Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Lima (Fides Service) - The 1st National Meeting of RIIAL-Peru opened yesterday 9 May in Lima, with the title “For a Human Network of Answers and Aid” and will close on 13 May. About 90 participants from all over the country include information technology experts, media operators, priests, religious and lay people. The purpose of the meeting is to encourage and help pastoral operators to use the new means of communication in their work. The meeting, being held at the offices of the Peruvian Bishops’ Conference, opened with a Mass presided by the general secretary of the Bishops’ Conference Bishop Juan José Larrañeta Olleta, OP, Vicar Apostolic di Puerto Maldonado, concelebrated by Archbishop Juan Antonio Ugarte Pérez of Cusco; the president of the Bishops’ Commission for Social Communications Bishop Ricardo García García of Yauyos and all the many priests present.
In his opening address Bishop Larrañeta underlined the importance of the event in view of the 5th General Conference of the Council of Latin American Bishops’ Conferences, CELAM, and expressed his gratitude to the media workers, and priests and religious active in this field for being present “the Church needs you”, he told them. One of the principal questions for discussion at the meeting is the use and management of IT in view of participation in CELAM 5.
At the start of the meeting Bishop Ricardo García Gracía read a message from the President of Pontifical Council for Social Communications in the Vatican Archbishop John Patrick Foley who underlined the importance of the long awaited meeting. “The Peruvian Bishops’ Conference - the message said - took up the challenge to boost the Information Network thanks to the enthusiasm of the Bishops....very wisely they were determined to reach the people furthest away and the most in need with this new means, stressing also the need for technical formation of operators and proper use of IT so as to work in communication and in communion and provide information, help and service to the most remote dioceses”. Archbishop Foley said the meeting was also important because "CELAM asked for cooperation of RIIAL in the communication process for CELAM 5 which Pope Benedict XVI set for 13 - 31 May 2007 in Aparecida, Brazil”. The message concludes recalling that the Pope encourages all Christians to be messengers of God’s Love “and precisely this new means of communication IT is a most appropriate means to achieve this goal and therefore we must make good use of it. Our "modest contribution will be multiplied by the Shepherd of all especially if we have faith ". (RG) (Agenzia Fides 10/5/2006; righe 34, parole 462)
