations, 88 abstracts.

Vol. XXV (1961): [Rommerskirchen-Kowalsky-Metzler] 174 pages, 1,058 bibliographical citations, 137 abstracts, G. Metzler, La Pontificia Biblioteca Missionaria “de Propaganda Fide”; Appendix: Quaderno n. 1 – Documenti e problemi missionari.

Vol. XXVI (1962): [Rommerskirchen-Kowalsky-Metzler] 181 pages, 1,100 bibliographical citations, 118 abstracts, Appendix: Quaderno n. 2-3 – Documenti e problemi missionari.

Vol. XXVII (1963): [Rommerskirchen-Kowalsky-Metzler] 184 pages, 1,153 bibliographical citations, 144 abstracts, Appendix: Quaderno n. 4-5 – Documenti e problemi missionari.

Vol. XXVIII (1964): [Rommerskirchen-Kowalsky-Metzler] 223 pages, 993 bibliographical citations, 147 abstracts, Appendix: Quaderno n. 6-7 – Documenti e problemi missionari.

Vol. XXIX (1965): [Rommerskirchen-Kowalsky-Metzler] 215 pages, 1,555 bibliographical citations, 106 abstracts, Appendix: Quaderno n. 8 – Documenti e problemi missionari.

Vol. XXX (1966): [Rommerskirchen-Metzler-Henkel] 211 pages, 1,530 bibliographical citations, 37 reviews and abstracts; In memoriam, Bibliografia del P. Nocola Kowalsky, OMI; Appendix: Quaderno n. 9 – Documenti e problemi missionari.

Vol. XXXI (1967): [Rommerskirchen-Metzler-Henkel] 189 pages, 1,393 bibliographical citations, 27 reviews and abstracts, Appendix: Quaderno n. 10 – Documenti e problemi missionari.

Vol. XXXII (1968): [Rommerskirchen-Metzler-Henkel] 295 pages, 1,396 bibliographical citations, 2 reviews and abstracts, Appendix: Quaderno n. 11 – Documenti e problemi missionari.

Vol. XXXIII (1969): [Rommerskirchen-Metzler-Henkel] 230 pages, 1,540 bibliographical citations, 50 reviews and abstracts, Appendix: Quaderno n. 12 – Documenti e problemi missionari.

Vol. XXXIV (1970): [Rommerskirchen-Metzler-Henkel] 221 pages, 1,557 bibliographical citations, 51 reviews and abstracts, Appendix: Quaderno n. 13 – Documenti e problemi missionari.

Vol. XXXV (1971): [Rommerskirchen-Metzler-Henkel] 213 pages, 1,530 bibliographical citations, 59 reviews and abstracts, Appendix: Quaderno n. 14 – Documenti e problemi missionari.

Vol. XXXVI (1972): [Rommerskirchen-Metzler-Henkel] 273 pages, 1,624 bibliographical citations, 1 review, Appendix: Quaderno n. 15 – Documenti e problemi missionari.

Vol. XXXVII (1973): [Rommerskirchen-Metzler-Henkel] 238 pages, 1,546 bibliographical citations, 75 reviews and abstracts, Appendix: Quaderno n. 16 – Documenti e problemi missionari.

Vol. XXXVIII (1974): [Rommerskirchen-Metzler-Henkel] 265 pages, 1,675 bibliographical citations, 57 reviews and abstracts, Appendix: Quaderno n. 17 – Documenti e problemi missionari.

Vol. XXXIX (1975): [Rommerskirchen-Metzler-Henkel-Dominguez] 302 pages, 1,762 bibliographical citations, 74 reviews and abstracts; P. Tchao, Rassegna dei periodici cattolici in lingua cinese. Appendix: Quaderno n. 18 – Documenti e problemi missionari.

Vol. XL (1976): [Rommerskirchen-Metzler-Henkel-Dominguez] 336 pages, 2,232 bibliographical citations, 55 reviews and abstracts, Appendix: Quaderno n. 19 – Documenti e problemi missionari.

Vol. XLI (1977): [Henkel-Metzler-Dominguez] 320 pages, 2,027 bibliographical citations, 69 reviews and abstracts, In memoriam, Bibliografia del P. Giovanni Battista Rommerskirchen, OMI. Appendix: Quaderno n. 20 – Documenti e problemi missionari.

Vol. XLII (1978): [Henkel-Metzler-Dominguez] 340 pages, 2,249 bibliographical citations, 69 reviews and abstracts, Appendix: Quaderno n. 21 – Documenti e problemi missionari.

Vol. XLIII (1979): [Henkel-Metzler-Dominguez] 306 pages, 2,026 bibliographical citations, 62 reviews and abstracts, Appendix: Quaderno n. 22 – Documenti e problemi missionari.

Vol. XLIV (1980): [Henkel-Metzler] 392 pages, 2,603 bibliographical citations, 85 reviews and abstracts, Appendix: Quaderno n. 23 – Documenti e problemi missionari.

Vol. XLV (1981): [Henkel-Metzler] 344  pages, 2,429 bibliographical citations, 78 reviews and abstracts, Appendix: Quaderno n. 24 – Documenti e problemi missionari.

Vol. XLVI (1982): [Henkel-Metzler] 394 pages, 2,876 bibliographical citations, 75 reviews and abstracts, Appendix: Quaderno n. 25 – Documenti e problemi missionari.

Vol. XLVII (1983): [Henkel-Metzler] 376 pages, 2,867 bibliographical citations, 57 reviews and abstracts, Appendix: Quaderno n. 26 – Documenti e problemi missionari.

Vol. XLVIII (1984): [Henkel-Metzler] 375 pages, 3,017 bibliographical citations, 62 reviews and abstracts.

