AMERICA/ECUADOR - Cardinal Antonio González Zumárraga presents “A History of Mission in Ecuador”: “the missionaries were motivated not by thirst for fame of power or money of human gratitude but for the glory of God and the salvation of souls”

Quito (Agenzia Fides) - Cardinal Antonio González Zumárraga, emeritus Archbishop of Quito, honorary president of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Ecuador and president of the Central Committee of the Third American Mission Congress CAM 3, presented "A History of Mission in Ecuador" a clear and complete summary of the missions in the country from to beginning to the present day. Osvaldo Fierro, CAM 3 executive secretary said the presentation was made during a plenary assembly of the Bishops as part of preparations for CAM 3. Certain pages of history "show the real face of the Church in Ecuador, persevering in preaching the Word of God and in commitment to help the poor and the forgotten live a more worthy life ".
In his address the Cardinal recalled that from the beginning “the missionaries relied on the help of the Blessed Virgin Mary in their work of evangelisation and many invocations were used, Mary was referred to as Mother of God, Star of Evangelisation of Latin America. He said the "work of the missionaries can only be explained with the faith. Those priests were motivated not by a thirst for fame of power or money of human gratitude but for the glory of God and the salvation of souls". They faced numerous difficulties and some even died, "of disease, drowned in rivers, lost in the forests, put to death for the faith". "Their only strength was the Cross of Christ, for Christ they left everything and went into forests filled with danger " the Cardinal said.
Moreover " missionaries have always defended justice and promoted peace, learned languages, written grammar books and dictionaries, preserved the historic memories of the different countries. The Church was truly ‘a human place' for the encounter of peoples”.
Cardinal Antonio González conclude speaking of mission today, "new challenges in the field of human rights, of individuals and groups, drug trafficking, guerrilla warfare in neighbouring countries, aggressive de-forestation, changes proposed by anti human and anti Christian testimony by authorities and colonisers". Missionaries today carry on the tradition:: “they preach the faith and the message of salvation in Christ, they defend the indigenous peoples, the poor, the weak. The are involved in human promotion, education. The Missionaries have always done what Pope Benedict XVI encourages, to present the faith as a friend of man". (RG) (Agenzia Fides 25/10/2007; righe 34, parole 456)