MESSAGE FOR LATIN AMERICAN MEETING ON PRISON MINISTRIES

VATICAN CITY, JUN 26, 2001 (VIS) - Made public this morning was a Message from Cardinal Francois Xavier Nguyen Van Thuan, president of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, to the participants in the Fourth Latin American Encounter for Prison Ministries. The Message was published in Spanish and Italian and is dated June 25. The meeting began yesterday in Panama and ends June 30.

Saying he was sorry he was unable to attend the meeting, Cardinal Nguyen begins the Message: "I fervently pray that the Holy Spirit will indicate to all those responsible for prison ministries the criteria and the most opportune paths for a new evangelization in the world of prisons: a world often immersed in pain, solitude and desperation; a world which urgently needs the liberating word of the Gospel and charitable gestures - therefore encouraging ones - by the Christian who is concerned for his brother in difficulty and does not act this way for simple philanthropy but through a deep conviction of faith."

"May the conclusions of your work," he adds, "taking as their departure point the Gospel and the Church's social doctrine, contribute to the defense and promotion of human rights in the prisons of your countries, as well as concrete efforts to prevent crime and help build a more just, peaceful and human society."

The cardinal goes to say that "the light of hope must remain lit in the hearts of prisoners; it is therefore vitally important to assure the friendly and concerned presence of the Church in prisons." He highlighted the large numbers of priests, deacons and religious present at the meeting who are involved in prison ministries and said it was "encouraging" to note the numbers of lay people also participating in such ministries.

"It is necessary," Cardinal Nguyen concludes, "to ceaselessly pursue this apostolate so that the presence of the Good Samaritan, who comes to heal our wounds, is more tangible and efficacious, above all for those who for diverse reasons have been deprived of physical freedom."

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