Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Aparecida (Agenzia Fides) - "At the end of the Conference in Aparecida, with the power of the Holy Spirit we convoke all our brothers and sisters to unite with enthusiasm to take part in the Great Continental Mission. It will be a new Pentecost which will drive us to seek lost Catholics and those who know little or nothing about Jesus Christ so we may build with joy the community of love of God our Father. The Mission must reach everyone and be permanent and profound": this was the closing message launched to the peoples of Latin America and the Caribbean by the Bishop participants at the 5th General Conference of the Council of Bishops' Conferences of Latin America and the Caribbean in Aparecida.
The Bishops said they had striven to "give continuity to the path of renewal travelled by the Catholic Church since Vatican II and in the four previous CELAM conferences". The Message recalls that all the faithful are called to be disciples to follow the Lord on the paths of the Gospel and this demands "a firm decision for Jesus and for his Gospel, a life lived in keeping with the faith, incarnation of the values of God's Kingdom, and being signs of contradiction and newness in a world which promotes consumerism and disfigure values which render the human person worthy". As disciples the Message says "let us open the way to life and hope for our peoples who suffer because of sin and all forms of injustice."
Besides being disciples all are called to be missionaries and in this way to be a "source of renewal in pastoral work on the continent and a point of departure for new evangelisation in our countries". The Conference confirmed commitment to form disciples and missionaries giving more care to the “steps of first announcement, Christian initiation and growth in the faith."
"To be a missionary - the Bishops recall - is to announce Jesus Christ with creativity and audacity there where the Gospel has not yet been sufficiently announced or heard, especially in difficult and neglected places and beyond our frontiers ". We cannot be missionaries only in word "we must be missionaries with our life giving it in service. even to martyrdom."
As servants of the people the Bishops promise "to protect the weakest members of society, children, persons with a disability, young people in danger, old people, prisoners, immigrants, to help guarantee them a worthy life, to fight the evils which destroy or harm life such as abortion, war, kidnapping, armed violence, terrorism, sexual abuse and drug trafficking". They urge the governments of the region to "uphold the truth, protect the inviolable and sacred right to life and the dignity of the human person from conception to natural death".
"With the fire of the Holy Spirit - the Message continues - we advance, building with hope our history of salvation on the journey of evangelisation, relying on many witnesses, the martyrs saints and blessed of our continent. With their witness they showed us that it is worth being faithful and that it is possible to the very end".
The Bishops conclude the Message expressing a desire to "be a lively, faithful and credible Church…to live our Christian life with joy and conviction…to promote a mature laity…to encourage active participation of women…to continue with new impulse our preferential option for the poor.... to fortify with boldness pastoral care for the family and for life.... to esteem and respect indigenous peoples and Afro-Americans". "May this continent of hope be also a continent of love, life and peace ". (RG) (Agenzia Fides 31/5/2007; righe 44, parole 635)
