KAAD President P. Dr. Hans Langendörfer SJ visits Guatemala

A total of 27 alumni, scholarship holders and fellows took part in the seminar "The ecclesial-pastoral reality in Guatemala" ("La realidad pastoral eclesial en Guatemala"). Generous time slots were built into this event to facilitate networking between the alumni who studied in Germany and the In-Country scholars in Guatemala. "Bringing together the graduates of the Master's programme at the URL with alumni having experience in Germany is indispensable for KAAD's presence in Central America," emphasised Dr. Thomas Krüggeler. In general, the KAAD President was impressed by the cohesion of the alumni group and the diverse professional activities of the individual participants. This ranges from lecturing activities (at various universities) and professional careers in the private sector to activities in church institutions such as Caritas or the Human Rights Office of the Archdiocese of Guatemala. The content of the event was shaped by the lectures of the church historian and Marist Brother Santiago Otero and the priest of the parish of San Juan de la Cruz in Guatemala City, Pedro Jaramillo. While Santiago Otero traced the history of the Church in Guatemala in the twentieth century, Fr Jaramillo highlighted, among other things, three pillars of pastoral work: the transmission of faith, the celebration of it and concern for justice. For this kind of pastoral work, the active participation of self-confident lay people is indispensable.

The speakers at the seminar emphasised the importance of KAAD's commitment to the Church and society in Guatemala, highlighting in particular the Sur-Place programme in the field of social education, as it has a direct impact on pastoral work.

At the Universidad Rafael Landívar, Fr. Langendörfer spoke with the Rector, Fr. Miquel Cortés Bofill SJ and representatives of the university and gave a lecture entitled "The Current Status and Possible Contributions of the Synodal Path of the Church in Germany." ("El estado actual y los posibles aportes del Camino Sinodal de la Iglesia en Alemania"). The subject was well received by more than eighty lecturers and students and provoked an extensive discussion (face-to-face and via video conference).

Towards the end of his trip, Fr. Langendörfer met with the German Ambassador Ms. Ricarda Redeker in Guatemala to discuss the situation in the country and to tell her about KAAD's involvement there. A few days later, the ambassador personally invited the KAAD alumni group to her residence during a reception. The visit of Fr Langendörfer and Thomas Krüggeler once again underlined KAAD's work for church and society in Guatemala and contributed to deepening the structures of the alumni network.