Pope opens crucial bishops' conference, leaves Brazil (2nd Roundup)

May 14, 2007, 0:59 GMT

Aparecida, Brazil - Pope Benedict XVI opened a key conference of Latin American bishops Sunday to close his five-day pastoral visit to Brazil, his first trip to the Americas as head of the Catholic Church.

In the speech that initiated the sessions of the fifth General Conference of the Episcopate of Latin America and the Caribbean - also attended by bishops from North America, Spain and Portugal - the pontiff offered a summary of Roman Catholic doctrine on a wide range of issues.

The crucial bishops' gathering - continuing through May 31 in the Brazilian pilgrimage destination Aparecida do Norte in Sao Paulo state - aims to devise strategies to halt the exodus of Roman Catholics to evangelistic Pentecostal churches. In the face of this competition, the pope has termed the bishops' conference a 'missionary' gathering.

Benedict blamed the weakening of the church in the region on 'secularism, hedonism, indifference and proselytizing by numerous sects, animist religions and new pseudo-religious phenomena.'

He urged the Catholic hierarchy to come up with 'new paths and creative pastoral plans' to counter these challenges, and encouraged the use of 'press, radio and television, websites, forums and many other methods' available for modern communications.

At the same time, the pope issued a clear warning against liberation theology, which is closely tied to radical leftwing politics and promotes a greater presence of the church among the poor. The movement, which strongly encourages political activism, is popular in Latin America but out of favour in the Vatican.

'If the church were to start transforming herself into a directly political subject, she would do less, not more, for the poor and for justice, because she would lose her independence and her moral authority,' Benedict said.

The pontiff further expressed concern about the resurgence of leftwing politics across Latin America and urged the region's governments to promote equality and globalization 'led by ethics.'

'There are grounds for concern in the face of authoritarian forms of government and regimes wedded to certain ideologies that we thought had been superseded, and which do not correspond to the Christian vision of man and society as taught by the social doctrine of the church,' the pope said in his opening speech.

This was a clear reference to the advance of leaders like presidents Hugo Chavez of Venezuela, Evo Morales of Bolivia and others, who have in many cases clashed with the local Catholic hierarchies.

However, Benedict praised the region's 'notable progress toward democracy' and urged more conservative governments to pay attention to the needs of 'the ever-increasing sectors of society that find themselves oppressed by immense poverty or even despoiled of their own natural resources.'

Earlier, at the open-air mass on the square before the basilica of Aparecida that marked the opening of the conference, Benedict stressed the need for Catholics to be 'faithful disciples, so as to be courageous and effective missionaries.'

'This is the faith that has made America the continent of hope. Not a political ideology, not a social movement, not an economic system: faith in the God who is love,' Benedict said.

Some 200,000 to 400,000 people, according to media estimates, attended the mass on a sunny day in Aparecida. The figures were a disappointment, considering that optimistic plans had expected 1 million people and more cautious estimates at least 500,000.

In his homily, Benedict criticized the aggressive strategies of Pentecostal churches to lure Catholics, stressing that the Roman church 'does not engage in proselytism' and instead grew 'by the power of (Christ's) love.'

Around 50 supporters of a sect were arrested after protesting against the pope before the basilica, the police said.

Benedict arrived early Sunday at the vast square before the basilica, rolled down the window of his bullet-proof 'popemobile' and waved to the crowd as he had done the previous day.

Many had waited overnight at the site for a chance to see him. In addition to many Brazilians, people from other Latin American countries including Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia and Uruguay were in attendance.

'Coming to Brazil is cheaper than going to Europe,' said Chilean Jimena Navarro, who arrived Saturday in Aparecida with her husband and three daughters.

Benedict left later Sunday for Rome, describing his visit to Brazil as 'intense and unforgettable.'

'The expressions of enthusiasm and profound piety of this generous people will remain in my memory forever,' he said.

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva - who welcomed Benedict on arrival Wednesday in the world's most populous Catholic country and later held a bilateral meeting with the pontiff - did not attend the farewell but was was represented by Vice President Jose Alencar.

The public highlights of the papal visit were a major youth rally on Wednesday and Friday's canonization to make Friar Antonio de Sant'Ana Galvao the church's first Brazilian-born saint.

Benedict's Alitalia jet left Brazil at 2355 GMT and is expected to land at 1045 GMT Monday at Rome's Ciampino airport.