AMERICA/GUATEMALA - “Encourage in all Christian communities commitment to proclaiming and spreading the Good News of the Gospel at every latitude of the globe”: Pope Benedict XVI tells participants at National Mission Congress

Monday, 9 May 2005

Quetzaltenango (Fides Service) - On the occasion of the 2nd National Mission Congress in Guatemala held in Quetzaltenango 6 -8 May, Pope Benedict XVI sent a message to the thousands who took part expressing his affectionate greetings to both organisers and participants. The Holy Father underlined the need to “encourage in all Christian communities commitment to proclaiming and spreading the Good News of the Gospel at every latitude of the globe”. The Pope ended his message invoking the protection of the Blessed Virgin Mary, who is unequalled in her ability to show mankind her divine son Jesus, the only Saviour of the world.
Cardinal Crescenzio Sepe, Prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelisation of Peoples, also sent a message for the occasion of COMGUA 2, the National Mission Congress, in which among other things he said “the celebration of the Second American Mission Congress (CAM 2), was not only an event of joy and missionary spirit it was a time for growing in awareness that the Catholic Church exists to evangelise”, and for the Church to be always “on mission”, each of us must be animated by a profound missionary, universal and Catholic spirit. The Cardinal said “with COMGUA 2, once again the Lord has shown the Church in Guatemala the unlimited horizon of new evangelisation and mission ad gentes”. Therefore “the make the joyous proclamation of the Risen Christ resound powerfully in your society and beyond its frontiers, it is necessary to have the constant help of God. This help can only come from the Eucharist”. Therefore “the Eucharist must have first place in the life of our communities since this is the only way to obtain the indispensable energy to bear witness to Christ. The Sacrament of the Eucharist in fact, being the celebration of the Lord’s Paschal Mystery is in itself a missionary event. It builds that inseparable bond between communion and mission which makes the Church a ‘sacrament’ of Christ, Light to illuminate the nations.” (R.Z.) (Agenzia Fides 9/5/2005, righe 24, parole 341)


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