A place of hope

01.05.2008

Columban Fr Peter Hughes describes the Assembly of the Bishops of Latin America and the Caribbean at Aparecida, Sao Paulo, Brazil, last May, as "...a new moment of grace and hope for Latin America."

The Church in Latin America celebrated a major assembly in May 2007 in Aparecida, Brazil. This was the fourth occasion that the bishops of the subcontinent and the Caribbean had assembled since the memorable event in Medellin in 1968 (Puebla 1979, Santo Domingo 1993). Medellin began the process of change in the Church, redefining the mission of the Church as sharing the lives of the poor as a central part of the Christian message.

The assembly was held at Aparecida, a place of pilgrimage in the state of Sao Paulo that gets its name from the black Madonna, the Virgin of Aparecida, an image especially dear to the poor of Brazil. Pope Benedict XVI's presence drew the crowds during the opening days.

Their task before the assembly was to reflect anew on the Gospel, in a climate of dialogue and respect, with a view to giving clear pastoral direction for mission. The theme of the assembly was "Disciples and Missionaries of Jesus Christ, Life for our People." The burning issue was how to relate faith to the real lives of so many people in this continent whose cultural identity is Christian.

In the lead up to the assembly, there were misgivings in the air. In recent years there had been a loss of momentum, especially in official circles, for the Church's commitment to the ‘option for the poor,' the hallmark of Latin American Christianity and spirituality. Conservative movements had gained ground and enjoyed support from powerful sectors both within the Church and in society.

At the same time ecclesial grassroots ecclesial communities had definitely remained a significant presence. Aparecida also marked Pope Benedict XVI's first pastoral visit to Latin America.

On one particular night, going into the final days when the debate was at its height, I sat alone in the main square of the town. A beggar approached me with outstretched hand. As I searched for some coins, I was faced once more with the endless dilemma of the privileged ones in whether to give or not to give. The beggar interrupted my thoughts. He spoke quietly and with simple dignity; he said, "Here in this country many people have no work, many people, especially children, are hungry.

We (beggars) are with you; please remember that we pray for you (in your assembly)." The beggar's message was clear: the poor are the central issue: the poor waiting for the Church to turn towards them in their plight. The following morning I shared the message with some bishops; their silence acknowledged his true wisdom.

Poverty is contrary to God's will; it is a denial of God's gift of life. Poverty is evil, sinful and understood as an expression of violence that destroys lives.

Pope Benedict XVI made the point succinctly in his opening address, "...the preferential option for the poor is implicit in the Christological faith in the God who became poor for us, so as to enrich us with his poverty."

The "option for the poor" is central in our faith precisely because it is the way chosen and travelled by Jesus of Nazareth. It's not an extra, to be taken on or rejected by certain individuals as a matter of taste or attraction. The bishops restated forcefully that our encounter with the Lord will depend not only on our willingness to see in the suffering faces of women, children, workers and the powerless, the face of the suffering Christ (Matt 25) but also to contribute cheerfully towards creating new life-giving possibilities and relationships.

Particularly vulnerable are groups like women who are victims of machismo cultures and are further exploited because of their social status; indigenous peoples and Afro-Americans; children who are victims of prostitution and other abuses; people who suffer drug addiction, HIV and AIDS; those who are forced to migrate and survive in hostile environments, stigmatised as illegal aliens. Globalisation in Latin America, while certainly enhancing important dimensions of life, has also meant that people are not just exploited but reduced to becoming the "disposable and unwanted ones."

The injunction in Genesis to care for the earth has also become a major issue for the Church. Global warming is manifest in a wounded planet. The bishops drew our attention to the consequences of the melting glaciers in the Antarctic and the Andes; the effects of rising sea levels. Flooding and water scarcityt will be a major problem in the metropolis located on the Pacific coast.

The deforestation of the Amazon will result in the destruction of the few remaining habitats of native peoples.

Peruvians are proud of the international recognition granted to their Inca heritage in Macchu Picchu, but they also have to confront the unenviable distinction of La Oroya's, a mining distict which is one of the 10 most contaminated places on earth; the other nine are located in China.

The Church is invited to become the protector of the poor and promoter of justice, in order to be true to its identity and mission. The Church needs to encourage and promote laity to become strong leaders in politics, the media and formation of opinion and values. Above all, Christians are called to participate in building consensus for new and just structures as the basis of transforming society.\

Aparecida represents a new moment of grace and hope for Latin America. The message is definitely universal, offering hope for the people of the world who find themselves in the same or similar situations in other latitudes; victims of globalised economies where the ruthlessness of markets, profit and greed continue to destroy peoples and their relationships.

Fr Peter Hughes

Read more from The Far East May, 2008