AMERICA/GUATEMALA - Bishops: "We are wounded by inequalities, mismanagement and corruption; let us work for the common good"

Guatemala City (Agenzia Fides) - "We want, in the name of Jesus, to renew the call to work for the common good, to announce God present and at work among us, to denounce the lack of commitment and indifference. Building the common good seems increasingly impractical in the face of the spontaneous demands of so many people in our society who live impoverished and excluded". This is how the Message of the Episcopal Conference of Guatemala begins, published at the end of the annual Plenary Assembly, held from February 7 to 11, during which the bishops reflected on the reality of the country and the mission of the Church. Noting the needs of the communities, the Bishops sympathize with those who have suffered most from the consequences of the pandemic and other ills that afflict them. "We are hurt by social inequality, mismanagement of resources and rampant corruption", they say, noting that "in most of our people there is a clear desire to overcome obstacles", despite the fact that many are prostrated by misery and a complete lack of opportunity, many struggle and find inspiration in faith. "Our people have a very large human reserve full of hope", they write, "which affirms its dignity and seeks to move forward". We encourage the main leaders of the common good and all others to continue doing what they can to build a better Guatemala". Recalling the words of Pope Francis on the inspiring principles of politics, the Bishops insist on the need to "work tirelessly for a legal architecture and an administration of justice that respond to the needs of the population and respect for the rights of the man for all". Therefore, urging the election of the magistrates of the Supreme Court of Justice, who should have been replaced two years ago (see Fides, 27/7/2021), they continue: "It is necessary to build peace through sincere and fruitful dialogue in our country, which takes up the Peace Accords, one of the best fruits of the recent past, which however have not yet been fully implemented". The pandemic has exacerbated the problems of the past: in the field of health, child malnutrition, lack of development in rural areas, unemployment, emigration and immigration... According to UN estimates, health, work, housing and basic human well-being are at a very low level for the majority of the population, the message notes. Particular attention should then be paid to the area of children and young people, who represent the highest percentage of the Guatemalan population.
"As Pastors who walk in this synodal stage with so many lay people, we want to listen and learn from each other.
This is why we urge you to combine resources, means and efforts to fulfill our mission evangelizing", insisted the Bishops, recalling the close links between evangelization and human promotion highlighted by Saint Paul VI. During the assembly, the Prelates also addressed certain intra-ecclesial questions, the message recalls: they met representatives of religious life, they reflected on the ministry of catechists and "on the heroic, irreplaceable and unconditional service that they give to evangelization"; they analyzed the situation of seminaries, emphasizing the need for well-prepared formators; they dwelt on the reality of the Pontifical Mission Societies, on family pastoral care which is particularly important for the transmission of the faith to younger generations, on the reality of the most vulnerable sectors, such as children, young people, women, migrants. .. "In these decisive moments in the history of Guatemala, they urged, we are called, as believers, to fulfill the teachings of Jesus, who showed us that the option for the poor is the heart of life of discipleship, and that our works of charity must also manifest themselves in the political dimension, which privileges the common good over any particular interest". The message ends by imploring the protection and intercession of our Mother Mary, invoked under the title of Virgin of Lourdes, having a thought for the sick and the health personnel who care for them, and again inviting the whole population to get vaccinated because it is one of the most effective ways to prevent death and serious harm. "Let us trust in the providence of God who never abandons us", concluded the Guatemalan Bishops. (SL) (Agenzia Fides, 14/2/2022)

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