The two become as one in married life

Schoenstatt speakers at the International Congress for the Family, organized by the Saint Toribio de Mogrovejo Catholic University in Chiclayo, Peru

Durante el Congreso Internacional de Familia in Chiclayo, Perú During the International Congreso on Family, in Chiclayo, Peru Beim International Kongress über die Familia in Chiclayo, Peru
Después de la conferencia After the conference Nach dem Vortrag
Encuentros informales Informal encounters Informelle Begegnungen
Aliados Allies for family Verbunden im Einsatz für die Familie Fotos: Cintolesi © 2008

CHILE/PERU, mkf. The Saint Toribio de Mogrovejo Catholic University from Chiclayo (Peru) hosted the International Congress for the Schoenstatt Family on July 10th-12th. The theme was Married Love: Road to Sanctity for Spouses, in which they reflected about human love, married love, and the paternal and maternal experience of responsibility. More than 400 people from Lima, Trujillo, Chiclayo, and Piura attended. Carla Ortiz and Lorenzo Cintolesi, a married couple from the second course of Family Federation from Chile, were among the speakers. On July 29th, at the end of their recent visit to Schoenstatt, they enthusiastically told about their experiences in Peru.

Conscious "of the importance of marriage and the family in society at the present time, and of the necessity of responding to its promotion and defense," the recently created Institute of Sciences for the Marriage and the Family of the University of Chiclyo, promoted this event, in which they discussed subjects relating to the family such as: health, education, the media, and the necessity of politics related to the family. "The challenge that faces us is to integrate a multi-disciplinary reflection about marriage and the family that is capable of responding to the demands of our present day society," the Director of the Institute, Ana Maria Olguin from Santa Maria indicated. The Congress was attended by other experts, including these: the Vice-President of the John Paul II Pontifical Institute for studies about Marriage and the Family from Rome, Father José Noriega, the Peruvian ex-Minister of Health, Fernando Carbone, the ex-Director of the General Administration of the Family, and the Community of the Ministry of Women and Social Development, Olga Combe de Llerena, and Attorney Ursula Murua, from the news agency ACI Presna.

"We were just dreaming about doing something to mark the 40th Anniversary of Humane Vitae"

How did Carla Ortiz and Lorenzo Cintolesi from Chile receive the invitation? "We were invited by the Toribio de Mogrovejo University from Chiclayo, Peru, to its first Family Congress, recently organized by the John Paul II Institute," Lorenzo Cintolesi, who along with his wife of more than twenty years present courses for engaged couples and training courses for monitors, related: "This invitation was made in October of 2006, during a conversation at a meal with Father Jorge Millan, while planning the Congress of Mariology for CELAM in Cuaticlan, city of Saint Juan Diego of Mexico." Carla Ortiz admits that the invitation was extended, thanks to their perseverance. Coming from the conviction of wanting to participate, they felt they should participate in this Congress as expert lay-people, but in the end, there were several lay-people who were able to participate. "Together we had dreamed about doing something for the 40th Anniversary of the encyclical, Humanae Vitae," she said. "In January of this year, this young and enthusiastic priest from Chiclayo, visited our home, while he was studying in Santiago, and our desires became reality."

The Paternity of God

They were in the city of Chiclayo for one week; during the days previous to the congress, they conducted a cycle of talks for about 100 to 120 monitors of engaged couples. "During our one week visit in the city of Chiclayo in the diocese in charge of the Opus Dei work for fifty years, we presented a cycle of talks for the entire diocese regarding the preparation of engaged couples. The first day 100 people attended, the second day many more attended, and on the third day, in spite of a national strike, the attendance remained steady."

What was the main theme? "The subject we developed was the paternity of God with the couple, mercy, providence, creation, and the objective of marriage to interpret the creative intention of God," Lorenzo explained. "Sexuality from the perspective of Humanae Vitae and of the marriage sacrament. All the subjects contained anecdotes, personal experiences, and the experiences of others, which have come from contact with engaged couples and Carla’s professional experiences in the workshops, Freedom and Wisdom to Love. We felt that our message fell on fertile ground. Furthermore the people were very, very affectionate. In the concluding remarks we also commented: ‘We have had an unforgettable experience of the Church,’ which the bishop liked very much, and he also liked the wine we gave him!"

Responsible parenting at the present time

According to the Cintolesis, the Congress was a great success; Father José Noriega, from Spain and Vice-President of the John Paul II Institute in Rome was a speaker. He took the 400 participants through Sena, the square of the Lady in Florencia, and thousands of romantic places speaking about love, its veracity in conjugal charity and chastity in a passionate discourse. Then we presented a conference about ‘responsible parenting in the present time’ and on another day we participated in a panel with four other panelists, the subject was: Family and Education.

"But we not only transmit through talks, conferences, and workshops, which come totally from the Schoenstatt spirituality and the teaching of Father Kentenich," they stressed, "but rather, it is the ‘apostolate of being’ which is equally important and fruitful. Besides these two great events we attended luncheons, meals, and meeting with professors. We met with the Catholic Advancement, a new Peruvian movement; they told us about themselves and we told them about us. We became friends with the pastor of the cathedral, and we had breakfast with him after daily Mass. We also met with the pre-seminarians of Father Jorge Millan, and we also had lunch with the bishop." They made contact with the Aciprensa Agency and with many priests and interested lay-people.

A place for exchange

It was fortunate that Father José Luis Correa notified the Press Office about the Cintolesis' participation in this Congress. And it was fortunate that when the "Press Office" went to the Original Shrine on the morning of July 29th to bid farewell to some Sisters from Mexico, they met the Cintolesis, who were on pilgrimage to Schoenstatt to celebrate the Anniversary of their Covenant of Love.

On the night of July 29th, when they finished the conversation about the Congress, engaged couples, married couples, and Humanae Vitae, Carla Ortiz, looked towards the Covenant House, and said: "It would be wonderful if Schoenstatt had a place where people with interesting experiences could go at night to drink coffee and to meet and share these experiences. As long as that does not exist, one at least meets them afterwards on schoenstatt.de."

• Internet Site of the Cintolesi

Translation: Celina Garza, Harlingen, TX, USA/amj