“La labor misionera de España en América Latina es reconocida por su entrega y generosidad”, asegura Mons. Octavio Ruiz Arenas
"Spain's missionary work in Latin America is recognized for its submission and generosity," says Bishop Octavio Ruiz Arenas.
The vice-president of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America participated in an international symposium at the University of Navarra.
"The missionary work of Spain in Latin America is very well recognized by the submission and the generosity of all the religious who are helping there". visit Octavio Ruiz Arenas, vice-president of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America, during his visit to the University of Navarra, where he gave the closing address lecture of the International Symposium "Politics and Religion in the Independence of Hispanic America".
Francisco Pérez González, Archbishop of Pamplona and Bishop of Tudela; and Borja López-Jurado, Vice President of Office of Academic Affairs of the academic center.
Bishop Octavio Ruiz Arenas said that "ever since Pius XII called on Europe to send priests, Spain has always been a country that has played an important role, with a very generous response".
He also made reference letter to the process of de-Christianization that Latin America is currently undergoing: "We are facing a great challenge challenge, since, on the one hand, we have a culture imbued with secularism and, on the other hand, many people have a strong sense of religiosity and hunger for God". These factors have given the sects "an easy terrain to grow", in his words.
He added: "We bishops have to be missionary disciples, make a pastoral conversion, reach out to those who are far from the Church and make the faithful understand that only a deep meeting with Jesus Christ can help us move forward in the midst of these difficulties".
International experts
International experts have participated in this meeting organized by the School of Philosophy and Letters on the occasion of the celebration of the bicentennials of the independence of Latin American countries.
Among the speakers were Roberto Di Stefano, from the University of Buenos Aires; Mariano Delgado, from the University of Fribourg-Switzerland; José Luis Soberanes, from high school de Investigaciones Jurídicas de la Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México and Universidad Panamericana; Robert H. Holden, Old Dominion University, Norfolk (USA); José Benjamín Rodríguez Iturbe, Universidad de La Sabana (Colombia); Scarlett O'Phelan, Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú; Alberto de la Hera, Universidad Complutense de Madrid; and Lucrecia Enríquez, Universidad Católica de Chile.