Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Asuncion (Fides Service) - ‘Hope is necessary and possible’ was the title of a statement issued by the Bishops of Paraguay at the end of their 172nd plenary assembly. The statement was divided in four parts each with its own title: “The gravity of the situation”, “hope is necessary and possible”; “immediate and concrete action”, “a final reflection”.
The Bishops open their statement with a serene and courageous analysis of activity of evangelisation and pastoral work: they note “lack of inculturation which means that baptised persons often fail to assume the fundamental values of the Gospel and this prevents them from living in keeping with their Christian identity”. The Bishops voice concern for the nation “walking a dramatic and painful Via Crucis caused by spreading poverty, violence and crime which puts citizens in a situation of vulnerability, insecurity and without protection”.
The Bishops lament the disintegration of families caused by separation of the couple or the absence of parents, which leaves children in an existential void. Conflict over land, ever more accentuated and serious, demands urgent and integral land reforms, which are “not merely distribution of land”, but which promote development of farming, health, education and work..
Despite many recent changes, “judiciary has been weakened by repeated scandals due to corruption, nepotism, pressure, extortion...”. In this situation, the Bishops affirm “the judiciary power is no longer credible and is unable to effectively exercise justice when there is corruption in its structures”.
Faced with this situation the Bishops call on the people to “hold fast to hope relying not on weak human power but on the power of God who always comes to the aid of his people in the hour or anguish”. They call on public powers to enact a serious programme for the country to find solutions for the social conflicts relative to ownership and use of land, and the plague of widespread poverty. The Bishops urge the government to create conditions necessary to revive the national economy and face seriously the question of citizens’ security. They also call for more attention for children and youth, considering that 66% of Paraguayans are under 30 years old and represent “an enormous potential to challenge the creation of new structures, spaces for participation and opportunities”.
In its assembly the Bishops’ Conference remarked on positive achievements in recent times “including freedom of press and speech, spaces for encounter and dialogue among different sectors of society, formation of new political groups and movements which seriously believe that change is possible, and finally greater awareness among the people with regard to the value of human rights and dignity and the need to uproot the evil of corruption”. The statement ends with a call to Christians to work together to change unjust structures and to instil Christian values in the culture in which they live. (R.Z.) (Agenzia Fides 11/11/2004 - Righe 38; Parole 516)
