Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Brasilia (Fides Service) - The standing council of the Brazilian Bishops’ Conference has chosen as the theme for the Conference’s 43rd general assembly 6-15 April 2005 in Itaici-Indaiatuba “Evangelisation and prophetical mission of the Church in the face of present day challenges: dignity of human life and bio-technology; witness of Christian faith and religious and cultural pluralism; ecclesial commitment and social inclusion”.
Bishop Odilo Pedro Scherer, Vescovo auxiliary of São Paolo and secretary General of the Bishops’ Conference said the theme refers to fundamental and recurrent questions in the Guidelines for Evangelisation issued by the Church in Brazil with regard to new challenges. Underlining the importance and relevance of the theme chosen Bishop Scherer said evangelisation in Brazil faces new challenges which need to be clarified by the Bishops, for Catholics and for the whole of the country. “We are concerned at the new forms of violation of human dignity and lack of respect for human life, principles invoked to justify the debasement of human dignity. Scientific research and new technology raise important ethic questions which cannot be ignored or minimised” the Bishops said.
In her work of evangelisation the Church faces a post-modern culture which often has positions and references different from the values of the Gospel. Bishop Odilo called attention to the fact that religiosity in the post-modern era and of a globalised world, with its exuberance, syncretism, individualism and a certain market logic, “calls for a new arrangement of the Catholic Church’s evangelising activity which takes these realities into account and at the same time, presents its proposal with clarity affirming its Catholic Christian identity”. (R.Z.) (Agenzia Fides 6/11/2004; righe 22, parole 283)
