AMERICA/MEXICO - We are all implied in the Continental Mission

Mexico City (Agenzia Fides) – The Bishops of Mexico have prepared the final document of the XC Plenary Assembly, which emphasizes the Church's involvement in the Continental Mission. "We come together to share the different experiences of the Permanent Continental Mission in our dioceses and to discover the ways of the Spirit to animate the processes and strategies," reads the document sent to Fides.
"The year 2010, the bicentennial of independence and the centenary of the Revolution, has given us the opportunity to rethink the definition of our identity and our ongoing commitment to be free and just in a society that is undergoing a deep cultural crisis that is shaking its foundations and challenges its future," the bishops say.
They continue: "The Church is called to deeply rethink and relaunch, with more fidelity and courage, its mission under new circumstances. Faced with new challenges, we can return to the call to be missionaries of hope, illuminated by the power of the Holy Spirit in a new Pentecost, which gives us confidence to overcome the fears, worries, and difficulties of our time. We assume with renewed enthusiasm the opportunity to be disciples and missionaries, to live and share the most precious treasure that is Christ and His Gospel of salvation. Similarly, we reaffirm the commitment to be the protagonists of the processes and strategies of the permanent mission, so that it becomes effective in each of the dioceses of our country."
The bishops' appeal to work in the perspective of Permanent Continental Mission is meant for everyone, but especially for priests and religious, who have a difficult ministry to carry out in Mexico. Many priests have been threatened and violence has affected many parts of the country. There are parishes that have had to change the schedule of Masses on Sunday for safety reasons. Thus, in referring to the permanent mission, the bishops conclude their document with these words: "We are all required to move beyond a ministry based on the repetition of actions and improvisations. We are called to implement a creative and convinced apostolate, to organize the priorities of our diocese, and to develop a prophetic spirituality in communion." The document is signed by the President of the Mexican Bishops' Conference (CEM), Archbishop Carlos Aguiar Retes of Tlalnepantla, and by Bishop Víctor René Rodríguez Gómez, Auxiliary Bishop of Texcoco, Secretary General of the CEM. (CE) (Agenzia Fides 12/11/2010)