The Press Office of the Bolivian Bishops' Conference issued a statement on December 12 firmly denouncing the acts of violence that claimed two victims, Passionist Fathers, yesterday afternoon in the Hamacas district of the city of Santa Cruz, in the southern highlands of the country.“This act reveals, once more, the state of insecurity and vulnerability in which citizens are living; the loss of the values of honesty and respect for life, and the limitations of our security and judicial system, who are called to protect the integrity and security of all people and goods.”
Moreover, read the statement, “in the case of the robbery committed against these priests and their home, it should be noted that their goods and resources were at the service of the community they serve, making the damage inflicted even more serious.”
Thus, as representatives of the Catholic Church, the Bishops' Conference expresses its closeness and solidarity with the Congregation of Passionist Fathers, victims of this aggression, and encourages them to continue their important work of evangelization, in the midst of difficulties. They conclude by asking that “this criminal act may be sorted out as soon as possible, and that efforts may be increased to prevent and avoid these acts that increase fear and uncertainty among the community.”
The Bishops' Commission for Social Communication of the Bolivian Bishops' Conference, presided by Bishop Cristobal Bialasik of Oruro, has issued a statement entitled “No to abuse of power,” in which it rejects authoritarianism and the abuse of power that is carried out by the highest authority in the country, against the journalists who fulfill their informational task.
“The Catholic Church and her Magisterium are vigilant for the adequate and responsible freedom of speech, however they also call for a government in which all its members show respect, consideration, and proper attitudes in fulfilling their public services.”
Thus, the Commission expresses its solidarity with journalists, the press, and all forms of mass media that suffer any kind of oppression, noting that “any excessive use of the freedom of speech should be denounced and dealt with accordingly by the means established by the legal code.”
They concluded their statement by asking public authorities to “respect journalists and the mass media, whose function is a true pillar of democracy, which allows for a healthy coexistence among Bolivians.”
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(Source: Spero)