AMERICA/CHILE - Prison should not be seen as a place to lose hope, but somewhere to learn from our mistakes

Thursday, 28 July 2016 human rights   women   local churches  




Aysén (Agenzia Fides) – "Prison it not a place to lose hope, instead it can be a time to start a new way of life to help build a society of more justice and brotherhood; the loss of freedom does not mean the loss of dignity, courage and confidence , people can learn from their mistakes and give their lives a more social dimension ": this was said by Bishop Luigi Infanti della Mora, O.S.M Vicar Apostolic of Aysen, following a visit to the penitentiary of Coyhaique, where he asked to meet one of the female detainees because he had a letter for her from Pope Francis.
According to the report sent to Fides, the Pope’s letter came in reply to a letter written in prison by a young woman prisoner and sent to Pope Francis through the Papal Nuncio a year ago. The Pope’s reply to that letter arrived at the Nuntiature a month later but for various reasons was delivered only recently.
“I ask God to grant you the light of the faith and the strength of hope, and through the consolation of our God of mercy may you experience the closeness of the persons you love " the Pope wrote in the letter assuring the woman of his prayers. The woman expressed her gratitude for the Pope’s reply and, deeply touched, said she would write to him again to tell him that she has since married and has a second child, a baby girl who lives in prison with her .
"From a spiritual point of view it is comforting to know that the Pope is happy to reply to people in complicated situations; it is a motive of joy and hope not only for the person who wrote the letter but also for us, to know that you could get a return letter from His Holiness " was the comment of the regional director of the Press Police.
(CE) (Agenzia Fides, 28/07/2016)


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