Cardinal Felipe Arizmendi, bishop emeritus of San Cristóbal de Las Casas and head of the Doctrine of Faith at the Mexican Episcopal Conference (CEM), offers readers of Exaudi his weekly article.
FACTS
I insisted on speaking personally with the local leader of an armed group dedicated to extortion, with whom I had already spoken briefly in passing when I met him on the street; it was not until my third insistence that he received me, with bodyguards permanently watching over him next to his house. I invited him to change his life, but he did not listen to me. He no longer lives among us, since there has been a recent and close presence of the army, the National Guard, and state police, who set up a detachment fifteen minutes away. From time to time, he returns when his hawks warn him that there is no army nearby as if to remind us who is in charge here. These people do not understand good advice from their fathers and grandmothers, much less the Word of God; what makes them back off a little is military action against them. Do we advocate shooting? No. We would like criminals to accept advice and stop harming the population, but only strong action by the government can protect the community.
The bishops of the State (Province, Department) of Guerrero met with the leaders of two armed groups that operate in that region, to invite them to lay down their weapons and not cause further harm to the poor. They did not accept; they only made a commitment to respect each other’s territories, charging a fee to different sectors of the population, one group to those who have a stand in the municipal market, and the other to the transporters. With good advice, they do not change their criminal action; only the presence and military action contain them. Do we advocate, I repeat, for shooting? No. But if the army does not act to contain them, there is no one to stop them. The population is defenseless against the powerful weapons of these groups, and only stronger action by the State can repress them. We are already seeing a change in the strategy of the current federal government, which hopefully will have better results, since the strategy of the previous six-year term was counterproductive.
I asked to speak with those responsible for caring for our forests near the Nevado de Toluca, to see how they could stop the illegal felling of trees, because the criminal groups force the peasants to sell a good quantity of pine trees, for example, for three million pesos; of this sale, made without official authorization, they must give a third part to the armed group. The peasants can do nothing against the powerful weapons of the loggers; who controls them and prevents this criminality? How can they be stopped, if not with the military and police force of the government? Do we advocate, I insist, for shooting? No. We do not want more deaths, but someone must subdue the criminals and defend the people and their mountains.
LIGHTING
Pope Francis, at the Jubilee of the Armed Forces, Police and Security Guards of the whole world, gathered for his Mass in St. Peter’s Square, told them:
You are entrusted with a great mission, which encompasses multiple dimensions of social and political life: the defence of our countries, the commitment to security, the protection of legality and justice, the presence in penitentiaries, the fight against crime and the different forms of violence that threaten to disrupt social peace.
You are called to have an attentive eye, to be able to capture the threats to the common good; the dangers that loom over the lives of citizens; the environmental, social and political risks to which we are exposed. Their uniforms, the discipline that has forged them, the courage that distinguishes them, the oath they have taken, are all things that remind them how important it is not only to see evil in order to denounce it, but also to get on board during the storm and commit themselves so that there is no shipwreck, with a mission in the service of good, freedom and justice. To be always on the side of legality and on the side of the weakest is a lesson for all of us. This teaches us that good can triumph despite everything; it teaches us that justice, loyalty and civic passion are still necessary values today; it teaches us that we can create a more humane, more just and more fraternal world, despite the opposing forces of evil.
We thank you for all that you do, sometimes risking your own lives. Thank you for offering us your protection and encouraging us to continue our journey. But I would also like to urge you not to lose sight of the purpose of your service and your actions: to promote life, to save life, to defend life always. I ask you, please, to be vigilant. Be vigilant against the temptation to cultivate a spirit of war; be vigilant so as not to be seduced by the myth of strength and the noise of weapons; be vigilant so as never to be contaminated by the poison of hate propaganda, which divides the world into friends to be defended and enemies to be fought. Be, instead, courageous witnesses of the love of God the Father, who wants us all to be brothers and sisters. And, together, let us walk to build a new era of peace, justice and fraternity.
I extend my greeting to all the military in the world, and I would like to recall the teaching of the Church in this regard. The Second Vatican Council says: “Those who serve their country should consider themselves instruments of the security and freedom of the people” (GS 79). This armed service must be exercised only in legitimate defence, never to impose dominion over other nations, always respecting international conventions on conflicts and, above all, in sacred respect for life and creation.
ACTIONS
Let us pray for our authorities, so that they find a way to control and avoid this damage to the defenseless population. And, if possible, let us speak about this with the corresponding authorities, so that they assume their duty to care for the people.
