The Prefect of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development, Cardinal Michael Czerny, participated in a meeting with institutions and agencies of aid to the Church in Latin America which took place in Rome on the 22 and 23 June 2023.
The initiative was carried out by the Pontifical Commission for Latin America (PCAL) and brought together representatives of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development along with members of institutions such as: Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) International, Adveniat, the Archdiocese of Cologne, Manos Unidas, the Italian Episcopal Conference, Misereor, Porticus Latin America, Caritas Latin America and the Caribbean, the Service of Charitable Interventions for the Development of Peoples, International Good Shepherd Foundation Latin America, National Collection Office of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Catholic Relief Services, BEGECA, The Catholic Agency for Overseas Development (CAFOD) and Caritas Canada, among others.
In his statement, Cardinal Czerny stressed the need for solidarity and synergy at the service of the churches of Latin America and encouraged synodal cooperation.
The Prefect explained that cooperating for synodality consists of supporting in a priority way, the processes that in the Church are oriented to a transformation of mentalities, practices, and structures, always in favor of a greater synodality.
He therefore urged that the structures facilitate the listening and participation of the most peripheral sectors in the life of the Church, in addition to the formation in the spirituality of communion of pastoral agents and the participation of subordinate groups in decision-making.
Cardinal Czerny also stressed that synodal cooperation is about bridging the gap between donors and recipients, namely, to work as much as possible to diminish the asymmetry of power that occurs naturally when either role is assumed.
Finally, the Cardinal recalled that "cooperation is not an act of mere giving to the poor, but a return of the resources that belong to them by right", and he urged to act with the logic of communion, so that the necessary resources reach the true addressees.
In this regard, the Cardinal asked to privilege processes over projects with a view of greater transparency in decision-making and accountability, so that cooperation with a Samaritan character could be realised.