Vatican City, Apr 14, 2005 / 22:00 pm
Archbishop Cipriano Calderon Polo, Vice President emeritus of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America and member of the Congregation for Bishops, said Thursday the Church in Latin America is “mature” and ready to give a Pope to the universal Church.
Archbishop Calderon, who accompanied Pope John Paul II on all of trips to Latin America, first as director of the Spanish edition of L’Osservatore Romano and later as Vice President of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America, told CNA that the Pontiff “coined the phrase ‘Continent of hope’ in reference to Latin America which, after 500 years of being evangelized, is now itself evangelizing.”
“The Holy Father pointed out on one occasion that Latin America was preparing to reevangelize Europe and to evangelize other regions of the world; and he saw this as the plan for the region for the Third Millennium,” Archbishop Calderon noted.
The Spanish prelate also stated that “Latin America is now a mature Church, ready to give a Pope to the universal Church, if not during this conclave, then during the next.”