Vatican City, Feb 1, 2011 / 10:28 am
Faithful and joyful witness to one's own vocation “has been and remains an excellent way to awaken in young people the desire to follow the footsteps of Christ,” Pope Benedict said on Feb. 1.
The Pontiff's remarks were released in a message to the second Latin-American Continental Congress for Vocations, which is being held in Cartago, Costa Rica from Jan. 31 to Feb. 5.
The first congress was organized by the Vatican and the Latin-American Confederation of Religious 17 years ago, while the current gathering is the work of bishops responsible for the pastoral care of vocations in Latin America and the Caribbean.
Pope Benedict opened his message by saying that the “great task” of evangelization requires an “ever increasing number of people to respond generously to the call of God and make a lifelong commitment to the cause of the Gospel.”