Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Buenos Aires (Fides Service) - At the end of their 87th plenary assembly during which they addressed various problems relative to the present situation in Argentina and the pastoral challenges posed to the Church by the present day circumstances, the Catholic Bishops of Argentina issued a statement with the title: “We need to be a nation ”.
The statement consists of 3 paragraphs: “Where we come from”, identifies the causes which, according to the Bishops, lie at the basis of the serious situation facing the people of Argentina; “Our path”: As a way to overcome the crisis, the statement proposes first and foremost a path of dialogue, search for harmony and reconciliation, putting aside all forms of violence which violates the rights of people; “our civil commitment” The Bishops call on all citizens to shoulder their responsibilities to help build the nation and therefore to be promoters of reconciliation and communion.
The Bishops emphasise that when God and his law are forgotten and there is moral relativism, this harms individuals and institutions especially marriage and the family and endangers unborn life … “Relativism is a serious threat to the education of our children and young people - the Bishops say - because it is not based on a scale of values which give priority to the person, promote respect for law and the construction of a society founded on justice”... “The people’s sense of insecurity - which moves multitudes -stems from this absence of values ”.
A path of serious reforms which allow the growth of trust in the representatives of the people and a reinforcing of the powers of the state…is one of the paths which the Bishops deem necessary to find a way out of the difficult situation in Argentina today. “The search for policies which go beyond persons and politicians and facilitate broader participation of citizens would prevent the accumulation of power in the hands of a few and help eliminate individualism which has caused to much suffering to our people and has weakened institutions”, the Bishops say.
The statement ends with a prayer that the Lord will inspire projects and plans. “Today we say we not only want to be a nation, we need to be a nation whose identity is passion for truth and commitment for the common good. We need this so that all Argentineans, without exclusion, may live with the dignity of children of God and be part of a healthy and fraternal co-existence with all the nations of the world”. (R.Z.) (Agenzia Fides 18/5/2004 - Righe 31; Parole 425).
