Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Aparecida (Fides Service) - The 5th General Conference of the Bishops' Conferences of Latin America and the Caribbean inaugurated by Pope Benedict XVI in Aparecida, Brazil on 13 May is in its last stages this week: the final Message will be presented on Thursday May 31. The bishop participants start every day with the Liturgy of the Hours and a concelebration of Mass.
On Monday 28 May the 1st vice president of CELAM Bishop Carlos Aguiar Retes of Texcoco, Mexico reflecting on the Gospel passage Mary's visitation to her cousin Elisabeth who wondered “Who am I that the mother of my Lord should come to me?', said: “We too can ask ourselves who are you Church in America, that the mother of your Lord has come to visit you?” and he encouraged those present to work to put "the Church in a permanent state of mission. A Church which rediscovers new awareness and love for Sunday Mass. A Church which is home for all, a school of charity and love taught by the testimony of its members."
In these last few days the final Message will be drafted and presented on 31 May. On 11 June itwill be officially consigned to Pope Benedict XVI by the presidency of CELAM 5, CELAM president Cardinal Francisco Javier Errázuriz Archbishop of Santiago del Chile; Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, prefect of the Congregation for Bishops, and president of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America and Cardinal Geraldo Majella Agnelo, Archbishop of São Salvador de Baia. The conference organisers say the message has already been outlined but final contributions may be added in this last week. The Message will be consigned to the Bishops at 10am local time on 31 May at the end of the closing Mass of the Conference presided by Errazuriz.
The themes for reflection in this final week were presented at a media conference by Bishop Angelico Sândalo Bernardino of Blumenau, Brazil. The Bishop recalled that the goal of CELAM 5 is to render the Church an authentic disciple of Jesus and her members, bishops, clergy, religious and lay men and women his faithful followers, so that all in Him all may have life in abundance. He said it was urgent for the lay disciples and missionaries of Christ to take an active part in political and public life in order to communicate the values of the Kingdom of God, social justice, the value of the family, respect for creation, equal respect and opportunities for women, the responsibility of parents, care for the sick. The Mission will go especially in search of lapse Catholics, those who have left the Church and those who have never encountered Jesus Christ.
At the media conference Cardinal Marc Ouellet, Archbishop of Québec (Canada), spoke of preparations for the International Eucharistic Congress next year in Québec 15 to 22 June on the theme "The Eucharist, God's Gift for the Life of the World ". He said he was certain that CELAM 5 would give new impulse to the Eucharistic Movement in the world and that "the Congress in a way will continue to reflect on aspects of doctrine treated at this present Conference concerning Eucharist in an original manner, focussing on the Trinitarian and missionary dimension in an ecclesiological key, emphasising the New Covenant and the nuptial symbolism of the Eucharistic Mystery ".
The Cardinal concluded announcing that the Eucharistic Congress in 2008 would be preceded by a Theology Congress 11-13 June to which theologians and bishops are warmly invited, and that he was convinced that the International Eucharistic Congress would be a Kairós, a Statio Orbis, and a wonderful opportunity to give impulse to Latin America's Great Continental Mission. (FP/RG) (Agenzia Fides 29/5/2007; righe 48, parole 669)
