Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Santiago del Chile (Agenzia Fides) - The president of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Chile, Bishop Alejandro Goic Karmelic of Rancaguay has announced the publication on 12 December, feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, of a Pastoral Letter addressed to Catholics living in rural areas and people who work the land. The Letter will be signed by the president of the National Institute of Rural Pastoral Care, Bishop Enrique Troncoso Troncoso of the diocese of Melipilla.
Bishop Goic said the letter has been written after speaking with people who work the land and listening to their joys and difficulties, and great concern with regard to changes for life and work in the countryside, their hopes and perplexities and powerlessness in persisting situations of injustice. The Letter will strive to respond to these difficulties. Since the last such Letter issued in 1993, “many changes have touched every aspect of life", globalisation and changes in production and marketing of agricultural products, diffidence between large and small farmers, emigration of young people from rural areas which weakens family life.... These situations said Bisho. Goic, “call for new answers in keeping with rural history, culture and values”, therefore “we face new challenges, new problems and new opportunities”.
In finding solutions four values must be respected: human dignity; solidarity as the basis of relations, in the rural areas and in society as a whole; subsidiarity and esteem for the contribution of every person and organisation; the common good and universal destination of the goods of the earth, respect for the rights of the poor and the suffering.
The Bishop said the Pastoral Letter, “will treat these and other aspects and situations in rural areas demanding special attention, the family, youth, adults, the right to work, farming policies and education ". (RG) (Agenzia Fides 20/11/2007: righe 26, parole 355)
