Santiago, Chile. From the 17 – 19th of October the II Congress of the “Informational Network of the Latin American Church” was celebrated in this city (RIIAL). The theme was: “Church and Digital Culture”. The Congress was led by Bishop Claudio Maria Celli, President of the Pontifical Council for Social Communications and Bishop Adalberto Martinez, President of the Departemnt of Communication of CELAM (Bishops’ Conference of Latin America), and represented by 20 countries and some 150 delegates.

Representing the Claretian Missionaries from the Province of San Jose del Sur, and sent by the Center of Philosophical and Theological Studies (Cefyt), was Fr. Daniel O. Velasquez, CMF, general coordinator of the Department of Education at a Distance.

During the Congress several developments in three suggested areas were covered by the organization: digital culture, theology of communication, and application for mission.

Bishop Lucio Ruiz, President of RIIAL, accommodated the work of the Congress with these words: “Pope Benedict XVI in his message speaks of ‘digital generation’, ‘digital world’, ‘digital time’, ‘digital continent’. Therefore, if there is a new world, a new generation, a new time, a new continent… There is a new evangelization! This calls us to be aware of the need to send ‘new missionaries’: missionaries of the culture and the digital generation. This implies learning new languages, new customs, placed in new environments, having to translate the Gospel so that it is learned and lived exactly as it was the evangelization in China, in India, in America… only which is now in the ‘Virtual continent’.

Photo: Fr. Daniel O. Velazquez ,CMF with Mons. C. M. Celli.