Buenos Aires, Argentina, Aug 20, 2009 / 20:00 pm
During the 153rd meeting of the Bishops’ Conference of Argentina, the bishops’ executive committee, led by Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio of Buenos Aires, asked the different episcopal committees to work on proposals for protecting the human rights of children.
The task for coming up with proposals will be coordinated by the Bishops’ Committee on Social Ministry, Caritas Argentina and the National Commission for Justice and Peace.
“Amidst the social emergency, unprotected children must be the priority,” said conference spokesman, Father Jorge Oesterheld.
The Church “has been working for years on different initiatives of a social nature and will continue to do so as we approach the bicentennial celebrations” of 2010-2016, he said, explaining that the bishops believe the fight against poverty must not be a momentary issue that disappears after three or four days in the media.”
“The Church wants to draft a proposal in order to safeguard the human rights of children to nourishment and a life of dignity,” Father Oesterheld stated.
For this reason, he said, the Bishops’ Conference of Argentina has decided to hold a congress on Social Doctrine in 2011 in order to study the issue of poverty in light of the Church’s teachings.