AMERICA/BOLIVIA - Countdown for the 5th American Missionary Congress, the latest in a long series

Santa Cruz de la Sierra (Agenzia Fides) - The Fifth American Missionary Congress (CAM 5), will take place in Santa Cruz de la Sierra (Bolivia) from 9 to 14 July 2018 and will focus on "America on a mission, the Gospel is joy!". The Holy Father has appointed Cardinal Fernando Filoni, Prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples, to be his Special Envoy at the celebrations of the Fifth American Missionary Congress.
The origins of the American Missionary Congresses (CAM) can be found in the Latin American Missionary Congresses (COMLA), born for inspiration and promotion of the Pontifical Mission Societies (PMS), organized in collaboration with the Episcopal Conferences, the particular Churches and all the organisms and the missionary realities of the continent.
The COMLA were preceded by the National Missionary Congresses of Mexico. In 1977 this country celebrated the VII National Missionary Congress in the city of Torreón. The presence of Cardinal Agnelo Rossi, then Prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples, and of the delegations of the various countries of Latin America, gave this Congress a continental character, making it therefore the first COMLA. Important decisions for the missionary commitment Ad gentes of the American Church came from COMLA and then from CAM.

First Latin American Missionary Congress (COMLA 1)
It was celebrated in Torreón (Mexico) from 20 to 23 November 1977 on the theme "Universal salvation, Mexico's commitment". At the end of the work three resolutions were taken: the foundation of a Latin American Center for missionary animation in Guadalupe; a greater commitment to pastoral care for lay missionary vocations without neglecting those of priests and consecrated life; the establishment of the Pontifical Mission Societies in all the Dioceses.

Second Latin American Missionary Congress (COMLA 2)
It was held in Tlaxcala, in Mexico, from 17 to 22 May 1983 on the theme "Together with Mary, Missionaries of Christ". In this Congress the acronym COMLA was made official.
Among the decisions taken there was support for the missionary service of the "Fidei donum" priests: "The particular Churches send some of their priests to the particular Churches that are most in need, as an expression of communion and participation in the evangelization of the world. We sincerely ask our priests who offer themselves generously to work in the missions, and that the Bishops promote and foster this ecclesial service". In addition, religious institutes born in Latin America, blessed with many vocations, were invited to make "some commitments in the Missions of other Continents". Finally, the establishment of "a Seminary or an Institute for Foreign Missions at a continental level" was requested.

Third Latin-American Missionary Congress (COMLA 3)
It took place in the Colombian capital of Bogotà from 5 to 8 July 1987, on the theme "America, your moment to evangelize has come".
"America is called to be a continent of missionary hope, it must send messengers to proclaim the Gospel to all peoples, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes", exhorted Pope John Paul II in his message to the participants.
From the reflections and the debates of the participants and work groups, numerous suggestions and proposals converged on the missionary commitment and on particular missionary initiatives to be adopted, addressed to all the components of the Church in the continent, in particular to solicit the missionary commitment of the laity.

Fourth Latin American Missionary Congress (COMLA 4)
It was held in Lima (Peru) from 3 to 9 February 1991, on the theme "Latin America, from your faith send missionaries".
In the final Message of COMLA 4, entitled "Faith is strengthened by giving it", it was affirmed: "The vitality of our Churches will develop to the extent that sending missionaries beyond their own frontiers is integrated as constant worry in the planning of their apostolic activities". The main fruit of this COMLA was the increase in the missionary awareness of the Latin American nations through the sending of the first missionary ad gentes teams.

Fifth Latin American Missionary Congress (COMLA 5)
It took place from July 18 to 23, 1995 in Belo Horizonte (Brazil), on the theme: "The Gospel in Cultures. The Path of Life and Hope". Holy Father John Paul II in his message to COMLA V said: "the mission that Jesus entrusted to his disciples and to the whole Church today presents us with three great challenges in Latin America: the encounter of the Gospel with indigenous, African American and mestizo cultures , the new evangelization and the mission ad gentes ... In response to these challenges, the ecclesial communities of Latin America must decisively pursue the preferential option for the poor and the marginalized".
Cardinal Jozef Tomko, Prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples, in his final exhortation reiterated that "it is time for Latin America to bring faith to peoples who do not yet know Christ, with courage and enthusiasm, in the absolute certainty that faith is strengthened by giving it". "The time has come not for an act of goodwill, generosity or by virtue of a preferential option, but because the path of evangelization ad gentes today represents the main and most important task assigned for Latin America and the Caribbean". (SL) (Agenzia Fides, 3/7/2018)

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