The assembly was held at the Pastoral Center of the Diocese of Alajuela (Costa Rica), whose bishop is the Augustinian Recollect Ángel San Casimiro. In attendance were fifty bishops from the different Central American countries, among them the Augustinian Recollects Mario Molina, bishop of Quiché (Guatemala), Anibal Saldaña, bishop of Bocas del Toro (Panamá) and José Luis Lacunza, bishop of David (Panamá).
Bishop San Casimiro, invited his brother bishops to detour a few kilometers to get to know one of the most representative social works of the Costa Rican church and nation: the Ciudad de los Niños. The bishops were happy to oblige, especially one of them, Bishop Oswaldo Brenes, of Ciudad Quesada, in Costa Rica, who was educated in that institution.
The director of the Ciudad de los Niños, the Augustinian Recollect Víctor González, informed them very briefly about the institution. Lastly, they visited the shops of electronics, mechanics, soldering and carpentry.
Border conflict
The General Assembly of the Episcopal Secretariat of Central America (SEDAC) called on the governments of Costa Rica and Nicaragua to solve in a peaceful way the territorial and border conflict they are waging in Calero island, which has originated a case in the International Court of The Hague.
The Archbishop of Managua (Nicaragua), Leopoldo Brenes, remarked to the press that prayers will be said “so that the Lord may illumine our government authorities… and the conflict may be solved as soon as possible”. For his part, the Augustinian Recollect bishop of Alajuela (Costa Rica) Ángel San Casimiro, said that “a call will be made to the political authorities of these counties to harmony and to dialogue”.
The President of Costa Rica, Laura Chinchilla, who was present at the start of the assembly, asked the Church to promote dialogue and peace in the conflict. “The Church can offer a priceless contribution, praying for peace and tranquility, as well as exhorting her communities not to allow themselves to be led by extremism and xenophobia”, she said.