At the service of the Church in Slovenia, Puerto Rico and Peru

Every five years, bishops from different Episcopal Conferences make an Ad Limina Apostolorum visit to meet with the Holy Father. On this occasion, they also meet with the Dicasteries of the Roman Curia to dialogue and listen to each other on issues that are most important to their local Churches. Last January, after the break due to the Holy Year of Jubilee, the Dicastery for Laity, Family and Life resumed the visits of bishops, welcoming the Episcopal Conferences of Slovenia, Puerto Rico and Peru.

The secularisation and the Church in Slovenia

In a highly secularised context, marked by a decline in religious identification and profound social changes, especially after the pandemic, the laity remain actively involved in parish life, formation, ecclesial movements and social commitment. The bishops of the Slovenian Bishops' Conference shared in particular their commitment to the formation of the laity. They also proposed a reflection on the involvement of families, support for the birth rate, and accompaniment of families.

Young people in Puerto Rico

Social life in Puerto Rico is marked by economic crises, natural disasters and youth emigration. Despite this, youth ministry is showing signs of growth, even at the international level. The Puerto Rican bishops testified to how closer accompaniment of young people helps in the formation of a solid evangelical mentality and in the principles of the Church's social doctrine.

The mission of the laity in Peru

The Church in Peru is expressed through a strong commitment of the laity as catechists, animators and missionaries, especially in rural areas. In society, Christian witness has a great opportunity to strengthen the formation of the laity, especially young people who face the challenges that society places before them. Faced with the reality of families, especially those in crisis, the bishops point to ‘merciful accompaniment’ as a path to offer.