Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
San Pedro de Ycuamandiyú (Agenzia Fides) - The Bishop of the diocese of San Pedro, His Exc. Mgr. Pierre Laurent Jubinville, C.S.Sp. informed that the Permanent Council of the Bishops' Conference of Paraguay (CEP) considers the possibility that someone may leave the negotiating table convened by President, Horacio Cartes. However, he stressed, one must not confuse the process of dialogue, which is much more complex, with that meeting.
The situation is still tense after violent protests against the constitutional reform that would pave the way for the re-election of current President, Horactio Cartes (see Fides 29/03/2017), who has proposed to meet various institutional groups to resolve the situation (see Fides 04/04/2017).
"It is clear that one cannot have an empty table or people who have nothing to say - reiterates Mgr. Jubinville in the note sent to Fides -. Therefore you have to find another strategy. We committed ourselves with a process of dialogue and this is much more than a single meeting. We should draw strength from our moral authority to summon and to show that it is possible to achieve a result".
Mgr. Jubinville recalled that the Church's position on the constitutional change has always been to abandon the project, since last year, but "it seems that one is not listening to the Church’s request", he concluded.
Yesterday the first Vice President of the Chamber of Deputies of Paraguay, Amado Florentín, opened the parliamentary session by asking the country "not to return to dictatorship" after the demonstration against the presidential re-election that resulted in the death of a young activist and several wounded ( see Fides 01/04/2017). (CE) (Agenzia Fides 06/04/2017)
