VII Continental Symposium of Indian Theology: “Holy Spirit and the original peoples”

vaticannews

This week Panama welcomes indigenous pastoral agents from the American continent in the VII Symposium of Indian Theology, which is being held from October 3 to 8 at the Monte Alverna Spirituality Center. About 50 pastoral agents, bishops responsible for indigenous pastoral care, religious, lay people and indigenous theologians and delegates from their communities, will reflect on the “Holy Spirit and the original peoples”, the theme of the meeting, which aims to continue the path of deepening of the doctrinal contents of Indian theology, to advance in its clarification in the light of the word of God and the Magisterium of the Church

A faith that walks with the original peoples

Every day indigenous speakers and theologians from various countries will offer testimonies about the Spirit from the perspective of indigenous peoples. In this sense, the agenda of the VII Symposium of Indian Theology has been raised in the light of a series of texts that, due to their content, will help to illuminate the reflections and that range from fragments of Sacred Scripture and documents of the Magisterium of Pope Francis to the content developed in organizations such as the International Theological Commission.

Among the topics discussed at the meeting, the following stand out: the Holy Spirit in its various dogmatic formulations and in its cultural expressions throughout history; listen, share and discuss the way in which the original peoples live the mystery of the Spirit; discern the signs of the presence and action of the Spirit in the various original peoples; offer elements and theological criteria to discern and walk with the original peoples in the experience of the Spirit; and share and celebrate the experience of the Spirit with expressions typical of the original peoples.

Synodality and spirituality

The activities that will take place in the VII Symposium of Indian Theology – as highlighted in the ADN Celam press release – are integrated into the synodal path that the universal Church lives and that is beyond isolated actions to be understood as a process, a path that, involving everyone, goes beyond the idea of ​​a meeting of people to reflect or discuss problems, limitations or goals as the sole purpose.

This is the horizon of the Indian Theology Symposium coordinated by Cardinal Felipe Arizmendi, bishop emeritus of San Cristóbal de las Casas in Mexico, who has taken care to lead a team of people who, based on a series of documents from various sources, propose a agenda that starts from listening, reflection and dialogue, because as Sr. Nathalie Becquart, undersecretary of the secretariat of the synod of bishops referring to the spirituality of synodality: «synodality cannot exist without the Spirit and the Spirit does not exist without prayer«.

master proposals

Among the presentations scheduled for the Symposium, the analysis of the paths of the doctrinal formulation on the Holy Spirit in the Eastern and Western traditions presented by Father Mario Ángel Flores de la Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith and member of the International Theological Commission. Father Flores will also present a dissertation on the action of the Holy Spirit lived and expressed by the native peoples together with the priest Eleazar López from Mexico and Vicenta Mamani Bernabé from Bolivia.

In addition to a conference on the relationship of the Holy Spirit with prophecy, martyrdom and the party; The symposium addresses the perspectives of hope in the original peoples from the experience of Jocabed Solano, from Panama, Sister Ernestina López, from Guatemala, and Father Reginaldo Lima, from Brazil. Several of the master proposals are discussed in groups that should point out theological lines of consensus and diversity to offer an itinerary and advance the reflection on Indian theology in Latin America and the Caribbean and its contribution to the synodality that is so necessary in our environments.

The reflection of Monsignor Arismendi Esquivel

Monsignor Felipe Arizmendi Esquivel, bishop emeritus of San Cristóbal de las Casas in Mexico, who is participating in the event, has shared a podcast with Vatican News where he reviews the history of these symposiums from their origins and the texts that have marked the study of theology indian till today.