After their “ad limina” visit in Rome last week, the bishops from Ecuador are returning to their country with a mission that Pope Francis presented to them: to be closer to the people, and do it in a new way.
MSGR. RENÉ COBA
Secretary General of the Episcopal Conference of Ecuador
“The revolution of tenderness. More so than words, his gestures are what moves us to say, ‘Try to be close.’ The world needs that: heart, closeness, affection. It also needs a deep change of structures and minds.”
According to René Coba, Latin America is still 'the continent of hope,' as John Paul II called it. However, he regrets that it continues to suffer from problems like corruption. In order to fix this, he proposes the following solution.
MSGR. RENÉ COBA
Secretary General of the Episcopal Conference of Ecuador
“We need to put to the Gospel into action; to show that we are Christians. In the temple, but most of all in the street, in social activity and political activity. How can the continent of hope be the one with the most corruption? We all need to convert ourselves and, above all, become believable through life, through works.”
Ecuador is one of the countries in Latin America with the highest number of Christians, reaching over 80 percent. However, Monsignor Coba explains that the challenge facing the Church on their continent now is for believers to live out the faith by conviction, and not by cultural heritage.
