Catholic Church makes Gustavo Petro and Colombian authorities commit to reject political violence

Having an invitation from the Catholic Church, the Colombian president, Gustavo Petro, and other state authorities signed on Monday a document in which they commit “to reject all kinds of violence, as a way to resolve political and social conflicts” of the country.

The firm took place at the headquarters of the Curia of the Archdiocese of Bogotá. In addition to Petro, the presidents of the Senate, Efraín Cepeda Sarabia attended; of the House of Representatives, Jaime Salamanca Torres; of the Constitutional Court, Jorge Ibáñez Najar; and of the Supreme Court, Octavio Tejeiro Duque.

The Attorney General, Juan Gregorio Eljach Pacheco also attended; The Comptroller General, Carlos Rodríguez Becerra; the Ombudsman, Iris Marín Ortiz; the General Registrar, Hernán Penagos Giraldo; the president of the Superior Council of the Judiciary, Jorge Enrique Vallejo; and the director of the DaPre, Angie Rodríguez Fajardo.

Although the document includes the signatures of the President of the State Council, Luis Alberto Álvarez Parra; and of the Attorney General, Angie Rodríguez Fajardo, both did not attend the meeting because they were not in Bogotá.

The authorities arrived at the Archbishop’s Palace by hosting the invitation to a dialogue lunch that Cardinal Luis José Ruedio Aparicio personally made them, on behalf of the Episcopal Conference of Colombia (CEC).

Although the content of the conversations was not known, it was reported that these passed in a cordial and respect climate.

The meeting took place the day after the massive march of silence, convened in more than 25 cities and that, in the case of Bogotá, brought together some 70,000 people. The objective of the demonstration was to cry for the end of violence that is hitting several areas of Colombia and that has had among its last victims the presidential candidate of the Democratic Center, Miguel Uribe Turbay, who remains hospitalized with a reserved prognosis.

In addition, the recent weeks have witnessed the clashes between Petro and the Senate, after it did not approve to summon a popular consultation on labor reform and was requested by the Government. The president’s response was to sign a decree to make the referendum in August, increasing friction with other authorities.

Therefore, in the document signed, the representatives of the State assure that they undertake to respect each other “and harmonize the word; and to reject all kinds of violence, as a way to resolve political and social conflicts.”

They also pray “for the life of Miguel Uribe Turbay, and for those who in all corners of our territories suffer today because of violence.” “We accompany their families in this moment of pain. We call to keep hope in our country and invite these types of meetings to be replicated in the spaces where necessary,” says the text.

Exclude the violence of politics

After the meeting, the CEC leadership offered a press conference in which it was called to eradicate the violence of the political environment of the country.

In addition to Cardinal Rueda Aparicio, the President of the CEC, Mons. Francisco Javier Múnera; the vice president, Mons. Gabriel Ángel Villa Vahos; the Secretary General, Mons. Germán Medina; and the Episcopate delegate for Church-State Relations, Mons. Héctor Fabio Henao.

Mons. Henao, who accompanied the Government’s dialogue with the ELN, said that at this time it is imperative that all institutions and leaders exclude “the violence of the world of politics.”

“We need that, in a very determined way, as a society, at all levels, we make efforts, commitments for all violence, of all order, to be excluded from the world of politics,” he reiterated.

For his part, the archbishop of Bogotá, Cardinal Luis José Rueda, explained that one of the purposes of the episcopate, and who helped prepare today’s encounter, was to know that it was a “first step, but that subsequent processes can come”.

“Second, that we were not going to enter the large definitions of the Executive or the Legislative, the Judicial or the control entities. No, the technical parts develop there, so that our meeting did not come with this technical part and with the great decisions,” he said.

The purple pointed out that these institutions and agencies have a mission to fulfill the service of Colombia, but today’s meeting was to meet and listen, taking “a first step in a pedagogy that can serve the country, to walk together and respond to the different conflicts”.

On the critical situation of the candidate and senator Miguel Uribe, Cardinal Rueda called to maintain hope and that medical science can contribute to the “miracle” of the recovery of the representative of the Democratic Center.

“A miracle is an act of love of God but is carried out through medical science. If there is no medical science, there is no miracle. But, in addition, support and prayer along with the family of the entire believing people,” he said.

During the press conference, the bishops reiterated that today’s meeting could be a “first encounter”, because “we know that this is a process” to “create a pedagogy of the word, of listening, of dialogue, of the respect we all deserve.”