Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Buenos Aires (Agenzia Fides) – The fact that more than 9 million pesos will be distributed among the poor throughout the country does not seem to be important news, but seeing how it is distributed by "Mas por Menos," the money seems to multiply. These were the words of the Bishop of San Carlos de Bariloche, Fernando Maletti, one of the bishops responsible for the collection that will be held tomorrow, Sunday, September 12, one of two annual initiatives that aims to support "all the activities of the Church's evangelization in the country.”
Encouraged by the outcome of last year's collection, which grew by 33% compared to 2008, the bishops expect a similar response this weekend. "In addition to the quantity, the number of volunteers has also increased and with it, the knowledge that this is an initiative of the Catholic Church for all people," said Bishop Maletti, adding that “everyone, Catholics and non alike, will be able to benefit from the aid; likewise, those who offer a donation do not have to be Catholic.”
Like the other major annual collection organized by the Church (the one promoted by Caritas, which takes place in June), "Mas por Menos" offers the opportunity to contribute without having to attend a religious celebration and the offer may also be made after the Second Sunday of September (the date on which the collection has been taken up for the past 41 years).
The increase in donations in the country has tripled in the last seven years. They have gone from a collection of just under 3 million pesos in 2002 to just over 9 million in 2009. The money is intended for those who are carrying out pastoral and social projects, such as soup kitchens, chapels, meeting rooms, halls for youth activities, and homes for children or the elderly.
Bishop Maletti said that the collection is a real help in facing three major problems in Argentina today: the lack of a future for children, adolescents, and young people; the dissolution of family ties; and the legal vacuum that makes it easy for minors to possess a weapon, have access to drugs, and suffer exploitation.
For another one of the promoters of this initiative, the Bishop of Goya (Corrientes), Bishop Ricardo Faifer, the collection is an effort, as the Church, to meet the needs of everyone in an integral manner. The Archbishop of Santa Fe and Second Vice-President of the Bishops' Conference, Archbishop Jose Maria Arancedo, said that the collection began as a response of communion to the areas with the greatest economic and social disparities in the country." Responding to those who are dubious about these initiatives of the Church, Bishop Arancedo replied: "As the Church, we are not meant to give technical solutions. However, as a Church, we must accompany the with our words, our presence, and with our practical support and our reality." The slogan of the 2010 collection is "Let's build a history without anyone being excluded," to create consciousness and awareness of the poverty and exclusion that afflict so many people in Argentina. (CE) (Agenzia Fides 11/09/2010)
