Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Mexico City (Agenzia Fides) – In the spirit of the 6th World Meeting of Families in Mexico, CELAM's Support Team for Life Issues has held their second meeting, January 19-21, 2009. The meeting was organized by Bishop Antonio Augusto Dias Duarte, Chairman of the Team.
The Team began as one of the first fruits of the 5th General Conference of the Latin American Bishops which took place in Aparecida in May 2007. The centrality of “life” in Latin American, as mentioned in the Aparecida Document, led to the creation of a Team that would be exclusively dedicated to promoting and defending human life in all its stages, from conception until natural death.
The first meeting of the Team took place in Rio de Janeiro in March 2008. There, participants identified the main tasks awaiting the Team in the four-year period 2007-2011 and they marked out the guidelines for CELAM's global plan.
In this second meeting, held in Mexico January 19-21, they have made an analysis of the articles presented that will form part of the upcoming publication on “biological rights.” This publication hopes to be the first in a series of contributions that will help both pastors and faithful Christians to properly understand and faithfully announce the truths about the value of human life.
They are also preparing a “Bioethics Course for Latin American Bishops.” This forms part of the planned projects for the present four-year period and it will be an important step in strengthening the pastoral action on the continent. The course is planned to take place this coming October. The location is yet to be determined.
Editing and proposals continue for the “Statutes” of the bioethics committees of the Latin America-Caribbean Bishops' Conferences, whose creation is one of the main objectives of the Team.
At the opening of the meeting, the members of the Team (Bishop Antonio Augusto Días Duarte – Brazil-, Bishop Fernando Chomalí –Chile-, Fr. Alberto Bochatey –Argentina-, Dr. Ilva Hoyos – Colombia-, Dr. Pilar Calva –Mexico-, Dr. Jorge Scala – Argentina and Fr. José A. Díaz –Executive Secretary, Argentina-) evaluated the 6th World Meeting of Families. They pointed out not only the organization of the event, but also its rich content which was presented in a positive manner and avoided any confrontational tones in treating delicate topics for the Church and society. The close relationship between the family and life is a call to both these pastoral ministries to work in deep communion in order to improve their efforts. (RG) (Agenzia Fides 27/1/2009)
