Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Cochabamba (Agenzia Fides) – February 4-5, the Bishops' Permanent Council held its Meeting in the city of Cochabamba, in which they discussed the launching of the Permanent Mission in Bolivia, scheduled to take place on April 26, 2009 in the city of Cochabamba. They have been intense days of work, prayer, and fraternal exchange, in which they have also been attentive to the health condition of Cardinal Julio Terrazas, President of the Bolivian Bishops' Conference, accompanying him and giving him support through their prayer. In was for this motive that the Bishops carried out an act of full adhesion and communion with him, concluding their meeting on the 5th, in the city of Santa Cruz, with the Cardinal.
The Bishops were visited yesterday afternoon by the Youth Ministry Coordination Team for Latin America, led by Bishop Jose Parra Sandoval of Ciudad Guayana (Venezuela), President of the Youth Section of CELAM. The objective of the meeting was to discuss preparations for two youth events: the meeting of Youth Ministry leaders, to take place in Cochabamba in October, and the Third Latin American Youth Congress, set to take place in 2010 in Venezuela.
For some months now, a commission of Bishops has been working on the Permanent Mission in Bolivia. Auxiliar Bishop Oscar Aparicio, of the Diocese of La Paz, is a member of the commission and commented that the plan is now being revised. The Permanent Bishops' Council has been presented with the first draft for approval. The launching of the Permanent Mission is scheduled for this April.
Bishop Oscar Aparicio says the main challenge for this missionary project is trying to reach out to all Bolivians with this good news, so that they may have a life and faith in accord with Jesus Christ. There are also the challenges of logistics, such as the great distances and not finding all the means needed to reach everyone, training the missionaries... “I think that there are many challenges, but we have to place all our enthusiasm in accepting this great challenge and becoming disciples and missionaries of Christ in Bolivia, in our parishes, in our families, so that Christ can be known by all people,” he commented. (RG) (Agenzia Fides 6/2/2009)
