Church will benefit from Latin America’s evangelization history

Last updated on: April 26, 2013 at 6:24 pm by CNA Daily News

Church will benefit from Latin America’s evangelization history 2013-04-26T18:24:00+00:00 CNA Daily News

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Rome, Italy, Apr 26, 2013 / 12:24 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- Before meeting with the first Latin American Pope on Thursday, Colombian Cardinal Rubén Salazar Gomez said the South American Church will help the universal Church with its rich history of evangelization.

“There is no doubt that the richness of the evangelizing experience of the Latin American Church is going to benefit the universal Church,” Cardinal Rubén Salazar Gomez told CNA on April 24.

Cardinal Salazar is the vice president of the Episcopal Council of Latin America and the Caribbean, or CELAM, and he met with the Pope on April 25 alongside the council’s five other directors to greet him and offer their support.

The Colombian cardinal said that it was “about time” that Latin America “donated” a Pope to the Church.

“This is for us a huge importance and a reason for profound joy,” he commented.

Cardinal Salazar believes that the Church in South America needs to show “a clear example” of how the Church’s evangelization efforts should look.

CELAM has representatives from 22 bishops’ conferences in Latin America and the Caribbean, and its leaders meet every year in Rome to visit the Pope, as well as the different Vatican departments.

On April 24 they visited the Pontifical Commission for Latin America and its members, including the commission’s secretary, Guzmán Carriquiry.

“Our annual visit to the Holy See is an opportunity to dialogue with dicasteries (departments) and be able to help them or to receive their petition to promote a certain subject,” said Archbishop Carlos Aguiar Retes of Tlalnepantla, Mexico.

“It is a pleasure to be able to meet the Pope,” Archbishop Aguiar commented, “and we want to tell him that he can count on us.”

Pope Francis, he said, is not only “a man of wisdom” but also “a decisive man who is capable of governing and knows clearly what the Church needs.”

“I am certain he will carry out the reform that the cardinals proposed in the general congregations,” Archbishop Aguiar said.

In his view, the fact that there is a Latin American Pope means “a great responsibility” for the Church on the continent.

“It’s true that it’s a great joy but that it also means commitment,” said Archbishop Aguiar.

“It’s not a joy for a short moment,” he qualified, “but rather a joy that should move our conscience to realize that if God has set his eyes on a son of Latin America and on the Church that makes a pilgrimage there, he also wants that those that make up this Church give a specific and important contribution to the life of the Church, in general.”

Cardinal Salazar, Archbishop Aguiar and three other bishops met with Pope Francis on April 25 at 11:45 in the morning.

Marta Jimenez Ibanez contributed to this report.

Vatican

Previous Post

April 26, 2013

Letter from Pope to Jesuit brother highlights gratitude

Next Post

April 26, 2013 Dates, theme revealed for 2016 Eucharistic Congress

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Americas Asia - Pacific Europe Middle East - Africa Uncategorized US Vatican

Select a Month November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

What event marked the start of the early church?

Select your answer to see how you score.

The Ascension Pentecost Jesus’ Baptism The Crucifixion