At the service of the churches in Southern Africa and Mexico

In June, the Dicastery received bishops from Mexico and Southern Africa for their ad limina visits.

Southern Africa: the priority is the formation of the laity

The latter bishops' conference includes South Africa, Botswana and Eswatini, countries that share cultural affinities. Christian formation of the laity is a priority issue for the South African prelates, especially in disadvantaged parishes, where the contribution of catechists is crucial to the transmission of the faith. A strong commitment to the care of marriage preparation also emerged, as well as the effort in defending human life and the dignity of the person in countries where abortion, for example, is unfortunately widespread.

Mexico, from popular devotion to the culture of life

The prelates from Mexico came to the Dicastery in different groups, speaking of a country with an overwhelming Catholic majority, animated by a lively popular religiousness. Speaking of the laity, the need is to stimulate their commitment to the common good and their witness in political life so that they can enlighten social life with the principles of the Church's Social Doctrine. Contemporary family life, for its part, raises new challenges that require pastoral accompaniment by the Church to strengthen family ministry at all levels, along with the proposal of new models of holiness capable of motivating the faithful to live the Gospel of family and life.

Finally, the prelates find it necessary to promote international courses on bioethics to help have elements of evangelization, and at the same time create, promote and disseminate subsidies on the culture of life and human dignity.