Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Buenos Aires (Agenzia Fides) - Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio, Archbishop of Buenos Aires, has urged Catholics of the archdiocese to "live the season of Lent as a Church which prays and reflects and does penance so that the grace of Easter may pour abundantly upon all and upon the whole holy people of God". In his Message for Lent the Cardinal urged the people to meet the need for evangelisation in Buenos Aires city and among its people. Giving the example of Jonas who tries to escape from the voice of the Lord the Cardinal says "the situation is difficult … new needs call for new solutions.... our identity and opinion are threatened, we no longer exercise our moral leadership we no longer have an important place in society". In this sense he calls on the people not to be inert "in a world where God seems more absent than ever before " where "the values we strive to announce appear to be out of fashion and of no importance."
Like Jonas “we hear an insistent call to take a leading role in new evangelisation, fruit of the encounter with God who makes everything new, impelling us to go beyond the things we know to the fringes and frontiers where humanity suffers most, and, under a guise of superficiality and conformism, continues to seek meaning for life ". By helping others - the Cardinal says in his Message-"we will find new meaning for our activity, the place for our prayer and the value of our duties" and he proposes various questions for to prompt "personal and community examination of conscience".
A few days earlier Cardinal Bergoglio urged Catholics to give generously to the Lenten Solidarity Appeal 2007 with the theme "If we are destined to share the goods of heaven, why not share the goods of the earth?”, recalling that Lent is a season for discernment, comparing lifestyle with the Gospel, a time of prayer and generous fasting in order to help others. The goals of the 2007 Lenten Campaign include a Centre for Street Children Flores, a Home for 14 children with social adaptation difficulties in Centro, and a Home for Homeless Old People Belgrano. (RG) (Agenzia Fides 23/2/2007; righe 31, parole 464)
