Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
San Salvador (Agenzia Fides) - "Solve violence with violence does not work", said Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of San Salvador, His Exc. Mgr. Gregorio Rosa Chavez, referring to the method that the authorities want to adopt due to the daily increasing number of murders. "The system is not working well" stressed Mgr. Rosa Chavez on Sunday, February 1, explaining that the system appears to be repressive. "The use of weapons does not help peace and there must be an open dialogue with all stakeholders in the peace process. Churches claim that no one can be excluded", said the Bishop, after repeating that one should look for "a change of attitude".
The note sent to Fides emphasizes that Mgr. Rosa Chavez insisted on the fact that the word "negotiation" is not part of the vocabulary of the Church or of the Security Council. "When it comes to dialogue it means talking to people who are in the neighborhoods, suburbs and with young people in search of another chance", he said.
The experience of truce led the Church to take a stand (see Fides 15/05/2013), because the fruits of this truce were not what one expected.
At the end of last year 39 policemen were killed in attacks or ambushes. Since January seven other policemen have been added to the fatal list.
Mgr. Rosa Chavez’ intervention, in his usual press conference on Sunday, was motivated by the spread of news on the recovery of alleged dialogues of gang with religious groups. (CE) (Agenzia Fides 03/02/2015)
