Cardinal encourages fostering of a “culture of vocations” in Brazil

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Aug 30, 2004 / 22:00 pm

During the opening of the Second Vocations Congress, taking place at the headquarters of the Bishops Conference of Brazil, Cardinal Geraldo Majella Angelo emphasized the need to “create a culture of vocations” in the country.

The President of the bishops’ conference said, “Our vocation is to be the Church.  We are called to make the Church, to give continuity to the mystery of the Incarnation through the proclamation of the Gospel.  We are all called and the call is for everyone.”

“We need to create a culture of vocations,” said the Cardinal, adding that “a vocation is a response of God to the community that prays.  We also need to create a missionary culture in the Church.”

Before inaugurating the event, the Cardinal finished his comments asking for “the blessing of our Lady, Mother of the Church,” that she might protect all Brazilians.

According to the President of the Executive Committee of the Vocations Congress, Bishop Pedro Brito Guimaraes, “We want to bring people together.”  He added that the Congress seeks “to create a new mentality, recover the memory and the experience of the People of God.  The Church is an assembly of people who are called.  All service that the Church carries out has a vocational dimension.  It is call to respond.”

“We hope his Congress will bring us together, that we may advance in theory and in practice in being called,” he said.