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MARY, MOTHER OF THE LATIN AMERICAN PEOPLE
Excerpt of the Conference by His Excellency
Msgr. Raoul Scarrone,
Bishop of Florida, Uruguay
on June 8, 2003
For the third time already, His Excellency Raoul
Scarone, Bishop of the Florida Diocese in Uruguay, joyfully participated at
the Day of Prayer.
In his providence God wanted me to represent the people
of Latin America on the 5th International Day of Prayer in Amsterdam. How could
I refuse such a wish? For the evangelization of Latin America was deeply marked
by Mary’s presence.
Today I thank God by recalling the words of the Magnificat: “See, from
now onwards all generations will call me blessed.” (Lk. 1,48)
These prophetic words did come true when the gospel reached the American continent
in 1492, more than 500 years ago, especially in the Spanish and Portuguese speaking
countries. It was the springtime of Renaissance Europe and at the same time
on our continent the springtime of our faith in Jesus Christ, the eternal Word
of the Father and Son of Mary.
Nowadays half of all the Catholics live in Latin America: 510 million people.
When God decided to reveal himself and to make known his plan of love and salvation,
He chose, as we know, a young girl, Mary, to cooperate in this mystery of Gods
mercy. It was Mary who through giving her ‘Fiat’ at the Annunciation,
opened for us the way and created in a new way the possibility for the Church
and each of us to hear Gods plans, to give our own answer and to cooperate with
them.
Mary is essential in the mystery of the incarnation. Through her, God became
flesh and part of a people. She is the link between heaven and earth. Without
Mary the gospel looses its body, becomes deformed and changes into spiritual
rationalism. An evangelization that ignores Mary’s enriching presence,
deforms the inner force of the Christian mystery of salvation.
In Latin America the most holy Virgin Mary is present and acts in different
ways. Whether at remote places or at the famous sanctuaries visited by millions
of pilgrims, we look up to her, who alone can lead us to her Son. She gives
us a serene trust, the gentle strength of children who know themselves closer
to God, because this Mother is supporting them.
In many countries of our continent, Marian devotion is part of the identity
of our people, as is the case with our Lady of Guadelupe in Mexico, in whom
is brought to expression the deep connection between the Christian faith and
the culture of our peoples. When the gospel was proclaimed, Mary was considered
to be its ultimate realization. From the moment Mary appeared in Guadelupe,
she represented the merciful countenance, the great sign of God’s and
Christ’s proximity, inviting us to enter into communion with them.
Mary was also the voice that called for unity among people and nations. The
Marian sanctuaries on this continent, like Guadelupe, are signs where the faith
of the Church meets the history of Latin America.
That’s why the people know that Mary can only be found within the Catholic
Church. As a result, Marian devotion often formed the strong link between the
Church and those communities that had to go without pastoral care.
The faithful recognized the Church as the family which has Mary, the Mother
of God, as its Mother. The Church confirms their evangelic intuition that Mary
is the perfect Christian example, the ideal image of the Church.
Marian devotion has undergone an astounding development in America during its
history of 500 years. And one can say that Latin Americans are historically
a Marian people and in spite of all the vicissitudes have remained faithful
to their devotion to the virgin Mary. A great majority of our people shows its
love, its dedication and devotion by invoking Mary under different titles and
portraying her in different ways. And for some Christians these Marian images
are the most important and even the only means through which they express their
religiosity.
Led by Mary, the Christians traverse history with all its sufferings and conquests.
Many names and places recall the memory of Mary and her mysteries: her Assumption,
the Immaculate Conception, the Incarnation, the Rosary, Bethlehem, the Carmel,
the Purification, etc. They make that the people can turn their eyes heavenwards
and meet the maternal face of Mary who shows us the maternal and merciful face
of the Father, revealed in Jesus, his Son.
The mystery of Mary takes up a prominent place in the religious experience of
Latin America because the people want to be Christian, which confirms the words
of pope Paul VI: “If we want to be Christian, we need to be Marian.”
By encouraging the faithful to go to the Virgin Mary and by a better understanding
of who she is, we can remain faithful to Christ and realize the new evangelization
to which we are committed. In this time in which the Church of Latin America
is called to a new mission, to undertake a ‘new evangelization’,
the Church meditates on Mary, on her humble and audacious faith and on her virginity,
which made her fruitful to illuminate the world. She continues to enlighten
us in the night of our faith, as the Star of the evangelization.
Brothers and sisters, how much Mary can give to Latin America! Since the very
moment of its discovery, on October 12, 1492, the conquistadors have brought
her to us and Mary and America have found each other. The simple people were
enchanted by her. The love of Mary conquered the hearts of the poor and they
expressed it through their songs, images, prayers and especially the rosary,
by building sanctuaries, through their ceaseless supplications and by putting
their hope in her.
Just like millions of people on our continent, Mary lived in a small village
and led the same life as they do. From the very beginning America has therefore
conversed with Mary and called upon her, declared her its love and made known
its needs, talked about her and with her. She is the Virgin of sorrows and of
joy. Even in the smallest dwelling they share their life with her and find light
and strength in this devotion. Therefore she moves among us like a soft breeze,
without which we cannot live. When we meditate on the image of Mary, I think
that within us a desire arises to be better human beings. When we direct our
gaze to her, we want to amend our mistakes and to purify all that has been soiled.
It is therefore such a great joy for us when the Church makes us meditate on
the Image of Mary.
As the Church of now and always, we want to safeguard faithfully what Jesus
has entrusted to us when from the cross He gave us in the person of John, Mary
as our Mother. Twenty centuries have passed since Christ said: “This is
your mother”. With these words he gave the Church a mission to accomplish.
Therefore now and always the Church invites us to recognize Mary as our Mother.
And with the blessed image of the Lady of All Nations before our eyes, I say
to each of you personally the same words as Jesus: “This is your mother”.
When we meditate on her, the wish arises to be better human beings and being
the Church that directs its eyes towards Mary we discover again our calling
as Christians: the Church senses that Mary is her role model. It wants to love
the whole of humanity, all the peoples with Mary’s purity. Like Mary the
Church wants to be attentive to the word of God, being ready to do His will.
God’s Church grows day and night because it carries, like Mary, the Messiah
and because the Spirit makes it fruitful. During the evangelization of our peoples,
Mary was presented as the highest realization of the gospel. It is therefore
that the Church of Latin America has the calling to be Mary in this world and
feels called upon to be, in the same way as she was, servant, missionary, faithful
and beautiful without stain and immaculate. She wants to be without wounds and
without resentment, not domineering but Virgin and Mother, full of joy and ready
to serve.
The mission of Mary was to bring Christ into the world. Let us ask today that
we also, through the example of our lives, may give Jesus to others. He is the
only One who can give peace, solidarity and strength so that this world, this
society will be more lovable, worthier and more just and already anticipates
down here ‘a new heaven and a new earth’ which God has prepared
for those who like Mary have remained faithful,
Amen.
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