Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Lima (Agenzia Fides) – The Lima meeting of the bishops responsible for promoting the Continental Mission and the renewal of parishes in the Episcopal Conferences of Latin America and the Caribbean, convened by the Department of Communion and Dialogue of the Latin American Episcopal Council - CELAM (see Fides 04/05/2010), has concluded successfully.
A note from the Peruvian Bishops' Conference, which was sent to Fides, retraces the meeting. The meeting was attended by 38 people including bishops responsible for promoting the Continental Mission and some delegates of the various Bishops' Conferences, under the technical guidance of Father Cristoforo Dominguez, Executive Secretary of the Department of Ecclesial Communion and Dialogue of CELAM. Archbishop Carlos Aguiar of Tlalnepantla (Mexico) presented the itinerary and program of the meeting. The overall objective was to revive and renew the ecclesial community and diocesan and parish pastoral structures pastoral, focusing on pastoral conversion in light of Aparecida, in order to become a Permanent Mission Church.
At the opening Mass, the Archbishop of Trujillo and President of the Peruvian Bishops' Conference, Archbishop Miguel Cabrejos Vidarte, OFM, addressed the Assembly calling for closer union with Christ and with others.
In his speech, Bishop Pedro Ossandón Buljevic, Auxiliary Bishop of Concepcion (Chile), developed the theme: "The Diocese and Parish: Historical elements, the current situation, lights and shadows." Tracing a brief presentation of the history of the parish in Latin America from colonization to the present day, he said there is good news for Latin America, and that "the parish is alive, that Christ is not dead, and that He continues to call and ask [us] to take care of his flock."
Father Carlos Galli (Catholic University of Argentina) spoke on the study of community and parish renewal, the dioceses and pastoral structures, highlighting the life of faith in the community, with love as our center, and showing that we are true disciples of Jesus only if we practice love with joy. (CE) (Agenzia Fides 05/08/2010)
