"A bishop and priest’s mission is totally incompatible with a political career. It would be a very bad message for Bishop Santos to devote himself to politics."
These are the words with which the Salesian Cardinal Oscar Andres Rodriguez Maradiaga, 68, archbishop of Tegucigalpa in Honduras and one of the most well-known Latin American cardinals in the world, discusses the now-resigned bishop of Santa Rosa de Copan, Monsignor Luis Santos Villeda’s announcement that he’ll be throwing his hat into the ring for the next presidential elections.
In this interview with the Vatican Insider, Cardinal Maradiaga talks about the difficult situation his country is in considering its violence and corruption.
What do you think of Bishop Luis Santos Villeda’s decision to run for office as soon as he left his position in the diocese?
"It is a subject which has been given a lot of publicity by the local media in recent months. The bishop’s responses were in part contradictory. I know that at the last meeting of the Conference of Bishops at the beginning of October, he told us that they had misinterpreted his statements. The mission of the bishop, like that of a priest, is completely incompatible with a political career, as has been clearly defined by the Conference of Latin American Bishops in Puebla »
In your opinion, should he abandon his clerical status and ask to be discharged?
"That's what happened with the current president of Paraguay - Monsignor Santos Villeda said he never would abandon his clerical status and the priesthood. He has done many good things in his 27 years of service to the Church of Santa Rosa de Copan and it would be a bad idea to sustain that at 78 years old - given that the current government will still be in place for two years - we’ll all have the energy and be in good enough health to devote ourselves to something so completely different like politics."
What do you think of Bishop Luis Santos Villeda’s decision to run for office as soon as he left his position in the diocese?
"It is a subject which has been given a lot of publicity by the local media in recent months. The bishop’s responses were in part contradictory. I know that at the last meeting of the Conference of Bishops at the beginning of October, he told us that they had misinterpreted his statements. The mission of the bishop, like that of a priest, is completely incompatible with a political career, as has been clearly defined by the Conference of Latin American Bishops in Puebla »
In your opinion, should he abandon his clerical status and ask to be discharged?
"That's what happened with the current president of Paraguay - Monsignor Santos Villeda said he never would abandon his clerical status and the priesthood. He has done many good things in his 27 years of service to the Church of Santa Rosa de Copan and it would be a bad idea to sustain that at 78 years old - given that the current government will still be in place for two years - we’ll all have the energy and be in good enough health to devote ourselves to something so completely different like politics."
It would not be the first time in Latin America that the President was a (former) bishop: what has Lugo’s experience in Paraguay taught us? Is a bishop is a good president?
"Our mission is completely different. We have not been trained to be politicians but to be shepherds of God's people. A bishop is called to be a unifier and they should be available to everyone. To opt for a specific party means one must shut themselves off to others who have different ideologies."
Can you say what the political and social situation is in your country at this time?
"Because of the political problems over the past three years and the global economic crisis, poverty has really increased, effecting the entire county. The current government has made a great effort to be recognized by the majority of other countries and has sufficiently obtained it. They’ve tried to form a government of unity and reconciliation."
Recently you’ve received threats and have been subject to attacks. How is the situation now?
"Those with extremist views have softened their stance and only some of the media continue to attack me verbally. But the violence caused by the drug trade has influenced more and more of the powerful in the country, even getting to the point of corrupting the police. There have recently been discovered real "cartels" in some police stations that have committed a series of crimes. Work is underway to clean up the police. There were several priests threatened for speaking out against this criminal trade in drugs. I too continue on this front."
What is the Honduran Church doing to help the country now?
"We dedicated 2010 to reconciliation and forgiveness. Many people were misinformed and believed the propaganda of the regime that has since lost power. The economic damage was especially great. In preaching and catechesis, we have insisted upon the need to reconcile the country, and to consider ourselves as brothers, as well as children, of our one heavenly Father.
We’re getting there little by little. We participated in various committees for national discourse. The media has brought back a campaign from three years ago which focused on the commandment, "Thou shalt not kill", following the insatiable criminal violence which results in dozens of deaths each week.
It has also developed a great effort of solidarity through Caritas to those who suffer the most, especially in recent months in which the uncontrollable rain has caused extreme damage, especially amongst the poor.
But above all we are trying to keep hope alive and continue to fight so that the Gospel of Jesus can continue to be a light in a society that can’t find peace and justice."