Vol. IL (1985): [Henkel-Metzler] 373 pages, 2,972 bibliographical citations, 73 reviews and abstracts.

Vol. L (1986): [Henkel-Metzler] 410 pages, 3,490 bibliographical citations, 72 reviews and abstracts, Special Introduction: J. Baumgartner, One and the Same Mission Throughout Changing Times. On the Occasion of the Fiftieth Volume of “Bibliografia Missionaria”.

Vol. LI (1987): [Henkel-Metzler] 336 pages, 2,955 bibliographical citations, 48 reviews and abstracts.

Vol. LII (1988): [Henkel-Metzler] 408 pages, 3,542 bibliographical citations, 63 reviews and abstracts.

Vol. LIII (1989): [Henkel-Metzler] 381 pages, 3,338 bibliographical citations, 67 reviews and abstracts.

Vol. LIV (1990): [Henkel] 399 pages, 3,270 bibliographical citations, 40 reviews and abstracts.

Vol. LV (1991): [Henkel] 454 pages, 3,603 bibliographical citations, 45 reviews and abstracts.

Vol. LVI (1992): [Henkel] 494 pages, 3,854 bibliographical citations, 57 reviews and abstracts.

Vol. LVII (1993): [Henkel] 400 pages, 3,163 bibliographical citations, 36 reviews and abstracts.

Vol. LVIII (1994): [Henkel] 345 pages, 2,653 bibliographical citations, 39 reviews and abstracts.

Vol. LIX (1995): [Henkel] 411 pages, 3,279 bibliographical citations, 56 reviews and abstracts.

Vol. LX (1996): [Henkel] 406 pages, 3,239 bibliographical citations, 45 reviews and abstracts.

Vol. LXI (1997): [Henkel] 405 pages, 3,312 bibliographical citations, 48 reviews and abstracts.

Vol. LXII (1998): [Henkel-Rostkowski] 390 pages, 3,093 bibliographical citations, 43 reviews and abstracts.

Vol. LXIII (1999): [Henkel-Rostkowski] 374 pages, 3,113 bibliographical citations, 52 reviews and abstracts.

Vol. LXIV (2000): [Rostkowski-Henkel] 382 pages, 3,129 bibliographical citations, 66 reviews and abstracts.

Vol. LXV (2001): [Rostkowski] 391 pages, 3,275 bibliographical citations, 50 reviews and abstracts.

Vol. LXVI (2002): [Rostkowski] 408 pages, 3,340 bibliographical citations, 44 reviews and abstracts.

Vol. LXVII (2003): [Rostkowski] 477 pages, 3,824 bibliographical citations, 40 reviews.

Vol. LXVIII (2004): [Rostkowski] 399 pages, 2,985 bibliographical citations, 41 reviews.

Vol. LXIX (2005): [Rostkowski] 348 pages, 2,653, bibliographical citations, 51 reviews.

Vol. LXX (2006): [Rostkowski] 430 pages, 3,474 bibliographical citations, 28 reviews, Appendix: Fifty Years of the Encyclical “Fidei Donum” of Pope Pius XII. Bibliography

Vol. LXXI (2007): [Rostkowski] 473 pages, 3,858 bibliographical citations, 35 reviews. Appendix: Presentation of the 70^th of “Bibliographia Missionaria”. Pontifical Urbaniana University, Vatican City, December 6, 2007.

Vol. LXXII (2008): [Rostkowski] 538 pages, 4,138 bibliographical citations, 39 reviews.

Vol. LXXIII (2009): [Rostkowski] 638 pages, 5,009 bibliographical citations, 36 reviews. Appendix: Twenty-five Years of the Code of Canon Law. Missionary Canon Law – Bibliography: 1983-2008.

Vol. LXXIV (2010): [Rostkowski] 568 pages, 4,480 bibliographical citations, 45 reviews.

Vol. LXXV (2011): [Rostkowski] 573 pages, 4,616 bibliographical citations, 40 reviews.

Vol. LXXVI (2012): [ROSTKOWSKI] 568 pages, 4,577 bibliographical citations, 50 reviews. Introduction of List of journal indexed. From this volume, I introduced International Advisory Board:

Gerald H. ANDERSON, Overseas Ministries Study Center, New Haven, CT, USA

Stuart C. BATE, OMI, University KwaZulu-Natal, Republic of South Africa

Jonathan J. BONK, Boston University, MA, USA

William R. BURROWS, New York Theological Seminary, NY, USA

Claudia von COLLANI, University of Würzburg, Germany

Gianfrancesco COLZANI, Pontifical Urbaniana University, Vatican City

Paul V. KOLLMAN, CSC, University of Notre Dame, IN, USA

Roman MALEK, SVD, Monumenta Serica Institute, Sankt Augustin, Germany

Sandra MAZZOLINI, Pontifical Urbaniana University, Vatican City

Michael Nai-Chiu POON, Trinity Theological College, Singapore

Marie-Hélène ROBERT, Université Catholique de Lyon, France

John ROXBOROGH, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand

Jarosław RÓŻAŃSKI, OMI, Cardinal Stefan, Wyszynski University, Warsaw, Poland

Nicolas STANDAERT, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Belgium

Paul F. STUEHRENBERG, Yale University Divinity School Library, CT, USA

Zbigniew WESOŁOWSKI, SVD, Monumenta Serica Institute, Sankt Augustin, Germany

Adam WOLANIN, SI, Pontifical Gregorian University, Italy

Vol. LXXVII (2013): [ROSTKOWSKI] 575 pages, 4,727 bibliographical citations, 41 reviews.

Vol. LXXVIII (2014): [ROSTKOWSKI] 534 pages, 3,984 bibliographical citations, 44 reviews.