Bishops of Colombia: “Priest” who calls for Petro’s dictatorship is not a Catholic priest

The bishops of Colombia specified that Mr. Ramiro Arango Escobar, who presents himself as a “priest,” calling for a dictatorship of President Gustavo Petro and the uprising of the Colombian people, He is not a priest of the Catholic Church.

“Mr. Ramiro Arango Escobar is not a priest of the Catholic, Apostolic and Roman Church, he is not in communion with Pope Francis or with the Catholic bishops and, therefore, does not belong to the clergy of any ecclesiastical jurisdiction in the country“says a statement from the Communications Department of the Episcopal Conference of Colombia (CEC), published this November 18.

“The statements and calls made by Mr. Ramiro Arango Escobar do not represent the Colombian Catholic Church,” the CEC bishops specify.

In a video broadcast on social networks, Arango asks to take over the National Electoral Council, which he calls “sewer” and exhorts: “We ask, I ask for dictatorship! And I ask for it without fear because I know that a dictatorship in the hands of Gustavo Petro Orrego respects life and respects human dignity. We must purify this entire state.”

Addressing Petro and also using profane words, Arango states: “I am a priest who invites you to the uprising, and if not, let the people rise up. If you are not capable of governing, we are going to take to the streets and take justice for the people. I am a friend of a popular insurrection and I am becoming a friend of the guerrillas too! (…) I am a friend of the armed struggle now!”

In its statement today, the CEC recalls that since July 2018, the bishops “have been clarifying this situation,” with a statement similar to this Monday.

In concluding their statement, the bishops highlight that, inspired by the values ​​of the Gospel, they have been emphatic “in their commitment and call to the joint search for paths of encounter, dialogue and social friendship that lead the Nation along the path of reconciliation and peace”.