The Archbishop of Santiago de Chile, Mons. Fernando Chomali, received this Wednesday at the headquarters of the Archbishopric the President of France, Emmanuel Macron, who is on an international tour of Latin America.
His visit—the first by a foreign leader to the archbishop’s seat—had the purpose of recognizing the role that the Catholic Church in Chile has had in the defense of Human Rights and pastoral action with those in need.
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The prelate and the president met privately, in an audience that lasted just over an hour, accompanied by the French ambassador to Chile, Cyrille Rogeau, and the Auxiliary Bishop of Santiago, Mons. Alberto Lorenzelli.
Vicariate of Solidarity: symbol of the presence of the Church
Macron showed special interest in the Vicariate of Solidarity, which operated in Chile during the dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet, to provide legal, economic, technical and spiritual assistance to people persecuted by the military regime; and seek the freedom of those detained.
“Of course, he asked me about the Vicariate of Solidarity and I explained to him that the Church is loved in Chile precisely because it is always present in people’s moments of pain and affliction, and that without asking him what his political or political affiliation was, religious, many were welcomed and helped in difficult times. And the Church will continue to do that,” said Bishop Chomali, according to pick up the website of the archbishopric.
“Another topic present in the conversation was the collaboration of the Church of France with the Chilean Church, where many French missionaries were in the poorest, most suffering places in Chile for many years, and also the nuns. “He appreciated that gesture and remembered that he had a Catholic school education.”
“Return to the centrality of the human being”
The archbishop explained that at the meeting they addressed “major anthropological issues,” and he was able to express the fundamentals of “returning to the centrality of the human being under all conditions.”
In this framework, the prelate mentioned the importance of an education focused on being and not on competition, as a requirement to “rebuild a society on a more human scale.”
Regarding economic development, Bishop Chomali warned that it is “unthinkable to generate a more just society” without work, because “a family without work is a family that is at risk.”
“There is a certain concern about the future of democracy and the need to strengthen democracy, because it was the only way to avoid violence, and the only way to grow as a country with greater equity,” he expressed, given some situations in Latin America. where democracy is “weakening”, bringing “big problems” of a social, cultural and political nature.
The President of France also toured the Metropolitan Cathedral and was able to appreciate the artistic and religious works exhibited there. “On the tour we took through the Archbishopric and the Cathedral we showed him the stained glass windows and images of saints created in France,” said Bishop Chomali.
“It was an extremely friendly but also frank meeting, where I tried to make him see that the Catholic Church is providing a service in many areas, in the educational field, in the pastoral field, in the social field, and that we think we contribute to a better society. ”, concluded the prelate.
Juliet Villar
I am a journalist, with a degree in communication from the National University of La Matanza in Argentina. I have work experience in non-governmental organizations. Since 2016 I have been dedicated to Catholic journalism, first at the Argentine Catholic Information Agency (AICA) and, since 2022, as ACI Prensa correspondent for Argentina, Chile, Uruguay and Bolivia.