AMERICA/BRAZIL - 5th General Conference of the Bishops' Conferences of Latin America and the Caribbean: “Mission must be the ordinary life of a diocese not an isolated event…the local Church, as such, must be missionary ”

Aparecida (Agenzia Fides) - Some of the bishops attending the Aparecida conference presented reflections on certain questions discussed in the first part of 5th General Conference of the Bishops' Conferences of Latin America and the Caribbean.
Cardinal Jorge Urosa, Archbishop of Caracas, Venezuela, summarising the discussion of a work group of the first theme unit, said ample space was given to discussion on the cultural and social situation and the need to "look at the situation of the Church with humility and a spirit of self-criticism, to see how we are meeting the challenge to be disciples and missionaries today”. Cardinal Urosa stressed the necessity to keep in mind aspects such as "little immersion in spiritual life and religious practice ", "growing secularism among pastoral operators clergy and religious "; “scarcity of vocations and difficulties encountered on the formation of priests and consecrated persons” and "a decline in numbers and enthusiasm in lay associations and movements of apostolate".
Referring to the mission of the parish, Archbishop Fabio Suescún Mutis military ordinary of Colombia, said all Catholics need a space in which to express and strengthen their faith and this space is the parish which, more than a "territorial jurisdiction, must be a centre of worship and assistance, a family of God guided by the Bishop through the parish priest ". The Bishop said the mission of the parish is to be a school of discipleship by means of life in a community which listens to the Word, is instructed with catechesis, is united with the Lord in prayer and lives the ecclesial reality in fraternal sharing.
On the theme of discipleship Archbishop Cristián Caro of Puerto Montt, Chile, stressed the need to "see others with the eyes of disciples and missionaries of Jesus Christ ". The Archbishop mentioned the document of the Puebla Conference and its appreciation for "the concrete faces of Latin America", and he underlined the need to look not only at "global situations" but to reach out to the local people, "accepting them, offering them love and forgiveness and announcing the Gospel to them ".
For his part Cardinal Norberto Rivera Carrera, Archbishop of Mexico City encouraged the proposal for a continental mission as a concrete commitment at the end of this CELAM 5, a mission which is not optional or passing or something to be undertaken only by one community or movement it must involve all diocesan and parish structures which must be the “axis of the mission, so that the local Church as such becomes missionary". Mission must become the ordinary life of a diocese not an isolated event". It is not enough to “dream” of this Mission, it must be " concrete with concrete plans to reach the desire to be and to make disciples and missionaries ". (FP/RG) (Agenzia Fides 24/5/2007; righe 37, parole 503)