Vatican City (Agenzia Fides) - "To carry forward its mandate to announce better Christ to the men and women of today…the Church needs many and qualified evangelisers who, with new ardour, renewed enthusiasm, with delicate ecclesial spirit, filled with faith and hope, speak more and more about Christ". This necessity was underlined by the Holy Father Pope John Paul II who received in audience on Thursday 27 March the participants at the plenary assembly of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America. The Pope recalled his 18 apostolic journeys "to the beloved Continent of hope" and the recent visits ad limina Apostolorum made by Latin American Bishops.
"The structures and organisation, as well as the style of ecclesial life, must reflect always the simple face of Latin America- the Holy Father told the Bishops - to facilitate closer approach to the disinherited masses, indigenous peoples, emigrants, homeless, marginalised, the sick and in general those who suffer, or all those who are or must constitute the objective of your preferential option".
The Pope then underlined the need to "identify new methods of evangelisation which, in full fidelity to the Magisterium and the Tradition of the Church, are necessary for carrying the announcement of the Gospel in the most remote places", keeping always in mind that, "the Church must place the centre of her pastoral activity and her evangelising work in Christ crucified and risen."
Among the more urgent pastoral problems examined by the Plenary Assembly the Holy Father recalled the phenomenon of sects which is spreading with intermittent incidence from zone to zone with accentuated points of proselytism among the weaker people: "Evangelisation in profundity, continuous and active presence of the Pastors, Bishops and priests among their faithful, personal relation of the faithful with Christ: these are some keys for facing resolutely the serious and insidious problem of sects".
Among the other situations that demand attention on the part of the Bishops there are young people, families and above all priestly vocations, for which it is necessary to put into act a synergy with commitment from all: "It is ever more necessary to make the Church the home and school of communion: this is the great challenge that stands before us in the millennium which begins, if we want to be faithful to the plan of God and responds also to the profound expectations of the world". The Holy Father also recalled the great importance of the evangelising activity of religious men and women and ecclesial movements to reach this goal, and he entrusted the ecclesial communities of America to the intercession of the Virgin of Guadeloupe, the first evangeliser of America. SL (English translation of Italian by Fides) See complete address in Spanish at www.fides.org (Fides Service 28/3/2003 EM lines 36 Words: 481)