Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Bogota (Fides Service) - An ambitious programme of “Pastoral Care of Children” undertaken by the Church in Colombia 2001 started first in two parishes Negativa and Garcés Navas in the capital, has spread to 17 diocese, involving 24 parishes and about 400 child pastoral operators who followed month by month more than 3,500 children and their families. IN January 2004 the programme was adopted in 30 other towns involving 113 parishes in 24 dioceses with the collaboration of 806 child pastoral workers given special formation who follow 8,471 children in 7,774 families.
“Pastoral Care of Children ” is a programme of the Childhood and Youth Department of the Colombian Bishops’ Conference which has a priority to proclaim Jesus Christ by unity faith and life. Therefore it is consists of a “strategic and preventive intervention in poorer communities to guarantee all children regardless of race, nationality, gender, religion all round education, respect for children’s rights, improved quality of life, by means of evangelisation to help families and communities so that all children may have life and have it in abundance”. This is part of a report sent to Fides by Father Luis Eduardo Castaño Cardona, National Director of the Pontifical Mission Societies in Colombia.
Among the objectives of the programme it highlights the following: accompany families to prepare parents to assume their mission with responsibility rendering them capable of looking after the health, nourishment, education and instruction in the from a very early age; promote peaceful coexistence, harmony and healthy life style in order to prevent domestic and abuse of children, eliminate diseases, infant mortality and death of pregnant mothers, etc.
The reach its objectives Pastoral Care of Children Pastorale adopted a method which puts children at the centre of the family and the community. This method necessarily involves the family and the community striving to embrace all the members to make the agents of their future. Child pastoral workers are the backbone of the project since they take the responsibility to help children a, strengthening ties in the family and orienting the family to fundamental actions in the fields of healthcare, nourishment, education, citizenship and education. Pastoral Care of Children works on four central areas (healthcare nutrition, education and citizenship) in the wider framework of evangelisation and catechesis. (R.Z.) (Agenzia Fides 11/6/2004; Righe 32; Parole 432)
