2023-07-29 20:01:00
July 29, 2023 / 1:01 p.m.
The Archbishop of Arequipa (Peru), Msgr. Javier Del Río Alba, sent a message to the people of Peru, who are celebrating the National Holidays this weekend, urging them to be united in faith in Christ to prevent the country from becoming in a “battlefield between ideologies”.
“The Christian faith, which almost all Peruvians share, calls us to unite so that Peru is not a battlefield between ideologies that do not take into account the real needs of the population or, just as bad, a loot to be found. divided among a few”, he indicated in an article published on July 28, the day of the proclamation of the Independence of Peru.
Peru has been immersed in a political crisis for more than five years. The last president elected in a general election, Pedro Castillo, is serving 36 months in pretrial detention while under investigation for rebellion and conspiracy, following his failed attempt to dissolve Congress on December 7, 2022.
After Castillo’s departure, the mandate was assumed by Vice President Dina Boluarte. Since he took office, various civil movements and unions, mainly from leftist sectors, have come out to march calling for his resignation, the dissolution of Congress and the change of the Constitution.
On June 15, Boluarte indicated that the possibility of holding new elections is closed” and will continue to work until the end of his term in July 2026.
In this context of crisis, Msgr. Del Río assured that “it is necessary to change the shouting and insults for a constructive dialogue that allows us to join forces to overcome the unfortunate inequalities that still exist between us.”
“All Peruvians are part of the same people forged through centuries of history. Let us contribute, then, to the common good of the nation, which is the good of each and every one. We will all win if we unite in a common project for the country, in which no one feels discarded but, on the contrary, everyone is welcomed and helped”, he expressed.
Bishop Del Río indicated that “we still have a lot to do” because “Peru suffers from serious social and economic contrasts that affect a very considerable part of the population.”
“Sin, which dwells in the hearts of men, blinds us and often leads us not to look at the other, our neighbor, as a brother, but to ignore him or see him as an adversary. That same sin makes us selfish and insensitive, ”he assured.
Likewise, he stressed that “the culture of death, as Saint John Paul II called it, which Pope Francis now calls the culture of discarding, stalks our country and wants to dilute it in a globalization of indifference and the idolatry of money, of power and pleasure.”
“Despite the difficult situation we are going through” -continued the Archbishop-, he recalled how “beautiful and rich” Peru is “in its variety of natural resources, cultural traditions and generosity of its people”.
“Peru is an enormous gift from God, with the greatness of the sea that bathes our coasts, the majesty of the Andes and the exotic beauty of the Amazon jungle. We also have the richness of multiculturalism and the legacy that ancestral cultures have contributed to the configuration of our national identity”.
Subscribe to ACI Press
Receive our most important news by email
“To this is added the nobility of Peruvians, which translates into the capacity to welcome those who visit us, the spirit of sacrifice and entrepreneurship that characterizes us, the solidarity that on many occasions has allowed us to overcome difficult times and situations” he added.
Bishop Del Río also pointed out that “no less important is the great gift that God has given to Peru through the Catholic Church.”
“As recognized in article 50 of the current Political Constitution of our country, the Church has contributed to the historical development of our nation and, at the same time, to the formation of our culture and national identity,” he said.
In this sense, he recalled that “one of the elements that has most helped national unity has been, since the days of the Viceroyalty and even more so during the Republic, our Catholic faith.”
“Most of the great heroes and illustrious characters of our country have been forged in it. The great values that have characterized our society have been cemented in that faith. From it, the majority of Peruvians have drawn and continue to draw the strength to overcome the adversities that, periodically or permanently, we have to go through ”, he concluded.
Diego López Marina is a communicator and journalist by profession. He has been part of ACI Prensa since 2016 and currently works as one of the agency’s web editors.
#Archbishop #invites #united #faith #ideologies