AMERICA/CHILE - The Church proposes dialogue on an issue which is still open: Public education

Santiago (Fides) – The Archbishop of Santiago de Chile, Archbishop Ricardo Ezzati, has stressed his appeal to put a stop to violence and seek solutions through dialogue, after talking for about an hour and a half with a group of people who had previously occupied the Metropolitan Cathedral. After the meeting, the Archbishop backed up the appeals for dialogue between protesters and the authorities responsible in the area of public education. "I support the appeal for dialogue. I have always said that the problems we have to solve have to be faced through talks rather than using means of violence. Violence never leads to anything", said Msgr. Ezzati
The reform of the education system, the quality of education, the possibility of full access to education and of quality, regardless of social status the young belong to, have long been at the center of social debate in Chile.
The Archbishop also said: "I am very concerned about a group of young people who are on hunger strike and also about the complaint made by parents about 150 young people who have been attacked during demonstrations. I believe that society has every right to live in peace, to speak clearly and to seek dialogue to solve our problems".
This is what the note sent by the Episcopal Conference dated July 22 says so far. On July 24 a large group of students demonstrated with placards in front of the Cathedral demanding the direct involvement of the Catholic Church in the debate on this issue, while inside, the Mass for the 450th anniversary of the Archdiocese was being celebrated.
Archbishop Ezzati expressed himself right from the beginning of the debate in favor of dialogue to resolve the problem (see Fides 04/07/2011). The Bishops of Chile issued a note on June 23 where they underline that the responsibility regarding the education system is a task of the whole community (see Fides 25/6/2011. (CE) (Agenzia Fides 26/07/2011)