Missionary Trip to Chile—Reported by Mario Rojas, April - May 2011.

Located in southwestern South America, Chile’s steady economic growth has brought greater affluence and opportunity. The capital city of Santiago, for example, has transformed into one of Latin America’s most modern metropolitan areas, with extensive suburban development, dozens of shopping centers, and impressive high-rise architecture.

With a current population is 16.9 million, however, Chile is getting older as a nation. Currently about 22.3% of the population is below 14 years of age; 68.1% of the population is between 15 and 64 years; and 9.6% are 65 years old and over.

According to demographic experts, a fertility rate of 2.11 children per family is required to maintain a society over time. Unfortunately, Chile has a fertility rate of about 1.88 children per family; and if those figures do not change, Chile also runs the risk of becoming an even older society with fewer people contributing to the economic development of the country.

Economic Progress, Religious Decline

Chile is traditionally Catholic, and the Roman Catholic Church enjoys the highest favorable view among the major religions. Under the Marxist rule of Salvador Allende, the Church suffered persecution and marginalization until 1973, when he was deposed by a military coup led by Augusto Pinochet Allende. Pinochet ruled until a freely elected president was installed in 1990, but he established sound and consistent economic policies during the 1980s, which contributed to steady growth, reduced poverty, and commitment to democracy. Chile has increasingly assumed regional and international leadership roles befitting its status as a stable, democratic nation. Unfortunately, as we see in too many other economically growing nations, few young people practice their faith.

The current President is Sebastián Piñera Echenique, Chile’s first democratically elected conservative leader after more than half a century. Piñera has done much good work to defend unborn human life. Unfortunately, he has recently affirmed that he will present a legislative bill to allow homosexual unions.

The anti-family groups that have long opposed the Catholic Church, including the international non-governmental organizations (NGOs) are exploiting the president’s openness to false “marriage” with the general population.

1,000 Miles for Life

Fr. Juan Carlos Chávez, Director of the Latin American Network of Priests and Seminarians for Life (REDESSVIDA), and I were able to make a missionary trip to all five Archdioceses (Antofagasta, La Serena, Santiago, Concepción and Puerto Montt). We spoke to bishops, priests, seminarians and as many key players of society as possible about life and family issues and the threats of the culture of death. This mission trip was made possible largely due to the cooperation of the Family Pastoral Offices in each Archdiocese and the deans of the seminaries that were visited.

As a result, pro-life talks were given to several seminaries, schools, convents, and parishes. There were also several radio, newspaper and TV interviews given in which we discussed the threats of population control and how to promote the Gospel of Life.

Miners and tourist industry workers hear the Gospel of Life

Antofagasta is located about 700 miles north of Santiago and has a current population of 260,000.  The city is one of the mining capitals of northern Chile, with many workers passing through on their way to or from a mine. Since there is a great deal of migration, the rate of unwed women is quite high. Church attendance is also rather low, making the evangelization efforts more difficult.

Monsignor Pablo Lizama SJ, Archbishop of Antofagasta, authorized Fr. Juan Agustín Bravo SJ, Family Vicar of the Archdiocese, to organize a complete agenda for our visit. One high point was that we were able to give a presentation to 12 members of the very famous Las Tachuelas Circus, which once gave a performance before Blessed Pope John Paul II!

At the end of the visit, Fr. Agustín said, “I was blessed these days with this visit …You have open my eyes to realities that I had not taken seriously before. Such realities have shaken me, but at the same time they have motivated me to become a strong defender of life….”

La Serena is located about 293 miles north of Santiago and, including the surrounding areas, its population is about 400,000. The city is an important tourist destination, especially during the summer.

Thanks to the full support of Fr. Dikson Yañez, Dean of the Major Seminary Saint John Mary Vianney, Monsignor Luis Gleisner, Auxiliary Bishop of La Serena Archdiocese, and Patricia Petit, Family Pastoral coordinator, we were able to reach seminarians, contemplative nuns, family pastoral leaders and high school students. After we spoke to the seminarians, Fr. Yañez expressed his gratitude for the important and timely information presented to the future priests.

