Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Vatican City (Agenzia Fides) - The Holy Father Pope Benedict XVI has addressed a Letter to Archbishop Geraldo Lyrio Rocha, Archbishop of Mariana and President of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Brazil, on the occasion of Fraternity Campaign 2008, which starts on Ash Wednesday 6 February the first day of Lent. The theme of this year's campaign is “Fraternity and protection of Life”, with the motto “Choose life!”.
In his Letter the Pope says “every threat to life must be fought". "This is why in the opening address for 5th General Conference of the Council of Bishops' Conferences of Latin America and the Caribbean - the Letter continues - I pointed out that paths traced by a culture without God and his commandments, or even against God, are always ‘cultures against the human person and against the good of the peoples of Latin America.” At the same time the final Document of Aparecida, the Pope recalls affirms that “an encounter with Christ is the starting point to reject these paths of death and choose life; it is also the point from which we start to give full recognition to the sacredness of life and the dignity of the human person”.
The Holy Father says he hopes that in this year's Fraternity Campaign "various organisms of social society will support the will of the people, of whom the great majority rejects all forms contrary to the moral demands of justice and respect for human life from conception to natural end”.
Benedict XVI concludes his message asking the Lord to protect Brazil with his loving hand “and the new life in Christ will embrace the whole person in every dimension personal, family, social and cultural, bestowing gifts of peace and prosperity and awakening in every heart sentiments of fraternity and active cooperation”. (RG) (Agenzia Fides 6/2/2008; righe 22, parole 309)
