AMERICA - Bishops of SEDAC: "Let us walk together with the Lord as witnesses of hope"

Monday, 2 December 2019 episcopal conferences   social situation   pastoral  

Heredia (Agenzia Fides) - "We strongly reaffirm that migrants and refugees are our brothers who deserve respect, care, protection and security because they have the right to do so. We will continue to offer them shelter, defense and protection. We urge the faithful to overcome the temptation of indifference, discrimination and xenophobia. Every migrant is our brother". This is confirmed by the document of the Episcopal Secretariat of Central America (SEDAC), published at the end of the annual meeting held in Costa Rica, in the diocese of Alajuela, from 25 to 28 November (see Fides, 27/11/2019).
In the text, sent to Fides, entitled "Let us walk together with the Lord as witnesses of hope", the Bishops retrace the topics addressed during the meeting, in a climate of "great fraternity" in full communion with Pope Francis: synodality, history of the Church in the Central American region at the time of colonization and after independence, the prevention of child abuse. The reports of the Bishops' Conferences on the individual ecclesial and pastoral realities were also taken into consideration.
"We noted with concern that several Latin American countries are going through painful situations of violence and of intolerance.
Once again, the Church and the people of Nicaragua come to mind. We are particularly concerned about the situation of violence in this beloved nation". SEDAC is in solidarity with the Nicaraguan bishops in their condemnation of all forms of violence and in the defense of human rights, hoping that through dialogue, peace will be achieved as soon as possible.
The reason for joy and hope for SEDAC was the "great celebration of World Youth Day", celebrated in Panama in January, and the creation of the Mesoamerican Ecological Ecclesial Network (REMAM), whose goal is the realization of the so-called "Integral ecology". Then the celebration of the Bicentennial of Central American Independence stands out on the horizon, and "the Church cannot remain indifferent to this event marked by light and shadow". "In the history of humanity - they continue - the action of the loving and saving Lord is realized".
Recalling that the SEDAC meeting takes place as usual on the eve of Advent, the Bishops finally exhort: "Let us walk towards the Lord who comes to save us. Our whole life must be an Advent!" (S.L.) (Agenzia Fides, 2/12/2019)


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