AMERICA/MEXICO - Assembly continues sessions on parochial pastoral renewal: “The parish, as an evangelizing center must take up its role as community of communities.”

Mexico City (Agenzia Fides) - “The 87th Plenary Assembly is a moment to thank God for the blessings He has given us in the Renewal of the Consecration of Mexico to the Holy Spirit. It is also a time for trust in the Lord's Spirit, as the Assembly of Bishops and Pastoral Vicars is now reflecting on the road to take in pastoral renewal in parishes, at the light of the Aparecida Document and in this Continental Mission in Mexico, so as to offer guidelines for the 18 Ecclesiastical Provinces, 67 Diocese, and 5 Prelatures.” This is what the Bishops of Mexico expressed in a statement issued on April 21 at the opening of the Plenary Assembly.
“The parish, as an evangelizing center must take up its role as community of communities, where Christians live and learn to become disciples and missionaries of Christ. The parishes are living cells of the Church and a privileged place in which the majority of the faithful have a concrete experience of Christ, which then leads them to reach out in helping their brethren.” Thus, the renewal of the parishes “calls for restructuring, so that they can become a network of communities and groups...so that their members may truly realize that they must become disciples and missionaries of Christ, together with the rest of today's world.” For the Bishops at this difficult time, “the parish is the one that must form men and women with dedication and determination, capable of transforming society and living out values for a more just and more united society.”
In his homily at the opening Mass for the Assembly, Archbishop Domingo Diaz Martinez of Tulancingo, affirmed that “a parish is valuable, because of the virtues that are lived there; it is alive because the Eucharist is celebrated; it is great thanks to the dignity of its members; it is free because of the truth that is sought there; it is committed, for the defense of rights that takes place there; it is always missionary, because it is obedient to the Lord's command and is rich because of the exchange of goods that occurs there.”
Opening the sessions was Fr. Alexander Zatyrka, who gave a scientific reflection on the role of religion in the construction of culture and institutions, and presented the results of a study done by the Mexican Institute of Christian Social Doctrine on the situation of parishes in Mexico. These two elements helped present a vision of the whole, so that they could analyze the pastoral work of the parishes, within the social and ecclesial context of Mexico, in an effort to determine the priorities of parochial renewal. According to the results of the study, “the faithful of Mexico recognize the Church and her parishes as the most trustworthy institutions in the country, and yet, the majority of Catholics are unaware as to their organization, services, and modes of functioning.” Moreover, for many the parish is only “the administrative center for the sacraments” and they do not consider it as an important place of the life of the Christian. It is seen more as something that belongs to the parish priest and the priests. (RG) (Agenzia Fides 23/4/2009)