AMERICA/COSTA RICA - 4th Central American Meeting for vicars of pastoral and diocesan delegates for missions will outline pastoral plans suited to implement the conclusions of the Second American Mission Congress (CAM 2)

San Jose (Fides Service) - “Offer a theological-pastoral interpretation of CAM2 to highlight the more significant elements and the pastoral dynamics which should animate mission ad gentes in Central America in the coming years”, this is the objective of “- 4th Central American Meeting for vicars of pastoral and diocesan delegates ” . Father Antonio Bernasconi national director of the Pontifical Mission Societies in Guatemala reports to Fides. The meeting is taking place 16 to 18 February at the Poor Clares Pastoral Centre at Moravia de San José, in Costa Rica.
Other objectives of the meeting are: to give continuity to processes of pastoral and mission ad gentes started in the region of Central America during the preparation and celebration of CAM2; verify and evaluate the results of the preparatory and celebratory stages of CAM2; outline suitable pastoral plans at the regional level to implement the conclusions of CAM 2 which will be officially consigned at the meeting; establish a Commission to follow up CAM2 and act as a connecting ring to prepare for CAM3 in 2008 in Ecuador.
The work will open with the presentation of the programme and with words of welcome by Archbishop Osvaldo Padilla, Papal nuncio in Costa Rica, Bishop Vittorino Girardi, Bishop President of Costa Rica’s national commission for missions and Bishop Julio Cabrera Ovalle, Bishop of Jalapa and President of Guatemala’s Commission for Missions. On Tuesday 17, Father Ruano Victor Manuel and Brother Santiago Otero will give a conference, “CAM 2-COMLA 7, a theological-pastoral reading of the Congress” . Later that morning Bishop Julio Cabrera Ovalle will officially present the conclusions of CAM2 held last November in Guatemala and then in the afternoon the participants will work in regional groups to outline pastoral activity to implement the Congress conclusions. On the same day Bishop Alvaro Leonel Ramazzini Imeri Bishop of San Marcos (Guatemala) will address the question of the actuation of the Central America’s Mission ad Gentes Plan.
Father Massimo Cenci, PIME, under secretary of the Congregation for the Evangelisation of Peoples is attending the meeting as the personal envoy of Cardinal Crescenzio Sepe, Prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelisation of Peoples. (RZ)(Agenzia Fides 14/2/2004, lines 38 words 423)