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 published: 2007-05-16

The Holy Father, Disciple and Missionary

Echoes in Schoenstatt on the Opening of the 5th General CELAM Conference on May 13th in Aparecida

 

Aparecida, 13 de mayo: llegó el gran momento – Apertura de la V Conferencia de CELAM

Aparecida, May 13: this is the day, for which a whole continent prepared – Opening of the V Conference of CELAM

Aparecida, 13. Mai: das ist der Tag, auf den sich ein ganzer Kontinent vorbereitet hat – Eröffnung der V. Versammlung von CELAM

 

Schoenstatt saludando al Papa

Schoenstatt greeting the Pope

Schönstatt grüßt den Papst

 

El matrimonio Jensen con el Santo Padre

The Jensen’s with the Holy Father

Ehepaar Jensen beim Heiligen Vater

 

El Santo Padre, acompańado por Cardenal Errázuriz

The Holy Father, accompanied by Cardinal Errázuriz

Der Heilige Vater, begleitet von Kadinal Errázuriz

 

 

 

Foto con el Papa

Photo with the Pope

Foto mit dem Papst

 

 

Santa Misa, segunda jornada, 14 de mayo

Holy Mass, second day, May 14

Heilige Messe am zweiten Sitzungstag, 14. Mai

Fotos: Sistema de Prensa CELAM www.celam.info © 2007

 
   

BRAZIL, mkf. "In the name of all those present, members and invited guests to this 5th General Conference of the Bishops of Latin America and the Caribbean, and in the name of all the bishops, priests, deacons, religious, consecrated persons and laity who accompany us this afternoon from their homes, churches, and shrines from many countries, Holy Father, I wish to give you a most cordial and grateful welcome." When Cardinal Francisco Javier Errázurriz, President of the Bishops Conference of Latin America and the Caribbean (CELAM), directed these words of greeting to the Holy Father in the opening session of the 5th CELAM Conference, the hearts of many Schoenstatters were beating with joy. "We prayed so much, so many Rosaries! This conference was spoken of in many groups and meetings that, really, this is our conference," said Derek Monturiol from Costa Rica. He and his wife, Michelle, spent May 13th in Schoenstatt.

At the opening Mass of the 5th Conference, the first photo sent by the CELAM press office to the journalists of the world, shows on the first tier, a group of Schoenstatters in the plaza in front of the Aparecida Shrine: Schoenstatt Sisters of Mary, youths, families…..holding high Pilgrim MTA’s and waving Schoenstatt banners. The image of the Mother Thrice Admirable of Schoenstatt, the image of the Pilgrim Mother, of the Pilgrim Virgin, who visits so many homes, jails, hospitals…..from Latin America, is present, bringing with her the graces from the Shrine. "The image of Our Lady of Aparecida," says Cardinal Errázuriz, "makes present for us that child who opened wide her heart to the action of the Holy Spirit who taught Her to sing in the Magnificat the wonders of the mercy and the wisdom of God. She is a source of inspiration for the whole Church which is a disciple and missionary as She is….. to have and to give life in abundance." From the Schoenstatt Shrines, prayers and contributions to the Treasury of Grace accompany this conference. They accompany the Holy Father shortly before he delivers his long awaited message; they also accompany the Schoenstatters present at this Conference – Cardinal Errázurriz, Father Sidney Fones (Assistant CELAM Secretary), Mr. and Mrs. Jensen (guests), Deacon Alberto Ferrando Fuentes…..

A Holy Father who is a reflection of the love of God

"We are in Brazil," writes María Gabriela Kyling, wife of Deacon Alberto Ferrando Fuentes from the Family Work in Chile. "Alberto came to the 5th Latin American Episcopal Conference. The Holy Father is opening it at this moment. This morning we were at the Mass in front of the Basilica. It was beautiful. It was a marvelous day and thousands were present.

Yesterday, we also prayed the Rosary with the Holy Father. The people here are very expressive and extroverted: they cried, they sang, they would jump for joy, they would kneel to pray, etc. It was incredible to be amid these prayers. You could feel the presence of the Lord and the Holy Spirit. The Holy Father looked happy, very paternal, close, warm and charming. The people would shout "Bento os amamos (Benedict, we love you). I am certain he is the Father needed for these times: loving, simple, and reflecting the love of God. I did not know him and I really liked him.

Aparecida is a relatively small city of 35,000 inhabitants, but on the weekend, as many as 100,000 people come to the Basilica which is enormous as everything is in Brazil. The city lives from religious commerce and tourism. We have seen that they sell Blessed Mother T-shirts, key chains and images of the Pilgrim Virgin.

In the street, a person gave my husband an image of the Blessed Mother and Father Kentenich. We met up with a group of Schoenstatt Girls’ Youth from Santiago, 27 girls, youths and families with children who came from Chile. We could also see flags from Argentina. Since they use Blessed Mother T-shirts here, we were able to meet a couple from Río de Janeiro and a little boy who told me She was the Mother Thrice Admirable of Schoenstatt. Schoenstatt is present in Brazil.

