Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
San Jose de Costa Rica (Fides Service) - This morning the National Directors of the Pontifical Mission Societies in Central American countries, members of the Central American Mission Commission, will address an assembly of the Secretariat of Bishops’ Conferences SEDAC in Santa Barbara de Heredia (San Jose de Costa Rica). Among other matters the PMS directors will present the Bishops with 3 books entitled “Memories of CAM 2” referring to four years of preparation for the 2nd American Mission Congress and its celebration. The Memories will be presented to the Church in Guatemala at the national level on 15 December. At the continental level they will be presented to a meeting for National Directors of the PMS of all America in Brazil in February 2005.
Father Manuel Pena, PMS National Director in Costa Rica, told Fides “on the same occasion there will be a verification of the Central American ad gentes mission plan, developments and goals reached. On the basis of these elements the participants will identify processes for the coming year”. One of 5 objectives proposed by the Central American ad gentes mission plan was the institution of a Central American Mission Commission to co-ordinate and facilitate activities necessary to complete the plan.
“The Missionary Parish” is the theme proposed for 2005. In January 2005 there will be a course or workshop in Guatemala as well as formation courses for agents of pastoral and missiology in order to diffuse the conclusions of CAM 2 and the Mission Plan to give continuity to the missionary movement reawakened by CAM 2.
After the meeting with the Bishops the National Directors will continue their meeting to programme next steps to complete the Central American ad gentes mission plan and discuss connected issues.
Two Cardinals and more than 50 Bishops are attending the meeting of Central American Bishops’ Conferences SEDAC 22 to 26 November. Besides electing new directors to guide SEDAC in the next few years, the Bishops will discuss the main social, political and religious challenges threatening the life of the central American people and draft common guidelines for pastoral activity in Central America. The topics being discussed by the Bishops include: challenges and opportunities at the social political, economic and church levels (armed conflict, increase in violence and insecurity, drug trafficking, violation of human rights, corruption in government bodies, etc); Migration in central America; Regional trade agreement with the United States. With regard to the latter the Bishops say trade agreements alone will not solve the deep lying problems of poverty and social and economic exclusion in the region: what is needed is a model of sustainable human development. (RZ) (Agenzia Fides 25/11/2004, righe 39, parole 510)
