The Church in Colombia asks armed actors to cease attacks against human life

The Bishops of Colombia asked “all armed actors” cease attacks against human life, and reiterated their commitment to be prophets of hope in the country, at the end of their 119th plenary assembly.

“We called all armed actors to cease the attacks against human life and nature,” said Colombian prelates in their message entitled “Your future is loaded with hope”.

Along these lines, the bishops also reiterated their call to “integrally respect the Constitutional Charter, State institutions and territorial entities, such as supports of democracy.”

Violence and polarization in Colombia

On June 10, at least seven people died after the 24 terrorist attacks that occurred in the adjacent departments of Cauca and Valle del Cauca, the National Police reported.

According to CNN in Spanish, the attacks – with cars bombs and firearms attacks, among others – also left 28 injured.

According to Gustavo Petro, president of Colombia, Behind the attacks would be the central General Staffdissident group of the FARC narco -terrorist guerrillas, led by aka “Iván Bite”.

Three days before, the presidential senator and candidate, Miguel Uribe Turbay, suffered a serious attack in Bogotá, when a 15 -year -old teenager shot him in the head. Since then he is in intensive care and with a reserved prognosis at the Santa Fe Clinic, accompanied by the incessant prayer of Colombians.

On the other hand and in the political sphere, the popular consultation promoted by Petro and rejected by the opposition, generated various tensions between the Executive and the Senate, until finally the president decided to reverse on June 24, a few days after various authorities met with Cardinal Luis José Rueda, at the headquarters of the archbishopric of Bogotá, to sign a commitment to rejection of political violence in the country.

Hope prophets

In their message today, the Bishops of Colombia ratified their “commitment to sustain and encourage the hope of the Colombian people, being servers of unity, encounter, dialogue, reconciliation and peace, and cultivating an atmosphere of unarmed and disarming interpersonal relations.”

“Together with the laity, religious communities and ordered ministers, we assume the call of Pope Leo XIV to be promoters and artisans of the unit,” they said.

The prelates also encouraged the people of God not to fall into the temptation of hopelessness and entrusted their mission to the Virgin of Chiquinquirá, a patron saint of Colombia, “so that, like her, we welcome the word of Jesus Christ and give it without reservations to the service of God’s people at this time of our history.”