SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic – With the objective of establishing operational definitions for ecclesiastical cooperation, this April 28 the IV Meeting of Synodal Cooperation for Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) began. The meeting in Santo Domingo brings together representatives of international cooperation agencies and different organizations on the continent. The regional coordinator of Cáritas Latin America and the Caribbean, Nicolás Meyer, and the communications coordinator, Marcus Neto, participate in the event.

The first session of the meeting, in addition to the cooperation agencies and ecclesiastical organizations, had expressive participation by the members of the Dominican Episcopal Conference, the apostolic nuncio in the Dominican Republic, Monsignor Piergiorgio Bertoldi, and representation of the Episcopal Conference of Haiti.

Monsignor Santiago: Dominican hospitality and the call to prophecy

As host of the meeting and representing the Dominican episcopate, Monsignor Santiago Rodríguez Rodríguez, bishop of the Diocese of San Pedro de Macorís, in the Dominican Republic, and president of the Council of Economic Affairs of the Latin American and Caribbean Episcopal Council (CELAM) welcomed all those present in the name of the Dominican episcopate.

The bishop highlighted the historical value of the venue of the meeting, remembered for being the cradle of the defense of human dignity since the 16th century. In his opening words, the bishop urged the participants to build a cooperation that responds sensitively to the current crises.

“We have learned this path to have a space for meeting and discernment as brothers and sisters, representatives of the agencies of aid and support to the churches of the continent that are most in need and in vulnerable situations,” said Monsignor Santiago.

“We hope to deepen the analysis from the signs of the times and that the Word of God will help us respond generously. We seek Samaritan cooperation, close and sensitive, in response to the cries of the land and the poor," said the president of the CELAM Economic Affairs Council, emphasizing that this space must make it possible to define lines of work that always prioritize the most vulnerable.

Monsignor Lizardo: synodality as a path of justice

For his part, the auxiliary bishop of Cusco and general secretary of CELAM, Bishop Lizardo Estrada thanked the agencies for their presence and the organizational effort, emphasizing that this meeting is an opportunity to continue learning the deep meaning of "synodal cooperation", a concept promoted since the meeting in Rome in 2023.

“This fourth meeting should allow us to decisively advance in responses for better cooperation services that are Samaritan and close. We want to bear witness that international synodal cooperation that contributes to changes in favor of justice and of the integrity of creation,” said Bishop Lizardo, highlighting that joint work helps to sustain the crosses of the most fragile brothers on the continent.

During the conference, the work of the thematic groups (Networks, Migrations and strengthening of the Populorum Progressio) and previous meetings will be recovered, integrating learnings to transform them into operational definitions that give clarity to the process and evaluate the standards of synodality. The IV Synodal Cooperation Meeting continues in Santo Domingo until Thursday, April 30.