Otto Fernando Arana Mont is a 31-year-old seminarian from Guatemala (diocese of Santiago). He is studying theology at the Bidasoa International Seminary in Pamplona.
Although he felt God's call to the priesthood at the age of 11, he put his vocation "on hold" until he was 29, when the chaplain of the school where he taught helped him rediscover his vocation.
The experience of working with families has been very important for him: witnessing the daily yes to the vocation of marriage, of parents who educated their children with dedication and care, thus giving an authentic witness of holiness.
In his country, like many others in Latin America, there is a "danger" of the approval of abortion and euthanasia laws. For this reason, he announces that Guatemala, the capital of his country, will be declared "Ibero-American pro-life capital" in March 2022.
Another issue in his country is the rise of Protestantism. "I think that the presence of the priest in the parish is fundamental: he must be available to the faithful, and like a father, be tireless in forming them and always encouraging them to be missionary disciples.
Catholics must have a solid knowledge of Sacred Scripture, living Tradition and the Magisterium, as well as a formation in Mariology that leads us to feel proud to have a Mother like the Blessed Virgin Mary," he explains.
