Vatican City (Agenzia Fides) - “The Christian family and education in Latin America is the theme of a plenary assembly of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America taking place in the Vatican 17 to 21 January. The major concerns of the family and education are an essential priority for the 22 Catholic Bishops’ Conferences in Latin America. In recent years in Latin America in the context of the drafting of new national constitutions, under the pretext of secular state not rarely proposed changes have attacked Catholic education and the centrality of the family and the right of parents to choose education for the children have been challenged. In countries where these matters have not been discussed with regard to constitutional changes, there are present in numerous new laws presented and debated.
The Assembly is presided by Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, President of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America and Prefect of the Congregation for Bishops and Commission vice president Mgr Luis Robles Díaz. The assembly opened this morning with an address by Cardinal Re and a presentation of the Commission’s recent activity by Mgr. Luis Robles. To follow a conference on "The Christian Family in Latin America, Panorama. Analysis of the situation" by Bishop José Luis Lacunza of the diocese of David (Panama) President of the CELAM department for life and culture. In the afternoon Cardinal Alfonso López Trujillo, President of the Pontifical Council the Family with give a conference on "Papal teaching on the Family".
On Thursday 18 panel discussion will focus on: “Handing on the Faith in the Family”, in the morning and "Challenges to Christian education: the family and its relations with school, parish and Church Movements" in the afternoon. On Friday 19 January Cardinal Francisco Javier Errázuriz, Archbishop of Santiago de Chile and CELAM president will give a presentation of the 5th General Conference of CELAM, (Council of Latin American Bishops’ Conferences). The assembly will culminate with an Audience with Pope Benedict XVI on Saturday 20 January. (RG) (Agenzia Fides 17/1/2007; righe 26, parole 356)