No menu items!

COSTA RICA'S LEADING ENGLISH LANGUAGE NEWSPAPER

HomeArchiveHome from Rome, Clerics Reflect on Papal Visit

Home from Rome, Clerics Reflect on Papal Visit

The seven bishops of Costa Rica returned home Thursday from Rome, having completed the traditional “ad limina” visit, which takes place once every five years.
The two-week visit culminated in a group meeting between the bishops, known as the Episcopal Conference of Costa Rica, and Pope Benedict XVI on Feb. 8.
At that meeting, the president of the conference, Bishop of Cartago José Francisco Ulloa, reviewed the areas of discussion, including migration, poverty and the status of the family.
Specifically, he spoke of the church’s work to “integrate our Nicaraguan brothers into Costa Rican society” and attempts to ease tensions surrounding the controversial approval of the Central American Free-Trade Agreement with the United States (CAFTA) in a referendum last October. He also touched on the bishops’ concern over “the growing inequality in the distribution of wealth,” and the “worrying phenomenon” of rising crime.
Finally, as expected, on behalf of the conference, Ulloa offered an invitation to His Holiness to visit Costa Rica, “so that you can impart your papal blessing… and so that our people may experience your love at first hand.”
The pope told the bishops that “the people of Costa Rica need to constantly revitalize their ancient and deep roots in the Christian faith.” He addressed their concerns about the deterioration of the family by encouraging them to “promote the good of the family and defend its rights.”
The pontiff closed his address by calling on the “Holy Virgin Mary to protect her children in that beloved country.” He also offered his prayers for the bishops’ ministry and gave them his blessing.
Prior to that encounter, the bishops had all met privately with the pope to discuss issues specific to their individual dioceses.
The bishops of San José, Limón, Alajuela and Puntarenas all had their personal meetings, which lasted approximately 15 minutes each, on Feb. 4.
Hugo Barrantes, archbishop of San José, said after his meeting that he felt a “closeness with the pope as a spiritual father.”
The bishops of Cartago, Tilarán and San Isidro de El General, on the other hand, met with the pope Feb. 8, just prior to the group encounter.
During the visit, the bishops also went to many of the dicasteries, the institutions or ministries that carry out the ecclesiastical and diplomatic functions of the Holy See. They made ceremonial visits to the tomb of St. Peter, where bishop Ulloa said a special Mass, and to the tomb of St. Paul.
According to press officer Laura Avila, the clerics also prayed at the tomb of the previous pontiff, John Paul II, who visited Costa Rica in 1983.
 

Trending Now

Costa Rica Surf Film Festival Honors ‘Pura Vida Bodysurfing’ with Top Audience Award

Pura Vida Bodysurfing is an award-winning short film that strips surfing back to its essence—riding waves without a surfboard. Filmed across Costa Rica’s legendary...

Costa Rica’s Pride 2025 Closing Event Bans Minors, Sparks Outrage

Costa Rica’s Pride 2025 closing event, set for June 29 at San José’s Plaza de la Democracia, was thrown into controversy when the government...

El Salvador Slams Paris Fashion Show Inspired by Cecot Mega-Prison Inmates

The president of El Salvador, Nayib Bukele, joked on Saturday that he could send inmates from his mega-prison to France, after they were represented...

Climate Change in Costa Rica Devastates Coffee Farms in Los Santos

In Costa Rica’s Los Santos region, famous for producing nearly half the country’s coffee, farmers are reeling from heavy losses driven by wild weather....

An Expat’s Take: 5 Burning Questions About Life in Costa Rica Right Now

Have you been keeping up with the various events taking place in Costa Rica? There is always something interesting going down, and here are...

Honduras Seizes $2 Million, Gold-Plated Pistols in Drug Raid

Honduran authorities struck a blow against drug cartels, seizing over $2 million in cash, war rifles, and flashy gold-plated pistols in Copán, a northwest...
Avatar
spot_img
Costa Rica Tours
Costa Rica Coffee Maker Chorreador
Costa Rica Coffee Maker Chorreador
Costa Rica Travel Insurance
Costa Rica Rocking Chait
Costa Rica Travel

Latest News from Costa Rica