AMERICA/BOLIVIA - Cardinal Terrazas urges to "combat violence, not with words, but with actions"

Thursday, 12 December 2013

Santa Cruz (Agenzia Fides) - On his return to Bolivia from the Vatican, where he was received by Pope Francis, Cardinal Julio Terrazas Sandoval, Archbishop of Santa Cruz de la Sierra, held a press conference where he talked about several issues, including the 2014 presidential election. According to the note sent to Fides Agency from a local source, the Cardinal, jokingly, rejected the idea of his candidacy for next year’s elections. In this context, he urged politicians not to engage in electoral campaigns a year in advance and asked to fight violence not with words, but with actions.
"I am not one of the candidates, but I think we need to have names and clear programs " - the Cardinal said.
Cardinal Terrazas Sandoval said he was concerned about the lack of respect for life, referring to the recent incidents of violence in the eastern part of the country (see Fides 03/12/2013). In this regard, he asked the media to convey a message of life, peace, justice and solidarity: "There is little respect for life, we cannot allow this; so we always want to talk and point out values, rather than advertise crime and violence, we must offer values to our youth".
At the conclusion of the press conference, the Cardinal expressed his congratulations to Pope Francis for being chosen by Time magazine as "Man of the Year", with these words: "the recognition is deserved thanks to the works of kindness, humility and simplicity that reflect the Holy Father". (CE) (Agenzia Fides 12/12/2013)


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