Pope Meets the Bishops of Bolivia at Ad Limina Visit

(November 10, 2008) I know well the difficult circumstances that affect the faithful and citizens of your country for some time, and that in these moments seem even more acute. They are certainly a cause for special concern and pastoral application for the Church, which has managed to follow closely all Bolivians in delicate situations, with the sole purpose of maintaining hope, invigorate the faith, promote unity, to urge reconciliation and safeguarding peace, said Pope Benedict XVI. He was speaking to the Bishops of Bolivia on Monday, 10^th of November at the Ad Limina visit. Ad Limina visit is the five yearly visit to Rome made by every Bishop to be at the tombs of the Apostles and also to give detailed account of their dioceses to the Holy Father. He added that to meet these challenges, the Church in Bolivia has a powerful, as is the popular devotion, this precious treasure accumulated over the centuries through the work of missionaries that indicates their loyalty but it requires a constant effort to ensure that the value of the signs penetrate deep in the heart, is always illuminated by the Word God and have strong convictions of faith, strengthened by the sacraments and fidelity to the moral values. To achieve this, the Holy Father said that they need a catechesis systematic, widespread and pervasive, that teach clearly and fully the Catholic faith. Speaking on quality education the Pope said that it adds to the spiritual and religious dimension of the individual and contributes mightily to put firm foundations for growth in faith. The Church in Bolivia has numerous educational institutions, some of great reputation which must be maintained and developed. Then the Holy Father appreciated their efforts to provide the seminarians with human, spiritual, intellectual and pastoral training by providing suitable priests to guide and assist them. He referred the recent Assembly of the Synod of Bishops has underlined precisely that "the priority task of the Church, at the start of this new millennium, consists primarily in feeding on the Word of God, to make effective the commitment of the new evangelization.