Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Tbilisi (Agenzia Fides)- “I invited the John XXIII Community to work in Georgia to put its special charisma at the service of the marginalised in the light of the love of Christ and at the disposal of our Church and local society” the Apostolic Administrator of the Caucuses of the Latins Bishop Giuseppe Pasotto, in Tbilisi, capital of Georgia, told Fides.
“The John XXIII Community has just arrived in Georgia and is assessing where it can intervene better to bring comfort and hope to people most in need ” the Bishop explains. “The fall of the Soviet Union had a disastrous affect on Georgia's economic and social life. Despite signs of improvement in recent years the main problem is still widespread poverty. Among the poorest people, pensioners who have just about 20 Euro a month on which to live. New forms of poverty common to other countries, such as drug abuse and street children, have appeared here too”.
Bishop Pasotto has this to say about the local Catholic community: “There are about 50,000 Catholics of three different rites: Armenian, Latin and Syro-Chaldean. There have been Catholics here since about 1250 and after the fall of communism, Catholics of Latin rite were able to reorganise their structures: there are 25 communities. I have been Apostolic Administrator for seven years and last year we concluded our first diocesan Synod. It was a wonderful experience of Church, a lively Catholic community despite the difficulties. At the end of the Synod we adopted 3 resolutions: courage of community dimension in dialogue with other churches and religious confessions; courage of formation opening formative structures; courage of service involving lay people in services such as the deaconate and catechism”.
“From the point of view of ecumenical dialogue - said Bishop Pasotto- Georgia has a Commission of representatives of the different Christian Churches which meets once a month. We work hard to promote dialogue with the Orthodox Church here which is the largest religious community in Georgia, and to which we feel spiritually close. We dialogue with the Orthodox Patriarchate through a mixed commission of two bishops and two priests for either side”.
“The Catholic Church is very active in social work through Caritas and parish structures. This service for the needy we wish to increase with the help of the John XXIII Community. The Catholic community is appreciated for this by the government and by the other Christian communities. This appreciation was noted when the government asked a Catholic representative to give the principal address at a conference on Catholic Social Doctrine organised by the government” Bishop Pasotto concluded. (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides 2/7/2007 righe 40 parole 481)
