Serafín Suárez says mission requires listening and approaching others

Serafín Suárez, a priest from the Diocese of Badajoz and a missionary with the Instituto Español de Misiones Extranjeras (IEME), stated that mission begins with learning to listen and approach others. During a visit to UPA As Pontes for the 2026 DOMUND campaign, Suárez shared his experiences regarding the necessity of humility and cultural integration.

Suárez arrived in Zimbabwe in 1994, where he has worked in pastoral and social ministry. He noted that missionaries must undergo a process of inculturation and incardination by learning native languages. He explained that learning a language involves more than studying grammar, as it requires entering the lives of the people to understand their expressions, silences, joys, and sufferings.

He currently serves in the Dirección General of the IEME and works to promote missionary animation within the Church.