Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Montevideo (Agenzia Fides) – On November 18, in Montevideo (Uruguay), marked the founding of the “Pastoral da Criança Internacional – Childhood Ministry,” whose purpose is to promote activities geared towards the reduction of the infant and mother mortality rates, malnutrition, domestic violence, and the integral development of children, from the moment of conception, in their family and community settings. Participating in the event were its international founders, as well as those from Brazil: Zilda Arns Neumann, pediatrics practitioner, founder and international coordinator of the "Pastoral da Criança"; Jorge Gerdau Johannpeter, Director and President of the business “Gerdau,” Cardinal Odilo Pedro Scherer, Archbishop of São Paulo (Brazil) and Geraldo Majella Agnelo, Primate, Archbishop of São Salvador (Brazil), in addition to representatives from the government, ambassadors, and representatives of international organizations.
The institution began 25 years ago in Brazil and is now present throughout all Brazil, as well as in 17 Latin American nations (Argentina, Bolivia, Honduras, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Panama, Mexico, Guatemala, Paraguay, Venezuela, and now Uruguay), in Africa (Angola, Guinea-Bissau, Guinea, and Mozambique), and in Asia (Philippines and East Timor).
The “Pastoral da Criança” was begun by Dr. Zilda Arns and the then-Archbishop of Londrina Geraldo Majella Agnelo. Their motto was: “...so that boys and girls may 'have life and have it to the full.'” (Jn 10:10).
The “Pastoral da Criança” is now reaching out to about 20% of the children from poor families in Brazil and is present in 42,000 communities of 4,063 cities in various diocese and prelatures of Brazil. Where they are present, the infant mortality rate is 11 deaths out of every 1,000 born, half of what is the national average in Brazil, which is 22/1,000 (according to records from the Health Ministry 2006). The percentage of malnutrition among children cared for by the “Pastoral da Criança” in 2007 was 3.1%, a hopeful number, considering that the World Health Organization (WHO) applies its controls beginning at 4%.
The “Pastoral da Criança” International receives donations of all kind and currency, later applying it to the various initiatives and aid projects it runs all over the world. Uruguay has been chosen as a headquarters, because there, the organization counts on the backing of a legislation that will allow “Pastoral da Criança” to support activities in other countries. The coordination of the international entity will be carried out by professionals in Brazil and Uruguay. (RG) (Agenzia Fides 19/11/2008)
