Roman Catholic-Pentecostal dialogues have been going on for a number of years. These are encouraging signs. In spite of these signs, the negative attitudes described above are still prevalent. They are compounded by political considerations, which are exacerbated by the amazing growth of Protestant and especially neo-Pentecostal churches. In this context, the need for dialogue is very urgent.
Sectarian attitudes are present in all churches.
Even so, we are called to find new forms of expressing and living out the unity of the Church in Latin America. The unity of the Church is the work of the Holy Spirit, and we should identify, affirm, and encourage the experiences of that unity which are already manifested in many local situations all over the continent. The decade of the 1990s has been characterized by profound economic changes in Latin America with a significant increase in production in various countries. Two hundred million Latin Americans live in conditions of extreme poverty. There is growing disparity between rich and poor with a gradual disappearance of the middle class.