Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Vatican City (Fides Service) - “Receiving the Pallium from the hands of Pope John Paul II is doubly significant, firstly because the Pallium is a sign of the mission with which we are entrusted , that is to be Shepherds and secondly because John Paul II, a gift of God to humanity in these times, is more than ever an eloquent example of fidelity, perseverance and courage in his mission, and of undeniable love for each one every one of his sons and daughters. In his physical weakness the Pope is more than ever strong and credible. Precisely because the fragility of his body reminds us to have unconditioned faith in the One who has called us. Jesus knows our limits and our unworthiness and yet he chose us and so he will give us courage to fulfil this arduous mission as long as we too, like sheep, let ourselves be guided by the Good Shepherd.” These sentiments were voiced by Peruvian Archbishop Juan Antonio Ugarte Pérez, Archbishop of Cuzco, in a conversation with Fides on the occasion of the imposition of the Pallium by the Holy Father.
“The sheep’s wool of which the Pallium is made reminds us of the spirit with which we are called to carry out our task: the same simplicity, tenderness, concern and care as Jesus the Good Shepherd who cares for every one of His sheep but gives special care to those in danger of being lost and are therefore most in need of attention ” Archbishop Ugarte told Fides.
Illustrating the pastoral challenges facing his archdiocese and the whole Church in Peru, the Archbishop Cuzco said that a priority challenge is “the scarcity of priests in proportion to the number of faithful to be cared for. In fact in the present situation we are unable to reach all of our people. Our churches are always full but most of the faithful are unknown to us, it is impossible to contact them all. This situation provides an opportunity for religious sects to make new members: in fact the people are hungry for God and will follow anyone who speaks to them of God”.
In this context, the Archbishop of Cuzco focuses his efforts above all on vocation pastoral, fostering priestly and religious vocations; care and formation of seminarians and priests: “Thank God in my diocese at the moment I have 80 seminarians to whom I devote all my energies: I try to follow them closely, visiting them and speaking with their formators”.
The scarcity of priests and generally low level of the people’s Christian formation has led to a crisis in ethic and moral values: most children are born out of wedlock to couples who are not married. “Our efforts are focused on long term formation at every level, to help the new generations rediscover the fundamental value of the family and of ethic and moral values which must support a society. Our pastoral aim is to make irregular unions real families”. “However this will require time- Archbishop Ugarte Pérez told Fides-, we cannot think to change mentalities in a short time, this requires slow and progressive maturation ”.
Another concern is the institutional crisis in Peru. Statistics on the grade of acceptation of government and the reliability of institutions are very low. “For years the Church has been the country’s only moral point of reference. Faced with a people who look to her with hope, the Church has a grave responsibility to not disappoint them and to ensure that her activity and life are always exemplary giving testimony of coherence between what is preached and what is practised. If good example is necessary everywhere- the Archbishop concludes -, this is certainly true in Peru where there is a serious institutional crisis of government, ethic and moral values and a marked presence of religious sects. (R.Z.) (Agenzia Fides 30/6/2004; Righe 44; Parole 680)
