Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Bogota (Agenzia Fides) – On March 10-12, the city of Bogota (Colombia) hosted an Encounter for Secretary Generals and Delegates from Bishops' Conferences, on the Continental Mission.
The convention organized by Secretary General of CELAM (Latin American Bishops' Council), Archbishop Victor Sanchez of Puebla, Mexico (recently appointed), was aimed at sharing experiences of what is happening all over Latin American in relation to the Continental Mission called for at Aparecida. The last day of the Encounter was dedicated to reflecting on the social and political situation, as well as the situation of the Church, in each of the 22 countries, in light of the evangelization promoted by the Bishops' Conferences.
On the theme of the Continental Mission, each of the 22 Bishops' Conferences presented its plans and methods of acting, all of them aimed at carrying out what was expressed in the guidelines from the 5th General Conference of Latin American Bishops in Aparecida (Brazil).
This Mission hopes to give a missionary boost to the entire Church in Latin America and the Caribbean, placing her in a permanent state of mission, which implies moving from a “pastoral activity centered on conservation to a pastoral activity that is decisively missionary in character.” It means going out more than staying inside our churches. It is not proselytism, but an awakening of the Christian in his missionary identity.
All the Bishops' Conferences mentioned that in their country, the Continental Mission implies a personal, pastoral, and ecclesial conversion, which means it demands deep changes in our way of living the faith, organizing pastoral activities, administering the Church, and serving the world, leaving behind the old ways that have marked our path. There is a great insistence on the fact that the Continental Mission is a path of ecclesial and social transformation.
Several Conferences have proposed general guidelines for the dioceses, parishes, and Catholic schools, and form part of preparations for the celebration of the Bicentennial Anniversary of Independence, which will be taking place in the majority of the countries, recalling the foundational and important role of the Catholic Church in the birth of the new free nations.
The second theme of the Encounter focused on the social and political situation of each country. Social problems emerge such as violence in connection with drug trafficking, the threat of democracy in mainly socialist countries, such as Venezuela, Ecuador, Bolivia, and Nicaragua. The impact of globalization, poverty, unemployment, and violence. There is a common interest among legislators to legalize abortion, permit homosexual marriages, and promote gender ideology and so-called reproductive health care. These and other challenges were presented during the talks given by the various Secretary Generals of Bishops' Conferences.
Lastly, there was an evaluation on CELAM in relation to promoting ecclesial communion, communication, and pastoral services. The responses all affirmed that CELAM is meeting its objectives and that it is an extremely important in ecclesial coordination and communion for the life of the Catholic Church in Latin America. Several suggestions have been made for improving teamwork and to distribute more pastoral materials among the 22 countries. Lastly, they observed that in spite of the persecutions suffered in several countries, by totalitarian regimes or with secularism or anti-Catholic perspectives, and in spite of the little funds available for carrying out the Mission, the Catholic Church is alive and with great humility offers the wealth of Life, announcing and bearing witness to Jesus Christ, the Way, the Truth, and the Life. (RG) (Agenzia Fides 16/3/2009)
