AMERICA/PARAGUAY - Assembly of Bishops: Youth Triennium and Year of the Word of God, for a Church in missionary outreach

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Luque (Agenzia Fides) - The conclusion of the Youth Triennium, the commitment to be "a Church that goes forth" according to the desire of Pope Francis, the Year of the Word of God: these are the main themes touched by the Bishop of Villarrica, Mgr. Adalberto Martínez Flores, President of the Bishops’ Conference of Paraguay, in his opening address for the Plenary Assembly of the Episcopate.
The ordinary Plenary Assembly n.223 is being held in Luque, a city in the metropolitan area of the capital Asunción, from 4 to 8 November, according to information sent to Agenzia Fides, and will consider various issues related to the social and ecclesial reality of the country. The agenda also includes the report of the Archbishop of Asunción, Mgr. Edmundo Valenzuela, on the Synod of Bishops for the Pan Amazon region, in which he participated, and that of Mgr. Pierre Jubinville, Bishop of San Pedro, for the three years dedicated to young people.
Saturday, November 30th, with the pilgrimage of young people to Caacupé, the youth triennium will close (see Fides, 11/7/2016). "It was a moment of grace - said the President of the Bishops’ Conference in his opening address to the Assembly - which has already begun to bear fruit in terms of raising awareness of the challenges that young people pose to the Church's pastoral action, opening new paths for closer accompaniment, facing their needs and their dreams and their hopes of being good citizens and true missionary disciples of Jesus Christ, to promote a Church that goes forth, at the service of a new society, shaped by the values of Gospel".
In this regard, Mgr. Martínez Flores urged the Bishops and ordained ministers to be attentive "to the contribution of the lay faithful, in general, and of young people in particular", inviting "to walk towards a Synodal Church". "As Pastors of this particular Church in Paraguay - he said -, we accompany the Holy Father's dream of being a missionary Church, capable of listening to and accompanying the cry of the poor, who raise their cry for a dignified and full life, with our pastoral structures and priorities, with all the means at our disposal".
Mgr. Adalberto Martínez Flores then highlighted the commitment of the Church of Paraguay for next year: "The Word of God is the source, the means and the privileged instrument for the pastoral service for our people. Therefore, all the actions of the Church in 2020 will be oriented and guided by the Word of God". (S.L.) (Agenzia Fides, 5/11/2019)