Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Cochabamba (Agenzia Fides) - To continue to support the evangelising activity of the Church, called to lead her members to be "disciples and missionaries of Christ, the Way, the Truth and the Life, that our peoples may have life in Him", at the end of October the Church in Bolivia held the 14th National Family Pastoral Meeting attended by delegates from 14 ecclesiastical jurisdictions. Fr. Fernando Bascopé, Bishops Conference secretary for Family Pastoral Care spoke of Family Pastoral in the light of 5th General Conference of the Council of Bishops' Conferences of Latin America and the Caribbean, held last May in Aparecida. The participants planned activity to intensify family pastoral all over the country with local and national meetings during 2008.
Bishop Gonzalo del Castillo, head of the Bishops Conference Family Commission, encouraged the diocesan representatives to continue to highlight the true value of the Christian family and he urged Catholic married couples to be authentic missionary disciples handing on to their children, faith, love and values which render people truly children of God. Each family must show the joy and beauty of being Christians.
Meeting resolutions included: commitment to strengthen existing means and create new ways of being more effective in every jurisdiction; to include concern for women suffering post abortion syndrome in Family Pastoral Care; national Family Week 6-12 October 2008 must have greater impact; the next National Family Pastoral Meeting will be held in November 2008; every year the Meeting is for delegates of jurisdictions; every three years it is open to all pastoral workers as a major national event; lastly, Bishops' Conference guidelines should be immediately communicated to assessors and coodinators to be taken into account in Family Pastoral planning. (RG) (Agenzia Fides 6/11/2007; righe 23, parole 326)
