MESSAGE FOR HISPANIC AMERICA

VATICAN CITY, MAR 5, 1999 (VIS) - Made public today was the annual message from the Pontifical Commission for Latin America, for the Day for Hispanic America, which will be celebrated on March 7 in dioceses in Spain. The theme is "'Who has seen me, has seen the Father." "The priest, sign of the fatherhood of God."

The message, dated January 6, 1999, the Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord, is signed by the president and vice-president of the commission, Cardinal Lucas Moreira Neves O.P., and Bishop Cipriano Calderon.

Since the first evangelization of America in 1492, Spain has sent "thousands of missionaries" to the peoples of this continent. "We give thanks to God," says the message, "and we are grateful to missionary Spain for this providential work."

Cardinal Moreira Neves and Bishop Calderon recall that in the Apostolic Letter "Tertio millennio adveniente," John Paul II proposed that the Jubilee be an appropriate time to give thought to "'reducing substantially, if not cancelling outright, the international debt which seriously threatens the future of nations'. In oneness with the Pope, the Spanish episcopate has already spoken about the necessity of finding a solution to this huge problem."

"Our concern for the Church and for pastoral zeal should also be directed first and foremost to the great challenges today in the work of evangelization of Latin America: the currents of counter-evangelization which are spreading through all countries, particularly through the media and consumerism; growing secularism; the spread and aggressiveness of sects; migration and the huge concentration of people in cities which makes apostolic work so difficult; the culture of death; and the outcry of indigenous peoples and Afro-Americans. It is a difficult task which requires the presence of holy and generous people committed to evangelization."

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