Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Vatican City (Agenzia Fides) - On Saturday 20 January in the Vatican, Benedict XVI received the 50 participants in the plenary session of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America presided by Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, prefect of the Congregation for Bishops. The theme of the plenary was: "The Family and Christian Education in Latin America" in keeping with the unforgettable World Meeting of Families last July in Valencia, Spain.
The Pope then mentioned the now imminent 5th General Conference of the Council of Latin American Bishops’ Conferences, “in continuity with the four previous events, the conferences is called to give new impulse to Evangelisation in this vast eminently Catholic region of the world , where the greater part of the community of believers lives”. Pope Benedict XVI stressed the need “to proclaim the integral message of Salvation, so it may impregnate the roots of culture and be incarnated in present day Latin America in order to respond better to its needs and legitimate aspirations. At the same time it is necessary to recognise and protect the dignity of every human person as a basic criteria for social, cultural and economic projects so they may help build history in keeping with God’s plan”.
In his address the Pope recalled that "The Church in Latin America is facing enormous challenges: cultural changes generated by social communications media that influence the thoughts and habits of millions of people; migration, that has so many repercussions on family life and on religious practice in new environments; the re-emergence of questions regarding how peoples must approach their historical memories and their democratic future; globalization, secularism, growing poverty and environmental degradation, especially in big cities, as well as violence and drug trafficking." For these reasons, Latin America has urgent need "of a new evangelization that stimulates us to enter more deeply into the values of our faith, that they may become the vital sap that forms the identity of those beloved peoples who long ago received the light of the Gospel.”
Seeing that the men and women of South America have great thirst for God the Pope said “the work of bishops, priests and other pastoral care agents becomes vital. They, like Christ, must bear witness that the Father is always provident Love, revealed in His Son.” The Pope recalled the need to nourish faith with prayer, meditation of the Word of God, sacramental life, the only way to stop the proliferation of sects and new pseudo-religious groups. “In the work of evangelisation it is fundamental to always recall that the Father and the Son sent the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, and that the same Holy Spirit continues to give impulse to the life of the Church. For this reason it is important to foster a sense of belonging to the Church, where Christians can grow and mature in communion with their brothers and sisters, children of the one God and Father”.
Looking at the future of the Church in Latin America and the Caribbean the Pope said it is important that Christians adopt and intensify the lifestyle of Jesus' disciples," announcing "Christ and His Gospel in all places. ... The authentic disciple grows and matures in the family, in the parish and diocesan community; he becomes missionary when he announces the person of Christ and his Gospel in every ambit: school , economy, culture, politics, media. In a special way, the widespread phenomena of exploitation and injustice, of corruption and violence, are an urgent call for Christians to live their faith coherently and to strive to receive a sound doctrinal and spiritual formation, thus contributing to the construction of a more just, humane and Christian society."
On this subject, the Pope recalled how Christian families are "the main place for the experience and transmission of faith and virtue. The legacy of the faith is safeguarded in the home," where family members "learn the values" that will help them to live as children of God. In this way the family, welcoming the gift of life, becomes the most appropriate place in which to respond to the gift of a vocation, especially today when there is such great need for the Lord to send workers for his harvest”. (S.L.) (Agenzia Fides 22/1/2007 - righe 53, parole 732)
