Local Churches

“The Family in the Service of Life”

Argentina, the Bishop of Rafaela’s letter for Lent
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“The Family in the Service of Life” is the heading of the pastoral letter that Monsignor Fernández, Bishop of Rafaela, sent to his diocesan community at the beginning of Lent.  

The Bishop reminds us in his letter that  “during Lent, the liturgy helps us to discover that Jesus’ whole life, every gesture, every choice and every word, is the fruit of a free and mature love that always  chooses life.  This is because both love and freedom find their greatest meaning when they are oriented towards life”.  Monsignor Fernandez then invites us to  “celebrate the freedom and love of Jesus during this period”,  love that “always succeeds in finding ways to support, accompany and promote life”.

In regard to the new family situations, the Bishop expresses his wish to continue to embrace them with compassion, ecclesial openness and sincere dialogue. And, at a difficult time for society in which the “ideological propaganda of unlimited freedom seems to be gaining ground”, the Bishop emphasizes  “how the Church is requesting and seeking respect for women’s rights”, and likewise a  child’s right to be born: “We will never spare any efforts to seek answers that always lead us towards life”.

14 March 2019