_WORLD WATCH______________________________
____________________ Costa Rica ________________

Coping with hedonism
The dangers of secularism
When Pope John Paul II received the bishops of Costa Rica, who made their ad limina visit to the Holy See in December, the Pontiff said that the principal challenges which the bishops must face involve the confrontation with a culture of hedonism, selfishness, and death.

Calling the current situation in Costa Rica both “dramatic” and “fascinating,” John Paul warned against “the spread of a lifestyle based on purely material criteria, which encourages trivial consumption.” On the other hand, he continued, “The renewal of a profound religious spirit and the search for a direction to life is nonetheless worthy of note.”

The Pope reminded the Latin American bishops that Christians “cannot remain neutral with regard to phenomena which spread a culture of hedonism, selfishness, and death.” At the same time, he took note of the rising number of priestly vocations in Costa Rica—which in recent years has produced more young priests than any other country in Latin America.

Back to Catholic World Report January 2002 Table of Contents