ARGENTINA, editorial team •
On 8 July, Fr. Alexandre Awi, the secretary of the Dicastery for the Famiy, Laity and Life, participated in the Lay Meeting, organized in Buenos Aires by the Department for the Laity of the Argentine Bishops Conference (DEPLAI). More than 500 people from all over the country and abroad attended this meeting.—
In his presentation, Fr. Alexandre highlighted Pope Francis’s call to intensely live out the laity’s identity and vocation received in baptism and the Dicastery’s projects to promote and form the laity.
Using three magisterial documents of Pope Francis’ pontificate on the laity (Evangelii Gaudium, Gaudete et exultate and the Letter to the President of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America), Fr. Alexandre insisted on the fundamental role that lay people have in the Church, to announce Christ in society, while at the same time supporting pastors in “eradicating the vice of clericalism.” He emphasised the need for “the importance of the laity, especially women” and the danger of the laity of falling into Pelagianism or Gnosticism. He also pointed out some ideas to strengthen the mission of the laity in society: through popular piety, the universal call to the holiness of the People of God and the importance of the spiritual life and prayer.
Before concluding, he explained the mission and objectives of the Dicastery to promote and train the laity, such as the recent congress on the formation of the laity in September 2018 and gave some examples of initiatives around the world that promote the laity through ongoing training.
Fr. Alexandre’s talk at the DEPLAI Meeting in PDF [In Spanish]
Jesús vive
Bajo el lema “Jesús vive”, el Encuentro reunió a laicos y dirigentes de las parroquias y movimientos en el Instituto Sagrado Corazón, del barrio porteño de Almagro.
Acompañaron el “ENL 2019”, el obispo de Zárate-Campana y presidente de la Comisión Episcopal de Vida, Laicos y Familia, monseñor Pedro Laxague; el obispo de Morón y miembro de dicha comisión, monseñor Jorge Vázquez; y el obispo auxiliar de Buenos Aires, monseñor Enrique Eguía Seguí. Daniel Martini, director del Deplai, dio la bienvenida a los participantes.
Durante la jornada, David Brandan, de la diócesis de Quilmes, expuso sobre “Construir la esperanza desde los jóvenes”. Natalia Quintana, dirigente cristiana de barrios populares y miembro del Deplai, habló sobre construir esperanza desde la realidad de las mujeres. Pablo y Fernanda Alois, matrimonio del Grupo Alpha, habló sobre “Construir esperanza desde la realidad de las familias”.
Jesus lives
Under the slogan “Jesus lives”, the Meeting brought together lay people and leaders from parishes and movements at the Sacred Heart Institute in the Buenos Aires neighborhood of Almagro.
The bishop of Zárate-Campana and president of the Bishop’s Commission of Life, Laity and Family, Monsignor, Pedro Laxague; the Bishop of Morón and commission member, Monsignor Jorge Vázquez; and the auxiliary bishop of Buenos Aires, Monsignor Enrique Eguía Seguey attended “ENL 2019”. Daniel Martini, the DEPLAI director, welcomed the participants.
During the workshop, David Brandan from the Diocese of Quilmes, spoke about “Building hope among the youth”. Natalia Quintana, a Christian leader in lower-class neighborhoods anda DEPLAI member, talked about building hope from the reality of women. Pablo and Fernanda Alois, a couple the Alpha Group, spoke about “Building hope from the reality of families”.
The hope of the poor will never be frustrated
In line with the motto of the next World Day of the Poor, “The hope of the poor shall not perish for ever,” Gabriela Olguin, the leader of a cooperative spoke about how to build hope for the poor within the local economy. And Mabi Borda and Héctor Silva, coordinators of the Homes of Christ in Tierra del Fuego and Río Gallegos, were on the panel entitled “Build hope among the poor”.
The president of the Bishops’ Justice and Peace Commission, Emilio Inzaurraga, also chatted with the family of Blessed Wenceslao Pedernera, one of the four Riojan martyrs. “Coca” Pedernera, wife and partner of Wenceslao Pedernera, gave a moving testimony.
The daughter of the Servant of God Enrique Shaw, Sara Shaw de Critto, participated in a converstaion with the president of the Argentine Catholic Action, Rafael Corso. Ana María Lucas spokeabout the experience of the “Cuidadores de la Casa Común” [Carers of our Common Home] in Jujuy, and Humberto Podetti, from the Justice and Peace Commission, spoke about the spirit and letter of Pope Francis’ call “to recreate a new model economic in Assisi”.
With material from AICA and the Dicastery for Laity, family and Life www.laityfamilylife.va/
Original: Spanish, 21 July. Translation: Sarah-Leah Pimentel, Cape Town, South Africa
