Monsignor Silvio José Báez, auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Managua, affirmed, in his homily this Sunday, May 21, that the bishops together with the Catholic priests are called to “form the consciences of the people in their personal lives and in political life, helping everyone to perceive the demands of justice”.
In addition, that pastors have the main responsibility of exposing and transmitting the moral and social doctrine of the Church. “We are also called to denounce, in the light of the Gospel, everything that opposes God’s plan and threatens the dignity and freedom of people,” he said.
The bishop indicated that the task of evangelizing, the mandate of Jesus, also includes the laity who “have complementary functions. The laity must announce and bear witness to the Gospel above all through their involvement in social and political life.
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Also, he said that the laity have the mission of being present in society through their responsible and honest work. In addition, they must commit themselves to the organization of groups and political parties that do not contradict the great values of the gospel and actively fight against injustice.
Likewise, “carry forward constructive dialogues for the common good, generate strategies for political struggle and be present in social and power structures”
«The Church, through her social magisterium exposed above all by the bishops, «simply wishes to contribute to the purification of reason and to contribute her own help so that what is right, here and now, can be recognized and then also placed in practice””.
In his message he launched a strong criticism of the religious of the church who should not “identify directly with any social group or political ideology, much less get involved in the development of partisan political strategies.”
“The evangelizing commitment of pastors in political life is situated in the area of proclamation of evangelical values in order to enlighten the heart and purify the reason of individuals and groups,” he concluded.
