Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Guarne (Agenzia Fides) - “Therefore, all the clergy must hold fast to the Sacred Scriptures through diligent sacred reading and careful study, especially the priests of Christ and others, such as deacons and catechists who are legitimately active in the ministry of the word. This is to be done so that none of them will become "an empty preacher of the word of God outwardly, who is not a listener to it inwardly" (4) since they must share the abundant wealth of the divine word with the faithful committed to them, especially in the sacred liturgy”: recalling this passage of the Dei Verbum dogmatic constitution of Vatican II (n.25), The CELAM Department for Ecclesial Communion and Dialogue and the Latin American Centre for Biblical Pastoral CEBIPAL organised a 1st Updating Scripture Seminar for Bishops. The initiative came in response to demands from a number of bishops for ongoing formation and in view of the goals of the Department for Ecclesial Communion and Dialogue which supports Bishops’ Conferences. The Seminar is sponsored by Archbishop Alberto Giraldo of Medellin and Bishop Ricardo Tobón of Sonsón-Rionegro.
The seminar brought together 32 bishops from all over Latin America who met in Guarne (Colombia) to refresh their knowledge of Scripture. The seminar was introduced by Fr. Mauricio Vélez, acting secretary of the Department for Ecclesial Communion and Dialogue who quoted Pope John Paul II in the document “Pastores gregis”:
