One ecclesiastical document little known in North America is the Aparecida document of 2007.
This document was written by the Latin American Episcopal Council (CELAM), and it is thought
that Jorge Bergoglio (Pope Francis) was one of the drafters of the document. Read Part One of
this document (LETTER OF HIS HOLINESS BENEDICT XVI (celam.org)) (“The Life of Our People
Today,” pp. 7-27 in the document) and write a brief paper explaining the letter’s principal
themes. As you read and write, consider some of the following questions: What are some
reasons for gratitude to God? What are some of the many changes occurring in the world?
What are the positive ones, what are the negative ones, and which ones does the document
identify as posing the greatest challenges to the unique positive dimensions of Latin America?
What pastoral efforts must the Catholic Church implement, and what are some challenges that
the Catholic Church in Latin America faces?
The paper should be 3 double-spaced pages
