VATICAN CITY, MAY 9, 2008 (Zenit.org).- Benedict XVI expressed his hope in the contribution that Latin Americans can make to the new evangelization, particularly Latinos living in the United States.
The Pope affirmed this Thursday when he received in audience Archbishop Raymundo Damasceno Assis of Aparecida, Brazil, and Auxiliary Bishop Víctor Sánchez Espinosa of Mexico City, the president and secretary-general of the Latin American bishops' council, respectively.
Both prelates are in Rome for the celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America. They were presenting to the Holy Father a progress report on the continental mission that is scheduled for an official kick-off this Aug. 17 at the closing of the 3rd American Missionary Congress in Quito, Ecuador.
According to Bishop Sánchez Espinosa: "The Holy Father referred to his recent trip to the United States and the importance that Latinos have for the life of the Church in that great country.
"He indicated that, faced with the progressive secularization that the countries of North America are experiencing, the presence of the Latin American Church through the migrants at the same time strengthens the Church in them, especially when -- according to statistics from the U.S. episcopal conference -- Hispanics represent 40% of Catholics in the country."
Benedict XVI told the prelates that he felt "a strong presence of the Latin American Church in the United States," the bishop added.
The prelates presented the Pope the global plan for 2007 to 2011. They also gave him the guiding document for the continental mission, and the commemorative video of the 5th General Conference of the Bishops of Latin America and the Caribbean. The Pontiff inaugurated that conference, held near the shrine of Our Lady of Aparecida in Brazil, in May 2007.
Bishop Sánchez Espinosa said the Holy Father "excitedly recalled the moments he lived in Brazil a year ago [...] and showed his appreciation for and interest in the continental mission."
Benedict XVI attentively reviewed the global plan, the bishop added, "in that which refers to the programs and projects that deal with the mission" and the Holy Father commented that "the 15-minute video prepared by the press office as a memento of Aparecida is a valuable tool that can be followed with interest thanks to its brevity."
