AMERICA/EL SALVADOR - Final Message of the Bishops' Secretariat of Central America (SEDAC) “There can be no person, group, or institution in the Church whose formation and activity are not geared towards the mission.”

San Salvador (Agenzia Fides) - “The joy of being disciples and missionaries of Jesus Christ,” is the title of the Final Message issued by the Bishops' Secretariat of Central America (SEDAC), celebrated on November 24-27 in the city of San Salvador.
In their message, the Bishops remind everyone of their calling to be disciples and to be sent out, in light of the Great Continental Mission that was called for in Aparecida and that is “more than just a certain event at a given time; it means placing the entire Church in a permanent state of Mission.” This call to the mission, the Message says, “needs the cooperation of people and ecclesial bodies in order to go beyond a merely conservationist pastoral ministry to a decisive missionary action,” which implies that there “can be no person, group, or institution in the Church whose formation and activity are not geared towards the mission.” There is a need, therefore, “to awaken the consciences of our communities, so as to take advantage of this time of grace; live a second Pentecost that enlivens the missionary vocation and action of the baptized.”
They also recall the fact that every disciple and missionary “should be a promoter of life.” In this sense, they give thanks to all the priests and religious who “serve in our dioceses with fidelity to their vocation and generous surrender to the People of God,” in addition to the catechists, delegates of the Word, those who serve the sick, extraordinary ministers of the Eucharist, all of whom “dedicate their lives so generously to the preaching of the Gospel.” And they ask the laity to “take up their vocation of spreading the spirit of the Gospel in society, in the culture, in economics, and in politics, so that the entire population may be transformed.”
“We accompany our many brothers and sisters who have been deported from the US and Mexico, who have been treated in a manner that is not in accord with their condition as human persons,” the Bishops say. They also thank the Bishops of the United States for their support, “in finding immigration reform with a human face.” As for the political arena, the Bishops ask that more steps be taken in democratic processes, “not only in the emission and counting of votes, which is necessary, but also in the conducting of campaigns, the drafting of government programs, and in giving an account of public affairs.” They also recall that political power is legitimate when “it is accompanied by the desire to serve the common good, and by an effort to find effective solutions to the problems that afflict the population, especially the poor and marginalized.”
Another theme that worries Bishops is the family, which is suffering a growing deterioration, “caused by the negative messages and attitudes presented to children and youth by the mass media.” In response, they propose that there be “a dynamic family ministry, which invites people to discover the beauty of their vocation to Christian marriage, to defend life from conception until natural death, and to build homes in which children are raised in a love for the truth of the Gospel and for solid human values.”
Lastly, the Bishops recall the visit they made during their meeting, to the tomb of Archbishop Romero, manifesting their hope that his testimony be officially recognized by the Church. (RG) (Agenzia Fides 2/12/2008)