"It is increasingly urgent that the Catholic Church in the Americas speak with one voice," stated Bishop Daniel Flores of Brownsville, Texas, vice president of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), following the Mass celebrated Aug. 30 at the cathedral in Cuernavaca, Mexico, which marked the beginning of a meeting among Mexican, U.S., and Canadian bishops.
Bishop Ramón Castro Castro of Cuernavaca, president of the Mexican Bishops' Conference (CEM, by its Spanish acronym) was the main celebrant of the Mass. Concelebrating alongside various priests, along with Flores, were Bishop Oscar Cantú of San José, California, chairman of the USCCB Subcommittee on Hispanic/Latino Affairs; and Bishop Pierre Goudreault of Sainte-Anne-de-la-Pocatière, president of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops.
In a brief message, Flores expressed gratitude for "Bishop Ramón's inspiration in inviting us to this gathering to strengthen this ecclesial communion."
"In the times we are living through, it will become increasingly important — indeed, urgent — for the Catholic Church in the Americas to speak with one voice, defending the honor of Our Lord and the dignity of the human person — especially the poor and immigrants, who often have nowhere to lay their heads, just like the Lord Jesus himself," he said.
"We need to preach together and united as one Church, under the guidance of our Holy Father, Pope Leo, and in communion with all the bishops of the world," he added.
3 distinct countries 'but one and the same faith'
In his homily, Castro highlighted that this meeting of leaders from North American episcopal conferences is "the first of its kind in our history."
"We are three distinct countries. We are three Churches with different histories and realities, yet we share one and the same faith, one baptism, one Eucharist, and one mission," the Mexican prelate affirmed.
Regarding the role of bishops, Castro emphasized that "before being leaders, we are disciples," and "before having responsibilities, we are men called by the Lord."
"Perhaps this can be the profound spirit of this gathering of the Church in North America: for all of us to place ourselves once again behind Jesus."
'Enormous challenges'
The president of the CEM emphasized that "our peoples face enormous challenges, particularly Mexico," and pointed to issues such as "violence, demagoguery, corruption, loneliness, secularization, individualism, materialism, polarization, wounded families, and young people seeking reasons for hope."
He further noted that "perhaps one of the most common themes among the three of us as countries and conferences is migration."
"Over the coming days, we will have the opportunity to share our perspectives on these realities, not in a spirit of judgment or confrontation but rather out of the pastoral responsibility that falls to us as shepherds," the bishop of Cuernavaca said.
"We want to better understand the lives of our people. To what end? To be able to serve them better," he stated.
Castro emphasized that "migration must not be reduced to statistics, public policies, or economic obligations," because "behind every migrant there is a face, a story, a family, a hope, and, unfortunately, often many wounds."
"The Church must view these people as brothers and sisters whose dignity must be recognized and protected," he said.
The Mexican bishop also expressed his wish "that from Cuernavaca we might send a simple yet powerful sign to our churches, churches on pilgrimage in Canada, the United States, and Mexico."
This story was first published by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.
