AMERICA/BRAZIL - 5th General Conference of the Bishops' Conferences of Latin America and the Caribbean at Aparecida - “ Let us place Him at the centre of our Conference to be truly his disciples and to carry him to the heart of Latin American countries ": work beings with day of reflection and prayer

Aparecida (Fides Service) - "We wish to let ourselves be illuminated by the light of His face, we wish to follow the One who is the ‘light of the nations', the Way, the Truth and the Life. Let us ask in prayer that his Word will guide our reflection and our steps ". These are words were part of the homily given by Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, prefect of the Congregation for Bishops and president of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America when he presided Mass on the first day of the 5th General Conference of the Bishops' Conferences of Latin America and the Caribbean. "Christ in the centre of God's plan for our salvation. Let us place Him at the centre of our Conference to be truly his disciples and to carry him to the heart of Latin American countries" said Cardinal Re.
He underlined the desire that CELAM 5 would sustain men and women on their earthly path and at the same time point to their heavenly destination thus introducing "religious revitalisation Latin America, convinced that this will foster renewal in other fields". In his homily the Cardinal stressed the importance of prayer indispensable condition for being authentic "disciples", the "sources of the fecundity of our pastoral initiatives and our concern for others " the "primary and most important condition of our task of pastoral guide in our mission for the good of others ad the good of society ". He recalled that "time devoted to God in prayer is time invested in the best possible manner ".
Secondly Cardinal Re recalled the importance of love, “a power which can change the world" . he encouraged those present to open hearts "to all men and women, brothers and sisters, especially the poorest and the most helpless who suffer most " to help build a civilisation of love. "In the coming days - the Cardinal concluded - let us listen to the Blessed Virgin Mary to learn from her how to be disciples and missionaries of Christ".
After Mass there was a day of reflection led by Archbishop Estanislao Esteban Karlic, emeritus archbishop of Paraná, Argentina, which concluded with adoration of the Blessed Sacrament and benediction.
At the end of the first day there was a press conference with the participation of CELAM president Cardinal Francisco Javier Errazuriz Ossa, Archbishop of Santiago de Chile, Archbishop Geraldo Lyrio Rocha of Vitória dà Conquista, president of the Brazilian Bishops' Conference and Archbishop Baltazar Enrique Porras Cardozo of Merida, Venezuela.
Cardinal Errázuriz spoke of valid contribution offered by Bishops' Conferences, Catholic institutions and various realities in the ambit of CELAM on the theme of discipleship and mission, highlighting active participation of the people of God. He stressed to need for in depth reflection on these themes from different angles, to tackle the great challenges on the continent. Archbishop Geraldo Lyrio Rocha shared his impressions of Pope Benedict XVI visit to Brazil, and the impact on public opinion, starting from the ample media coverage given to the event. Archbishop Baltazar Enrique Porras Cardozo said that the words of the Pope at the inauguration of the Conference were a challenge for the Church in America and reflected the Pope's familiarity with the situation and aspirations of these peoples and the Holy Father's desire for the continent to achieve harmonious development which together with the Catholic faith, will guarantee fullness of life for the peoples of Latin America. (RG) (Agenzia Fides 15/5/2007; righe 44, parole 618)