Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Vatican City (Agenzia Fides) - “The rich spiritual inheritance received presents a great challenge today, a challenge that influences our manner of evangelizing and nurturing Christian life. This challenge, which we have been called to, we should assume with decision, courage, and creativity, so as to obtain with this new evangelization a Church in permanent state of mission.” This is what was affirmed by Archbishop Miguel Cabrejos Vidarte, OFM of Trujillo, President of the Peruvian Bishops' Conference, in his address to the Holy Father Benedict XVI, on the occasion of the audience for their ad limina visit on May 18.
Thus, the President of the Bishops' Conference, in representation of all the Bishops, shows his desire to “we want to accompany our brethren in this time of great challenges, to give them hope and consolation and be sure guides bearing the light and strength of the Gospel,” recalling that as Pastors “we are called to be men of the mercy and compassion of Christ, close to our faithful and servants of all mankind, especially those who suffer from great need.” The faithful also need their pastors to have “a profound experience of God, in which we configure ourselves with the heart of Christ, the Good Shepherd, being docile to the Holy Spirit, the Word of God, and drawing our nourishment from the Eucharist and prayer.”
Continuing with his speech, Archbishop Cabrejos mentioned some of the main problems and challenges in Peru, which are similar to those lived in the majority of Latin America. Firstly, there is the problem of immense poverty. “According to recent statistics, over 40% of Peruvians live in situations of poverty, 14% in conditions of extreme poverty and in the rural parts of the country, the number reaches over 80%.” However, the greater problem is in the large disparity between rich and poor in society. Thus, “the economic growth that the country has experienced in recent years has barely benefited the poor and has led to an even greater abandonment of the marginalized, with the inevitable consequences of a dangerous social decline.”
Another problem that concerns the Bishops is the “crisis that especially threatens the youth, in spite of the generosity and surrender of many of them.” “In the past, the transmission of the faith was a given, but today we have to find new ways of handing it on.” In this sense, there are great efforts in this area but there is still much left to be done.
As for vocations, the Bishops observe that while in the past few years there has been an increase in vocations, there is still a lot left to be done in terms of spiritual, pastoral, and theological formation of future priests, as well as in the formation of the laity, “who play a key role in the construction of a just and humane society.”
They also showed their concern for the environment and “environmental contamination that is produced by mining without consideration for the people living in the area...”
In response to these challenges, the President of the Bishops' Conference shows their commitment to to living charity “that is capable of reaching out to the needy, whoever they are. The Church cannot turn in on herself and must reach out to all peoples.”
“Through our concrete commitments, we want the Church in Peru to be a sign of communion, hope, and life, defender of the family...a Church that progresses in our communities through a process of Christian initiation that leads to an ever deeper personal encounter with Jesus Christ.”
He concluded his address by expressing his desire for a greater internal collaboration from the more economically stable Dioceses towards the Apostolic Vicariates most in need and the adhesion and fidelity of all the Bishops to the Petrine Ministry. (RG) (Agenzia Fides 19/5/2009)
