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POPE-GUATEMALA Mar-6-2008 (350 words) xxxi
Pope tells bishops he shares their concerns about Guatemala
By Cindy Wooden
Catholic News Service
VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Pope Benedict XVI told the bishops of Guatemala he shares their concern about growing poverty and violence in the country, and he encouraged them to respond with an even stronger outreach of education and charity.
The pope decried "the growing poverty and violence that affect large sectors of the population, provoking a strong emigration to other countries with serious consequences for the individual and the family."
He met March 6 with the Guatemalan bishops, who were making their "ad limina" visits to report on the status of their dioceses.
Guatemala's long civil war ended more than a decade ago, but violence connected to crime, particularly drug trafficking, continues to increase, as does the proportion of people living in poverty, Cardinal Rodolfo Quezada Toruno of Guatemala City told Vatican Radio before the "ad limina" visit.
Pope Benedict told the bishops the Catholic Church must respond to the needs of the Guatemalan people with "the merciful face of the Lord, of which the church is called to be an image, accompanying and serving with generosity and commitment especially those who suffer and have been abandoned."
The church must help families stay strong and united because the family is the place where people first learn the faith and values and where those experiencing difficulties can be helped most easily, he said.
The pope also asked the bishops to strengthen their programs of evangelization to ensure the country remains solidly Christian; about 80 percent of Guatemala's 12 million citizens are Catholic.
"You know well that firmness of faith and participation in the sacraments have strengthened your faithful before the threat of sects or groups claiming to be charismatic, who create confusion and can place church unity in danger," the pope said.
Pope Benedict said priority must be given to preaching and providing religious education in a way that makes the word of God "accessible to all," so that it would enlighten people's hearts and minds.
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Copyright (c) 2008 Catholic News Service/USCCB. All rights reserved.
This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed.
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