AMERICA/ARGENTINA - Bishops recall poverty and exclusion in which many live

Buenos Aires (Agenzia Fides) - On the occasion of the Christmas celebrations, the Bishops of Argentina wished to express their concern about the plight of the poor and excluded, and stressed that life must be protected by law starting from conception, during development and until natural death.
In their messages to the various diocesan communities, of which a copy was sent to Fides, the Bishops emphasized the situation of exclusion, abuse, violence and increasing marginalization of young people, living in structural poverty. In fact, extreme poverty has become structural, as evidenced by the alarming statistics that detect how many teenagers and young people are children of parents who have never worked. It is not just the impossibility or the difficulty of finding a job, but the loss of the "work culture", which means a great social and cultural decline.
In the words of the Archbishop of Santa Fe and the new President of the Argentine Bishops Conference, His Exc. Mgr.José María Arancedo, it is noted that "violence and child abuse, the presence of drugs that damages our youth, marginalization and exclusion continue to be challenges that we have to deal with urgently. "On his behalf, the Archbishop of Mar del Plata, Monsignor Antonio Marino, said it is an urgent task to work to eradicate poverty, and educate without exclusions and defend the physical integrity of young people.
The Archbishop of Tucuman, Mgr.Alfredo Zecca, said that many times there is no exact understanding of the terms, as an opponent does not mean enemy, talking does not mean quarrelling, and important things deserve to be discussed. For this there is a legislature, parliament, institutions that can promote meetings. Rev. Zecca has also added: "Blessed be God, so that we can, in a democratic and pluralistic society, express our thoughts, and we must always give thanks for the freedom of expression." (CE) (Agenzia Fides 28/12/2011)