VATICAN CITY, MAR 1, 2000 (VIS) - Made public today was the annual Message from the Presidency of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America on the occasion of Hispanic-American Day, which is traditionally celebrated in early March by the dioceses of Spain and dedicated to their sister churches in America.
Dated January 6, 2000, feast of the Epiphany, the Message is signed by Cardinal Lucas Moreira Neves and Bishop Cipriano Calderon, respectively president and vice president of the commission. The theme of this year's celebration is: "Priests of 2000, Missionary Priests."
"The discovery of America, which began a new era in the history of mankind," starts the Message, "constitutes without doubt a fundamental element in evaluating the millennium which has just concluded."
The evangelization of America by Spain and Portugal, which lasted for well over 500 years, must be continued in the third millennium with "renewed vigor," states the Message. The program for this evangelization, laid out in the Holy Father's Post-synodal Apostolic Exhortation, "'Ecclesia in America', is a program which intends to make America, a continent which was evangelized throughout 500 years, a continent which will now evangelize."
"Every priest," it says, referring to the theme, "is called to look beyond the boundaries of his own diocese or nation, since he participates, by virtue of the Sacrament of Orders, in the missionary solicitude of the Church, with the aim of bringing to the ends of the earth the Gospel of Jesus Christ."
The Message concludes, citing "Ecclesia in America": "Jesus Christ is the 'good news' of salvation made known to people yesterday, today and forever, but He is also the first and greatest evangelizer. ... The Church in America must speak increasingly of Jesus Christ, the human face of God and the divine face of man."
COM-AL;HISPANIC-AMERICAN DAY;...;NEVES;VIS;20000301;Word: 300;
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