This is a very Catholic country. Aparecida is the capital for the faith. That is what they call it. The people are very joyful. Today there was an aura of festivity. The Virgin of Aparecida is a small black virgin which they found in the river three hundred years ago. After they found Her, fishing was miraculous. We are very sorry that Father Joaquín Alliende was not able to come. We met up with the Jensens here and they told us they had recently been in Schoenstatt….."

Only those who recognize God, know the reality and can respond to it

The Holy Father Benedict XVI, upon opening the 5th Episcopal Conference from Latin America and the Caribbean, confirmed the pastoral continuity of the preceding Conferences, highlighting that the same Spirit which was at work at the previous conferences now gives a new impetus to the Evangelization of the people from the continent of hope. At a given moment, he interrupted his eleven- page conference to give the participants a break. You could perceive how the atmosphere became more and more familiar….. At various opportunities, the bishops spontaneously applauded the Holy Father. The emphasis on being a disciple and missionary, the search for spirituality is not an flight from the world, from true problems, from reality, said the Pope. "With the priority of faith in Christ and life ‘in Him,’ formulated in the title of this 5th Conference, another question could come forth: This priority, could it not be an flight toward emotionalism, toward religious individualism…..an abandonment of the urgent reality of the great economic, social and political problems of Latin America and the world and an flight from reality toward a spiritual world? As a first step, we can respond to this question with another question: What is this ‘reality?’ What is real? Are only material goods, social, economic and political problems ‘reality?’ Precisely here is the great error of the dominant tendencies of the last century…..a most destructive error…..as we can see from the results of both Marxist and capitalist systems. They falsify the notion of reality by detaching it from the foundational and decisive reality which is God. Anyone who excludes God from his horizon falsifies the notion of ‘reality’ and, in consequence, can only end up in blind alleys or with recipes for destruction.. The first basic point to affirm is the following: Only those who recognize God know reality and are able to respond to it adequately and in a truly human manner. The truth of this thesis becomes evident in the face of the collapse of the systems that marginalize God."

With these problems in Latin America, the Holy Father asked himself how can the Church contribute to the solution of urgent social and political problems and respond to the great challenge of poverty and destitution? In this context, he assured that just structures are a condition indispensable for a just society. From this perspective, the Holy Father affirmed that globalization should be guided by ethics putting all at the service of the human being. If the Holy Father perceives a certain weakening of Christian life in conjunction with society and belonging to the Catholic Church, he expressed himself with words of gratitude and recognized the maturing of faith of the ecclesial communities of Latin America and the Caribbean. In particular he lauded the assumed role by many active lay men and women who follow the Lord as faithful disciples. Many of them are members of Movements and New Communities.

At the end of his discourse, the Pope prayed: "Stay with us, for it is towards evening, and the day is now far spent" (LK 24:29). Remain, Lord with those in our societies who are most vulnerable; remain with the poor and the lowly, with indigenous peoples and Afro-Americans, who have not always found space and support to express the richness of their culture and the wisdom of their identity.

Following, he placed the Conference under the protection of the Mother of the Church: "As I conclude my stay among you, I wish to invoke the protection of the Mother of God and Mother of the Church on you and on the whole of Latin America and the Caribbean. I beseech Our Lady in particular, under the title of Guadalupe, Patroness of America, and under the title of Aparecida, Patroness of Brazil, to accompany you in your exciting and demanding pastoral task. To her I entrust the People of God at this stage of the third Christian millennium. I also ask her to guide the deliberations and reflections of this General Conference and I ask her to bless with copious gifts the beloved peoples of this Continent."

For the Movements of Latin America: the representatives of the Schoenstatt Family!

It was a really beautiful moment when the Holy Father received – in alphabetical order and not so alphabetical at times – the Cardinals, some bishops, and lastly a few representatives of the different groups of invitees and experts. It was beautiful to see the encounter between Cardinals and bishops and their Holy Father. Father Sydney Fones was called up and in his always charming way, helped to keep in order the line of those coming up to greet the Holy Father. "We have a protocol, but we are somewhat out of that protocol," commented the moderator (who amid his impeccable labor, for a few moments confused a couple of names or small details!) "For the Movements of Latin America: Dr. Luis Jensen and Pilar Escudero de Jensen come forward, representatives of the Schoenstatt Family!" Was it a surprise for them? It seems that way! They will later tell us what they said to the Holy Father and what he said to them at that moment in which on TV one could only witness the great love they have for him…..

The Holy Father is back in Rome and the 5th Conference is underway which Schoenstatt accompanies from its Shrines and Wayside Shrines.

Translation: Carlos Cantú Family Federation La Feria, Texas USA 052207

 

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