The city of Asunción hosted, from July 21 to 24, the Brazilian Meeting of the Southern Cone, a space for meeting, listening and discernment that brought together the National Caritas of Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Paraguay and Uruguay. This day was part of the preparatory process towards the XXI Regional Congress of Cáritas Latin America and the Caribbean, which will take place in Brazil in February 2027.

The "Brasileritos" constitute a process of shared reflection that seeks to strengthen identity, spirituality and cooperation between Cáritas in the region. Inspired by the motto "The love of Christ urges us", this path invites us to listen to the signs of the times, recognize the living memory of the 70 years of Cáritas Latin America and the Caribbean and project, from each territory, the horizons that will guide the great regional event.

On the way to the great event of Brazil 2027

The meeting allowed the zonal leaders to project the priorities of the block of facing the continental commitment next year, reaffirming the ecclesial service in favor of life and social justice.

In this regard, Ricardo González, director of Cáritas Paraguay and host of the meeting, highlighted the importance of the event in community preparation. "As Caritas Cono Sur, we are preparing for the great congress of Caritas Latin America and the Caribbean to be held in Brazil next year."

In the same vein, Bishop Mário Antonio da Silva, president of Cáritas Brasileira, valued the climate of fraternity and the view of faith on the realities of the subregion:

These days have been about exchange, experiences, coexistence and at the same time of analyzing the reality of our Latin America and launching our hopes and sharing our dreams so that the service of Caritas is truly a rescuer of life, an efficiency of the Kingdom of God among us for a more just and fraternal world.

Avant-garde, good practices and fraternal solidarity

During the conference, the exchange of methodologies and testimonies of accompaniment in the territories revealed the solidity of the work carried out by the network ecclesiastical in the Southern Cone.

Nury Callata, from Cáritas Chile, highlighted the level of articulation and strength of the area:

The meeting seemed to me to be a space and a moment of exchange, of good practices with all their strengths, we realized together that we are a very strengthened area at the forefront of the issues that the Lord calls us, the issues that call us today and I think that precisely that call is important to which we are part of all the countries that are here today sharing those experiences, testimonies of the others with whom we carry out an accompaniment process.

For her part, Sandra Olivera, from Cáritas Uruguaya, rescued the spirit of prayer, self-criticism and fraternal closeness between the participating countries:

From this meeting a feeling of great solidarity between us, of meeting the sister countries of the Southern Cone and being able to feel that hug fraternal among us. We had times of prayer, of reflection, times that help us to look at ourselves critically, to push ourselves, to make some changes to continue walking together and embark on the same boat to navigate and make our little faces more fraternal, work for justice and our task and our hands can reach more people.

Hospitality, community contact and synodal governance

The experience in Asunción not only allowed us to revisit regional history on its 70th anniversary, but also direct contact with the social reality of local communities and the consolidation of a management model based on co-responsibility.

Agustina Langwagen, director of Cáritas Uruguaya and coordinator of the Southern Cone area, offered a comprehensive balance of the meeting and the methodological impact achieved:

The reception and work of Cáritas Paraguay was spectacular, and it filled us with joy to witness its consolidation and the path taken in recent times. Within the framework of the 70th anniversary of the region, we shared our history and the spirituality that animates our mission and we had the opportunity to encounter the concrete life of a neighborhood community, allowing ourselves to be touched and challenged by it.

Another important aspect highlighted by Agustina was precisely sharing the path with the presiding bishops in a climate of closeness, listening and fraternity. "It was, furthermore, a meeting built between everyone: each Cáritas assumed responsibilities and actively contributed to its preparation and development. This way of meeting, discerning and building together confirms our commitment to a synodal system of governance, where participation, co-responsibility and the richness of each one and each Cáritas strengthen our journey as a body of service," he stressed.

With the input and renewed commitment in Paraguay, the Southern Cone zone continues its synodal march, bringing its voices, experiences and historical milestones towards the XXI Regional Congress in 2027.