AMERICA/ARGENTINA - Bishops: "The Church does not approve the invasion of lands"

Friday, 30 October 2020 land grabbing   episcopal conferences  

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Buenos Aires (Agenzia Fides) - With the title "The land belongs to the Lord", the governing body of the Argentine Bishops' Conference issued a statement on October 29th and signed by the Chairman of the Bishops' Conference on the "frequent invasions of land", a phenomenon that in Argentina "has been known since the beginning of our history" and that the Church "does not approve".
"In these days of extreme vulnerability for the social fabric to which we belong, the invasion of lands is repeated with painful frequency", they warn. "In recent decades, the various occupations of land have highlighted the precarious situation of many families, who have had to find a place to live. In this sense, as Christians, we feel challenged by all forms of marginalization men and women experience without a decent home", the Bishops say.
"The loss of the concept of the earth as a gift from God for the well-being of all is at the root of all concentration, misappropriation and destruction of natural resources", they recall, citing the document "A land for all", published in 2005 by the Episcopal Commission for Social Pastoral.
"Nothing justifies intrusion and violence at the cost of the life and rights of others - they continue -. The Church does not approve of these invasions. They are the cause of violence and social unrest". "Even less acceptable is the opportunism of those who take advantage of the extreme need of the poorest to use them for their own gain and political goals", added the Bishops, and concluded: "Today more than ever it is necessary that the state is present and responsible. In these dramatic hours, when cases are multiplying, we have confidence in the fact that a diligent judicial intervention will be able to prevent this escalation of violence between the parties. (CE) (Agenzia Fides, 30/10/2020)


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