Santa Cruz (Agenzia Fides) - The Pontifical Mission Societies (PMS) National Director of Mexico, Fr Guillermo Alberto Morales Martínez, who attended the continental meeting of PMS Directors of American countries in Santa Cruz (see Fides 11/3/2011; 15/3/2011), shared the developments in the Mexican PMS' operations, highlighting the commitment of the laity as "the cornerstone of the mission".

In a statement sent to Fides, Fr Morales writes: “The PMS came to our country in 1860, creating great enthusiasm in the community, in particular for the responsibility they took in mission Ad gentes, which means going into places where Christ is not known and organising pastoral care that promoted the work of our Church and that today bears great fruit in Mexico.”

According to the National Director, the greater part of the activities carried out by the PMS in Mexico regard the formation of pastoral care workers, especially through especially through missionary conferences, because it is in the meetings and programs for children, youth, adults and also for those who come to visit the sick, enrich the Church's mission in Mexico. Fr Morales adds: “The wealth of the Church lies in the laity, and perhaps we need to better organise their structures to facilitate their work and their organisation, valuing the gift of their work and their universal diversity, in order to share faith with others.”

“Aparecida currently provides us with a great challenge: the mission of new evangelisation,” concludes Fr Morales. It is a mission that all of need to assume regarding all those who are baptised and Catholics but who have distanced themselves from the Church and do not practice their faith. The laity have a first hand role, not excluding the mission Ad gentes, the mission to people who do not know Christ. The Church has much need of the laity and their work to share their faith with others.” (CE) (Agenzia Fides, 17/03/2011)