Chilean bishop urges 'educated laity' to remain present in secular sphere

Santiago, Chile, Aug 27, 2010 / 12:02 pm

The president of the Chilean Bishops’ Conference, Bishop Alejandro Goic, called on the laity this week to remain engaged in the dialogue between faith and culture.

“It is urgent that we have specialized organizations in the diocese run by well-formed laypeople in order to generate dialogue between the faith and the culture and to defend the human dignity of men and women,” the bishop said during a conference on Chile’s bicentennial.

The bishop went on to say that believers exercise the greatest influence in the media not through programs of religious content but by achieving a natural presence and underscoring Gospel values creatively and skillfully as Christian journalists.

Bishop Goic noted that Catholics have a enormous presence in volunteer work for the poor and needy, but that their presence in unions is minimal. “Believers who are gifted organizers should be on the forefront of issues related to jobs and the dignity of workers,” he said.

He also stressed the importance of educating young people in civics, since “social justice, national and international peace and the promulgation of laws respectful of human dignity depend in large measure on politics. It is here where the Christian is called to be a witness to Christ in politics,” he said.