The piece below is a letter from the Dominicans in Paraguay about current political developments in the country.
International newspapers carried a photograph last week of the new man in Paraguay being embraced by a bishop!
The Dominicans are to be commended.
Asunción June 22nd, 2012
Dear Brothers and Sisters of the Dominican Family,
I write to you from Asunción, where the brothers of the Vicariate Council are meeting.
As you probably all know, the meeting coincides with something which has happened here, a ´coup ´disguised as a political trial, against the President, Fernando Lugo. Not only has this one person been put through this process in a lamentable and unjust way, but above all a democratic process, which has tried to revert the history of Paraguay in favor of the excluded and the poorest of its society, has suffered the consequences. We have had nearly four years in which the dreams of many men and women have begun to be realized. They are dreams of justice and equality in a country where health, education, land, work - human dignity - were not to be empty words but concrete realities which made for a more dignified life for the whole Paraguayan people.
Many of our Dominican brothers – Jorge, Pedro, Toni, Leo, Ramón, Gabriel, Rubén, Francisco and Pedro are committed to the realization of these dreams. They are Friars who live and work in places like the Bañado, Roque, María Antonia, La Crucita, and the University; who accompany married people, and other people on their personal journeys. In the same way, some of our Paraguayan brothers in Uruguay and Argentina – Cristino, Edgar, Felipe, Edgar Rubén, Cirilo and Felix – accompany their compatriots who have emigrated to these countries, through their pastoral work.
We are filled by a great sense of frustration and powerlessness after so many efforts made by the brothers so that the Kingdom would become a reality. Once more, the politicians who defend the interests of the wealthy, seize the heritage of the weak. With an unjust judgement, Ahab and Jezebel seized the vineyard of Naboth, and ended up killing him (1 Kings 21) Today in the Senate, history is repeated. The words of God through the prophet Elijah could be repeated to the members of the Senate : ¨In the very place that the dogs licked up Naboth´s blood, they will lick up your blood ! ¨ No one can hold back the process of the Kingdom. We believe in it, and we live for it, as preachers.
Our brothers of Paraguay will continue to be committed to it. We pray to the Lord for all of them, and also for the lay men and women of the Lay Fraternities, and for the Sisters of the Dominican Congregations who work in Paraguay. We pray that they do not fall away from their commitment to the poorest and the most needy of their society. May they be able to sense our solidarity and close fraternal support in these difficult moments.
Your brother,
Rafael Colome Angelats
rcolomeop@gmail.com
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1 comment:
The current issues of The Tablet carries a letter to the editor, on this subject, written by the Dominican Larry Kelly, who worked in Paraguay for some time. The same number of The Tablet (on a later page) notes that the Vatican was the first state to recognise the legitimacy of the leader 'put in' to replace President Lugo.
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