A great reception in the Capital

The population of Santiago, where the Executive Power is located, is 5.5 million persons. The Legislative Power is located in Valparaíso, about one hour drive from the capital.

We gave a lecture to 20 seminarians, 4 priest teachers and the dean of Saint Peter the Apostle Seminary, with the support of Bishop Juan Ignacio Gonzalez of the Diocese of Bernardo. After we spoke, he said, “The lectures were excellent. I think it was a very enlightening presentation of the situation the world is facing today, and about the necessity to respect human life. I want to thank Human Life International for all the efforts made and the material that was provided to us.”

We were able to visit of the tomb of Saint Alberto Hurtado, one of Chile’s most popular saints. Fr Chávez and Mario Rojas prayed for our benefactors, HLI, REDESSVIDA and the pro-life movement.

We also spoke at the Guardian Angels Pontifical Seminary to 66 seminarians, 4 professor priests and Msgr. Fernando Ramos, Dean of the Seminary.

Visit to Concepción

Displaying the city names that demonstrate the nation’s Catholic heritage, Concepción is the second largest metropolitan area after Santiago, with almost 900,000 inhabitants. Located south of Santiago, Concepción suffered last year from a huge earthquake, followed by a tsunami. The scars are still visible in many parts of the region, and many people near the seashore line are still living in tents.

The dean, professors, and 37 seminarians at Metropolitan Seminary of Concepción were very receptive to the message of the need to fight for life and family. Seminarian Rodrigo Briones in particular was grateful for the distance HLI traveled to share the Gospel of Life.

After a lecture to 20 Carmelite contemplative nuns, Fr. Chavez and I were told that they would renew their commitment to pray for priests, seminarians and add HLI, REDESSVIDA and the pro-life movement to their prayers as well! The poster of Our Lady of Guadalupe was touched to the miraculous tilma and given in Mexico to Fr. Chávez.

Reaching the Young with the Gospel of Life

Situated 570 miles south of Santiago, the 176,000 inhabitants of Puerto Montt live in and operate the main seaport in southwest Chile. The city is the principal commercial, services, and financial hub of the region, known as Chilean Northern Patagonia—Zona Austral. Its economy is now based primarily on agriculture, cattle, forestry on the surrounding islands, and fishing and salmon aquaculture in the fjords and nearby Pacific Ocean. It is the fastest growing city in southern Chile, mainly because of the explosive growth of the salmon industry.

Fr. Rigoberto García, Archdiocesan Pastoral Vicar, accompanied us during our travels through Puerto Montt, where we spoke to about 650 students of 4 different high schools and several teachers at Arriarán Barros School gymnasium. The feedback was excellent. At the end of the lecture. Fr. Daniel Acuña, Vicar of Education, as well as a teacher and two students, expressed much gratitude for what they had learned.

Fr Chávez was honored to concelebrate Mass at the Cathedral with Archbishop Caro, who allowed him to speak to the 500 parishioners present. Later we had lunch at his residence, where we discussed the missionary work of HLI. He invited us back for the Family Week celebration that takes place in October, when we will speak to 500 professors of religion, the entire group of diocesan priests, and to students and teachers in at least 18 of its Catholic high schools.

A high school student speaks of her experience

A student, Nicole Vargas, spoke very movingly: “I wish you could have come sooner with the message of chastity before marriage…. A lecture like this was never given before in this school… Last year I got pregnant and decided to keep my baby ….The video about the hard reality of abortion and human sexuality moved me deeply because I lived through such an experience and was pressured to have an abortion….lectures like this should be given in every school in Chile”.

Like the rest of Lain America, Chile has long had a Catholic, pro-life and pro-family culture; but also like its neighbors, these values are under severe attack. The wonderful feedback we heard from our Chilean brothers and sisters reminds us of the urgency needed in promoting the Gospel of Life, so that Chile may begin to recover its Catholic roots and to return to its strong love for life and family. Key to this work are these types of mission trips, especially reaching out to priests and seminarians, who will have a great and lasting impact. To a person, those we spoke to were grateful to HLI, REDESSVIDA and our supporters for making this evangelization possible!