Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Cochabamba (Agenzia Fides) - The Bishops of Bolivia are meeting in Cochabamba for the 91st Assembly for the episcopate. From May 2nd they are gathered in the House of Cardinal Maurer for the preparatory meetings in the light of this Assembly that starts today, May 5. Mgr.Oscar Aparicio, Auxiliary Bishop of La Paz, general Secretary of the Bishops' Conference, informed during a press conference that this meeting will discuss various topics, including the preparation of a pastoral letter on ecology. The permanent Mission is another important issue, remembering that two years have passed since the beginning of this pastoral of the Church in Bolivia. The Catholic University and the educational service provided to the Bolivian society is another topic on the agenda.
Among the activities of the Assembly there is a tribute to the memory of Pope John Paul II, organized by the Archdiocese of Cochabamba. For this tribute to the Missionary Pope, the Archbishop Giambattista Diquattro, Apostolic Nuncio in Bolivia; Mgr. Jesus Juarez, President of the Social Pastoral and Caritas Boliviana, and Mgr.Tito Solari, Archbishop of Cochabamba will speak.
On Sunday, May 8, during the Eucharist which will be concelebrated by all the Bishops in the cathedral, the commitment to the Permanent Mission of Cochabamba will be renewed. In the note sent to Fides, it can be seen that the analysis of the social reality of the country is included on the agenda of this meeting, but about this, Mgr.Aparicio said that a couple of weeks ago, the Bolivian Bishops' Conference presented the pastoral letter, "Catholics in Bolivia today, a presence of hope and commitment" (see Fides 14/04/2011, 18/04/2011). "This document touches many of the internal aspects of the Church and the major social issues of the country from the perspective of faith," underlined the general Secretary of the CEB. (EC) (Agenzia Fides 05/05/2011
