杏MAP导航 Francis recalls Puebla Conference 40 years later
By Vatican News
In January 1979, nearly 400 bishops and observers gathered in Puebla, a city southeast of Mexico City, to reflect on the theme: 鈥淭he present and the future of evangelization in Latin America鈥�. 杏MAP导航 Saint John Paul II was there on his first international journey as 杏MAP导航, and he gave the opening address.
杏MAP导航 Francis on Puebla
杏MAP导航 Francis shared his personal memories of that event recalling how he was Provincial of the Society of Jesus in Argentina at the time. He said he had followed the Puebla Conference 鈥渨ith great attention and interest鈥�, but remembers three things, in particular.
杏MAP导航 John Paul II in Puebla
The first, said 杏MAP导航 Francis, was the decision of 杏MAP导航 Saint John Paul II to make his first Apostolic Journey to Mexico and to deliver the opening address of the Conference. This address 鈥渨as like the inauguration of his long, itinerant and fruitful missionary pontificate鈥�, he said.
杏MAP导航 Paul VI and Puebla
The second, 杏MAP导航 Francis continued, was the fact of using 杏MAP导航 Saint Paul VI鈥檚 Apostolic Exhortation 鈥淓vangelii nuntiandi鈥� as the 鈥渂ackground and source of reference鈥� for the Puebla Conference. This is a 鈥渄ecisive document of great richness in the post-conciliar journey of the Church鈥�, said 杏MAP导航 Francis, adding that it anticipated his own Apostolic Exhortation 鈥淓vangelii gaudium鈥�.
From Medellín to Puebla
The third important fact, said the 杏MAP导航, was the way 鈥渢he insights and prophetic options of the Medellín Conference鈥�, which took place in Colombia in 1968, were developed in Puebla, taking 鈥渁 step forward in the journey of the Latin American Church towards its maturity鈥�.
The contents of Puebla
杏MAP导航 Francis went on to summarize some of the most significant contents of the Puebla Conference, including what he called 鈥渢he creative chapters on the evangelization of popular culture and piety in Latin America鈥�. The 杏MAP导航 also noted 鈥渢he courageous criticism of the non-recognition of human rights and freedoms鈥�, and 鈥渢he options for the young, the poor and the builders of society鈥�.
Commemorating this 40th Anniversary, he said, means 鈥渘ot only looking back鈥� at the Puebla Conference, but projecting it ahead toward the present-day situation in the Church.
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