MONTERREY, Mexico, JULY 27, 2005 (Zenit.org).- The fifth International Retreat for Priests has gathered together in Mexico 1,900 priests, and more than 100 bishops from 40 countries.
«Mary, Your Priests Want to See Jesus,» is the theme of this year’s retreat, an initiative organized by diocesan and national teams of the Catholic Charismatic Council in the Spirit, and the Latin American Catholic Charismatic Council, with the support of the conferences of Latin American bishops.
According to the organizers, the retreat — which will last from July 25-29 — seeks to lay the foundations of a new priesthood, a new Pentecost and a new evangelization in response to the challenges of the 21st century.
The main speaker is the Pope’s vicar general for Vatican City State, Archbishop Angelo Comastri, who preached the 2003 Lenten spiritual exercises to Pope John Paul II and the Roman Curia.
Archbishop Comastri spoke twice on the first day. He first talk was entitled «This Is the Time,» and his second was entitled «God Wants Us to Collaborate; Collaboration Starts with Humility.»
The participants will join the National Youth in the Spirit Meeting in the Monterrey Arena for a solemn Mass to close the retreat.
The youth meeting will bring together over 18,000 young people from all of Mexico, and several countries of Latin America.
