Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Bogota (Agenzia Fides) - On February 28 - March 2, the Second Congress of Church Movements and New Communities took place in the city of Bogota, Colombia. The event was organized by the Department for Ecclesial Communion and Dialogue of CELAM and was attended by 103 people. Among the attendees were Bishops, priests, religious, and laity from all over South America and the Caribbean (see Fides 26/2/2008).
At the Congress’ opening, Emeritus Archbishop Octavio Ruiz of Villavicencio, Vice-President of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America, read a message from Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, Secretary of State, through whom the Holy Father bestowed his Apostolic Blessing. The message stated that “the ecclesial movements and new communities are called to contribute with generosity to the evangelizing mission of the Church in this moment in time, with the wealth of faith experiences and a variety of educative and apostolic initiatives, maintaining always a spirit of communion.”
Prof. Guzmán Carriquiry Lecour, Undersecretary of the Pontifical Council for the Laity, spoke on “the Aparecida Event and the Ecclesial Movements,” focusing on the fact that the ecclesial movements and the new communities “are a gift and treasure for the Church.” What was of most importance, Prof. Guzmán Carriquiry said, was “that the event of Aparecida, including its final document, would continue being lived, communicated, and spread as much as possible throughout the entire continent” and that a great missionary spirit arise in all America. “We must take advantage of this time of grace. We need a new Pentecost! We need to meet the needs of people, families, communities, and towns, communicating and sharing the gift of the encounter with Christ, that has filled our lives with meaning, truth, love, joy, and hope!” he affirmed. He also recalled how the Fifth General Conference of Aparecida was the first in which a preparatory Congress of Ecclesial Movements and New Communities was held, as well as, the first in which representatives of these Church constituents could participate on their own initiative. He concluded his address by encouraging the movements to continue incorporating themselves into the various Church levels, especially in regards to the great task entrusted in Aparecida, to place themselves at the front line and be the leaders of the Continental Mission that will soon begin.
The Archbishop of Trujillo (Peru) and President of the Peruvian Bishops’ Conference, Archbishop Hector Miguel Cabrejos Vidarte, who is also member of the “ad hoc” committee for the Great Continental Mission, stated that the Mission “is the great hope of the Fifth Conference.” According to the Archbishop, the Church has always evangelized, however, “we are now facing the challenge of reviving our way of being Catholic and our personal decisions for the Lord, so that the Christian faith become evermore imbedded in the hearts of the Latin American people and towns, as the foundation of their lives and in a life-giving encounter with Christ.” He also warns that “this mission demands a conversion of the persons and structures of the Church and that the first permanent missionaries should be missionary team leaders.”
He also spoke of the various stages of the mission, always taking into account the day-to-day reality within each Episcopal Conference and Diocese. There will be a primary period of preparation for the circulation of the Aparecida message, in the form of a mission, until August 2008, with the celebration of the Third American Missionary Congress CAM 3. During this event, there will be an announcement of the mission and a missionary sending out to the entire Continent. Immediately following these events, there will be a period of intense missionary activity for the Pastoral Ministry workers, Missionary leaders, and Core Teams, who will participate in a Regional Mission and then a Territorial Mission. Lastly, there will be a period of follow-up, to ensure the permanent nature of the mission, with the Pastoral Ministry leaders.
It is also important that there be common signs and gestures. CELAM has offered some suggestions: celebrating the great liturgical feasts with a missionary theme, distributing the brochure containing a brief explanation on the mission’s meaning, and the distribution of the prayer for the missions, inspired by the Holy Father in Aparecida. A list of missionary songs and a Hymn based on the official prayer.
Each year will be dedicated to a certain social group: 2008, Immigrants; 2009, Homeless; 2010, Imprisoned; and 2011, Addicts. Archbishop Miguel Cabrejos concluded his exposition, mentioning the theme for the Mission: “that Jesus Christ be recognized in the entire continent of Latin America and the Caribbean as Lord and God, and that the Church be established in each community.”
As part of the preparations for the Great Mission of March 3-7, these will be a meeting in the headquarters of the Colombian Bishops’ Conference, for the Presidents of Bishops’ Conferences and their Secretary Generals in order to discuss CELAM’s Global Plan for 2007-2011, and the challenges of the Continental Mission. This event will be followed by a meeting of the “ad hoc” committee for the Continental Mission, in order to reflect on the methodology and themes. (RG) (Agenzia Fides 4/3/2008; righe 69, parole 842)
