Church leaders from North, Central and South America are meeting in
Rome to discuss the New Evangelization across the region and discover
how the Church can respond to shared societal problems.
"Three things stand out to me as particularly important for our
discussion at the conference next week," said Carl Anderson, head of the
Knights of Columbus, the world's largest Catholic fraternal
organization.
"Firstly, that America, broadly defined as the entire American
continent from Alaska to Argentina, is a key area for the work of the
New Evangelization, and that it remains a Christian continent," Anderson
said at a Dec. 4 Vatican press conference.
"Secondly, that ‘Ecclesia in America’ reminds us that the laity has an
indispensable role to play in that New Evangelization and without it the
Church's renewal is impossible," he added.
The final point Anderson made was that “Our Lady of Guadalupe is key to
our understanding of the New Evangelization in America.”
The New Evangelization refers to the Church-wide effort to reintroduce
the Gospel in areas where the practice of the faith has declined or even
been largely forgotten.
The media event was held in anticipation of the Dec. 9-12 international congress in Rome called "Ecclesia in America.”
Besides focusing on the New Evangelization, the summit will also
commemorate Blessed John Paul II's exhortation ''Ecclesia in America."
The gathering will fall on the 15th anniversary of the Synod of Bishops'
Special Assembly for America, which was held Nov. 16 to Dec. 12, 1997.
"The churches of North, Central and South America face common problems
developed over the last 15 years," Canadian Cardinal Marc Ouellet
observed.
He pointed to youth violence, drug trafficking and drug consumption as
matters of "grave concern and debate," and said that the Church is
called to make a major contribution to addressing these issues.
But even more importantly, Cardinal Ouellet stressed that the Church
must stand strong in areas where the institution of the family is
suffering a serious assault.
The international congress will also offer a chance for building
“networks of friendship throughout the continent, with a true sense of
belonging to the Church,” he added, referring to it as "one of the first
major events of the Year of Faith.”
Over 200 participants are expected at the congress, organized by the
Knights of Columbus and the Commission for Latin America with the help
of the Institute for Guadalupan Studies.
The Ecclesia in America congress will open with Mass at Saint Peter's
Basilica and a speech by Pope Benedict, and will include cardinals from
Toronto, Boston, Guadalajara, Santo Domingo and Tegucigalpa, as well as
bishops and archbishops from across the region.
Religious, supervisors of the Roman Curia and those residing in
Pontifical Colleges in Rome from North and South America will also
attend.
The event will also include the Rosary, which will be prayed on Dec. 11
at the Vatican Gardens, a devotional event with an image of Our Lady of
Guadalupe, “Guadalupan” hymns and a scientific research presentation on
the St. Juan Diego’s cloak that bears the famous image of Mary.
The conference will conclude with proposals on cooperation between the continents.
The results of Ecclesia in America will then be given to the Roman Curia and the respective bishops’ conferences.